The sounds of familiar voices screaming for help ripped Arland, Kyera, and Nessa out of their deep sleeping. The voice that had tugged at Nessa’s mind was that of her fifteen-year-old sister, Natalie. Her screams for help filled her head. She tried to block out the ear-piercing shouts, but to no avail.
Confusion filled Nessa up to the brim. How had the Capitol captured her sister? How had the gamemakers been allowed to do that? Something just wasn’t right. Reaping kids into the arena and forcing them to kill each other was one thing. It had been established years ago, and now it was widely accepted among some citizens. But torturing the relatives of these siblings? That was unheard of. It just seemed like something the gamemakers wouldn’t be allowed to do. Were they really so cruel that they would take a child from one parents and torture their other one? Unless, they really hadn’t made her sister scream…
After making a few careful deductions, Nessa realized that the gamemakers had to be playing some sort of trick on her. They had probably somehow acquired a tape with her voice on it, from the countless interviews she had been forced into, and then had it distorted and projected in their cabin. It was still unsettling hearing the screams of her sister, still, but now that Nessa knew it was just the doing of some Capitol technology, she felt more at ease than she did before. And now, she could alert her allies, and get them all out and safe from the screams.
Arland had been hearing the voice of Autumn, the woman carrying his child. A look of terror appeared on his face as he looked around wildly, tearing the cabin apart to find her. When he could not indeed locate his lover, who was not there after all, he curled up in a corner, covering his ears as tears streamed down his face, willing the voices to just go away. “Just go away,” he murmured over and over. If Autumn was dead, or on her way there, he would have no way to go on. He had been doing this all for her. Why would the gamemakers do this to her? She had done nothing to deserve being tortured. She was just the lover of another of their little tributes. He rocked back and forth. The screams penetrated his hands as they covered his ears. There was no escaping the screams while they were still in the cabin.
Willow’s shrill screaming caused Kyera’s eyes to widen. “Willow?” she screamed. The screams were exactly like Willow’s. There was no way it wasn’t her. What had they done to her poor sister. “I volunteered for her! You can’t hurt her now. That’s not fair!” Kyera yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Similarly to Arland, Kyera curled up into a compact ball in the corner. Sobs that racked her body sounded throughout the cabin. Suddenly, the screams stopped. Kyera breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally over. But then, she heard someone else’s screams: Rae’s. “No! Rae?” Kyera murmured, her voice muffled by sobs. She slammed her hands up against her ears, trying her hardest to block out the horrific screaming.
“They aren’t real, Arland!” Nessa screamed. She ran over to him, ripping the hands off of his ears. “It’s just technology! The voices aren’t real,” she reiterated.
Arland was showing no reaction, only murmuring one name over and over. Nessa grabbed hold of his arms, dragging him out of the cabin. She set him down outside, out of the range of the voices, before going back inside to gather their things and get Kyera.
But Kyera had come to a similar conclusion to that of Nessa. She knew that it couldn’t be real. It just couldn’t. There was no way. Shaken up, she slowly gathered up her things and exited the cabin. Nessa met them all outside with of their things. Everyone was improving quickly. Kyera had explained the nature of the screams to Arland.
They ate some food from their packs and drank some water, organizing their supplies. They hadn’t wanted any confrontation until it was absolutely necessary, but, from the approaching tributes, it seemed that they would have to change their plans if they wanted to survive.
