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DISTRICT 3 FEMALE: ELYSIA AMBROSE
The hot sun blared down on me the second I was raised into the arena and I wiped the sweat quickly forming on my head with the bottom of my shirt. If it was going to be this hot all the time this would be even more hellish that I anticipated.
Straight ahead, between myself and the cornucopia, was a swamp. There were some patches of land over the murky green water, but I knew that it was still going to slow me down a great deal.
I was a fast runner; I made my decision to run for the cornucopia solely based on that one fact. I knew that I would be able to run in grab the first thing I could and get out before the bloodbath began, but seeing what lay ahead, I knew my speed wasn't going to be any help at all.
I looked up from the disgusting water and focused on the cornucopia. If I was going to risk running - or jumping - through the marsh ahead I had to know I was going to get something worth the effort. I didn't want to risk my life for a useless pack of supplies. I needed to know I was going to get a great weapon or at least some decent food for my efforts. Something that would at least help me survive the games.
I looked straight ahead, part of me hoping that I wouldn't see anything useful so that I wouldn't be tempted to take the chance, but sure enough the first thing that caught my eyes was a mace, directly in front of me.
It was no secret that Capitol citizens were idiots, but gamemakers, they were not. I knew that mace was planted in that exact spot for me. To give me a reason to go ahead. I looked to the right of the mace and saw a baton. I turned my head knowing exactly who I was standing next to based just on the weapon, Cara from District One, her eyes glued to the baton. I was right. They wanted us to at least attempt to go for the cornucopia.
I had made my decision. As soon as the sixty seconds were up I was going to run for the Mace.
Something behind Cara caught my eye and for the first time since arriving in the arena my attention was drawn from the swamp and cornucopia to take in the rest of my surroundings. Getting my weapon was important, but I needed more than a weapon to get through the games. I needed to know where to go once I got my hands on that mace.
Past Cara all I could see for miles was the emptiness of a desert, but a few miles out there was a large pile. I had no idea what the pile was but I thought that it might have been supplies, and I guessed that was probably where anyone too afraid to head towards the cornucopia would go in hopes of finding something, but I shook my head. It was too open for my liking. Sure I would be able to see someone coming at me from a distance but I would have no place to hide and if they had a long distance weapon then I didn't stand a chance.
I turned my attention forward again looking behind the cornucopia. I could see some of the most beautiful green mountains, they seemed to go on forever and I was instantly drawn to them. I could see a breathtaking white flow that could only be a waterfall. It seemed to flow into the marsh ahead but I could only assume that it would be fresh and drinkable higher up. The waterfall could be key to my survival but something held me back from making the final decision to head that way. In my interview I had told Rohe I was a huge fan of her work, I wasn't completely lying. I knew of her work from previous games and it terrified me. I remembered that she was amazing when it came to volcanic activities and that was all I could think of while looking at the deceivingly beautiful mountains ahead. It was the one thing that kept me from wanting to go straight for them.
Sadly I turned to my left, looking for my next option and immediately shook my head. A huge lake surrounding some small islands. It seemed like a great option, but one thing held me back. I wasn't a strong swimmer, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it all the way to one of the islands.
There was only one place left. I turned my head to look behind me to see a Jungle. The trees would keep me shaded from the sun as well as plenty of hiding places from other tributes. There was probably also a nice source of water and plenty of edible plants or animals. So far it seemed like the safest option. Well from a distance it did but in these games nothing was safe, that jungle was probably full of things that could kill me. If I went that way it might not be the other tributes I would have to worry about.
I shook my head and turned once more to the cornucopia. It didn't matter what way I was going to go. Every way was going to be just as deadly as the others. The sixty seconds were almost up and I positioned myself so I could leap onto the patch of land ahead as soon as the gong sounded. I had to focus on the prize ahead of me. My mace.
The sound of the gong filled my ears and I leaped into action jumping straight onto the land ahead. Just as me feet touched what I had expected to be solid land I felt the ground wobble a bit in shaking me slightly off balance.
I quickly recovered and let out a growl of frustration at the game makers. It was already hard enough as it was without the complication of the shaky land added into the equation.
I jumped onto the next platform of land, aiming for the centre just to be safe. I was expecting the shakiness and didn't lose my balance on the second platform.
I heard a scream from my left and looked over quickly as I landed on the third piece of land. I saw the boy from District Nine loose his balance and fall into the murky green water below. It should have saddened me to see it but in that moment all I could think was that at least there was one less person to kill in the arena now. I was one step closer to going home.
As I got closer to the cornucopia the pieces of land seemed to get smaller and mushier. I was starting to regret going in for the Mace.
I leaped onto one last tiny piece of mushy land, my eyes glued to the Mace. I was so relieved that no one else had grabbed it yet and that I was going to get it that I had been too eager and hadn't thought to check around for some more stabile land. Other tributes were already at the cornucopia and fighting for the supplies so I had been in a rush to get there.
As my foot hit that last piece of land between me and my mace I knew I had made a mistake. I felt my foot sink into the water and I let out a panicked sequel. Something had wrapped around my leg and it felt like it was pulling me under or it was preventing me from pulling myself out. I had been so close but I was going to drown in the rotten swamp water just like the boy from Nine. The stench of the water was making me gag as I tried to stop myself from going under further and it caused some of the rank water to flood into my mouth causing me to cough and gag even more. My lungs burned desperate for some air.
I was ready to accept death, knowing my struggle had be useless when I felt myself being pulled out of the water and onto the land surrounding the Cornucopia. I coughed up some water and looked up at my saviour.
"Thank you," I manage to splutter out, giving Alistair what I hoped was a grateful look.
