The weapon in the basement.

Kaffira Duranti. District 7. 18 years old. Two arms, two legs, two ears, two nostrils, one eye.

[kav-droomers]

Dark Days || Hunger Games History || Kav and Kaffira

[kav-droomers]

The Careers began making their appearance as the years progressed, One and Two more specifically. I wonder when Four joined in on the idea, “I’ll still never understand how parents can so willingly let their children throw their lives away like that.” I commented watching the first career fall, the girl from One to her own partner.

"I’m kind of curious where they even got all that blood." I said shaking my head as the camera zoomed out as the victor was crowned: a smaller tribute from an outlying district. At least we were well represented.

"Let’s see now." I said as I mimicked Kaffira and closed my eyes, letting my finger press a random number on the screen.

The 26th Hunger Games.

The Arena was a labyrinth, tributes were raised up and the blood bath commenc- “What the hell?” I mumbled as my brows furrowed in confusion, “Did they send them in armed?” As the tributes raced for the cornucopia the most bizarre scene unfolded: the boy from One jumped into the air and touched down just as the cannon fired, as if he knew what would happen, fire spread rapidly, lightning struck ground, bodies dropped in mass.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

"Probably just kept it from all of the previous games. It wouldn't surprise me, especially from the Capitol." I chuckled, then turned my attention to the binder that had the number '26' etched on the side.

"What the fuck is a minotaur?" I asked Kav as my eyes flicked to the screen, and saw one kid pointing at the vines, as if he could control them. Just then, water rushed straight out of the vines towards him.

"Kav. Are you seeing this?" I dropped the binder to the floor in shock and stood up to get a closer look at what was going on. A huge maze, tributes that were fucking superheroes. "This couldn't have happened... Could it?"

[delta-lantieri-blog]

Short Leap || Urban Biome || Delta & Kaffira

[delta-lantieri-blog]

I try to imagine what the change of seasons looks like. All the smog and pollution has permanently halted the shift from one to the other. the only thing that changes is when it gets darker, and I never knew that thats when winter was supposed to be.

"Id be nice, but this light isn’t natural, that sunset wouldn’t occur cause theres no sun inside the giant room we are in. The breeze is artificial and the warmth of the sun is as well." I can’t help but look at the glass being half empty, cause it always was for me.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

"Damn. You're right there, aren't you.." I weakly smiled, having my fantasy crushed. "Wait. All they do is make shit nice for us, only to have it blow up in our face when we start to enjoy it.."

I kick my foot against the building we are perched on top of, and looked around the large room, wondering how in earth they built this. "I'd love to blow this fucking place up now I think about it." The city wasn't really for me...

[kav-droomers]

Dark Days || Hunger Games History || Kav and Kaffira

[kav-droomers]

I raised an eyebrow watching the second Games. Death, blood and injury didn’t bother me, given my field. But to begin each tribute with a handicap like that? That was obscene. I took a note of that. Maybe I can get my hands on some rope later and try and work my way out of a knot like that.

"Unbelievable." I mumbled under my breath. Again District Two claimed the crown that year. There was no dignity, no honor in the way those fourteen perished. If I am to die, at least I hope it is with dignity, even the patients who I’ve helped died with more dignity. How do Capitolites, people with children of their own sleep at night cheering and applauding the death of innocents? How do they find joy watching an anaconda mutt strangle a twelve year old to death THEN consume the body as if it was a common prey?

"You want to go a bit into the future? I don’t believe we will have time to go through all 54 Games." I asked Kaffira as I pulled a pile of binders over that contained Games 11-20. "Your pick." I smiled at him.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

"Yeah, that looks like a good idea, actually. Lets see what we got." I had a quick scan through all of the binders he pulled out, and couldn't pick one, so I closed my eyes and dove my hand into the pile, pulling one out. 

I took a look at the number then clicked the corresponding button on the screen. "The 17th Hunger Games. Should start getting interesting now, I guess."

Upon first look of the tributes, there was the normal scrawny kids, but Districts 1 and 2 were beginning to get bigger. "At least we know where the careers started to integrate themselves." I noted to Kav, then looked back at the screen.

The arena this year was very dark themed. The tributes started in a large dungeon, which opened out to a huge stone castle with blood soaked dirt spread everywhere. Outside of the castle there was a moat, with you guessed it. Blood instead of water.

