God, I’m so cold” Finnian Calibur whispered as he pushed himself against Hugh Wellben’s side. Hugh let out a sigh as he nodded his head in agreeance. Finn cuddled up against Hugh further as he stared ahead into the ‘emptiness of space’. The pair were hiding out in a warehouse in the western part of the arena, not too far from the cornucopia. The warehouse was simply rows upon rows of shelves, filled to the brim with huge cardboard boxes- all of them large enough to fit a person. They had checked a few boxes but they were thankfully empty. So Hugh had decided the safest place hide would be on the shelves of the warehouse- and so they took down one of the boxes, pushed it into the corner of the building and climbed up in its place.
Hugh sat at the edge of the shelf, his feet dangling about three feet from the cold concrete ground below. Finn’s head found its way onto his thigh where it rested looking out across the ocean of shelves and boxes. Hugh’s stomach grumbled grabbing Finn’s attention/
“You hungry?” he asked the slightly taller boy in concern. Hugh shook his head looking down at Finn.
“Yeah… Kinda at least. I think we should save our food for later though, like tomorrow morning.” Hugh reasoned as Finn looked up at him, their eyes locking together. During the feast, they were lucky enough to get food without much hassle. They had followed the nearest beacon to the cornucopia where metal barrels of food lied, undisturbed. They had quickly grabbed all they could before running and finding the warehouse as it got dark out. By that time three cannons had already gone off. Others weren’t as lucky as they were.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m hungry too.” Finn responded. He lied there still, cuddling into Hugh’s warmth. His teeth chattered softly, barely loud enough for Hugh to notice. Hugh looked down before scooting backward and lying on his back.
“C’mon.” he smiled patting on the steel they lied on. Finn uttered a small chuckle before crawling over next to Hugh and lying down. He rolled over onto side facing Hugh and grabbed his arm. “Ya know Hugh… If we ever make it out of this…” Finn started before running off into a soft murmur. Hugh rolled his head over towards Finn and smiled, cocking an eyebrow.
“What?” he giggled.
“If we survive this all… I’d love to go out on a date.” Finn confessed, biting at the dead skin on his chapped lips. He looked straight into Hugh’s gray eyes. He couldn’t tell what the boy was to say. His pale face was like a stone cold brick wall. He had no reason to doubt he would say yes, and yet he worried. Hugh giggled.
“I’d love too.” He responded with a smile as he looked into Finn’s eyes. Before going into the arena Finn had worn contacts that made his eyes a neon electric blue, but now they were bare, just their beautiful selves. Hugh continued to smile. “Not to try to change the subject but your eyes… I like them without the contacts. They’re perfect just the way they are.” Finn blushed heavily.
“You too…” he murmured softly whilst blushing a heavy red. Hugh smiled before his eyes drifted close. Finn tugged at his arm and his eyes opened. “If-When we go our date, can it be somewhere far? Far from this place and the capital? Somewhere without any skyscrapers or statutes or-”
“Or the hunger games?” Hugh finished for him.
“Yeah. Somewhere far from these games” Finn said as he buried his head into Hugh’s shoulder. “Like maybe in district 9 or something. I bet it’s so pretty there. Just oceans of grain and wheat. Just imagine all the different colors, Hugh… All that yellow and gold, and a vibrant blue sky. It would be like paradise.”
“Maybe… I never really thought about the districts like that before. Maybe you’re right though. Maybe we can leave for good once this is all over. Leave the whole capital… Leave all of this behind and start anew.
“I’d like that…” Finnian agreed before shutting his eyes. He gently fell asleep with his head buried in Hugh’s shoulder, comforted by his warmth. Hugh could tell when the boy had fallen asleep, his breathing shallow and slow. However, Hugh decided to stay up as long as he could, in love with the idea of escaping his current reality. He continued to dream of the districts and their natural beauty. And like that he slid off into a deep sleep, the last thing he imagined was how his first date with Finn would go.
