The 50th Hunger Games (ON HOLD)

Chapter 8

A/N: Oh my gosh guys! I am so sorry for the HUGE wait! I have been really busy with school and my family. So I apologise heaps for the big wait. I would just like to say thank you to EVERYONE that has commented, fanned, voted and read this story! I am very grateful for your help and hope you enjoy this chapter! xx :)

When Ellie and I get home I rush to bed, feeling ill to the bone about what just happened, and for two reasons. One Haymitch just got attacked by carnivorous squirrels that were sure to eat him if I hadn’t interfered and two, the game maker lady was dead because she was defending me. I lay in bed for a good few hours, before I fall into another restless sleep, on filled with nightmares. I picture Haymitch getting fully torn apart by the squirrels; I hear the ladies neck snap, my father screaming and Haymitch calling my name as he dies.

When I wake up in the morning my whole body is shaking and covered in a thick layer of sweat. I slowly get out of bed and make my way to the bathroom, I can hear the Games being played on the TV in the living room, Ellie must be up. I get to the bathroom, and step into the shower making sure to turn the water on the coldest temperature I possibly can. The ice water hits me and at first I freeze, paralyzed by the shock of the temperature but soon accept it and find it quiet refreshing. I get out of the shower and put on my clothes for the day and make my way slowly out to the living room. I can still hear the TV playing and Caesar’s voice commentating some significant event that has just occurred. I sit next to Ellie on the couch and she looks at me, her facing showing sympathy and compassion. If there is one thing I hate it’s sympathy from my little sister.

“Dad home?” I ask shortly, keeping my eyes locked on the TV, even though I can feel Ellie’s eyes searching my face for something, maybe an emotion that I am not willing to convey.

“No, he didn’t come home last night either.” Ellie says.

“Anything happen last night?” I ask, something I immediately regret. What if something happened to Haymitch? What if he died?

“No, but about 10 minutes ago a volcano erupted” Ellie says, my heart drops.

“Did anyone die?” I ask, my heart beating 100 times faster than usual.

“Of course, a Game Maker volcano eruption would defintley include at least one death” Ellie exclaims, “12 players were whipped out. A district 1 boy, a 2 boy and girl, a 4 girl and boy, they were working together. District 6 boy, 8 boy, both girls from 9, an 11 girl and both district 3 boys.” Ellie finishes and I let out a large breath that I must have been holding in.

“No district 12?” I ask, still a slight bit nervous.

Ellie pauses for a while, I can see her searching her head for the answer, “No, I don’t think so!”

“Oh thank gosh!” I breathe happily.

“Oh look! Here is a district 12!” Ellie exclaims happily, pointing at the TV. I turn and look at the Tv and sure enough Haymitch is on screen, looking as strong as ever. He is heading away from the mountains and where it looks as though the volcano had erupted. The camera trails on his face and an emotion of shock crosses his face briefly before he hides it again. The camera switches to another, this time showing Haymitch facing a huge hedge maze that seems as though it goes for ever. Haymitch doesn’t show emotion as he walks into the maze and starts trying to find his way through.

“Well this is going to be very interesting” Ellie says, bouncing in her seat.

“Yes, it is” I say, giving her a fake smile, “where is mother?”

“She is in bed, she said she wasn’t feeling well” Ellie tells me, her eyes not leaving the screen.

I nod and turn back to the screen. I can see Haymitch getting to an entrance/exit of the maze, only it’s not at the end, it’s towards the middle of the forest. I get a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, the Game Makers never leave the camera on someone this long unless something is going to happen, something big. And sure enough as soon as Haymitch exits the maze a group of Careers are on him. They are all much bigger and stronger than he is, there is one boy, and two girls. The boy carries a sword and isn’t the best at using it, obviously not his weapon of choice. Both girls carry small throwing knives which they both seem pretty half decent at. But luckily for Haymitch he has remarkable speed and can dodge any swing of the sword and knives.  Haymitch pulls out a few of his own knives and throws them at the Careers, some missing other finding their way into the heads of his opponents. He manages to kill both the girls before the boy disarms him of his last knife. The boy pins Haymitch to the ground with a knife to his throat.

“Think you’re so smart, don’t cha boy? Well you’re not!” the boy snarls, smiling down at a struggling Haymitch.

“You’re pretty stupid” Haymitch says through gritted teeth. I laugh to myself, which is completely irrational for the current situation; of course Haymitch’s last words would be something like this. But then I realize, Haymitch’s last words… and they aren’t to me! I turn back to the TV just in time to see the boy drop to the ground a dart lodged in his neck. The camera’s focus on another tribute, the girl from District 12, Maysliee as she smiles down at Haymitch.

Maysliee has been playing the Game alone, just like Haymitch, making her way through the wood stealthily. It was clear her main goal was to stay alive and not kill people. She found out before the volcano erupted that the flowers and fruit had poisonous properties, unlike Haymitch she lets her emotions show on her face. She managed to poison her darts before the majority of the most deadly parts of nature were whipped out by the volcano. That must be the reason why the boy had died so quickly when the dart entered his neck. But somehow I was very grateful to Maysliee for saving Haymitch.

“We’d live longer if there were two of us!” Maysliee says as she holds her hand out to help Haymitch up. But being Haymitch he swats it away and gets up on his own accord.

“I guess you just proved that” Haymitch mummers’, rubbing his neck awkwardly, he turns to Maysliee and takes her presence in.

“Allies?” Haymitch asks, a small smirk crossing his lips. Maysliee nods and they both smile.

“We better get out of here then! The other Careers should find us soon, especially with the canons and hovercraft” Maysliee says and heads back in towards the forest.

“I agree, but go this way. They won’t find us in here” Haymitch says heading back towards the maze.

“Alright, I trust you on that” Maysliee replies and follows Haymitch into the maze. The sound of the canon signifying the death of three of the biggest competitors in the Games sounds. The hovercraft appears soon after, collecting the bodies. The camera trails Maysliee and Haymitch as they move through the maze, but for some reason I get an uneasy feeling about this alliance. Whether it is because Haymitch is with another girl or that something dreadfully wrong is going to happen, I have no idea. But never the less I get up and walk out of the room. I can feel Ellie’s eyes watching me as I leave but I don’t acknowledge them or say anything to her. I find myself in my room and I sit by the window, looking out.

“38 down, 9 to go” I whisper to myself close my eyes.

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