[delta-lantieri-blog]

Short Leap || Urban Biome || Delta & Kaffira

[delta-lantieri-blog]

I look out into the skyline as well and I can’t get a feeling of beauty from it, I know its too fake. Ive never seen something beautiful, the last thing I kew to be, was my mother. And that load of shit stole her from me too. Just as he’s stolen everything else. And I will make it home, cause he doesn’t deserve to die any other kind of death than a painful disgusting one at my own hands.

"Ive never seen a night sky, too much shit in the air in Five." I shrug, I don’t seek out beauty in nature, since it does nothing for me, Im simply numb to it.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

I can imagine having a cold drink and a nice warm bite to eat up ear, with a cool breeze blowing over my face, if not then, then I wouldn't even mind being here whilst the sun sets, that's gotta be nice. 

"That sounds pretty shit. But the most I ever saw of the night was in winter, when it got dark earlier. I just wonder what it'd be like here with the buildings blocking the way of different natural lighting is all." 

[delta-lantieri-blog]

Short Leap || Urban Biome || Delta & Kaffira

[delta-lantieri-blog]

Kaffira? the name sounds familiar and then I realize. He is my competition for Swann. He is the one that may steal my sponsor. I feel rage inside me but I force it down, He hasn’t stolen her yet, and if he does, I will not hold it back next time. 

"Delta, district Five." I respond. But i look at his outstretched hand, not very common in Five, but I took it anyway and gripped it hard, giving it a shake. "i guess its nice to meet you too." I say, but the words taste bitter

[one-eyed-psychopath]

She had quite a firm grip on my hand as she shook it. There was no way I was coming out of this. I laughed internally, having accepted my fate the day it was locked in, then turned to her, and placed one of my feet on the roof, using it as an elbow rest.

"The pleasure is all mine." I chuckled, then looked out over the fake skyline. "You know. If we weren't in this current situation, then shit wouldn't be so bad. Bet this looks nice at night time."

[kav-droomers]

Dark Days || Hunger Games History || Kav and Kaffira

[kav-droomers]

"Sorry." I mouthed to the Peacekeeper and repairman as Kaffira seized me and began pulling me away. Once we were out of their line of sight I pulled myself free of his grasp, "Not a word." I affirmed to him when we paused. I didn’t bother to ask who exactly was going to kill him, I had already wasted enough time between meeting my team and being stuck in the elevator. My patience was running thin, and I feel I got more information out of him than I anticipated.

"It’s going to be alright." I gave him a comforting smile and pat on the back as we arrived at the empty station. "I suppose we should start from the beginning and work our way up?" I asked. There was a large screen with head phones coming out of it, and a stack of binders with information on each Game: its tributes, the Arena, kills, etc.

We put on the head phones and pulled over the binder marked with a bold 1 and pushed the same number on the keypad in front of us. The Arena was an open meadow, guess they weren’t too creative in their first year, nor the tributes prepared. The concept of Careers had yet to exist. The Games lasted only two days, a stoic brute from Two claiming the prize. “Bit of foreshadowing there,  yea?” I commented as we flipped through the binder before selecting another Game.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

I sat down as Kav prepared our first viewing, then pulled a set of headphones out of their holders, and placed them on my head. I watched as the kids that had no idea how to act attempted to kill one another. It was brutal.

When we were finished reviewing the first games, I changed it to the second games, and pulled out the binder, flicking it open. "I guess this is when careers started training. Pretty early on actually." A couple of the kids were clearly bigger than the rest. Nobody was volunteering yet though.

The arena this time round started in a marshy area. 2 foot deep swamp water covered the starting grounds, and each tribute had their hands tied behind their back. "We're in a for a slaughterhouse."

I pressed play, and watched as one person got their hands free. 14 people died that bloodbath. 14. All of the people that died simply couldn't get their hands out of the knotted rope. Two people drowned.

"Holy fuck. What did I say?"

At least the arena's started to get more creative.

[delta-lantieri-blog]

Short Leap || Urban Biome || Delta & Kaffira

[delta-lantieri-blog]

I smile, something strange and uncomfortable to me, and take the seat next to him. Letting my feet fall over the edge and the bungee cord do the same, pulling on my legs slightly.

