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Dove watched as the careers looked at the river, still trying to figure out how to get water. They even walked up and down the river, looking for a spot without dangers. There wasn't. The whole river was full of dangers anywhere you looked. Either Crocodile mutations or Piranhas, probably mutts too, but the careers hadn't given them a chance to prove it.
The careers were hiding behind the trees, so the mutts wouldn't go after them, or other tributes wouldn't attack them while they were with their guard down. Abruptly, a girl appeared on the other side of the river. Running for dear life. She wasn't the one from Seven or Ten, and the ones remaining from Four and Five were males, so there was only one option left, Three. However, her district partner was nowhere to be seen.
Narrowing her eyes, Dove saw what was chasing the girl. They were some kinds of birds which were pulling off her skin. In a desperate attempt to get them off, the girl threw herself into the river. Bad choice. Dove thought. In less than thirty seconds, her cannon roared around the sky in the Arena.
Fifteen dead, eight to go. She thought. Now only the tributes from Two and Seven had their district partners alive. The camera still recorded the entrance of the woods, where the girl had appeared. Was her district partner in the same condition? Or was he just trying to find her? Then, the male tribute from District Three appeared, screaming his partner's name. Bad news. She's dead. Dove thought. The boy from Three noticed her body still floating in the water and was smart enough to not get close.
A Hovercraft would have come already, unless other tributes were nearby. As if on cue, a knife fled in his direction. He dodged it and noticed the Careers still hiding behind the trees.
"I think the one from Three has figured out what is happening," her mother spoke up. "Really? He looks confused to me," Angel replied. "He's probably still processing everything that's happening. After all, he has evaded death twice in less than a minute, and has seen his partner's almost mutilated corpse," her mother commented.
Three started calling out to the Careers, saying something along the line that if they helped him with his plan, he would get rid of the mutts and leave the river safe to drink. That seemed to convince the group, who accepted the offer. Unexpectedly, the camera changed from the newly formed alliance to another part of the forest. Melo! The girl hadn't seen her brother since he fled the cornucopia. She was thrilled, seeing him alive and well.
The boy was planning some sort of plan with both from Seven. They were making a net trap around the cornucopia. At some point, the careers would go back there to get more supplies, and there they would be to ambush them.
The second day came to an end, and the faces of the fallen tributes shined in the sky. "My district partner is dead? I thought they would let her live a little longer," she heard her brother wondering out loud from the television.
However, there was a surprise that came with the anthem. The face of the District Five male tribute appeared on the sky. Dove hadn't see his death or heard his cannon either, which was an abnormality. Sixteen dead, seven to go. She thought.
"Dove, you've been almost two whole days in front of the television. You need sleep," her sister told her.
"You want me to leave now? When they're so close to the final battle? What on Panem is wrong with you?" Her sister grabbed her arms, looking into her eyes.
"Dove, how many are there alive?" her sister asked. "Eight. Why?" she answered. "And what happens when it gets to the final eight?" her sister insisted.
"They interview the families." She said, unsure. "They interview the families!" she said again, realising what it meant.
"Exactly, so we need to look our best. OK? Mum will watch for some hours while we get some sleep. Then we'll take her place while she sleeps. If anything happens, she'll wake us up and the same for us to her," her sister explained.
Obediently, Dove went to her sister's room, sleeping for hours until she felt the side of the bed lowering. Her eyes opened at the sound of her mother's voice.
"Girls, it's almost morning. The cameras will be here in less than 5 hours." Dove's eyes landed on her mother's. "Any deaths so far?" she asked. "Just the girl from Ten."
"OK, I'll keep the first watch. Dove, you take a shower. When you're finished, we'll exchange places, alright?" the redhead nodded. She went to the house's bathroom with spare clothes.
The shower did not feel refreshing as usual, but rather suffocating. It was the first time she had such a bad feeling against water. She took the shower as fast as possible, got changed, brushed her hair and teeth, and went downstairs.
