Bliss Dixon’s POV:
‘’ We should just keep walking, if we come across a tribute then we fight, if not then all the better.’’ Suggests Gauze, Echo nods in agreement.
‘’ Agreed.’’
‘’ Let’s go then.’’
We walk from the shelter of the trees and out into the open, Gauze leads and I stand by his side. He has his crossbow loaded and hanging by his hip as we walk. Echo is behind us with my dagger and Osmo trails along beside her – still shaking slightly every few moments but no longer screaming.
I notice him muttering to himself every so often but I try to ignore it, Gauze told me the Capitol did something to his head and Echo would be said if I asked about it. Yet another person that has had their life turned upside down by the Capitol – doing what seems to be irreparable damage to the poor boy.
The sun is approaching the centre of the sky, it will soon be noon which means the third special attraction will be announced – another hour or two maybe, although it is hard to tell exactly. None of us are eager for that point to come. The arena is bad enough without the horrific additions the Capitol throws at us.
‘’ What do you think it will be?’’ Questions Echo, as if reading my mind.
‘’ The attraction? I dunno, something big and exciting.’’ Replies Gauze. ‘’ This is the last of three attractions, so it’ll be good.’’
‘’Meaning it will be bad for us.’’ I add and he nods.
‘’ I don’t even want to think about what it could be.’’ Says Gauze.
‘’ Neither do I, it’s just I can’t get it out of my head.’’ Sighs Echo.
‘’ I hope it isn’t too bad.’’ I sigh, although I know it will be. The others know this too, but they choose not to respond – leaving me with the hope that it won’t be as bad as we are anticipating.
We walk on, moving towards a cluster of buildings in the distance, they seem to be town buildings – they are definitely not residential. We walk with very little purpose, only to occupy ourselves really in fear that if we sit still too long, the Capitol will intervene to make it more entertaining for their viewers.
Over the years I’ve seen some horrific examples of this, flooding parts of the arena to draw tributes together...or worse, setting the place on fire.
We all silently hope that we will come across no other tributes, but at the same time we all know that if we do, it will be kill or be killed...Although I am quite confident with both Gauze and Echo on my side that we will be safer than the other tributes and well able to deal with any threats that may arise.
‘’ You OK?’’ Asks Gauze after a few moments.
I nod. ‘’ Fine, I guess. We are in the Hunger Games.’’
‘’ I suppose we are.’’ He replies comically, as if he didn’t know before now and I smile.
‘’ Are we going to get out of here?’’ I ask. ‘’ For real?’’
‘’ I hope so.’’ He nods, but there is little conviction in his tone.
‘’ Will you kill if you have to?’’ I ask.
‘’ I already have.’’
‘’ I mean again. Ravina was different, she was attacking Echo. Would you kill someone else, Ethan and Lilly for example?’’ I rephrase.
He nods. ‘’ I suppose I would. I really wouldn’t like it, and I know it will haunt me for the rest of my life, but it’s the only way we can get out of here and back home.’’
‘’ I don’t really have a home.’’ I admit sadly, my mother and sister are dead and my father is gone – thankfully.
‘’ Of course you do! You’re living with me now, you’re like my little sister.’’
His words bring a smile to my face and I hug him as we walk.
‘’ But what about them?’’ I ask, nudging my head back to indicate Echo and Osmo. ‘’ They are really nice, but we can’t all win.’’
‘’ I know Bliss, I know...’’ He sighs.
‘’ I don’t want to have to fight them.’’ I admit. ‘’ I like Echo.’’
He nods. ‘’ Me too kiddo, me too.’’
We walk silently the rest of the way towards the buildings, once again wishing we were anywhere else in the world but here.
Ethan Rhode’s POV:
‘’ We have to go! Now!’’ I say in a half whisper, half shout. ‘’ There’s people coming.’’
‘’ Who?’’ Lilly questions, wiping tears from her eyes.
We both had a pretty restless sleep. Lilly stayed awake all night sobbing over Caspian, I lay awake listening and trying not to think of the horrific events that took the life of my twin sister. Despite the promises we both made to our partners, neither of us want to continue. We both feel like a gaping hole has been left in our lives – for very different reasons.
‘’ Gauze and Bliss anyway. And there’s someone else with them...Echo and Osmo I think.’’ I mutter quietly, grabbing my bag and tossing it onto my back.
‘’ Maybe they can help us?’’ She asks.
‘’ There’s too little tributes left for them to make an alliance with us, especially considering how they’re already in a group of four.’’ I explain and she nods regretfully yet understandingly.
‘’ Let’s go then.’’ She sighs.
I help Lilly onto her feet and we move. I lead the way with my small dagger in my hand, Lilly has hers too. We really are a pitiful sight. We won’t stand much a chance against anyone – especially not Echo and Gauze. Our best hope is to run and hope they don’t pursuit. Nevertheless, we both vowed to try get out of here and despite how much we wish we could just lay down and die, we cannot.
