Flora Black
N/A
Caella Sillows
I sighed, and sat back. What had I received from these games? Fear? Death? Pain? Loss? All of these combined. I was no longer myself, I was falling apart, crumbling away. And there was no escape for me, it was far too late. And now I realized I would never really make it alive. I would die in these games, I would die to the capital. And I had to accept that. I had to accept death.
That night I dreamed. I dreamed about home. I dreamed the games had never happened. I sprinted forewords, at the time no doubt in my mind that this was real. My arms wrapped around my mother, but she shoved me away, her eyes filled with a dark, cold anger. Her glare sent me shivering. That was when she removed the knife from her pocket. "I'm doing this for your own good." She smirked cruelly before she began to cut...
I woke up, covered in sweat and shivering. I gasped and slowly stood up, watching the slowly rise. The moon was gone, the she had replaced it. Tears soaked my face. I wasn't the same girl I had been, I was a monster now. A creature who would kill. I had changed, and I would never be the same again.
I stepped away from my sleeping allies, and the moment I left the cornucopia some felt... Off. I glanced around uneasily, and slowly pulled a knife from my belt. Suddenly, the sky went dark and the air turned grey. I looked around but my allies were gone. Strong winds swirled around me, lashing at my skin. And suddenly, a bright light struck me.
I screamed loudly as its holy touch shot through my body, bringing me to life once again. Life, that was what I feared. Life, of all things. And it was here, a chance of life. Did I want to live? Or to join my father, to face death, to die a hero? I didn't want to live, not truly, and I never would.
I sank to my knees, and suddenly the light was gone. A figure stepped through the winds, and I recognized the pure with clothes, the real form of life. "Come with me, have eternal life." The figure offered, and I shook my head as tears streamed down my face. I couldn't, I didn't want to live.
"Don't you understand? It is too late for me! I don't want to live! I'm sick of making things worse. I'm sick of being hurt. I'm sick of crying myself to sleep. I'm sick of hating everything. I'm sick of faking a smile. I'm sick of feeling this way. I'm sick of letting people down. I'm sick of being me." I sobbed heavily, and the winds around me grew a creamy white color as light flashed around me.
Oh, I am very weary, Though tears no longer flow; My eyes are tired of weeping, My heart is sick of woe, I thought to myself, sadness consuming me. I shakily gripped the knife I held in my hand tightly until the sweat was visible. I slowly pulled it up to my chest, and without another thought, plunged it into my chest. The last thing I was was my last chance at life disappear.
~~
When I woke I saw Winter looming above me. I blinked slowly. Suddenly, tears sprang from Winter's eyes. "You are alive!" She sang, and I felt a burn in my chest when I tried to sit up. I noticed the bandages. My knife had missed my heart and know my allies had saved me. "You left and I cried tears of blood. My sorrow grows. Its not just that You left. But when You left my eyes went with You. Now, how will I cry?" She said softly, and then it all came together.
The reason I wasn't dead wasn't because of me. I was too selfish. There were people who cared, people who loved. And I had never thought about them. But now I realized what I meant to my allies and what I needed to do. I would survive.
Clara Clearwater
I awake to a scurrying. Beside me, Winter stirs, her eyes slowly widening. Aero is in front of the door, blade drawn in a defensive stance. Winter stumbles to stand, half-crawling to Aero. In the wide doorway, I just barely catch a glimpse of gold before Winter went flying through the air, striking the wall with a sickening crunch. "Winter!" I scream, dashing to her side. Blood trickled from her mouth, her eyes blank. A sob rose in my throat, tears spilling down my cheeks. Winter was the only person who really understood me in here; my only friend in the arena. The idea of losing her was too dauntingly frightening to think about. My hands clutched Winter's jacket, tears dripping onto her front. "No," I sob, shaking her small frame slight. "No, W-Winter. Stay with me," I demand, holding her head gently. Blood dripped between my fingers when I touch her head, a sure sign of a concussion, possible brain damage. Her eyes roll to the back of her head, the whites stark and bright on her dirty face. She convulses once, her body shaking in my arms. I drop her in shock, wincing as she hits the dirty floor again. Flora grips my shoulder, face grim. I jump a bit in surprise at the sudden contact, but have no time to ponder it. A cannon booms, yet Winter still has a pulse; Clement and Aero are outside. Unless one of them is dead. I run to the doorway, screaming as I watch a giant lion clamp its jaws around Clement's hands. Clement flinches, but when the lion removes its bloody snout, his hands are still intact. Rushing to his side, I yank him away, shoving him. "You idiot! What were you thinking?!" I