"Well that was surly the best distraction this shit hole could offer, ill tell you that." I said as I looked down at the ground. Void of all life, only reminding me that this was all and illusion.

"So who are you exactly?" I asked, not knowing what else to really say to the huge child beside me.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

I watched as her cord fell below us towards the floor, and stopped a few meters from the bottom. I kicked my cord off and let it do the exact same, stopping a few meters from the bottom.

"So we finally agree on something?" I laughed, then kicked my cord around so it danced at the bottom of the tower.

"I'm Kaffira, nice to meet you!" I beamed, and stuck my hand out in front of her in an offer to shake.

[kav-droomers]

Dark Days || Hunger Games History || Kav and Kaffira

[kav-droomers]

I watched him move, shifting myself ever so slightly. I didn’t want to set him off if I stood up, but part of me realized this probably wouldn’t end well when he started…singing to himself. At least if I make it out of here I’ll have some valuable information on him. I nonchalantly let a hand drag towards a shoe and began untying the laces, just in case I needed to try and choke this bastard into submission.

And then the lights flickered back on and the car began humming with life.

A soft sigh of relief left my lips, even more so when the doors to the car opened and a Peacekeeper and I’m assuming repairman stood before us, “Thank you.” I said as I stood, after re-tying my shoe of course. I looked to Kaffira, “Do you still want to head over to the re-runs?” I asked, trying to gauge just how far he fell from lucidity. 

[one-eyed-psychopath]

The second the lights whirred back on, he dropped to the floor and pawed at his face. Seconds later, I had control again. It was me, I was back.

"Holy shit. I did not. I don't. What.." I muttered to myself, and hung my head in shame as the peacekeeper laughed softly to himself. I stood to my feet and pushed past both the repairman and the peacekeeper, dragging Kav by the shoulder.

"What happened here, you can't say a word about it. They'll kill me.. They'll kill me." When we were on the stairs, we walked the rest of the way down, and headed towards the room that had the game re-runs lined up on a large screen. "Yeah, c'mon man. Let's get to studying."

[delta-lantieri-blog]

Short Leap || Urban Biome || Delta & Kaffira

[delta-lantieri-blog]

I jumped immediately after him, getting a running start and leaping with both knees. This time I traveled 10 feet out before I began my decent. That feeling of weightlessness returned and I felt giddy? I stopped myself before I made myself vomit in the air.

I traveled back down to the ground and snapped back into the air yet again, my running start making my soar a bit higher over the rooftop and closer to the middle of it, I landed and tucked and rolled out so i didn’t snap my kneecaps and jumped up yet again. “Well I enjoyed myself with that, surprisingly.”

[one-eyed-psychopath]

As she landed I chuckled, whilst mimicking myself holding up a large piece of card, "10/10, good jump!" I sat down with my legs dangling over the edge and patted the concrete next to me. "Come on, girl. After that huge jump, you deserve a little sit down."

I looked down at the floor and tried to imagine the same scene with cars and people bustling below. Had they really been there, I'd feel a bit like a superhero this high up.

[delta-lantieri-blog]

Short Leap || Urban Biome || Delta & Kaffira

[delta-lantieri-blog]

One second I’m plummeting and almost smacking the cement floor, and the next I’m snapping back upwards at an equally fast rate. The bungee cords must be some kind of capitol magic shit cause I snapped all the way back up to the roof, where I landed right on my feet.

"Well that was something to take my mind off of all this fucking bullshit." I say with a genuine feeling of being at ease. But I know it won’t last, it never does. I whipped the tears from my face and looked back over the edge, wanting to go for a second round. "Oh my fucking god is right, Care for a second go?" I inquire.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

I agreed with her on that, I'm gonna be honest. In those short few seconds I spent in the air, it felt like I was free again. Free in the treetops back home, looking down at the peacekeepers below me armed with guns trained on me to make sure I didn't try a ninja-like escape by running from tree to tree.

Walking back to the edge, I looked down a the floor and nodded, seconds before jumping. "I'm way ahead of you on that one!" I screamed back up to her as I was falling, and as I reached the floor, I put my hands out and rubbed the rough concrete roads, then was snapped back up.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

Red stained blades || Absinthe & Kaffira || Axes + Knives

[adrinkofabsinthe-blog]

I make a face of horror, when in fact, I’m very interested. Not only is removing an eye extremely painful, but it sends the person being tortured into panic mode. It’s something that they’ve had for their entire life, and now it’s fucking gone and there’s fucking blood everywhere and a goddamn gaping hole where it once was. “Why would they do that? It’s so cruel?” I exclaim. 