He nodded and ran off gathering his own supplies. Back in Three we weren't friends, here in the arena we weren't even allies. I guessed his motives behind saving me were more to do with district loyalty, or more accurately, loyalty to his family than anything else. If he didn't survive and I went on to win the games his family would benefit.
I pulled myself up and grabbed the Mace which thankfully no one had taken and started looking around for Acadia. We had planned on meeting up at the cornucopia after grabbing our supplies.
I saw a flash of her ghostly white hair and zoned in on what she was doing. I could see she had got her hands on a pair of daggers and was fighting the girl from Thirteen. With speed she took one last swipe at the girl's throat and a splash of red covered her pale features as the girl fell to the ground. I was glad we had teamed up, she was an excellent fighter.
I saw her look up and catch my eyes as she wiped the blood from her face. Something behind me caught her attention and I spun around just in time to see a bolt from a crossbow fly past my face missing me by inches.
I looked in the direction it had come from to see Lucas from District Two taking aim, ready to fire at me again. I dived out of the way of his second shot and quickly pulled myself up again as he was reloading to take a third.
I sprinted forward with my Mace in hands and swung it at his weapon, knocking it into the swamp and out of his reach.
His eyes widened as his weapon flew from his hands leaving him defenceless and he bent down to grab the half opened bag at his feet getting ready to run.
As he bent down I took the opportunity to swing my mace into his body knowing him off balance and onto the ground beside his bag. I stepped closer and swung at his head. He raised an arm in a feeble attempt to protect himself, but it didn't do him any good. The mace bashed into his head and his arm fell limply onto his face. I smashed the mace once more into his face just to be sure he wasn't going to get up again and his blood splattered up onto my arms.
"Careers," Acadia sighed as she stood next to me, "They think just because we aren't one of them, that we're going to be easy targets." She flipped her long white blood splattered hair over her shoulder and let out a small snort.
I nodded in agreement. Careers were almost as stupid as Capitol citizens. I turned away from her to look at the bloodshed going on around us. I knew that it wouldn't be long before someone else targeted us.
"We should get out of here," I said picking up Lucas's bag and swinging it over my shoulder. He wasn't going to need it, and there was probably something useful inside.
Together we started leaping across the swamp, careful not to stand on any ground that looks really unstable then we ran as fast as we could towards the lake. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best before diving into the fresh water.
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DISTRICT 4 FEMALE: LAYLA GREENTHORN
The clear doors opened above her and the arena came into view. And Layla was terrified. She knew this day would come, and she tried her best to plan and map it all out, but when it came down to it, the games were not something she could control or rely on. As soon as the timer reached zero and Layla stepped off of her circular elevator, she was in the hands of the Gamemakers and WattPanem.
And the cannon was off. Layla sprinted off of her small comfort of a circle towards the cornucopia. Even though she was unsure of what she wanted to snag from that supposedly ever-giving horn, she felt confident that it was where she should go.
She covered the sandy ground quickly. The palms of her hands were dripping with sweat when she was almost to the cornucopia. That is when her right foot got slightly in front of her left, and she tripped. And fell into the water surrounding everything. This was obviously not an issue for Layla, she was from district 4, meaning she was basically a fish in terms of water. It was her sanctuary. Because of this, Layla decided to swim the rest of the way.
By the time she reached the cornucopia, Layla's eyes had started to sting. Trying to push the pain to the back of her mind, she climbed on to the island that held the giant horn.... and Layla's means for survival. She guessed that there were about ten tributes already there, five of them dead, and both numbers increasing. Grabbing a throwing knife, a broadsword, and a backpack; hopefully with supplies; Layla heard a screeching and all-too familiar voice behind her. She turned in her heel to see Elysia. "Hey Greenthorn. I want that knife. Give it here and I'll spare you." 'Big mistake' thought Layla as she threw her knife strait towards Elysia's gut. But as that sharp piece of silver was soaring through the air, Layla's victim caught the knife by its blade with her bare hand. Meaning Elysia wasn't dead yet, but she was injured, giving Layla an advantage.
Layla grabbed a javelin for her lack of knife while killing the girl from district 12, Acadia. She didn't mean to. She just grabbed her new weapon and swung it around to her front, and Acadia just happened to be in the way of the blade. "Oops, sorry. I didn't mean to I sw-" Layla saw the weird looks she was getting from the others, "I mean... HA YOU FOOLISH GIRL" she squeaked in feigned triumph before running off of that blasted island.
She froze before reaching the lip of the island and found Percy, battling Vibia, the girl from district 6. He killed her quickly and jogged over to where Layla was standing and motioning for him to come. While waiting, a few people approached her, but she killed them easily with her sword. And this time it wasn't an accident. She had killed two tributes by the time Percy arrived, Apollo from 9 and Mae from 11. Ize from 6 also came, but Percy took care of him.
"Lake?" Layla questioned, gesturing westward. "Lake" Percy confirmed before sprinting with Layla west to the big lake.
There were two tributes there, waiting for them. Layla got her sword ready, but they were the two from 7, Ember and Teagan. Her allies.'Aw crud, I forgot about these two' Layla thought to herself. She came thinking that she would have to drag those two, but apparently, they were quite capable. There were bodies of tributes surrounding them. Dead. Teagan was cleaning off his ax with a satisfied expression painted on his face. 'I'm not getting on their bad side.' Layla silently vowed to herself before Teagan interrupted her thoughts by saying to follow him, he motioned over to a small island. It was their camp. But there was already someone there. He was sitting up against a tree with a dead body next to him. Well, the guy against the tree was Naveen, from 13. And the dead body was unrecognizable.