half-scream, gens turning at the giant cat munching on a hunk of raw meat a hard away from us. He rolled his eyes, scoffing. "Glad you care," he sighed, picking up his sword. I bite my lip, looking down at my feet. "I thought it was going to eat you," I whisper, rubbing the back of my neck. I don't know who made the first move, but suddenly we were hugging, my hands clutching at his shirt. His arms encircled me, comforting and strong. Another cannon in the distance booms, and we step away quickly. "Ah, yeah," Clement clears his throat. "No problem. It's on the house." We laugh awkwardly, standing too close for just friends, but too far away for something more intimate. I bend, picking up a fallen sword. Tossing it to Clement, I move to walk back to the building. "By the way, I don't know what you did, but the lion is your responsibility now," I half-grin, jogging back to check up on Winter. Flora sits hunched over the girl, trembling. Winter's head rests on her lap, blood staining her cargo pants scarlet. Tears drip down her cheeks, her lips trembling. "Winter?" I ask quietly, voice trembling. "She's fine, she's fine. I just got a note from back home is all," she quickly wipes her tears away, blinking as I move closer. I sigh in relief, laying on my sleeping bag. Too much has happened in such little time. I close my eyes gratefully, drifting off into unconsciousness.
Averlyn Lacey
It was quiet until I appeared way under water. Death felt as it was gripping my throat, chocking out every last breath I had.
Now, it might seem weird for me to be scared of drowning. I had a pond right outside my house and I swam in it all the time. Unfortunately, I had some issues with it in the past. The biggest incident was THE FLOOD. It happens about three months before the reaping and lots of people died. Water and electricity don't go good together. Just think about that.
Anyways, I had been sitting behind a bush next to a broken down vehicle and I was waiting for some prey when the next thing I knew I was under water. Memories soaked the water, bringing back my friends, the adventures, the laughter, and the hotter of my life. It was a "life flashing before your eyes" moment. I saw myself on a Saturday throwing a lake party. I saw my dead mother and step-father. I saw my lunch table. I saw my essay assignment that was due in two days. And the worst thing I saw was two bodies, holding hands, floating down the river. I recognize them as my sisters. Rachel and Stephanie were dead. That was defiantly new.
It was then I realized I was slowly drowning. I quickly thought of a plan. I needed to get over water.
'Water is good. Water is a drink. You can't survive with out it.' I tried to keep thinking. 'Rain washed clothes. It is also a form of drinking water.'
The more good things I said about the water, the higher I rose. I finally drug myself out onto the sand. I listened to the cannons as I dried off. I counted three.
Later that night I saw the faces. Clara, Travis, Flora, and Aero were all shown in the sky. Each was gone and to never return to the Hunger Games.
Winter Harley
I woke up early the next morning, my throat parched and my eyes still sore from crying so much. The clone of my nana had really messed me up, and I knew that I would be emotionally scarred for the rest of my life. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, quickly glancing around. Aero looked over at me from his position outside the Cornucopia; he had been on watch. My mind flashed to those who had died. Blake Raven and David Green. I didn't know either of them, and honestly didn't give a damn. I was almost home, just a few more people.
"Hey Winter," Aero said softly, offering me a breathtaking smile. I slowly wriggled out of my sleeping bag, and picked my way through the sleeping bodies. I accidentally kicked Clara, but she just snorted and kept snoring. When I reached Aero, he kept talking. "Only two died last night, I'm sure that something else will be happening today. The Capitol likes to keep things interesting."
"I wonder what today's twist will be." I said in a resigned voice. There was nothing we could do to stop the Games, or the Gamemakers making the show entertaining. My mind was still befuddled from sleep, and I realised that I needed to clear my head if I wanted to be prepared for today's events, whatever they were. I began walking to our water supply, slightly to the left of the Cornucopia, but still close enough that we could keep an eye on it as well as everything else.
"Do you mind getting me a drink?" Aero whisper-yelled after me. I nodded with a smile and kept walking. I grabbed two plastic cups that I had found in one of the abandoned houses and filled them up, then walked back to where Aero was leaning against the Cornucopia. The golden rays from the morning sun made his peachy skin glow, and illuminated his hair so that it looked like spun gold that got lighter as it nearer the bottom. He looked godly, and it wasn't an understatement. The way he was crossing his arms across his chest made his muscles bulge, and I had to tear my eyes away. Why did he have to be so darn hot? It should be illegal. "Winter, I need to tell you something."