"Oh, I’m from the beautiful District Twelve! Tell me about seven! Is it pretty there?" I ask. Seven holds some importance to the Capitol. Lumber provides a hell of a lot of heat, so if it was winter, cutting them off from seven would do a number. 

"Really? Thanks! I just love the rush I get from it!" I reply to Kaffira. 

"Woah! Were you a lumberjack back home?" I ask when he fucking slices the dummy in half. He seems to harbor an interesting past. I want to uncover it. 

[one-eyed-psychopath]

"They weren't very nice people, I guess. Especially the captain, he's the one that did this to me." I forced on a smile, and turned to chop up another dummy with my axe. I wasn't really getting much practice in, just refreshing my mind about this tool.

"Wow, Twelve? Never seen images of it, just know what it's for. And Seven is nice. Especially in the winter, looks so amazing in the snow. I smiled, thinking back to winters in the District. Everything just seemed to shine off of the sun. I still had to work though, and it was still cold as shit.

"Indeed I was a lumberjack back home. Well, kinda. Full time lumber jack and I worked for the peacekeepers for some of the time. But yeah, lumberjacking is my forte." I chuckled, and was reminded of the long days spent home cutting down trees.

[kav-droomers]

Dark Days || Hunger Games History || Kav and Kaffira

[kav-droomers]

I followed Kaffira with my eyes as he stood. Shit, this might become a problem. He was stronger than I was, and I can’t imagine how that will be amplified if he’s about to have a fit or relapse. 

And if this was the Arena? 

I put this situation into perspective: I’m in close quarters, darkness, all of which obviously played off some weakness in my opponent. I can use it against him, but I have nothing to use. That’s a lie: I have my clothes. Seems trivial, but I could attempt to strangle him with my shirt, or, no pun intended, blind side him. 

But for now, I let the doctor take hold, “Kaff, hey, it’s going to be alright. We’re just a bit stuck in the elevator and someone’s working on getting us out.” I smiled at him. I knew that wouldn’t alleviate much, so I went the next best route, just as I did with Derek when I helped him come back to life, “Tell me more about the forests back in Seven. Are there any animals running around there?”

[one-eyed-psychopath]

What was happening? He'd never come out during the day. Not that I can remember, anyway. I had my shot this morning, and I had my shot last night. This shouldn't be happening.

I outstretched my fingers in front of my face, placed my forehead on the cool metal doors. I was in control. He was in control. It was a game of back and forth.

"Animals?" I rattled my head for an answer. It seemed that when I was in control at the same time as him. "Uhm, yeah, rabbits. I think." I felt a searing pain in my head, and knelt to the floor, holding my head tightly with my palms.

When I stood back up, it wasn't me. He was back.

Boy you better listen to me and calm down right this instance or so god help me we're gonna lose another eye.

"Look at the stars, look at they moon, I eat my soup with a spoon!"

Oh no. His ramblings are starting. If he doesn't get back in the cage soon, we're gonna have a huge mess on our hands.

[kav-droomers]

Dark Days || Hunger Games History || Kav and Kaffira

[kav-droomers]

I nodded, “I like that idea.” Even though every Arena was unique into itself, there were some common themes and events that took place in them; mutts, the ‘feasts,’ finales, etc. It would absolutely be wise to spend some time there, hell it would be like home studying.

I lifted an eyebrow when the lights blew out and the incredibly faint flow of the emergecny lights went on. The dark never bothered me, being from the poorest District there were plenty of times the power blew out in Twelve and those in Five and Three took their sweet ass time fixing the problem. Thankfully the hospital had back up generators. “Fucking hell.” I mumbled as I began slamming on the metallic doors, “Hello? Is anyone out there? Bit stuck in here.”