Layla backed up a little. She knew Naveen didn't walk very well and figured he threw a knife at the dead tribute. "Guys, this is Naveen, he has a bad leg but, he is still very capable of himself, as you can see," Ember introduced. Layla waved a little to him and said hi. 'Probably should stay on his good side too...' Layla thought a bit tensely. "Alright, let's compare supplies" Teagan said while rolling the dead tribute into the water surrounding them.
Layla slipped her backpack off, eager to discover what was inside. Opening it and dumping its contents out, she found a whistle, three water bottles, a package of crackers, and a few fruit bars. "Are there any fish in the lake?" questioned a curious Layla.
"There are, we just don't know if we can eat them, they could be Mutts." Naveen answered, speaking for the first time. "It looks like we have enough food here though to last a while" he added.
Percy turned and smiled at me, "I was thinking the same thing."
'Aw. How sweet. Maybe if I can't win, he can.' Layla smiled sadly to herself.
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DISTRICT 4 MALE: PERCY COLE
Calm down, calm down, calm down. The feeling of ascending sent Percy's stomach lurching, and for a moment he thought he'd throw up on the metal plate sending him to his probable grave. In attempts to staunch the vomit from rising he clenched his eyes tightly shut. It worked whenever he felt seasick. Calm down, calm down, calm down.
Percy knew he would need to grow balls, and fast if he were to get through the first day. But what if it's not my courage that's faltering, he thought, but the idea that I've already lost? Suddenly the tube shook and instincts forced his eyes open, and he slammed his palms against the sleek glass. He looked up. A sheet of metal broke into two and brightness blinded him. Humidity reached down and wrapped its heated fingers around his being. He became most conscious of his sweat glands working double time to make the tight uniform stick to his skin.Calm down, calm down, calm down.His head passed the metal rim, then his shoulders, and abdomen, until the plate underneath him locked into place. The ground beneath him glistened and shuddered.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Twenty-third annual Hunger Games begin!" Percy admired his surroundings in both fear and fascination. As his sixty seconds of preparation ticked away, he came to an inevitable realization: there was no calm when you were in the Games. And this conclusion in itself was enough to bring rationality back to him.
Percy observed the environment he'd be trapped in for the next few weeks. He'd read about places like this in books he'd stolen. Swamps, marshes, bogs. Each grassy chunk of land would be a mousetrap, and it would be best to avoid them altogether. Maybe someone else would make the mistake and plunge-- He needed to stop thinking. The spirit of the Games was getting to him, and that was the last thing he wanted.
Twenty seconds. The rest of the arena could wait for inspection; his full attention needed to be devoted to this moment, for this moment would determine how he would play the game. Briefly he glanced to either side of him. To his left was Azrael, to his right was a girl with an eleven pinned to her shoulder. Strong competitors, but he may be able to out-swim them...
The mouth of the Cornucopia smiled at him directly, taunting him. Fleeing was not an option, not yet anyway. He needed those supplies. No one ever made it far without supplies. Ten seconds remained and he prepared his posture for snap movement. Don't look at the other tributes. What matters now is being the fastest. Deep breath in, deep breath out, three, two, one.
When the gong rang out, Percy wasted no time in diving into the murky marsh. For the first several yards he was able to cut through the water effortlessly, but about halfway through, the fraud land began blocking his path. If you can't go through it, go around it. Thankfully the chunks of land weren't too big so he was able to navigate his way around with ease.
There, the circular platform of land the Cornucopia sat on was within arms reach. One other person had arrived before him but they paid him no mind, more worried about getting in and getting out. Percy shared the same plan. He planted his hand in a thick substance, mud, and tried pulling himself onto land.
He felt something tug at his leg, weakly at first, then in a burst of force, and the lower portion of his body was yanked back into the swamp. Percy in a panic began blindly kicking behind him and only stopped when he heard an audible crack and felt the hands release their death grip on his ankle.Percy scrambled the rest of the way up, slipping more than once, and ventured as deep as he dared into the Cornucopia. "Percy!"
He jerked his head to the voice. It was Layla, the girl from his district. By now there were three tributes searching for supplies. She pointed beside him. "The trident--get it! And toss me a spear!"
By his leg lay a prize he thought he thought wouldn't be offered to him. The sunlight reflected off the silver surface of a three-pronged trident, shining into his squinting eyes. He expected to be supplied with spears, the only weapon he saw in the training center. But this, this was what he was taught to train with for that short period of time back in his district. And it was the only part of it that he enjoyed.
He armed himself with the trident then grabbed a spear and tossed it vertically to his ally, who caught it midair and went to search for other useful supplies. Percy headed closer to the mouth and began shuffling through anything useful. He leaned closer to see if a small pack was worth taking.Percy hated his terrible sense of hearing. If it picked up sounds a tone quieter than normal he would've heard the footsteps coming up behind him and could've avoided someone grabbing a handful of his hair and jerking his head back. His head was forced back down and his forehead hit the edge of a table.
He stomped the ground behind him until it found a foot, and the hands in his hair were gone. "Damn it!" a familiar voice said. Percy whirled around, trident pointed at Alistair. He narrowed his eyes. "Now, now, put the sharp object down before you cut yourself," Alistair said.
A bloodcurdling scream came to Percy's left and he idiotically looked to the sound. In the stomach of the District 3 female, Elysia, was a bloodied spear, put there by Layla herself. The girl collapsed to the ground and the first cannon went off. Two more fired away. Percy looked back at his opponent, who was also staring at the scene.
Percy took what would be his only chance to strike, and charged with the trident poised to attack. Alistair cursed under his breath and dove to the side and the trident found a different target. In the chest of a girl with bright red hair were the three spear-like tips, buried deep in her flesh. A nine adorned her shoulder.
Breathing quickly, Percy yanked the trident out of her chest and she fell. Her body didn't stop moving until it rolled into the swamp, and another cannon went off. I just killed someone, he thought, his breaths coming out in rapid bursts, I just bloody killed someone.