‘’ C’mon!’’ I say, grabbing Lilly by the hand and guiding her away from the houses and in the only direction we can go due to the cliffs – towards the other tributes.
Lilly Cullen’s POV:
We move for about five minutes and then freeze as the noise of a branch snapping underfoot sounds somewhere close to us.
‘’ Did you hear that?’’ I whisper.
He nods and turns to face the way we have come, brandishing his dagger and holding it out before him.
‘’ Get back!’’ He yells, we are not even sure if it is another tribute or exactly where the noise came from, but just in case it is we need to ensure they know we are a threat to them – even if we are not.
‘’ I think it came from that direction.’’ I say, pointing off to the left.
We stand back to back, holding out our daggers before us and waiting for an attack we both know is coming but refuse to believe.
‘’ Let’s just run.’’ He whispers, back the way we came.
I nod, then realise he probably can’t see me. ‘’ OK.’’
‘’ Now!’’ He yells, a bit sooner than I anticipated and I almost lose my footing trying to scramble after him.
One I regain my balance however, I catch up easily and pass him out – I am much faster than him.
‘’ Where do we even go?’’ I question while panting.
‘’ Back to the houses. I dunno.’’ He replies honestly and we keep running.
I sprint as fast as I feel I can. Despite the defeatist attitude I had just moments ago, I cannot bring myself to stop and turn myself in to the footsteps echoing behind us. My natural will to want to live is too strong, I continue running.
Please Caspian. Help me. Guide us.
I hear the whizzing of an arrow, or some sort of bolt. That narrows it down to three pairs of tributes, Min and Stitch don’t use long ranged weapons – so it is Alistair and Arianna, Bliss and Gauze or Echo and Osmo. None of which I would ever expect to be willing to kill. The arena changes people, as they get closer to the end they realise they have a chance and get ruthless. I’ve seen it so many times in the past.
‘’ Please! Don’t shoot us!’’ I beg as I run, a second arrow or bolt – or whatever it is! – whips past and tears through the fabric of my shirt – ripping it at the hip – and it then impales itself on a nearby tree trunk.
I cry out in fear. This is it. We’re going to die.
‘’ Please!’’ I roar, and then I hear another arrow whiz through the air, quickly followed by a choking sound and a thump.
I scream and turn to see Ethan lying face down on the ground. I look back to search for the shooter, but they have already disappeared into the shadows, I will never know who has killed us.
‘’ Lilly.’’ He splutters, coughing blood onto the ground before me.
There is either an arrow or crossbow bolt pierced through his back – I cannot tell which. He is wheezing heavily, as though he is having an asthma attack – something my father suffers from only too regularly.
‘’ What? What is it Ethan?’’ I ask, sobbing while I gently stroke his head – his hair permeated with dirt, blood and sweat.
‘’ Do you think Ellie and Caspian are waiting for us on the other side?’’ He questions and it reminds me of the fact that I too am about to die, due to the collars tethering our lives together.
I’ve never been religious, but I would like to think there is some form of afterlife awaiting us after we die. I can’t afford to think otherwise after all the people I have lost.
‘’ Yes.’’ I reply honestly. ‘’ They’re waiting for us at the gates of Heaven, they didn’t want to go in without us.’’
The thought of Caspian holding up whatever system a higher being has in place for me makes me laugh aloud, and Ethan gives me a confuse sideways glance.
‘’ Yes. They are waiting. We’ll see them soon.’’ I repeat, more for myself now than him.
Ethan says no more, in the following few minutes he slowly gets paler and paler, and his raspy breaths get quieter. He stops blinking, instead just lies with his eyes closed and he breaths softly until the breaths stop sounding. I let out a little sob as he slips from the world, soon I will be following him.
BOOM!
The collar around my throat begins to beep around my neck, and my body tenses up with fear. I can’t believe this is happening. I feel myself leave my body as I explore the library of my mind.
I see Caspian, although he is about four years younger. It is the day we first met. I am walking along the beach with my friend. We watch him as he emerges from the water and approaches us – his skin soaking wet. He smiles at me and his eyes twinkle.
I blink, the scene has changed. It is a year later, in his back yard in the small tree house erected in a large oak tree towering over his house. He has his hands on my hip, and I lean in slowly towards him. He grins widely and I return the smile.
‘’ I love you.’’ He smiles.
‘’ I love you too.’’
As our lips meet, I close my eyes. When I open them, the scene has changed yet again. It is the day of Caspian’s mum’s funeral. He is sitting in the pew at the front of the tiny chapel. His mother’s white wooden coffin sits in the centre of the aisle. I remember that day so well. He managed to stay strong the entire mass, I ended up sobbing for the whole thing. He wrapped his arm around me and held me tight.
