I am running, not caring what's in my way. The endless sea by which I took shelter is now starting to work its way through the woods. Water is up to my ankles, which is good design on the Gamemakers part where when you step in the water it makes a splash. You can be drawn to by other tributes, or detected and foes back away. This has to be bad for fires, which indicates a cold night. If I'm going to escape this death pit, I need something more than my jacket to keep warm.
I reach higher ground, climbing up the rocky coves that hang from the mountain. I spot no other tributes, so once I reach the surface I look down upon the little sector of the woods I explored.
Soon, I start to see water filling a bit of my sector I explored. The girl from District 10 is taken by the hovercraft, her lifeless, bloody body flailing as the claw lifts it up. Yes, it is the word. That girl has no body anymore, so it is an it.
A scream fills my ears. I lift myself up, aware the voice is of close proximity, and matches Aris' tone.
No...I can't let my only ally die on me...not now! No.
I run to the area the sound took place, but all I find is an underbrush and Aris lying in a river. There is not much water down here, but it's starting to get a little damp here.
I lift her limp and frail body from the river. She's cold and shivering, telling me she's alive. Some green camoflauge is rubbed off of her face, leaving a few smears. I take my bow from my ribs, and I set it down next to her. I can tell she had a pack, because at the Cornucopia I saw her get stabbed by the girl from district 4, her name was..Aqua? Anyways, Aqua took Aris' pack and Aris stumbled off into the woods somewhere. I guess she ran into Aqua or some other tribute again.
My bleeding in my arm where Ludrissa's knife hit has halted, so I unravel the blood soaked bandage, turn it over and wrap the non-bloody bandage on her side. She bled out a lot to be unconscious. I take her body to a nearby cove, which takes a little climbing and wait until sunset when she wakes up at last.
"W-wha-" Aris, my only ally, begins to scream.
I cover her mouth. "Stop! You'll attract other tributes!" I yell-whisper. "You were unconscious."
She peers at the blood soaked bandage and almost faints. "I knew it! That Aqua girl stabbed me so bad...where did you find me?"
"You collapsed by the river...it started to get a little damp with high tide and all...but I know you haven't seen that side yet," I tell her.
"There's an ocean," says Aris. "It's predictable." She leans back and sighs, gently touching her bandage with her fingertips. My blood is dried, but hers is still wet, even after all these hours. She winces, then groans.
"Aris, you lost a lot of blood," I inform her. She responds sarcastically, telling me she didn't know due to the fact the bandage is still bright red! "Alright you don't have to be mad!" I exclaim.
"I don't have to be mad?" She leans in to whisper something. "I lost Sentra, the boy from my district. Yo didn't lose your other tribute! Did you?" She grabs my jacket collar. "I'm starving. I'm thirsty. Sentra's dead. I'm bleeding to death. The least you could do is help me!"
"All I have is a few knives and a bow." I think back to my perfect opportunity I had back at the Corncupia. The bundle of knives, all perfect for throwing, and the white pack filled with goodies. Then Ludrissa took it all. "I'm after the girl from eight."
"That girls crazy," Aris tells me.
Aris seems grumpier than ever. Before the Games, she was so nice, but now I see what just a day did to her. It pulled her apart, limb by limb, side by side. What about tomorrow? Will my only ally be dead? Or will I be dead? I bet myself today I would die, but Maximus was so close. Tomorrow...? They'll find me, and they'll kill me. "My ear hurts." I pull my fingers up to my pricked ear where Belle's knife hit. I sigh, looking into Aris' disoriented eyes, letting me see how worried she is about the Games.
Only one thought crosses my mind, and it's that the nice, light Girl from 12 is broken, and she's going to die.
"Let's take shifts tonight, all watch over you while I sleep." I mean it's the least I can do to help this wounded girl.
The anthem blows from the sky, a harmony of trumpets and drums forming "the Horn of Plenty" theme.
The Fallen
Wisdom from District 3
Aria from District 5
Nina from District 6
Al from District 6
Tailor from District 8.
Cressa from District 9.
Baliera from District 10.
August from District 10.
Sentra from District 12.
Baliera was the name of the girl I killed. Hell, I killed a girl but I never knew her name. Baliera.
The anthem ends, and the sky goes dark again.
"Attention!" The voice of Flavius Applegate announces something here in the arena. "At the peak of the Arena mountain, there is a golden crown that can bring back the tribute from your district if they are dead. If so, and you both make it to the end, you both end up victors. May the odds be ever in your favor!"
Now that's something the Careers are sure to go nuts after.
YOU ARE READING
Midnight Azalea-A Story of the 34th Hunger Games
ActionAzalea Mist is a girl from district 11 leading a fairly normal life...that's until she is chosen for the 34th Hunger Games. In this fight to death she must choose...go home and win or die with pride.
