I sat next to Elaine on the way to the arena, we were in the same vehicle as some of the other tributes from outer lying districts, the pairs from eight, nine, ten and eleven. We sat uncomfortably looking at each other, we knew that this would be the last time we would see each other without being enemies, the ride so far had been tense and awkward no one really knowing what to do.
Elaine leans into me and whispers; "We should be getting close to the arena."
I was surprised that she had talked to me, we hadn't talked since they revealed our training scores, she'd gotten a seven, a decent score for an average tribute, but fantastic for anyone from twelve. She was happy with it, well happy until they revealed my score. A ten I was tied for second highest in these games, they had shown highlights from District 12, the crowd's reaction when they saw my score was ecstatic, there was interviews with people from home, all of them saying that District 12 could have a victor this year. Of course Elaine wasn't too happy with my score, she had been training all her life for the games, and to only score a seven must've been devastating.
I simply nodded at Elaine's statement and she went back to ignoring me for the rest of the trip. I did the same, trying to ignore everyone for the rest of the ride, unfortunately Noelle was sitting on my other side, she stared intently at my scarring, for some reason she was fascinated by me, and every time we'd meet she would try to touch it. I looked at her intently, she was only twelve one of the youngest tributes here, and while she was violent and psychotic, I could tell she had a fragile side, one that comes with having your childhood violently stripped from you... it's safe to say I know the feeling. She finally realized that I had been returning her stare the whole time and looked up from my scarring to my eyes, her piercing blue eyes looked into mine and I saw the child in her, I remembered that part of me well. The innocence which had brutally been stolen from me, the years I'd both literally and figuratively spent on the outside looking in as my neighbours and schoolmates all grew up and had normal lives, I slowly began to despise them all, they could live a life that wasn't defined for them, their lives could be defined by what they did, who they were not by a mark on their faces.
As the memories ran freely in my head I forgot about Noelle, she was now reaching her hand trying to touch the scaring on my face. I move uncomfortably in my seat as her fingers get closer and closer to my face, my head flinches back out of habit as she lunges trying to feel my face. Her persistence is extraordinary without much room to escape her curious hand I just give up her fingers brush against the rough skin on the left side of my face, she seems mesmerised by the different patterns in the colours. Apparently satisfied with her experience Noelle goes back to doing nothing in particular, for the rest of the ride to the arena I catch her glancing at my face, but I just ignore it, right now I need to focus.
We finally feel the vehicle stop. The peacekeepers order us off. The entrance extends into a cement corridor so we don't get to see the arena, as we march down the corridor tributes are pushed towards doors, starting with the District Eight female. As we walk further and further down the hall our group of tributes gets smaller and smaller. When Elaine is pushed towards her door, she looks at me and nods farewell before stepping confidently through. Finally my door comes up and I step through.
The room is fancy just like any other Capitol room, I run my eyes across it taking in the details, my eyes linger on the glass tube, it would be delivering me to wherever I would be forced to fight to the death.
"Do you think you're ready?" says a familiar voice behind me.
My face beams up at the sound of the voice, it's a voice I've come to love and enjoy these past since I got to the Capitol, I quickly compose myself. I was still a little unsure about this emotional stuff. But I'd gotten much better. I turn around and she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me. I've also grown more accustomed to her touch. I no longer flinched when she touched my scarring as we hold each other a robotic voice rings out around the room.
"TRIBUTES... PLEASE STEP INTO THE GLASS TUBES!" It says.
Elizabeth lets go of me and hold my hands, I look into her eyes, she's on the verge of tears but still smiling. It's a weird expression one that I'm not too familiar with.
"Here since you never asked for it." she says dropping a rolled piece of paper in my hand. I unroll it, inside is a phone number and Elizabeth's name written on it neatly.
"Keep it in the arena, remember me Devlin, know that I'm I'll always be watching. Know that no matter what happens on the screen, your always in my mind."
I nod " I'll come out... for you." I kiss her deeply and passionately before stepping back into the tube. The doors close as I go through them and Elizabeth walks up to it, she's crying now and it hurts to see her like this. But before I can see her anymore, I'm lifted upwards...
At first I only see the clouds drifting peacefully across the blue sky, but as I get closer to the surface I finally catch the first glimpse of the arena. I'm standing on a small island only just large enough to fit my pedestal, I look around at all the other tributes they are on identical islands. Looking forward I see a thin rope bridge which leads to a larger island in the middle, it has the Cornucopia on it and it looks like we don't have any option as to where we go right at the beginning, we have to run to the Cornucopia. Looking further I see more islands, of different shapes and sizes. I looked around the tribute closest to me was Bryan Warside, from District 2. I recalled overhearing someone say he would torture anyone he captured, I shuddered at the thought, I'd seen some pretty terrible stuff when I lived on the streets but torture was something I had very little experience in.
The timer was counting down, closer and closer to what they'd all been preparing for. Every tribute seemed at least slightly afraid, but when he looked at Bryan he saw nothing, it was as if Bryan was born only to be in the games.
5...
4...
3...
2...
1...