I looked into his big, soft taupe eyes, and noticed that they were filled with raw emotion. My head tipped back slightly, and I stood, frozen in place. I managed to squeak out a question, but I sounded so vulnerable that I didn't want to talk again. "Yes?"
"I... I think I'm in love with you." He said, sounding so unsure of himself that I almost smiled. He slowly moved his face closer to mine, and I closed my eyes, waiting for the kiss that I had been thinking of ever since I got to know Aero. He was my perfect guy in every way possible, and I had liked him since the interviews. Slowly, blissfully, his lips pressed against mine, and I almost sighed in contentment. It was then and there that I decided there was nothing better than kissing Aero. After what felt like hours, we broke apart because we both needed air. I gazed into his eyes, and he cleared his throat to remind me of our current situation. In a massive arena filled with people who were trying to kill me.
"Aero, we should wake the others. There might be an announcement soon." I said, wanting to break the silence that had descended on us. He nodded, and slowly walked through our alliance, shaking everyone until they woke. For some reason, Clara wouldn't wake up. Every time we shook her the snores emanating from her mouth intensified for a few seconds, before settling back into a consistent rumble. I shrugged and left her. She'd wake up in her own time. I walked into the nearest house, looking for something loud to wake her up. Maybe two pots?
Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of panic filled me. Surrounding me were balloons, an endless supply of them falling from the ceiling. I stood, frozen with fear. I couldn't stand balloons, they freaked me out beyond all reason. Their rubber skin, weird swaying movement, and the teeth-chattering sound they made whenever they rubbed against one another. I stood still with the ridiculous hope that, if I didn't move, none of them would get me. To make it worse, I despised the sound of balloons popping. The last time someone had popped a balloon near me, I had sprinted out of the room, shrieking in absolute terror.
My mind flicked through options to escape the balloons, but panic quickly overrode the logical section of my brain. It was impossible to think straight when the thing that you feared most was all around you. I vaguely considered trying to wade through them, but quickly dismissed it. Not only were they stacked almost as high as my head, I couldn't even move my feet from where they were rooted to the ground.
Fear is stemmed by the unknown.
Sometimes the only way to overcome your biggest fear is to put yourself in your own most terrifying situation.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
Fear is just a part of the brain that you don't understand
Fear is just a dark, unexplored part of your brain that you are afraid to enter.
Quotes that my parents had told me flashed through my mind, and I desperately tried to make myself believe even one of them. If I managed to convince myself that even one was true, then I was halfway to overcoming my heart-stopping fear of balloons. Some part of me, deep down, knew that the fear was ridiculous, but I also knew that fear was uncontrollable, unstoppable. Relentless. There was no way to escape from it, unless I somehow managed to...
Conquer my fears!
That was it! I had to beat my fears to make them go away, to make the Capitol get rid of them. Unless they were sick and twisted, and wouldn't ever get rid of them. Taking a deep breath, and attempting to control my hysterical hiccuping / hyperventilating, I began to slowly throw the balloons to either side as I walked to the door. My teeth grated on one another every time a balloon brushed against another, and soon I had enough room to take two steps.
Tears slowly leaked out of my eyes, and I physically and mentally forced myself to keep moving the rubber breath sacks of doom. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. My eyes widened in surprise, and I slipped over on the ground at the sudden sound. I had been so focused on my current task that the loud noise had startled me. I landed on a balloon, and clapped my hands onto my ears as it popped. Tears leaked out of my eyes faster, and I crawled to my feet. Had two people seriously died already? It was barely 8am!
The remnants of the popped balloons lay in the middle of my path like a deadly hazard, and I reached down and grabbed it with my nails before piffing it at the ground behind me and stomping on it. It felt good to do that, made me feel stronger.
After what felt like hours, I was finally out of the dreaded room. I glanced behind me and saw that all of the balloons had magically disappeared, all except the popped one that I had fallen on. It lay in the middle of the room, as if taunting me. I glared at it, and strode out of the building with my head held high. I had overcome my fear, and it was impossible to describe the overwhelming sense of pride that was filling my chest.
My cheeks were wet with tears, my throat was dry and achy, and my eyes were probably red-rimmed and puffy, but I had never felt more confident. My fear was gone, lying dead in the back of my brain. I strode up to Aero with a massive grin on my face, and saw him staring at the ground in front of him with relief. It seemed that we had both overcome our worst fears.