Alistair chuckled, now on his feet. "Have fun with that hanging over your shoulders, four."Percy didn't bother to go after him. Something told him if he did that he wouldn't come back. He needed to get his mind off the dead girl. "How you holding up over there?" he called over to Layla."Not dead yet, but we need to move. The Careers are coming up close and I know you're not one of them," she said. Strange, two supposed "Careers" were running from their counterparts.We need to meet up with Naveen and District Seven and we can go. He turned in a slow circle, searching for his allies. Nothing. Assuming they had already gotten out, he turned to the marsh, prepared to leave the Bloodbath.
For the first time, Percy's ears worked in his favor. He held his trident defensively in front of him, similar to his encounter with Alistair. But the guy approaching him was someone else, and definitely a threat. Demetriot was heading directly towards Percy, sharpened blade in hand. There was no chance to run at this point without losing a limb.
Percy felt he was already getting used to the Games.
Demetriot grunted as he lifted the sword above his head and brought it down on his opponent's head. Percy jabbed the air in front of his forehead at the last minute with his trident, and in result the sword was caught between two of the prongs, the tip of the blade an inch away from his eyeball. Calm down, calm down, calm--ah forget it.
Percy shoved upward and successfully got the blade away from his face, but he still struggled against Demetriot's strength. He shoved down in retaliation. This exchange lasted longer than it should have and Percy's arms burned with the effort. He thought of ways to end the confrontation. Preferably in his favor.
There, he found his chance. Percy took a risk and launched his foot into the tribute's groin area with as much force as he could. He knew he kicked harder than necessary when Demetriot let out a groan of agony and dropped to his knees. However, on the way down the sword had skimmed the back of Percy's hand and blood dripped from his fingertips. He ignored the pain as best he could for the time being. No chances could be made.
Percy allowed himself two seconds of hesitation. When those two seconds were up, he gripped the handle of his trident so tightly that the skin of his knuckles grew stark white. Then he thrust the trident into Demetriot's chest. At least now he could ignore the pain in his unmentionables. Crimson sputtered from his mouth and dribbled down his chin, landing on the handle of the object shoved deep in his sternum.
Percy hated what he had done. What made it worse was that it was intentional this time, unlike with the girl from Nine. Even more so was the fact that he twisted the trident while it was trapped in the guy's flesh, tearing the muscles of his chest.
Demetriot's eyes glazed over and a cannon went off. Percy yanked at the trident, but it didn't budge. He placed a foot on his abdomen and pulled in attempts to free the weapon. Finally, it gave way, and Percy, having put most of his effort into pulling, swung the trident around to avoid falling.
It came in contact with someone's skull and they fell to the ground, blood spilling from the point of impact. A cannon didn't go off, assurance that she was still alive. Percy remembered her, it was the girl from District One that had hit her head on the ground because of his careless actions back in training. This wasn't the first time he'd given her a head injury. Something told him it wouldn't be the last.
Suddenly an axe was lodged into the girl's skull. Blood splattered across Percy's face and a cannon went off. Nope, definitely the last time.
"C'mon, get a move on," the axe-wielder said. It was the guy from District Seven, Teagan. "Thought you'd already made it out." Teagan gripped the handle of the axe and yanked it out, and Percy turned away from the image of the dead girl's bashed in skull.
"Where are we headed?" Percy asked. Even when Teagan spoke to him he refused to look in his direction, not risking a glance at the body laying at his feet.
"The islands." Islands...
Percy wanted nothing more then to get out of there. Some Careers were battling with Mae on the other side of the Cornucopia, and he feared they would see their ally dead at his hands. One of them swung at Mae's throat and another cannon went off. So, grabbing a random bag from a table and slinging it over his shoulder, he nodded at Teagan and dove back into the marsh, headed for the safety of the islands.
The safety would only be temporary, that he knew.
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DISTRICT 7 MALE: TEAGAN STANDARDS
If there was one trick I held underneath my sleeve as I entered the tube that would soon drop me off in the middle of nowhere, it was the fact I knew how to fight. I counted my breaths the whole way up and knowing that no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't close my eyes. Every detail during that minute I had before the countdown ended is as precious as the next.
The first thing I do when the landing stops is look out and around me. The air taste humid and I can immediately sense the sticky moisture that lingers in the wind. As we stop, I do nothing more than stare at the water below me. Taking each step would have to be precise and indistinct in order to not completely drench myself.
Straight in front of me are rolls of mountains that almost seem to go on forever in each direction. The highest mountain most likely would lead to the invisible dome enslaving us. A thought I'd have to keep in mind for future reference.
Despite the fact of knowing there's a waterfall cascading down the one mountain, I realize quickly that it's far too dangerous to choose that route. The climbing would exhaust me before I even had the opportunity to make a base camp.
To the left of me is a desert of nothing but sand dunes miles long and a few cacti for coverage. I almost shake my head before grimacing as I look down at my boot plastered feet. With the temperature at this degree, and being fully decked out in a trench coat, taut pants and a heavy white V-neck there was no chance of surviving the dehydration I'd form.
My eyes skim around the other tributes that form a circle around the Cornucopia. Some look at ease, almost as if they enjoy being here, knowing that the bloody battle ahead of us will only be the beginning. After watching Naveen's interview with Rohe -one of the only ones I could stand to listen to- I soon realized the extent of crazy things these people were willing to do in order to survive.
I look at Ember next to me. We didn't get much time to talk after quickly requesting to be trained separately, but she always seemed to give me the cold shoulder anyways. Her stance is tall and strong as she readies herself in a crouched position. It's then that I look at the others, almost all their faces hold a look of determination and fearlessness as they prepare to attack. And I am right there with them.