The countdown hit one and a loud gong like noise spread throughout the arena, I dashed forward onto the bridge, I was careful not to step too hard, afraid that I might fall through. I reach the centre island and run to the Cornucopia. Other tributes are already inside, I sneak in to the Cornucopia trying to not get noticed, I manage to grab a backpack, I stuff it with empty water bottles, dried fruits and beef and some bread. I find some daggers, I take one and put it in my bag and take another unsheathe it and carry it in my hand, I turn around and run out of the Cornucopia, before I can make it to the exit I feel a blunt force against my back, Red kicked me. I sprawl to the floor, as Red stand over me ready to finish me off I look her right in the eyes. She doesn't seem like the type of tribute to torture anyone, I'm glad, at least if I die, I'll die with some decency. Before Red can finish him off he sees a blade swing at her legs. She falls down from the pain, Bryant from District Two stands behind her.
"Finish her off, then come find me." he says seriously, with no emotion on his face. He walks away to join the fighting.
I look over at Red, she's on the ground trying to drag herself away. The cut in her leg is too deep for her to get up. I walk over to her and hold my dagger to her throat.
"I'm sorry." I say, then run my dagger across her throat.
I pick up my stuff and look for Bryan, I see him with Cotton. Cotton throws a ninja star at Willow as she runs away, it hits her in the back of the neck and she falls down, twitching as life leaves her body. I run over to them as I approach I see Cotton get ready to throw a ninja star at me, Bryan raises his hand motioning him to stop.
"He's with us," he says, "You finish Red off?"
I nod.
"You better have, because if you're lying to me, you'll regret it." he says with no emotion in his voice.
"Can we leave now?" says Cotton.
Bryan shakes his head, "We're still waiting for someone."
As if on cue Chase emerges from the Cornucopia, he's chasing Zeke. Zeke runs trying to escape the monstrous boy behind him, but he doesn't manage to run fast enough. Chase tackles him and gets his massive arms around his neck. He pulls to the side and we all here a loud crack. Chase gets up admiring his handy work, but India sneaks up behind him, as India jumps on him Cotton throws a ninja star, it hits India in the head and her body falls to the ground like a rock.
Chase walks up to us, "Thanks for the assist," he says nodding at Cotton, "Not that I needed it."
"Are we ready?" I ask Bryan.
He nods and we head across the one of the bridges that leads to a large island. The island has a forest on it, as we hike through it we don't talk. Which is fine by me, I thought about Elizabeth, I almost wished she was in the arena, but after I replayed the events of the bloodbath in my mind I quickly shook my head. I did wish I had a companion. Suddenly I hear barking coming from my right, a German Shepard appears from my right; I trots out of the trees and rubs its head against my leg.
On its nametag there is a small note, it reads "You wished for a companion, you got one. Name it after me will you? I'm keeping you alive. -Penelope Sapphire aka your sponsor."
I scratch the dog behind the ears. "Sapphire, huh?" I say quietly reading the name tag. All my allies have turned to me now, I quickly put the note in my backpack and continue walking, Sapphire stays by my side the entire time.
As we walk we hear the canons from the bloodbath,
*BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM*
"Four? That's it?" says Cotton.
"Stay focused." said Bryan, quickly shutting the conversation up.
As night falls we find a lake, the water is fresh, we fill up our bottles and stop to rest.
"We'll camp here for the night," says Bryan, "I'll take first watch, then wake one of you up."
We all nod, Cotton starts up a small fire while me and Chase set up some blankets for the Cornucopia for sleeping. I eat some died fruit, and feed Sapphire some beef, she eats and then rests her head on my leg to sleep, and I lay back and fall asleep.
I wake up in the middle of the night, Cotton's on watch. I walk a little ways into the forest to have a piss, I groggily walk in the darkness until I find a suitable place to relieve myself. Sapphire follows me the entire time. As I finish up, I hear a crack behind me. I turn around to see Cloud, he's got a bow and arrow aimed at my head.
"You had a good run," he says confidently. "It had to end sometime."
Suddenly Sapphire sprints out of the trees, she bites his leg right as he lets the arrow go, to arrow goes wide hitting a tree behind me instead. Sapphire still hasn't let go of his leg, he falls down, hitting her away but she doesn't let go. I slip my dagger out of the sheathe and walk up to him.
"Please no. I didn't wan..." the rest of his speech is blocked out by the dagger in his throat, he bleeds out and his cannon sounds.
Cotton comes running into the forest, when he sees the body he looks up at me.
"Good job, Twelve." He says, "By the way it's your turn to take watch."
I nod, we walk back to camp and Cotton goes to sleep, I take watch. Nothing happens until the sun starts rising, I hear noise in the woods.
"Stay here girl." I tell Sapphire, she looks up at me as I sneak into the woods. As I sneak around the edge of the woods surrounding the lake I see Cal and Florina, the pair from five sneak out of the woods. They stop at our camp and start stealing our food, drink and weapons. I sneak up behind them, as I get closer Sapphire looks at me, I nod and grab Florina from behind pressing my dagger to her throat but not killing her. Sapphire jumps up and bites Cal's arm bringing him down. Cal screams and wakes up the rest of my allies.
Bryan jolts up and looks at the two tributes, he smiles for the first time. "Good job, twelve. But don't finish them off yet." he instructs me.
"Why?" I ask, and then it sinks in my eyes widen.
"I think Devlin's done enough work, Chase, Cotton pick them up and follow me." says Bryan.They follow him into the woods and come back ten minutes later, the screams start then, they last for hours and hours, I try to ignore them but can't. Finally after 3 hours their canons sound and I breathe a sigh of relief. Bryan shows up covered in blood, he washes himself in the lake and we continue hiking.