Weapons↠Double bit felling axe (laced with venom), 3 throwing knives (laced with venom)
Items↠20 oz insulated canteen full of clean water (empty), 2 iodine tablets, mess kit (containing 1 fork, 1 spoon, 1 knife, a small pan, a plate, and a mug inside a mesh bag), compass, watch, book of matches, first aid kit (containing 2 bandages, 2 morphling tablets, needle/thread, antibacterial cream, and medical tape), 4 MREs (roast beef, potato, carrots, and brownie), 3 apples, a few cans of beans, a few simple pots, a can opener, a can of soup, a syringe of tracker jacker venom
Injuries↠Tracker Jacker Stings Healed
Notable Events↠We woke up and were immediately attacked by tracker jackers. We all sustained a few stings before escaping the cabin and migrating to the one beside it. Kyera and Arland collapsed, and I was about to, but Artemis sent me an antidote which I used. After fixing up my allies, I cooked some soup and then we rested inside. Kyera received a taser from her sister and then we watched the fallen and headed off to bed.Â
With the lights on, we can all see clearly that the gift is a small taser. I’ve never really seen one up close or used one before so I’m not too sure how to use it. There seems to be a button and I figure I just press that and hold the taser against someone.
"This should be useful," I smile weakly, taking the note and stuffing it in my pocket. "It was from my sister," I explain, hoping that would be enough for my alliance to understand why I took so long to return from outside
Night falls and the familiar trumpet of the Fallen begins to show in the sky. I turn my head to face out the window and the first picture is the boy from Three, whom I’ve never actually met.
"It will be! That's definitely a good weapon to have," I say. I now understand why she was outside for a little while. Receiving a note from a loved one must be emotional. I wonder if I'll get one at some point, maybe from Natalie...
It must have cost Willow a lot of money to send her this taser. I wonder if they give any sort of discount to families of tributes. It would be nice if they did, but I don't think anyone can describe anything related to the games as nice. It just doesn't seem right.Â
I stroll over to the window, craning my neck out to catch a glimpse of the names and faces projected into the sky. The anthem sounds before the face of Calin Anderson appears. I had never met him back in the Capitol, so I feel no sadness. Next comes Dotev. I had half expected to see her make it longer. She seemed like she had something up her sleeve. Oh well. Lastly is Pachenko. I only remember him as the kid who threw something at the president and then was detained.
It’s true if that large alliance did form, it might have dwindled by now, especially if Roman was gone. Then again, a large alliance would also be difficult to take down, so whoever or whatever took down Roman has to be a force to reckon with.
Before I could get a word in, the familiar beeping of a parachute sounds in the distance. I figure it was probably for Nessa again since so far she’s the only one confirmed with a sponsor. Arland and I must not have been as lucky.
"I’ll get it," I offer with a smile, pushing myself off the ground and heading outside to retrieve the parachute. Looking at the note, I realize that it wasn’t for Nessa but rather me. Willow’s words touched deeply and my eyes begin to well up. Taking a deep breath, I press the note against my heart and a tear trickles down my face. When I’ve regain my composure, I head back inside to unravel the parachute. A small taser appears and I hold it up, inspecting it.
Kyera exits the cabin to grab the sponsorship gift. I doubt it's for me. There's really no need for Artemis to send me something else right now. Unless some sort of danger is approaching...
Kyera is outside for a bit, and I begin to think that something could be wrong. I snatch up my axe, gripping it fiercely as I head over to the window. I peer out it, spotting Kyera clutching a note to her heart, tears running down her face. A breathe a sigh of relief knowing that she isn't physically injured, and head away from the window, giving Kyera some privacy.Â
She reenters the cabin a few moments later, parachute in hand. I wait for her to show it to me. I don't want to overstep my boundaries, she seems a bit emotional right now.Â
"Sure," I answer as I approach the lamp, switching it on. Light fills the room, and I catch a glimpse of a taser in her hands. I wonder who has sent it to her.
I nodded in confirmation. “It was before you asked me,” I confessed. “We were in the anti-gravity room together, and we were talking about our ally situations inside. I told him I didn’t have any plans, so he asked me if I wanted to go in with him and I denied it,” I explained. I was glad I picked the girls over his larger pack; they’d already been attacked and partially taken down. It was nice to feel safe.
Shrugging, I was more concerned over who was in it. “Probably. I don’t know who went with him, but I bet he had at least two others to get that extra protection. It didn’t seem to work,” I added with a light chuckle. Although the arena was nervewracking, I didn’t want to let the anxiety get to me.