The scene changes again, we are standing around the grave as the coffin is slowly lowered into the ground. This is where Caspian lost it. We watched the coffin sink into the ground and he began to cry. He shook.
He was barely able to stand. I tried to support him, but seeing him the way he was only made me even worse.
The scene changes again, we are on the beach for my birthday. It’s the day of the Reaping. I cannot recall our whole conversation – that day seems worlds away – however I remember laughing a lot. It had been so perfect.
I remember the cake; it was my favourite flavour and had been delicious. It probably cost him a fortune too! I remember blowing out the candles and wishing that I’d grow old with him and die happily in his arms.
That had been the moment when I really realised I loved him and would happily spend every remaining second I had left of my life with him.
‘’ I love you.’’ I mutter to no one as I feel myself slipping from the world. ‘’ Thank you for making my short life worthwhile.’’
BOOM!
Stitch Gable’s POV:
‘’ Who do you think that was?’’ I ask.
‘’ Hopefully one of the stronger ones. It’ll make it easier for us.’’ She responds.
‘’ Do you not have faith in my ability to protect you?’’ I ask, trying to hide my anger...she takes a step back.
‘’ No, no. I do.’’ She answers immediately and I pull her close to me and kiss her.
She leans slightly away from me, but I place my hangs around her head and clamp her to me. She has no choice but to kiss me.
‘’ Stop it!’’ Orders Max in my ear. ‘’ I don’t know you anymore. The Games have changed you, for the worse.’’
‘’ Go away!’’ I roar mid kiss.
‘’ What?’’ Min replies in confusion.
‘’ Nothing.’’ I mutter and pull her close again.
‘’ Look at you. This isn’t you!’’ Yells Max.
I shove Min away from me and draw my knife. Her eyes enlarge, she thinks I’m going to use it on her. I turn to Max and swing the dagger. It hits him but slices through him harmlessly.
‘’ The Games have turned you into a monster.’’ He says with disgust.
‘’ The Games change everyone...’’ I reply and help Min to her feet.
‘’ This. Isn’t. You.’’ He says once more.
‘’ Just piss off! You’re dead. Stay that way.’’ I yell, as soon as the words leave my mouth I regret it. Max is my brother. He has been with me through everything in my life.
I stare at him in shock; I can’t believe I just said that. He looks genuinely hurt. He turns and disappears among the trees.
‘’ Max!’’ I cry. ‘’ Come back!’’
‘’ Stitch, you should stop-‘’ Begins Min but I cut her off.
‘’ Shut up and keep up!’’ I roar and chase after Max.
‘’ Max!’’
No response.
‘’ Max!’’
He is gone.
‘’ Are you OK?’’ Asks Min after a few moments of silence and I nod.
‘’ Screw him anyway. I don’t need him. I have you.’’ I explain furiously, she smiles weakly.
Arianna Winslow’s POV:
‘’ I can’t believe we’re down to the final four pairs. We’re so, so close now.’’ I say.
‘’ We’re going home.’’ Smiles Alistair. ‘’ We can do this.’’
‘’ We will do this do.’’ I reply, trying to seem confident despite how scared I am.
Before he can reply, the sound of the President’s voice begins to boom throughout the arena.
‘’ Attention tributes! I just want to congratulate you all for making it this far, day four is a great achievement! As you all know, the Capitol have been voting vigorously on what special attractions they want you to face, and the time has come to announce the third and final special attraction.
It is with great excitement, that I announce that the third special attraction is something we like to call ‘Partner Coma’ which involves one tribute in each pair falling into a deep sleep.
The remaining tribute will have to race to a certain location in the arena where the antidotes for the poison that induces the coma awaits you. Oh, and of course there will be one too few antidotes, so not all tributes will make it.
I also want to inform you that the collar’s distance setting will be disabled for this challenge, so it will be OK to leave your partner’s side. Of course, make sure you have them hidden well, because they will be sitting ducks for any passing tributes!
The Capitol voted for which tribute in each pair will fall under the coma, so you can thank them! The special attraction will kick off in thirty minutes. Anyway, that is all for now. I will speak to you all again tomorrow...well, not all of you.
So...Happy Hunger Games to you all and may the odds be ever in your favour.’’
As soon as he finishes speaking, we glance at each other in horror.
‘’ It’s the beginning of the grand finale. Just two days remain, this is to spice it up so they have their final three pairs for tomorrow.’’ Says Alistair and I nod.
‘’ We have to make it to tomorrow. We can do this.’’ I say confidently.
‘’ Usually these feasts happen in the cornucopia area, we should head there now to get a head start on the other tributes.’’ He suggests and I nod.
He kisses me on the forehead and I relish the moment. The calm before the storm.
‘’ Let’s go.’’