Now they had nothing left to scare us with.
<><><><><>
That night, the faces of the dead tributes flashed through the sky. Averlyn Lacey, Aspen Barker, Travis Harewent and Stone Everglade. Almost home, almost back where I belonged. In District 7, with my nana. Away from all this killing, all this fear, all this terrible, terrible torture.
I wanted to go home. With a newfound determination, I swore that I would go home and finish the work my parents began. I would overthrow the president, and a new era of democracy would begin. One that was fair and just. I swore to show the citizens of Panem what was right, and what was plain crazy. I swore that the world would be educated.
I swore to make my parents proud.
Destiny Harewent
When I wake up, I'm shivering. Travis had taken the sleeping bag when he left, and I don't know if I will ever get it back. Somehow, I doubt I will. I pack up my supplies, worried about today. Something doesn't seem right; the sky is a cheery blue, the sun is shining, but all is eerily silent.
When I sneak out of the building, I stop in my tracks. Covering everything the eye can see are. Millions. Of. Spiders.
I shriek in fear, jumping back in the building and slamming the door. I hysterically scream, shaking off my legs and kicking tiny red spiders across the room. In my fear, I pick up a discarded boot and smash the ones I spot, all while gagging at the gross sight.
"Oh my god, ew!" I moan, backing away from their tiny gooey corpses. "How am I going to get out?!" Then it dawns on me. I just have to do what I normally had Travis do; squish them under my boots. But just to be safe, I tuck my pants into my socks before I pull my boots on. This way, it'll be virtually impossible for the arachnids to climb up and in my pants legs. With a sigh of disgust, I throw open the door, bellowing out a war cry. The creepy right-legged creatures look up at me, fangs glistening with venom. Far off in the distance, I hear a scream and a cannon. Then another.
I stomp over the first few feet of spiders before they all can react, grimacing. Then, as they realize they're under attack, the spiders begin to advance on me. Shrieking in fight, I sprint away, flinging the fighting spiders off my arm. A sharp sting bites at my neck, and I smack the spider off that bit me. As I'm running through the buildings, I come to a cross roads. To the right, the factory Travis and I stayed in. To the left, close clustered ragged apartment buildings covered in vines. In a split second, I choose the left, nearly tripping over a clump of moss.
As I round a blind corner, I run into a tall boy. The tribute gasps in surprise, his eyes widening. I recognize him from the interviews. "No time. Run!" I scream, gripping his arm. Surprisingly he heeds my demand, only glancing back once as he hears the chittering of the tiny legs striking the pavement.
"Wait, turn here. Right!" He calls, leading me up an apartment building. The walls are cold cement, and the building is windowless. Up in a closed off room, the underside of the door stuffed with rags, we find ourselves finally safe from the red spiders. Stone collapses next to me, his eyes wide in shock. "Why did you trust me?" He asks quietly, staring at his hands as he folds them nervously in his lap. I bite my lip, shrugging.
"I guess you just seemed trustworthy," I whisper, fiddling my fingers. He nods slowly, as if intrigued by my answer. Funnily enough, he just seems like a nice guy, a good tribute to ally with.
As the sun begins to set, we unpack our supplies, dividing what we have for a 'feast', of sorts, for supper. I munch into a peach he gave me, savoring the sweet juices. "Mmm," I grin, licking my lips. "Thanks so much!"
Stone laughs, popping a slice of jerky into his mouth. "You don't know how I've been sick of fruit. I'm just glad of the meat." We laugh, swapping stories until the anthem plays. Through a small crack in the wall, I watch the faces and recite them to Stone in their order. Tonight, only three people died. Alex, Averlyn, and the last tribute I missed their face, because the door next to us began to bang loudly, a voice yelling on the other side. I dart behind my temporary ally, whimpering.
The door busts down, and a tall figure runs in, sword in hand. Without hesitation, they plunge the blade through Stone's chest, the tip piercing the breast of my shirt, drawing blood. I scream in horror as Stone slumps forward in a gasp of pain, his cannon booming. "No!" I cry, hugging his torso, our blood mingling and soaking my front. "Stone, NO!" My sobs echo in the small room, tears streaking down my face. Finally I notice the tribute string down at me, his face full of surprise, worry, and anger.
"Destiny?!" My brother gasps, dropping the bloody sword at my feet.