The countdown seems to be taking hours as the thump of my heart goes in sync as every second ticks away. I take a deep breath and scan what lays around and inside the Cornucopia. Not much to use without cutting off my own feet, but whatever I first get my hands on will have to do. All those combat lessons in the secluded area of the woods with my Dad didn't teach me nothing.
I go back to the day were he'd always push me harder, shoving me to the ground and yelling at me to get up and fight him...
I shake the thoughts from my head, there's no point in bringing up lost memories. I train my eyes on the crossbow that only sits a near forty feet away from me. That's my first goal, get it and get out. Don't even pay attention to where you end up, just run.
The countdown is at ten seconds when I make eye contact with Lucas. A boy from District 2 that I didn't even bother to get to know. He eyes the bow with just as much lust as I do.
5...
I grind my teeth together, knowing what's about to happen.
4...
Emotions are on overdrive as the adrenaline rush only becomes a nuisance rather than an actual help.
3...
Lucas finally realizes that I also am going for that crossbow and he tenses up even more than he already has.
2...
I brush back the hair from my eyes and envision myself grasping the metal grip.
1...
I go for it.
I've never ran as hard as I am now. My feet are like fire as I jump into the jumbled mess of chaos and cacophony. Everyone around me goes blurry as I focus on only that one thing.
I'm just about to reach it when I'm tackled to the ground from my side. Groaning, only to look up and see a girl with flaming red hair and a veil of vengeance in her eyes. I recognize her as the girl from District 6 as I turn us over and slam my boot into her neck.
Everything that has happened in the seconds of entering have nothing on the feeling you get when you make your first kill. Exhilarating, like nothing in the world can stop you. Yet treacherous nonetheless at knowing you just murdered someone's child.
I choose to think about the former.
I hear the choking sound and sickening crack before the body goes limp underneath me. Quickly I turn back to the crossbow only to see it in the hands of Lucas and he's already ran a good distance from here to the forest line.
I don't have time for this as I look around for the nearest object. I turn down to the lifeless body that my foot still has locked to the ground and in her hand is a dagger. Without thinking, I grab it and with no time to be wasted at calculating the distance, I throw it as hard as I can manage and hope it hits its target.
The people around me are too busy holding their own to notice me as I grab the quiver. Damn fool was stupid enough to race out of here that he didn't even realize he forgot the most valuable asset.
I look back up to see that the dagger did its job good enough. He's limping his way and I see that his hands are covered in blood as he stares down at the gash in his thigh. I've got just enough leverage that I'll be able to catch up to him before he disappears completely into the trees before us. He's too busy dealing with his pain that he doesn't hear me coming from behind. Taking an arrow from the quiver, I put as much force as I can muster into it and hit him right in the neck.
It's not enough to kill him but enough for me to dislodge the bow from his hands and get out of there before he gets any second thoughts. Reaching for the crossbow, I grab that, the arrow and the dagger that I threw only seconds ago.
I can hear my pulse pounding in my ears as I turn back to the Cornucopia and see the mangled mess of blood and bodies soaking the grounds. Some people are still fighting for the last of supplies as I ready the arrows. My hands are fidgety as I load up the first of many. The murky water causes a tough trek as I run to the nearest coverage I can find which just so happens to be west.
It consists of nothing but tiny islands and one large one that I desperately hope no other tribute decided to take as theirs. I take one look behind me to do a body count.
Both the tributes from 10, and the District 3 female who I think her name was Elysia are as good as dead. For a quick second I glance back to Lucas who's still lying on the ground. As I run farther into the labyrinth ahead of me, I see Ember race over and finish him off. She looks up for a moment and I catch her eye, obviously startled that the good guy attitude faltered. I give her nod and assume she's going to head this way too.
My heart beat eases to a steady above average pulse as I let the buzz wear off. While an aching sensation welcomes itself into my muscles. The first thing I do as I enter the islands is search for a place to stay for the rest of the day. I need to figure out my game plan before attempting anything else. Picking the second highest tree, I scale it before steadying myself on one of the lower branches. As I scope out the first of many trials to come, I hear the sound of five cannons off in the distance.
The games have officially begun.
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DISTRICT 12 FEMALE: ACADIA HART
I entered the waiting room with the outfit my stylist gave me, a black cotton t-shirt and tight dark brown shorts that barely pasted my knees. Damian, I believe his name was, gave me a small yet proud grin as he handed me a pair of brown ankle boots.
" You are going to be quite a shock to the world watching." He said as I slipped the boots over my feet. "I guarantee it."
I stood up and smiled, then gave him a small hug. Inside I was trying my best not to just burst into tears, it was probably going to be the last time I saw him.
"All tributes need to enter the tubes at this time." The echo of a monotone woman filled the room. I let go of him, and we gave each other a nod before I walked inside, the glass closing around me when I was fully on the plates.
Silence lingered around me for what seemed like hours. I thought about Elysia, hoping I would find her quick and run off into safety. I thought about the Arena, pondering what danger could lie before me. But most of all, I thought about my District, trying not to dread the moment they will have to see my cold, lifeless body.
The plate made a quick jolt and began to slowly lift me upwards, the ceiling began to open too, causing me to become distracted by the glare. Soon, I was fully inside, carefully studying the arena around me.
The area surrounding the Cornucopia was filled with murky water, revealing a few spots of mud and sand. The water is most likely shallow, and the ground seems to be quick sand-ish. There doesn't seem to be any creatures lurking below me, but I can't see where bottom ends.
To the North are vast mountains, each coated in greenery rather than the snow-capped mountains I've always imagined. It could be a good hiding place, but the steep heights as well as the gushing waterfall could be dangerous.
