The 23 Cannons Trilogy

Lost Love

Ryder Bristen, 18, District 4 Tribute

I sit at the edge of the mouth of the Cornucopia, looking out over the beach that we have claimed as our own for the entirety of our time in the arena. The midday sun is beating down on us, and I find myself continually wiping my forehead to remove the constant layer of sweat from my forehead. I reach to the side of me, and grab my canteen. It's shaped like a fish; a cute little gimmick courtesy of the Capitol.

A rustling sound from the tree line that surrounds the beach catches my attention, and I look to see Ebony emerging from the forest, holding what looks like a dead bird, with an arrow protruding from its stomach.

"Hey, guys! Look what I found!" He calls out, and Emerald and Ariella emerge from their tents, both looking well rested. Well, they would be; we've hardly done anything for 48 hours.

I hop down from the top of the golden horn, and join the rest of my allies on the beach, trying my hardest to ignore the sweltering heat. Both the girls are looking at the bird Ebony's holding quizzically, but I fail to see anything out of the ordinary. It's just a bird, but with an arrow sticking out of it from where Ebony shot it. That's when it dawns on me.

Ebony can't use a bow.

"Hey, Ebony," I begin, sure that something's not right here, "How'd the bird get the arrow stuck in it?"

"I have a pretty good idea about that," He replies coolly, "Look at the type of arrow. A dark metal." The three of us look at it, and all mutually nod. It's pretty obvious. "And the only one of us with a bow is Ariella, correct?" More nods. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure her arrows are made of gold."

"You are correct." Ariella replies swiftly, moving some of her dark hair out of her face. It seems to have stuck to her with sweat. So I'm not the only one feeling the full effects of the heat.

"Which can only mean one thing," Ebony says conclusively, "This bird was obviously shot by another tribute with a bow. And a pretty good shot at that." A sort of tense silence falls over us as we all exchanged glances; it's a mixture of confusion and worry. Almost straight away, my mind begins to wander. Who else besides Ariella knows how to use the bow?

There's April, the kid from District 12. I saw her using it a couple of times during training, but I never thought that she'd be particularly good. And if I remember correctly, I think I saw the girl from District 11, Afya or something, using a bow, but I barely remember seeing her, so it might have been someone else. Someone else that we probably killed in the bloodbath.

Speaking of killing, who exactly is left alive? We're right into day three, and it's been a while since anyone's died. I look up to the sky, gazing at the white, rippling clouds that swirl in a few places, and run through a mental list of who exactly is alive.

There's Ebony and Emerald, for certain. And they're both seemingly alive and healthy. There's also Nick and Ariella, and the same goes for them. The boy from 3 is dead, but I think his district partner's still alive. I have no idea what state she's in. Then, there's Annemarie; she was the first to die. The mere memory of it causes tears to prick my eyes, but I'm at mercy of my memories.

The opaque glass shatters, and I'm left to stumble out from my launch pad. The sun is blinding, and I have no idea about the arena, except that I'm standing on sand. Did we get a desert arena this year? Whilst I think this, the sound of screaming tributes mixes with an all too nostalgic scent; sea salt.

So I'm currently on a beach. Knowing this fills me with confidence, and I return my attention to the scene playing out in front of me. No wonder it's called a bloodbath. Right now, Nick and Ariella are stumbling to get a grip of the situation. It's only to be expected, after all. They won't be as experienced in this sort of environment. I can't see Emerald, but I can see Ebony. He's running towards a small, thin blonde girl. I think she's from District 6. But somehow, she evades him at the last moment, and he topples to the floor as she continues to rush towards the Cornucopia, which I now realise is piled high with every last supply, instead of having a few laying about.