"I’d be surprised if any of them were gone. They’re all fighters." While I’d only met a few out of the ones Nessa listed, I would be sad to see any of them go. I thought of North, and she couldn’t have possibly been one of the ones dead; she’d make it farther than I. She would’ve made sure of it. "We’ll find out soon enough."
If that alliance had ended up being that large, it definitely could have been dangerous. The only way to evade being killed by such a big group of allies would be to escape, and that rarely works in the arena. I feel more comfortable knowing that there are more loners and small alliances in the arena rather than one large one.Â
I'm lost in thought, but the sound of a beeping parachute pulls me out of the labyrinth. I don't think Artemis would send me something so soon again. After all, he did just send me an antidote, and that must have cost him quite a bit of money.Â
"Maybe it's for someone else," I suggest as I hear it land outside of our cabin.
The pair from Six seemed like good friends, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if they were together. I wondered who North was with; I doubted she’d go in alone with hopes of coming out. If my alliance and I died, she was the one I wanted to make it out alive. She, like Nessa and Kyera, would be kinder to the people than most other Victors, and the three of them would all be fantastic mentors. Better than I, at least.
"Roman asked me about allying," I said absentmindedly. "He was planning on making a big alliance, I think, but that didn’t work out too well, obviously." He was up there with Fay now, and with his Career strength I thought he’d make it farther than me. He’d gotten a low score for an already trained tribute, though, "I’m glad I ended up with you two, though," I admitted with a grin. "If I don’t make it out of here, I hope one of you two will."
"Did he really? Was that before or after I asked you?" I inquire. It had seemed like Roman was trying to organize a big bad alliance back in the Capitol. Looks like it didn't go over too well for him. I'm glad Arland went with Kyera and me rather than Roman. I feel more comfortable in the arena with two allies rather than just one.Â
"I wonder if the remainder of his alliance is still together," I ponder. I don't know if it's common for alliances to stay together or split up after a fight in which alliance members are killed.Â
I manage a smile. "I'm glad you're with us, too," I respond back.Â
"So there were ten other tributes besides us when the fallen was shown last night. That leaves Mika, Elias, North, Sloane, Calin, Lizzie, Raf, Alastair, Dotev, Malia, and Pachenko among those who possibly could have been the three cannons today so far," I reason.
I take the pot from Arland and head back out to the river to rinse it out before heading back into the cabin.
"All clean," I smile as I hand it to Nessa.
It’s crazy to think that out of the eleven that are still alive, three of them are us. I can’t think of anyone else who would still be together. “Maybe Raf and Lizzie?” I say, remembering that those two are close in one way or another. “Not sure who else,” I muse. I wasn’t really close to too many other people so I’m not sure who stuck together.
I accept the pot from Kyera, putting it away in my pack. It's nice when everyone helps out.Â
"I think they are together. I think I saw Pachenko and Mika run off together from the cornucopia, and I'm pretty sure that Elias, Roman, and Malia were together at one point," I say. I don't think there are too many lone wolves this game, and with cannons firing lie crazy, I doubt most of them belong to people who weren't in alliances. That's just how it goes.Â
"Being out here alone...that would be awful," I say.
With Arland conscious, I feel much better than our alliance was completely together. Just like Nessa, I carefully put my weapons away.
I glance at Nessa at Arland’s question. “We haven’t really decided what to do yet,” I say, biting my lip. We probably should have a plan but we just escaped with our lives from tracker jackers.
"But so far, we haven’t seen anyone near us, except for Dotev that first day," I mutter, wondering how she’s doing. Another cannon sounds off and my eyes shoot out the window as if the Fallen would magically appear. Silence falls us. "That’s eleven of us left," I say, my voice barely audible.