To the South is a lush jungle crowded with trees and a variety of plants that heavily litter the rich soil. This will probably be a shelter for many tributes, for the density of the place easily blocks out the blistering sun.
In the East is nothing but a vast, hopeless desert. Even from here I can see the sun's rays evaporating off the golden dunes. Far away looks to be the silhouette of boxes, but I would probably die before I'm even halfway there.
Toward the West is a small island, surrounded by pockets of sand. A large source of water fills in remaining land under the surface, and thick palm trees are scattered both in and out of the clear, safe looking water.
I snap back into reality as a booming deep voice counts down from thirty. A hologram above the Arena counts down in sync with the voice.
"30..." " 29..." " 28..." " 27..." " 26..."
I start to plan my initial route the Cornucopia, and it seems I will have to jump in the water before reaching a rough sand path. Each pocket of mud isn't any bigger than my foot, so it is important I maintain a good balance.
"25..." " 24..." " 23..." " 22..." " 21..."
After solving my route, I scan the Cornucopia for a knife or dagger or something I can use. Fortunately, I find a pair of serrated knives nestled between a trunk and the metal walls. The only problem? I will be lucky if I can get one at all.
" 10..." " 9..." " 8..." " 7..." " 6..."
Alright. Game face. You know what to do Acadia, just go in, and impress the world. No big deal. Oh! And don't die!
" 5..." " 4..." " 3..." " 2..." " 1..."
The gong echoes through my ears, and I immediately leap for a splotch of land. I dart towards the knives I desperately desire, ripping each foot out of the sand's suction with every step. The gruesome sounds of battle fill the air; people drowning, the clash of weapons, and the fading screams of a dying soul. I can't let it get to my head, this isn't the only day I will be experiencing this.
I finally make it on to the more dense sand surrounding the Cornucopia, ducking and dodging the swings and stabs of people fighting to survive. Within seconds I find them, the beautiful knives I will use to survive. I smile excitedly, but the grin soon turns into concern. As I pick up a knife, I find that one is missing.
Almost instinctively, I turn to my left and see the girl from District 6 slowly back away in fear, the second knife shaking vigorously in her hand. I stand up and began to walk towards her, making her back away faster. " That knife is mine." I say, and instantly charge towards her.
The girl tries to run, but soon gets her leg stuck up to her thigh in quick sand, causing her to drop the knife. I laugh at the predicament as I pick up the knife and stand behind her triumphantly.
" Go to hell twelve." She angrily mumbles through gritted teeth.
" Sorry, but you're going there first." I reply, and drive the knife into her back, the blood staining my shirt and the ends of my hair.
I yank the knife out of her body , making her slump forward in the murky water. I hear Elysia calling for me, and soon direct her to my location. She smiles proudly at my kill, and helps me get back up. Luckily she found her desired weapon like me, as well as a small pack for the each of us.
"Did you kill anyone?" I ask jokingly, as her mace didn't seem like a killing weapon to me.
" I did actually." She replied in an "I told you so" tone. "The gas can make the enemy suffocate, so I sprayed the guy from 11 in the face!"
We both laughed, but the sound of cannons made us stern once more. Tributes around us were running to safety, and I already knew where to run.
" Follow me Elysia." I said. "We should go to the islands."
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DISTRICT 12 MALE: ELIAS VECTOR
Elias stands still as he watches the seconds count down. He pays no attention to the other tributes. His eyes are locked onto a backpack 15 yards away from where he stands. He has no intentions of going in any farther, afraid of being plunged into the swamp or butchered by another person.
The countdown approaches 5 seconds, and he readies himself for a quick dash. When the others start jumping off and running, he follows. In the corner of his eyes he sees some unlucky few plunges through the earth. He falters in his run when the land sinks beneath him. Once the backpack is an inch away from his fingers a knife passes through the air and nicks his ear.
Quickly grasping the pack, he dashes away, but not before another knife is lodged inches away from his shoe. He takes a second to look behind him before taking the knife and rescuing the other that had sliced his ear.
Behind him chaos ensued as some dropped to their knees from a knife or arrow. A few yards away to the right a girl from district 4 is shot with an arrow to the back. If she somehow managed to survive that, someone else would surly finish her off.
Elias kept running farther away from the Cornucopia putting distance between him and the people. The air was hot and sticky. A combination he was never quite fond of. His clothes were sticking to his skin, and it made him irritable. In his frantic panic he had started running towards the east. A massive dusty orange desert laid in front him. It was vast and barren.
There was no protecting from the sun or humans for that matter. If someone wanted to find a person here, all they had to do was look around. Elias shook his head while he debated going farther in or retreating to a different biome. The arena was diverse this year with 5 biomes.
After taking a second to think about it he made his mind up to go to another place. A desert wasn't going to be suitable if he was to survive The Games. Just as he turned around, a knife was flung his way. If he had turned just a bit faster, the knife would be lodged in his pelvis. Luckily his backpack had taken the hit.
A girl around his age with dark black hair stood before him. He froze from as a wave of fear washed over him. She was shorter than him and didn't look to be menacing, but the knives in her hand spoke a different story.
When another knife whizzed at him he ducked and rolled. His heart beat rapidly but he was not an icicle anymore. He reached for one of the knives he retrieved the last time someone had thrown some at him. As he aimed his blade the girl took out a dart. He had no idea what they would do to him, but he knew he didn't want to get hit with one.
He cursed as his knife missed by nearly a foot, and she scampered off to the side. She readied herself with her dart. Elias reached for the last knife he had and aimed. His life depended on his throwing ability.
The blade left his finger tips and struck home. It hit the girl from district 8 right in the heart. She fell down but did not die right away. She gasped as she crawled away from me. After a few more seconds she lost consciousness and I started retrieving the blades thrown about.