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Kaeden may have been one of the only tributes in that cold moonless night to experience even the slightest of warmth. Until that day his time in the arena had been extraordinarily calm and near boring for the young man. Hours of simply wandering about the arena, taking in the amazing spectacles that surrounded him without ever running into a single soul. During this time he spent all his time looking for anything he could burn; trash. The few twigs found around the few trees around the arena, and of course the wicker basket he had stolen from the feast earlier that day. The feast was his first time seeing another person since the games…
Kaden hadn’t been near any of the three beacons when the twist was announced, and so he essentially had the option to go anywhere he wanted. And so Kaden went towards what he believed to be towards the northeast corner of the arena, towards the apartment grove, where Bettina Clark had been killed the night before. The sun was still up when Kaden arrived at his destination and so the magnificent glittering lights of the small “forest” surrounding the apartment building were turned off. Kaden still found it beautiful though, the sudden burst of dull greens and mellow browns of nature a deep contrast to the synthetic aura that radiated from most of the arena.
When Kaden had reached the small red-brick apartment building the violence had already begun. The doors were wide open and in the lobby was the feast, a collection of tables with piles of food upon them. Kaden had tried to race in and out, gathering as much as he could, but he had encountered other tributes, Ruby Terrace. The small little girl had bumped into him gathering food like he was. She grabbed for a wicker basket filled with a collection of small apples, Kaden's hand was already on. He turned to her and in a moment of hunger-induced hostility he punched her in the face and sent her flying to the ground. The sharp edge of the table had caught her leg though and gave her a deep gash. Kaden grabbed the basket and ran out of the building, back into the trees. He hadn’t killed her but the guilt had already begun to set in as he ran out of the thick of the woods and back into the city.
Now Kaden sat around a small fire hidden in a small enclosure at the end of an alley. The walls around him were tight, but he had enough room for a fire. To his left, there was a ladder, a place where the boy could easily escape if needed. He ate a perfectly red ripe apple as he stared into the flames, thinking about how he had hurt the young girl. Why had he done that? She hadn’t hurt him. All she wanted was some food. They were all starving mere hours ago, and there are probably people still starving. Kaden looked into the flames before closing his eyes and holding back the tears.
Kaden sat like that for a long time, breathing in and out, trying to keep it together as he always had. His hand rested on his lap, tightly grabbing the fabric of his pants in stress. He opened his eyes once again and looked up at the stars, wondering how he would ever be able to kill a human being when the time would inevitably come. He fell onto to his back, still looking up at the stars. He looked like death, as did most of the tributes. He had huge dark bags under his dark bloodshot eyes. His skin was dry and his hair was an oily mess. His lips were chapped and occasionally bleed like the dry skin of his knuckles. The games were deteriorating Kaden. He went in strong, with a stoic face and leave head but now he felt himself crumbling. Mere hours ago he had injured a poor little girl without mercy. Who was he? He wasn’t the old Kaden anymore. He was changing, and not for the better. What would happen when he actually killed another human being he thought again. How much of himself would die along with the other person?
As Kaden lied there looking out into space and wallowing in his guilt he heard something. A pattering, like that of footsteps. His Mind once again went blank and he began to listen. He heard the crackling of his fire, the howling of wind rushing in between tightly packed buildings and alleyways and soon the sound of his own heartbeat. There was nothing else. He sat up and looked around for good measure, there was nothing unusual. Just the walls around him lit with orange light and the fire in front of him. He let out a sigh as he began to calm down, it must have been his mind playing tricks on him. It wouldn’t be the first time.
But then he heard it again. The small pitter patter of a light-footed person. His heart stopped as he heard it again and again, each time louder than before. His eyes widened as he focused on the alleyway, the only entrance to his little sanctuary. His heart raced and his breath became shallow and quiet. Then suddenly a young girl, about his age stepped forward out of the shadows. Their eyes met as Kaden scrambled to figure out who she was. Slim cold grey eyes, dark wavy hair that fell below her shoulders, pale white skin and pink full lips. It was Serenity. Serenity Moore.
The two tributes stared at each other for a brief moment, tension clinging to the cold dry air. Their eyes were locked as they tried to figure out each other. It seemed somewhat evident to Kaden that this encounter was an accident. Serenity didn’t behave as if she found her prey, she was just scared as he was. But not scared enough to make the first move…
Serenity ran at Kaden. She jumped over his fire, the flames licking at the bottom of her boots. She landed on Kaden, her right crashing into his kneecap. Kaden winced as all of her weight was forced on him. Serenity was now on top of the young man. She quickly scooted her legs to Kaden’s sides, giving her leverage as she shifted her weight onto his chest. Kaden began to thrash about, striking Serenity up the head and trying to throw her off. She held onto his collar for balance. She raised a fist up in the air as Kaden hit her head again. She hesitated for a moment before slamming her fist down into Kaden's face. You could almost hear the crunch as her fist struck Kaden’s nose.