Her sister watched the Hunger Games on the big television in the living room. The faint sound of sniffs alerted the girl. Their brother couldn't have died yet, could he?
"Angel! Angel, has anything happened to him?" she asked worriedly, almost screaming out of pure frustration.
"No. No, sorry I scared you," her sister said between sobs. Good. He's alright. "What's the matter, then?" Dove asked.
"I just... I'm not sure. I don't know why I am like this." She approached slowly the sofa where her older sister sat. There she was, hugging her knees while doing little back-and-forth movements.
"Hey, it's alright. He's coming back. You want to know how I know?" The dark-haired girl nodded at her sister's question.
"Because I trust him, I trust Muscida, and I trust Finnick. They won't let him there. Finnick and Muscida will bring him back. I'm sure of it." She hugged her sister, whispering reassuring words.
She wasn't sure if her brother would be back, but she was sure everyone was doing the best they could. And that was everything she cared about.
Countless people loved and cared for her brother. He would be remembered. He wouldn't be forgotten. And he would be loved for the rest of their lives.
"Go to take a shower. I'll keep watch, OK?" she whispered to her older sister. The oldest reluctantly did as her sister said and went upstairs. Dove's eyes followed her until she was out of range, before looking back at the screen.
"Hey, Four. How about we get some water? I'm thirsty," the District Seven female tribute said. "Yeah, sure Seven." No! You can't go to the river! You'll get killed! Dove's heartbeat started racing like crazy in her chest, hoping he would decide for another way to get water that wasn't the river.
Then, her brother took a sort of metallic plug from his pocket. What the hell is that? "Lead the way, Seven," the three tributes made their way to a tree and made a hole in it. Then, they put the metallic thing in. Water's coming out of the thing! Where did they get that from? Sponsor? Or maybe it was in the Cornucopia?
"What did you say this thing's name was?" her brother asked one of the District Seven tributes. "Spile. You don't have that on Four?" the District Seven girl asked him.
"We have the ocean. Why the hell would we need that?" her brother laughed as he answered. Good to know you get all cocky when you're about to die. I'll keep that in mind, idiot. Dove watched her brother's interaction with both from Seven. They even seemed friends. Once the careers are down, they'll attack. Two against one. Too good to pass out.
The cameras changed to the Career group with their recruit from Three. The boy was explaining his plan to get near the water. His plan at first sounded convincing, but in the end, was plain stupid. He wants to electrocute the crocodiles? How? With what, exactly? Also, anyone near will get electrocuted as well. Is it his way of using the careers' stupidity in his favour? What the hell is happening?
Somehow, the boy from Three convinced the careers. For the plan to work, they had to go back to the cornucopia for the supplies. Where my brother and both from Seven are patiently waiting for them. These will be the quickest Hunger Games in history.
As soon as she thought that, a massive fire broke in the forest. This obligated the careers to change their destination and run the opposite way from the Cornucopia. We wouldn't want to end things too quickly, of course. While running away, the girl from Two got caught under a falling tree.
The group didn't spare a glance at the girl and kept running. They got slight burns and some minor cuts. It took some minutes before the sound of the cannon made its presence. Eighteen dead, five to go.
"Any updates?" the voice of her older sister startled her. Turning around, she faced her. "Just the girl from Two."
"From Two? How did that happen?" Angel asked. "There was a sudden fire in the forest where the careers were. I guess the Gamemakers didn't want them to end things too quickly. While running away, she got trapped under a tree, and the others didn't even try to help her." The redhead explained.
"So, five to go?" Angel looked at her little sister. "Yep, five to go." The dark-haired girl nodded and went upstairs to wake up their mother.
Once all the interviews were over, the thirteen-year-old felt as if she could breathe slightly better. It had been suffocating to lie in front of all the crew.
They had tried to ask highly personal questions when the interview should be about her brother. The Capitol's audacity nerved her. But they still had her brother's life in their hands, so she had to calm herself down every time she felt like insulting them.