He had acquired two new blades. In total he had four. His fingers trembled as he reached for the last knife. Elias' eyes found the body of the dead girl lying in front of him. Bile rose in his throat and mouth. He looked away and started running.
Elias couldn't believe he had just killed a human being. Shouts still streamed in from the Cornucopia as he ran swiftly from the desert. His legs never faltered once as he sprinted. No one made any attempt on his life by the time he reached the complete opposite side of the arena.
He slowed down and fell to his knees. His frame trembled as he threw up. If he somehow made it out alive he had no idea how he'd live with himself with what he'd done. Elias contemplated about lying down right then and there in the grass. He could curl up into a ball, close his eyes and wait for someone to end him.
He would have done it too if his brother Nexus didn't make a sudden appearance in his mind. His face was vivid in his head. He whispered to Elias, "You can do it."
Elias jerked himself to his feet. He would live for Nexus. His legs felt like jelly by the time he came to the lake. It was littered with tiny islands. For now this would do for Elias. He'd settle on his own little island and pretend he was on a beach and not in the presence of death.
Not thinking too much of it, he flung himself into the water. He extended his arms and kicked his legs hard. His eyes were set on an island closest to him. It only took him a few minutes to reach its sandy edge and drag himself onto it.
His breathing was labored, but that didn't stop him from walking to a tall tree. He removed his pack from his back and sat down against the tree. The tree provided some shade, but it did nothing to help with the humidity. Elias set the backpack between his legs and gripped one blade tightly. He would be ready for anyone who dared to attack him.
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DISTRICT 13 MALE: NAVEEN AHMED
I'm gonna die. That was the prevailing thought that seemed to occupy Naveen Ahmed's head as he waited on the raised platform for the game to start. He was not allowed to take his cane with him to the arena, so he was struggling not to crumple to the ground. I'm gonna die horribly. So horribly that the Capitol will be unable to identify my body. I will be classified as a puddle of blood and bones that they found in the arena.
Naveen quickly shook the thought from his head. If he was going to survive, he had to play it cool. Be confident, control your emotions, he told himself.
Naveen scanned the arena he was going to be fighting, and probably dying, in. Murky, green water flowed throughout the land, decorated with brown shrubs and adrift moss. Toxic bubbles floated to the surface and would then pop, spraying their ooze in all directions. Dead and dying trees were scattered in the distance, but they all loomed over the arena, providing ominous shade. Each tribute had a row of sinking islands that lead to the cornucopia, standing tall and glittering in the pale sunlight.
The timer started counting down from sixty. Naveen's first thought was to scramble onto the islands and hope that he could limp his way to the cornucopia. It shouldn't be that easy, Naveen thought to himself. If all of these islands led to the cornucopia then why not make it dry land. No, there had to be something wrong with them, something dangerous.
Naveen questioned if he should even try to go to the cornucopia. He would certainly be one of the last ones to arrive since he couldn't walk. He looked towards the other sections of the arena. The islands in the west seemed lovely, with luscious shaded trees and pristine blue water. If he made a swim for them, he could survive the bloodbath and see if he could make a makeshift cane from some branches.
But as Naveen looked at the cornucopia a little closer, he realized why he couldn't do that. On the top of the cornucopia, peering out over all of the other weapons, was a cane with a pointed tip.
"Are you freaking kidding me?" Naveen complained. Of course,at the top of the cornucopia, the most difficult place to reach, was a custom-made weapon that would be perfect for him. Naveen bit his lip and closed his eyes. After ten seconds, he opened them back up, his mind made up.
"Screw it, might as well," he said to himself. The timer continued to count down. It was already at thirty seconds and its incessant ticking only seemed to heighten the tension. Naveen was ready to leap into the disgusting waters and swim like a shark to get to the cornucopia.
Twenty seconds. A bead of sweat found its way down Naveen's face. He wiped it away with arm and started breathing rapidly.
Ten seconds. Naveen tried to get as close to the edge of his platform as possible without falling off. He nearly stumbled into the swamp water, which would have caused a life-ending explosion, but he was able to better position himself.
Five seconds. Naveen's heart pounded incessantly, like a jackhammer going off in his chest. Four seconds. Sweat had formed on Naveen's brow, which tightened in concentration. Three seconds. Naveen's body started to shake in anticipation and goosebumps ran up his spine. Two seconds. This is it.
BOOOM! There was loud explosion coming from a couple platforms down. Naveen could feel the shockwaves from meters away. Immediately following the explosion were two other explosions, one on the other side of the arena, and one directly to Naveen's right.
Somehow through the blasts, Naveen heard the timer running out. He dove straight into the water and started swimming like his life depended on it, because it did.
As Naveen swam, body chunks and blood started to rain from the sky, like a gory nightmare. Naveen swam ferociously, his arms thrusting him forwards at breakneck speeds. As he continued to swim, he realized what the explosions were. One of the other tributes had gotten too antsy and dove off of their platform a second too early. The others must have tried to not fall behind and also gone off too early.
They're like lemmings, Naveen thought to himself. It seemed no one else was swimming or even in the water. A quick glance backwards showed that many of the other tributes were still stuck on their platforms, unwilling to move and explode.
There was loud thunk in the water next to him. Naveen looked to see what seemed to be half of the head of Elysia Ambrose, the District 3 Female. Her pale skin was stained with blood and her blond hair had disintegrated. More of her body parts fell from the sky. Naveen was showered with legs, arms, fingers, ears, and every ounce of blood in her body.
She was so little, how does she have this much blood? Naveen continued to propel himself forward. Even though his limp leg seemed to want to drag him down to the bottom of the swamp, his arms were strong and heavy enough to keep him swimming forward. Naveen kept pushing himself rapidly, faster than he had ever swam before. He could feel the muscles in his arms tearing themselves from the bone but he trudged through the water like a dolphin jumping through the ocean.
