Deceived: The 500th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 82 - The Arena: Day 1

Next to me, I see Auricula, clinging to her coat. I'm not the only one who thinks our temperature is sub-zero.

To my left, the next area, I notice the two are wearing swimsuit-like outfits, accompanied by raincoats and wellington boots. They don't look cod, but nothing about them shows signs that the two of them - Zenobia and Casio - are warm.

What is going on?

To Auricula's right, another area is sectioned off. These two wear right clothing, clothes that they can freely move in. The kind that dancers wear. All black, they look like the wind is biting at them, but not as badly as us two.

Auricula turns to me, her face blue. Through chattering teeth, she mouths "help" and "cold" at me, receiving a nod from me in return. There isn't a thing I can do. In the meantime, I pull my hat over my head.

Water laps at the podiums to my left, leaving Zenobia and Casio's feet drenched already. I notice a similar thing happening to a far off podium, containing Kristov and Annika. Not as intense, but they still look irritated as their feet are wetted.

Thirty seconds left. That silver horn, reflecting whatever sunlight there is in this arena, contains everything we need. The sunlight seems to be directly opposite my area; I can't see through the cornucopia, so I can't tell who's over there.

Scoping the areas for my other allies, I notice Hydra in an area three away from me. Her and Septimus wear glasses and traditional arena wear; they sheiks their eyes from something I can't make out.

The last ten seconds tuck away; I realise Eunia must be extremely far away. Maybe in the sunny areas of the arena. Ten turns to five, five turns to three.

Three. Two. One.

And we're off.

Darting from the podium, I force my frozen limbs to work. It requires more effort than it ever should, leaving me fatigued long before I hoped.

Nevertheless, I reach the horn before anyone. Inside, there are four entrances and very few weapons; normally, there's three times what people require.

No hesitation, I pick up the first mace I can see and run out, picking up a bag on the way. The number of bags remains relatively similar to what there usually is, it's just the weapons that are different, I notice.

Eunia, sweating up a storm, comes up to me, panting. "Shurikens, now," she barks, destroying a corner of the horn to find her throwing stars.

As she finds the only box she can in the entire place, the rest of the tributes are collecting their weapons. Yet no one is killing. Not even Alix.

Phoxus yells out, clutching his spear. "You have no reason to live," he yells, throwing it at a screaming Annika. Annika's body becomes limp around the large weapon as the blood drains from her torso.

No one screams as Phoxus yanks the spear from her body, seeing as there are very few of the weapons this year. Alix swings his axe at Zenobia, cutting her head off clean.

Panic surges through my brain. As we all swiftly back away from Alix, he raises his axe and chases after Domitia.

The look on Septimus' face stiffens as he watches the blade slice through his cousin, but he doesn't try and attack the psychopath. Alix is already broken, unable to control himself.

Anise struggles to move as she falls over one of the spokes. Instantly, her face changes from red and sweating to frozen and pale. No idea what the weather is in those two areas, but I'm guessing the sudden change had a great impact on her movement.