The 100th Hunger Games

A Day In The Life Of A Career

Chapter 12

****Jess POV****

I woke up with a throbbing pain in my knee from yesterday. To make matters worse there was also the lovely noise of arguing going on.

“You stupid thing!” Sparkle yells to Ruby

“It wasn't my fault!”

“Oh really,” Sparkle said, “If you would watch where your pointing that spear you wouldn't have tripped Jess, and we would have found that screaming brat first!”

The same argument had been going on since yesterday. When we heard the scream of a little girl tribute, and sprang to action. The screaming had stopped, but Sparkle was sure we were only a mile away from her. Then Ruby's spear had some how ending up cutting me in the knee, and we all stopped as I tripped. When I finally got bandaged up, and we made it to the destination the only thing left was blood cover snow. We took off after that. I was told to go back tot cabin because of my injure and the District 9 tribute, Dylan came with me to keep watch. I don't like that kid at all hes just trying to earn brownie points with Sparkle. So far we haven't had any luck these days with tributes. Which was driving the rest of them crazy.

I stood up on shaking legs when Shine walked over to me “Good morning Jess,” he said, “you slept peacefully”. I stretch a little then said “Who could sleep with all this noise” Shine gives a low laugh. I'm pretty sure it was a fake laugh. I haven't known Shine long, but I'm sure there something more than what he lets us all see. For now I was just bidding my time keeping him as a supposed friend. We watched the argument continue until Sparkle threw a punch at Ruby. Then Shine got in it “That's enough!” he yelled with so much force we all stared at him. Dylan walked in completely unknown of the conversation. “This is an alliance there will be no more fighting” Shine said with the same force that would have scared anyone.

“This is how its going to go,” Shine said, “We are all going out to look for food, and at night we will split up into groups of three”. We all nod our heads in agreement and head for the door ready to look for more food.

“I don't understand,” said Dylan “Why don't we just finish the food we already have?”

“because that’s emergency food if we cant find anything else to eat we eat that” Sparkle said

“Why worry babe, you guys are with me and hunting is my specialty”

Here we go again Dylan must have some real problems if he doesn't notice shes not interested. “Lets just head out” said Shine clearly getting impatient with all of us. He points to the door and we all follow out like his little pets. If there was something that got on my nerves it was being ordered around. I'm about ready to leave this alliance. Without another word we head our separate ways, and somehow I end up Chance. I set up so snarls hoping that some stupid animal wont see it with all the snow. “Hey” I hear Chance hiss at me. I turn around and there in front of him is a squirrel except it had the strips of a raccoon. Without an warning Chance just charges at it, and the squirrel takes off. Chance runs after it and I follow him almost certain we would never catch it.

I loose Chance after the second turn, and as I turn around to head the other way I see the squirrel or at least another one. I grab one of the knifes I had in my pocket, and walk slowly to the squirrel. When I'm with in inches of the squirrel it runs off. I find myself in a high-speed chase after it. We swerve so many times I lose track of which direction we head too. It runs into a cave and I stop at the entrance. Who knows what could be in there then my stomach starts to rumble. I haven't had any food since yesterday. I walk slowly into the cave the squirrel will be cornered in here. I walk all the way to the back. Then I the squirrel and stab it from the back. Then I look forward and see her. I almost want to break out into tears just looking at her. I slowly walk over and knee next to her sleeping form.

I notice the other two people with her “Lidia” I whisper. She moves around until her eyes start to slowly open. The first emotion I recognize in her eyes is shock and then happiness I hug her tight. I wish it would have lasted forever, but then I heard Chances attempt at a whisper “Dude”. I put my finger to my mouth “Shh”. I leave her the squirrel and hug her one last time and leave.

“What” I said almost a little to hard.

“I got like five squirrels lets head back now”

“Well...um...you go ahead I'll catch up to you in a second”

he gave me an unconvinced look, but still walked away.

I watch him walk away until I know hes out of hearing space. I turn back and Lidia is already staring at me.“Your going to leave again” she asks. I nod my head.

“Why, you could be here its just the same” she said

I sigh “I'm just going to let them get a couple of other people out these games then I'm going to come back, and keep the squirrel”

“Fine” she said

“Don't go to far I might be back later today” I said

We hug and I run off to the other careers. I get back and they already started a fire for the squirrels.

We eat and by the time everyone done and ready its night fall. Shine stands up and everyone’s eyes follow him. “Okay, Chance and Dylan you guys are with me,” he said, “And Jess, Sparkle, and Ruby make up the other team”. We all follow his orders and split up into our teams “Now, kill anything that moves” he said. We all move I really don't want to be with the girls if I'm going to go see Lidia. Maybe I can distract them some how. We head over to the mountain front and the see smoke from a fire. I run behind Ruby and Sparkle when it starts to snow and the smoke is gone. We keep it up in that direction. I can feel my ears go numb from the cold, but I can still here the crunching of leaves in front.

We stop and each one of use hides behind a different tree.

I take out my dagger, and watch the tribute turn and head in the other direction. With out any signal that we were attacking the tribute Ruby just rushes out and stabs the tribute in the leg arm with her spear. The tribute gives a scream, but keeps running with the the spear hanging from his arm. All of a sudden Sparkle just tackles Ruby tot he floor letting the tribute get away. I didn't stay around I followed the tribute boy jumping over rocks in the way. I throw the dagger and it hits him in the back he drops to the floor. I take the spear out of his arm and stab it through his back to make sure he was dead, and a cannon sounds. I walk back to the area where we were last at slowly that is until I hear a cannon sound. I run back down the snow and what I see is Sparkle standing over Ruby’s body.

Sparkle turns to me on on her left cheek is a splatter of blood. “That’s what happens when you mess with me,” she said “now lets go”. I swallow as she comes up to me takes my hand and we walk back to the cabin. Everyone's already back and ready to hear about Ruby. Sparkle tells a giant lie that there were 3 tributes and one of them killed Ruby before we got to her. At the end she said at least I killed her murder. Sparkle didn't even wipe the blood from her face as she said it all. It was mostly for Chances benefit who right now was looking a little insane. As we stand in the cold midnight snow of the arena the anthem begins only two faces show up in the sky. Ruby's and the boy I killed from District 6 boy. That mean there are 18 left. At least its a little bit closer to the end.