Kaden took in a sharp breath as she hit him again. Blood started flowing from his nose and onto his face, dripping down the side of his face. He groaned as he started hitting Serenity back harder, continuously striking the sides if her head. A dull pain started growing in the suicide of her face as Kaden repeatedly hit her. Suddenly the punches became stronger. Serenity was hit side to side by Kaden in a desperate attempt to throw her off his person. Then with a loud guttural scream, Kaden forced himself into a roll, throwing Serenity to the ground. She quickly got to her knees and scrambled away as Kaden Kaden stood up, looking down at her. He kicked into her side with all his might, sending her rolling onto her back. He quickly climbed on top of her, reversing the previous dynamics of the fight.
He looked down at her with dark eyes of hate. Blood flowed from his nose, dripping down his chin and onto his neck. His breathing was slow and heavy, and yet the blood in his veins was rushing and boiling. Their eyes met once again, Serenity’s eyes were brimming with fear. It seemed as if all hope was gone. The wind was knocked out of her, she could barely breathe with the large boy perched up on top of her. She was defeated.
But then the anger and adrenaline melted away from Kaden’s eyes. His breathing became steady as they stared at each other and tension released from his body. He climbed off the girl and stood up. Serenity got up onto her feet a few seconds afterward, finally able to breathe again. She took a few steps back again before making eye contact again with her would-be killer.
“Go. Now” Kaden muttered through blood soaked lips. Serenity didn’t move from her spot. Instead, she planted her feet into the ground and extended a hand for a handshake and a deal.
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Pluto had never thought of himself as a wanderer. Never the type of boy to go on adventures, investigate the world around him or even leave his home. Never had this been who he was. Instead, Pluto preferred the quieter, peaceful side of life. A life where he could simply lie in bed with all the lights off and dream away, dream of a better world- a less sinisterly vibrant world. A world where children even younger than him cheered on the deaths of the districts every year in the games. He had never enjoyed the games. His parents told him there was something wrong with him because of this behavior. They scolded him to be like his peers. To cheer and scream at every stab a boy of his age was receiving into his chest, as it was displayed to the world. Maybe there was something wrong with him. It would make sense.
The only one who understood was him was Clara, his sister. On those lonesome days every year during the games Pluto would lock himself in his room and merely rot away until he heard a small knock on his door. It would be three consecutive knocks, a pause, then another knock. That was their signal. He would get up from his bed and open the door to let her in, where they would lie next to each other on Pluto's grand king sized bed talking about how they were feeling. They would talk about the violence of the games, the misery of school, and even the scars on Clara's arms. They would talk about their feelings for what felt like hours. Pluto often lied though. Most days he didn’t feel anything at all.
So here Pluto was wandering about the streets of the arena, looking up at the starry sky as his feet crunched the snow below. He wondered if the stars were real. There it was as if nothing was truly real, he doubted even the sky itself was. He looked back down in front of him, at his breath fogging up every time he exhaled. He would watch the warm air puff out steamy and warm but then melt away in the atmosphere over and over as he walked along the center of the street. He knew this was the most vulnerable position he could possibly be in… But he didn’t care. From here you were enveloped in the magnificent otherworldly lights lining the streets of the city. Purples, pinks, blues, greens, and oranges would swallow up your whole body as if you were on another planet. Pluto thought it was beautiful.
Pluto looked ahead. He couldn’t see it very well but it looked as if there was a fountain up ahead. He looked down at the ground seeing a light pair of footprints. The feet were about the size of his. Possibly a younger tribute? He followed the footprints down the road, watching as the rainbow spectacle of light glitter in the snow covering the ground. As he got closer to the fountain he saw something sticking out of it, something hanging over the side. He started to walk faster, this strange new sense of curiosity taking hold of him. He went faster and faster until he met the end of the road and it merged with the small square park. The tall oak trees on either side of the fountain were lit up by cords of bright red lights that found themselves tangled all throughout the branches and even the leaves. The lights faded every few seconds and came back a new warm fiery color- red, orange, and yellow. The lights gave a very sinister yet mysterious mood to the scene in front of Pluto, a dead body hanging over the edge of the fountain. The body hung over the edge, the legs and torso still submerged in the blood filled water. Pluto couldn’t see the face but he knew who it was. Galve Oceanworth.