"What did they ask you?" Angel questioned her little sister. "Something along the line. How has it been, living near one of the handsomest guys in all Panem? Do you think your brother will outshine the tributes from Seven? Have you fallen madly in love with Finnick Odair?" Dove answered, mocking the interviewers and their Capitol accent.
"So now they think you're going out with Finnick? He's two years older than you. What the fuck!" her sister said, incredulous.
"Language!" their mother exclaimed playfully. "I guess they need a bit of romance in their killing itinerary. It won't last long. Once they have their victor, the 'possible' prohibited Victor romance will be over." Dove assured her family. "And wasn't he still Fourteen?" she added.
"He's still two years older than you. I don't approve." Her mother agreed with her sister. "You wouldn't approve, even if it was the best guy in all Panem!" Dove retorted mockingly. "Probably," both older women said.
The next day, Dove noticed that while the cameras had been on the careers the day before, her brother and his allies had also encountered difficulties. This was the Gamemaker's way of making them not go after each other yet.
Two more days passed where nothing significant happened. Mags visited every day to make sure they ate and slept correctly. On the second day of the games, she brought the typical District Four bread that Melo used to make. They were grateful to her, but they couldn't stop thinking about the connection between that bread and the boy.
Ron Stafford, one of the male District Four Victors, also came by once or twice to check upon them. Dove didn't know the male Victors, since her mother didn't have any type of relation to them. But Ron genuinely cared for them. More like for Mum. and it showed on the way he talked. And basically, he glows every time he sees her.
The Fifth day of The Hunger Games had come, and nothing important had happened. At some point, the Capitol would get bored, and the tributes would be forced to kill each other.
However, now it was perfectly peaceful. Until then, she could only sit and watch. In no time it was suppertime, and both Mags and Ron would spend it with them. In the Kitchen, Mags, Dove and Ron cooked simple dishes.
They had prohibited Angel and Librae from entering. While Mags taught Dove, the different edible berries and put them on the plate as decoration, Ron made sure the fish wouldn't get roasted.
Her sister came rushing into the kitchen while panting, startling everyone. "Dove! Dove! The ending battle is coming! They're obligating the Careers to go to the Cornucopia!" The girl let go of what she was doing and ran to the living room alongside her sister and the other two Victors.
The boy from Three down. The girl from seven down. The guy from One down. Only Two, Melo and Seven left. The battle had gone so quickly that the three cannons almost seemed to have gone off at the same time. The tribute from Two was at a great disadvantage. Two against one. But after Two dies, it will be Melo against Seven.
Her brother tightened the grip on his trident. He started battling the guy from Two alongside Seven. The District Two tribute was holding up pretty well and damaged Seven's leg. However, almost immediately, he had her brother's trident encrusted in his chest. The cannon went off right after Melo took the trident back. Twenty-two dead, one to go.
"Congratulations on your victory, Four," the District Seven tribute's words confused everyone, including Melo.
"I haven't won yet. What about you?" he asked the kid with the bleeding leg. "You seriously think I can win against you with my leg like this? Are you dumb?" Seven chuckled at his own comment, mockingly.
"Just make it quick," her brother nodded. "Four, tell my family I love them for me, will you?"
"I will, Joseph," the boy looked amused at him. "Oh, so you learned my name! Such an honour." The boy closed his eyes just before her brother gave him the killing blow. The cannon was heard almost instantly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the Victor of the Sixty-sixth Hunger Games, Melo Ogilvy! I give you the tribute of District Four!" the voice of Claudius Templesmith roared around the room. He has won. He's coming back home. He will be back home. Alive and well.
Her mother hugged her two daughters. They were all crying with relief. Their Melo was coming back home. "He's coming back!" These words were the one thing the group could utter at the moment. The feeling was such, Dove felt as if she would pass out from exhaustion.
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