Naveen nearly crashed into the bank of the beach. He stumbled to his feet and hopped on one foot to the cornucopia. After realizing no one had reached it yet, he let a laugh of relief between his desperate gasps for breath. He turned around, the smile still on his lips, to see Ize Locke, the District 6 Male, wash up on the beach.
The two men stared at each other for a while. Locke's feet were still in the water but he could close the distance easily. Naveen stared at him vacantly, not having a weapon or anything to attack him with. Then, in a motion that made Naveen tilt his head, Ize gave a nod to Naveen, as if to say hello. Not one for being rude, Naveen gave him a nod back, trying his best for his to be as cool and charismatic as Ize's.
Out of nowhere, something from the water latched itself around Ize's left foot. It seemed like a purple tentacle and it quickly wrapped itself around Ize and dragged him down to his knees. He reached for Naveen's help, but Naveen backed away from the creature and started to climb over the cornucopia. He glanced back to see Ize being drug through the sand and under the water, screaming wildly as he went down. The last time Naveen saw Ize was his air bubbles breaching the surface of the swamp.
Naveen scrambled over the cornucopia and limped his to right under where his cane was. It was just out of his reach, so Naveen had to climb up the cornucopia's highest spire to grab his cane. Once he felt the metal in his hands, a brilliant grin shone from his mouth. He slid down into the cornucopia but before he got anymore supplies, he felt a force push him to the ground.
Naveen turned to see the District 11 Female, Mae Foster, standing on top of him, with her foot planted straight on his chest. She pressed hard on it, putting insane pressure on Naveen's ribs.
"Did you really think you would make it out of here alive?" she taunted, her eyes fierce and intimidating. She tried to sound tough and violent, but Naveen let out an amused laugh.
"So you're who I get to have fun with," he said with a sly smile. A look of confusion rolled over Mae's face.
"What the hell are you talk-," was all she could say. Midway through her sentence, Naveem grabbed his cane and thrusted its spiked tip into Mae's neck. Her eyes were wide in shock and her hands moved to her throat, trying to stop the bleeding.
Naveen violently pulled out his cane, sending Mae's trachea flying out of the cornucopia. Her blood spurted all over Naveen, though he made sure to cover his eyes from seeing the gruesome sight and being blinded by the blood. When he looked back, Mae was clutching for her throat, drowning in her own blood. She convulsed on the floor, making inhuman noises as the color slowly drained out of her face. For a second, Naveen almost felt sympathy. Almost.
Naveen jumped out of the cornucopia to yet another inconvenience. Vibia Lightwood, the District 6 Female. Tears gathered in her eyes and her red hair looked a shade redder than it had been the day before. Most unsettling, she had an iron sword in her hand.
"Why didn't you save Ize?" she cried out, her voice cracked and tired. He had been her teammate and obviously, good friend.
"It wasn't me, it was the tentacle monster," Naveen tried to explain before Vibia rushed at him. She tried to slash him down but he blocked it was his cane. He tried to stab her but she was too quick and easily evaded the strike, before going for her own cut. Naveen hopped out of the way and parried the blow with his cane.
"OK, we're doing this now!" Naveen complained with a scowl on his face. He hobbled forward and nearly lost his head when Vibia made a wild swing for his neck. He leaned his upper body backwards before thrusting his cane forward. As his cane entered Vibia's body, something peculiar happened. It looked as three swords were entering Vibia's body from the other direction. They rushed through Vibia, and nearly into Naveen.
He jumped backwards, much to the discomfort of his leg, and looked at who had caused this to happen. Percy Cole, the District 4 Male, was standing behind Vibia, his trident buried in her torso. Funnily, Naveen's cane was pointed directly at his chest.
"What took you so long?" Naveen angrily asked his ally. "Why did you feel the need to impale me and her at the same time?"
"I was grabbing supplies and my trident and I was only trying to help," Percy explained. He had two backpacks strung up, one on each arm, and what seemed to be some food and small weapons stuffed in his shirt. "We need to get going. The islands seem like the best place."
"First, let's get our weapons out of this poor girl," Naveen said. They each pulled their weapons out of Vibia's body, which had been awkwardly supported by the blades in her torso. Percy and Naveen removed their weapons at the same time, and Vibia's body was cut in half from the force. Her top landed on Naveen's side and her bottom on Percy's.
"That's unfortunate," Naveen commented as he looked at half of Vibia's dead body. "She was double penetrated. I'd make a joke if it wasn't so tragic."
"Let's go!" Percy ordered. Percy and Naveen stumbled towards the edge of the beach. Surprisingly, other tributes were just know arriving at the cornucopia, while others were viciously fighting it out. They splashed into the water and Percy took off at breakneck speeds. Now with his cane, Naveen couldn't swim as well as he could before since he had to hold onto his weapon. He paddled behind but a slow and lethargic rate. Percy looked back to see his flailing partner and swam to grab him. Percy propelled himself and Naveen through the swamp as quickly as he could.
Once they reached the shore, Percy screeched into his hands. "What the hell was the point of having of a cripple as a partner? What can a cripple even do?" he yelled incredulously.
As Percy had his temper tantrum on the beach, Naveen could see something approaching in the water. Naveen was near the water, his feet in the damp sand but he wasn't worried. He twirled the cane in his fingertips like it was a baton.
A scream rang off for the whole arena to hear. Percy turned to see Alistair Prague, the District 3 Male, jumping out of the swamp. Well, he would have been jumping if it wasn't for the cane that had skewered through his head, with parts of his prodigious brain pointing out from the tip.
"Gee, what can a cripple even do?" Naveen mocked.
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