Pluto slowly approached the body of the boy, his eyebrows furrowed and his face full of discomfort. He stopped right in front of him looking down at the body. One arm hung from his side lightly touching the ground, the other stuck at his side. Pluto stood there for a few seconds taking it all in. He barely breathed, simply stared down at the body before him. He didn’t cry, he didn’t wail. He barely knew the boy. All he knew was his name. And that like him, they were both stuck into this game to die. Pluto considered himself lucky.
“I don’t deserve this…” Pluto muttered in his uncanny voice-the voice of a child whose innocence was gone. “But you deserve something more… More than this” he continued before closing his eyes. He took in a deep breath before opening them again. He was ready.
Pluto bent over and grabbed onto Galves cold stiff arms. He stepped back, pulling Galves body out of the water and onto the ground with a slight thud. Pluto let go of his arms, setting them back onto the ground. He rolled over the half wet body and took off the bloodied snow jacket, throwing it to the side, leaving Galve in a dark black form-fitting tee shirt, black pants, and boots. He looked at the boy’s face. It was pale and colorless as it had been in life. His eyes were closed somehow giving him this sense of peace. Pluto had hoped his death wasn’t painful. The knife handle sticking out of his chest told a much different story…
Pluto bent over and grabbed the handle before slowly pulling out the knife. He bit his lip frowning as he took out the knife, now holding the weapon that had killed him. Someone had done this to him. Somebody had the will to kill him. Pluto cursed them in his mind. Holding onto the knife Pluto moved Galves arms onto his stomach, folding the hands and interlacing the fingers to together as in some form of prayer. Pluto didn’t pray but he thought Galve might have.
Pluto proceeded to brush the wet black curls of hair out of Galves face, making the boy look presentable. He stood back up looking at the boy now lying in the snow. He thought he looked a lot more peaceful this way. A Lot more. A single tear ran down Pluto's cheek as he looked on his handiwork.
“I’m so sorry Galve” Pluto muttered as he fell to his knees in front of the boy. He had never met him, never talked to him, but they were in this together. Pluto looked into the snow in front of him separating him and the boy. He started dragging a finger through it, writing out something. He finished and stood back up, not bothering to wipe away the second tear. Beneath Galves body in the snow was inscribed five words.
“Rest In Peace Galve”
Pluto looked at the boy one last time before turning around. It was time to leave the boy. His family could now see his face, he wouldn't just be a hump of cloth and blood any longer. They could mourn properly. Pluto didn’t want to ruin it for them.
He walked slowly back down the street the way he came, re-embracing his new hobby. Wandering without purpose. He continued walking, thinking about what just happened. About the boy, he never met. About the boy, he just held the funeral for. He walked for a few minutes until he saw something out of the ordinary. A small silver box drifted from the sky slowly but surely, the silver parachute attached to it floating on the soft breeze. As if by magic it landed directly in front of Galve who had stopped dead in his tracks. He had a sponsor. Why?
Pluto looked at the box before him and got onto his knees again. He ripped off the parachute and pressed both of his thumbs to two small circles on top of the box. The lid popped off with a hiss and Pluto pushed it off into the snow. Resting inside the box was a small one-handed iron club, with a series of spiked wrapping around it over and over. Pluto reached for the rubber black handle and pulled it out the box. He felt the weight of it in his hands, it could easily kill. As Pluto looked at his weapon he noticed something was still in the box. A white slip of paper.
Pluto set the weapon back onto the ground before pulling out the slip of paper. A message is typed onto it in small black print. There was just one sentence.
“Thank you for giving us our son back” it read. Pluto read it over and over again, his knees resting in the snow still. He closed his eyes before folding the note and sticking it his pocket.
“You're welcome” he muttered looking back up at the sky and opening his eyes.