I nod along with Kyera. "I'm not sure if it's safe to go back to the mainland of the arena yet. There have been so many deaths, and none of them have been on this island, so I just feel like it's more dangerous over there," I add.Â
I don't really want to leave the island right now. Maybe later on, but I'm not sure if I want to right now.Â
Dotev is the only one we've seen, which is fine by me. It would have been outright stupid to attack someone right after the bloodbath, with everyone in such close quarters. It's important to get away from one's competitors as fast as possible.Â
"This has to be some sort of record. I don't think thirteen tributes have ever died before within such a short period of time," I trail off. It's quite odd. Between the other tributes and whatever the gamemakers send after us, the competition is getting weeded out quickly.
I woke with a start; the last thing I could remember being pricked by the stingers of tracker jackers. I must’ve passed out after being stung, but I was glad I had barely any recollection of the attack. If I went home, a swarm of the mutts wasn’t something I wanted to remember. I cringed as I felt my arm for the stingers, but found none there. I smiled, sitting up to find my allies storing away the last of the syringe.
"Thank you," I said groggily, rubbing my eyes. "Are you two feeling okay?" I asked, and although they seemed fine, I wanted to make sure. I remembered my talk with North, and how she said she had troubles, too; I wasn’t able to tell until she told me. I wondered how she was doing, still alive, unlike Fay. I hadn’t cried for Fay, but I would miss her; even her bragging and comments just to annoy Fidelis and I.
I store away the half full syringe in my pack, unsure of what to do next. I'll have to remember that my weapons are coated in the venom, but that shouldn't be too hard. And if I end up needing to reapply some of it, I have some left over and I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to catch a few more from the other cabin.Â
Suddenly, Arland wakes up. I spin around, watching his actions intently to ensure that he is okay. I grab the canteen of water, pouring out some for Arland. I bring the cup over, along with the pan of soup and a spoon.Â
"You'll need to replenish your energy," I say to him as I hand him the food and drink. "We're fine now. Artemis sent me an antidote, and Kyera woke up only a few minutes ago. I took out the stingers and sucked out some of the venom, so you should be fine soon enough," I ensure him.Â
I scoot over to Nessa and watch her pull out her canteen. When three tracker jackers fall out, I scoot away instinctively but when they don’t move, I relax, realizing that they’re dead.
I watch Nessa extract the venom from the first tracker jacker. After her instruction, I nod and take her syringe. Just as Nessa had done earlier, I carefully extract the venom from the next tracker jacker.
"It’s full," I tell her. "What now?" I frown. "Are you going to inject someone with this or…" or we could lace our weapons, I realize that was probably what Nessa wanted to do. I grab out my 3 throwing knives and my trench knife. "Grab your weapons and we can carefully cover these with that venom," I say.
I watch Kyera as she carefully extracts the hallucination inducing venom from the second tracker jacker. The syringe fills up, and we still have one more tracker jacker left.Â
Kyera orders me to grab my weaponry, and I do so, grabbing my axe and three throwing knives. I gingerly pick up the syringe, pressing down on the plunger as I hold it above the tip of one of my throwing knives. A few drops of the venom ooze out of the needle, dripping onto the blade of the throwing knife. I do the same to my other two knives and my axe, seeing that the syringe is still half full. I hand it to Kyera so that she can coat her weaponry in it.
Safe and sound back in the cabin, Nessa and I clean up in case we need to make a quick runaway like we did earlier. Arland stirs but I don’ bother to wake him up in case he still needs the rest. I wonder if he’s feeling okay.
Two more cannons? Wow, I think. That means half of us are already gone and it’s only day two. I hope that would mean that the Gamemakers are willing to let things slow down a bit, giving Nessa, Arland, and I a few more days to live and to hopefully return home.
I blush under her compliment. “Thanks,” I say softly, barely remembering the throw except that I had thrown a knife. “I’m surprised that I was any good at it, but I practiced it a lot during training,” I say, biting my lip. I hope that we can stick together and fend off any enemies for as long as possible.
"Come over here," I say to Kyera, waving her over to where I sit. I uncap my empty canteen, pouring the three dead tracker jackers onto the cabin floor. "We can use the venomÂ
Grabbing a throwing knife, I turn one of the mutts over, careful not to touch it with my hands. "The venom sac is right here," I tell her after inspecting the tail end of the creature for a few moments, recalling my medical training in the Capitol.Â
I take out the syringe that contained the antidote before I used it, plunging the thin needle into the venom sac. I pull on the plunger, extracting the green-colored venom into the empty syringe.Â
"Do you want to try?" I ask Kyera, holding out the syringe for her.Â
I nod and glance at Arland. I certainly hope he’s okay. Unlike Nessa and I, I’m not sure how much he’s gotten stung, but with Nessa’s quick treatment and poison-sucking, I figure that we’d be okay after some rest.
The warmth of the soup fills me up and soon I’m finished with my meal. “Thanks for cooking, Nessa,” I say with a smile. “I can clean up,” I offer, taking our bowls and utensils out to the river to rinse them out.
When I head back in, I tell her that so far the coast seems clear with no immediate dangers from other tributes or mutts. “Let’s hope it stays that way for a while longer,” I add. “Or at least until we’re all healed,” I grimace, a slight pain lingering where the tracker jacker had stung me. The swelling had just begun to die down and it seems like it might take a while before it’ll be completely gone.
The way her body tenses up when she recalls her hallucination is enough to let me know not to pursue the topic any further. “I guess you can tell how mine went based on that knife,” I say with a nervous laugh, biting my lip. Seeing my mother like that, even under the influence of the venom, brought out a rage in me I didn’t even know I had. “I’m just glad it didn’t actually hurt anyone,” I add with a smile.
"No problem. I found that soup in the kitchen," I reply. Kyera leaves for a short moment to wash off out our pans and utensils. I make sure to look out the window to ensure that she remains safe outside.Â
She returns safely, and I help pack up our now clean items. I'll take them back out when Arland comes to. Hopefully that will be quite soon. If he's out for too long that could mean there's a problem at hand. I doubt it, though.
"You probably didn't hear it, but two cannons went off when you were unconscious. That leaves twelve tributes left in the arena," I tell Kyera. I can't help but wonder if they were attacked by other tributes or if they experienced something similar to us upon waking up. I think the latter is likely. The gamemakers probably decided to send something after everyone.Â
I wonder what she hallucinated, but I know not to ask. If it was bad enough that she threw a knife, I doubt that it's something she wants to talk about.Â
"You sure can throw. I'm glad I gave you a few knives," I say.Â
Weakly, I lift myself up, leaning against the edge of the couch.
"How’s Arland doing?" I ask with a glance, nodding at him. His sleeping face looks peaceful but parts of him are still a bit swollen from the tracker jacker attack.
"Thanks for helping us, Nessa," I tell her, taking a sip of the water she poured out for me. When I’ve quenched my thirst, I take the warm soup and slowly consume it. Feeling better, I sit up and try to stretch my body. Then I remember what I had seen during my hallucination and my eyes immediately spot the knife in the wall, the knife that I had thrown.
"Say, Nessa," I say hesitantly. "How bad were your hallucinations?"
"He's alright. He should be up soon. He's only still out cold because I took the stingers out of you first, probably. It won't be long now," I explain to Kyera. I begin to see him stir on the other end of the couch. He'll come to quite soon, that's for sure. And once he's awake, his condition will only improve.
I manage a smile. "What are friends for?" I say. If I hadn't treated them, I probably would go down as one of the worst allies to have ever existed in the history of the games.Â
Kyera begins to eat up, which is good. I'm glad that she still has an appetite, because it's important to keep up one's strength in the arena. I scoop the soup into my mouth, the warmth from it coursing through my body.Â
I see Kyera look over to the knife she threw at the wall. I walk over to it, wrenching it out of the wood. It's wedged in there pretty deep, but I'm able to get it out nonetheless. "Nice throw," I comment as I hand her the knife.
"Mostly just the world spinning and whatnot. Although my sister did make an appearance," I reply, biting my lip for a short moment as I'm reminded of what happened with my sister about a year ago.
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