After a long pause a voice replied, “What happened?” it called, “Doors won’t open and the lights are out.” What happened? Fucking idiot. “We’ll get you out of there, just sit tight.” the voice said. “Waste of fucking time.” I growled as I slid down across from Kaffira. I was getting impatient, “You alright over there?” I asked Seven, suddenly realizing this may not be the best situation to be in with someone who had been tortured and abused. I shifted my weight ever so slightly, ready to move and defend myself if anything comes of this.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

First, it was silent. I could hear my own breath picking up. My ear drums were banging with my heart beat, and the pace was picking up rapidly. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to think of bright thoughts. Lights, the sun. A fire.

Back home, the only time I experienced dark was when I was about to be whipped then thrown into a tub of salt water to let my wounds seethe with pain.

Then came the banging. Kav was slamming on the door, and it took everything I had in me to not stand up and try to force my way through the doors.

Moments later, it was silent again. I pulled my knees up to my chest and clenched my teeth. I had to stay sane. Nobody was going to whip me. Nobody was going to whip me. Nobody was going to whip me.

That was when he stood up.

Kaf, sit the fuck back down now!

[delta-lantieri-blog]

Short Leap || Urban Biome || Delta & Kaffira

[delta-lantieri-blog]

I sat on the edge of the building and my heart began to race with anticipation. My skin felt alive and I was so ready. When big and tall sat down beside me I thought for a minute. Before I leapt off the building and began plummeting. 

"You were right!" I screamed up to him as I fell, referring to his comment about this being fun. The wind whipped around me and stung my eyes, but the rush it was giving me was worth it.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

One minute she was sat by my side, the next she was plummeting towards the ground at an increasing speed. I clapped as she was screaming, then stood to my feet as I heard her scream back.

"I'm coming!" I yelled, then took a few steps backwards and dived off of the edge of the building. My stomach leaped from my mouth, and I screamed as I fell, passing Delta on my way down. I was stopped feet from the floor, and flung straight back up to the roof as quickly as I had fallen.

As I landed with both feet on the ceiling, I turned to a nearby Delta, with tears having been forced into my eye from the wind, I couldn't help but let out a large laugh, and turn back to the ceiling edge.

"Oh my god." I muttered under my breath as I looked to the cord still tightly attached.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

Red stained blades || Absinthe & Kaffira || Axes + Knives

[adrinkofabsinthe-blog]

"Sorry!" I say to the trainer. Although I’m not really sorry. Not fucking sorry at all. 

"Oh my gosh! Cut out? By a peacekeeper? That’s so horrible! Are you okay? When did it happen?" I spit out, actually somewhat interested. This shit is intriguing, and I want to know the goddamn story. 

I beam. “Thank you so much! I love learning new things!” I reply. I can’t wait to shove my blade into an actual enemy. Like a Capitol sympathizer, or a Capitolite. 

"Hello, Kaffira! My name is Absinthe! And what district are you from?" I ask him innocently. 

I throw a few more knives, twisting them around once they stick, slicing veins, muscle, flesh, cartilage, tissue, all that shit. I want to inflict torture, and here I am, given dummies to practice on. But once I’m in the arena, I’ll have living, breathing subjects to test my methods on. And that’s something I’m looking forward to. 

[one-eyed-psychopath]

I chuckle at her 'sincere' apology, then turn to face her again. "Yeah, they cut it out. Years ago though, I'm good now. Feels as though I never had one in the first place." I smiled, then turned towards a nearby dummy, poking it with the sharp tip of the axe. Damn, it was sharp.

"Nice to meet you, Absinthe. I'm from 7, yourself?" I questioned, chuckling internally at how normal of an introduction this was. "You're pretty good at this pain-dealing thing. You'll do well once we're inside." I smiled, then swung my axe as hard as I could towards the dumy I had recently been poking. It was cut clean in half, the top half sliding down to the floor.

[delta-lantieri-blog]

Short Leap || Urban Biome || Delta & Kaffira

[delta-lantieri-blog]

I stepped out of the stairwell and took in the view. We stood on the tallest build in a sea of concrete pegs jutting upwards. I couldn’t even see the ground, but it didn’t bother me. Cause as I always say, fear is pointless.

"True shit kid, true shit." I said in agreement with the kid whose name I didn’t care to learn. He’d be dead in a few days anyway.

"No shit, we didn’t come up here for the lovely view." I said with sarcasm laced in my words. I allowed the trainer to fasten me into my harness and clip the cord to my ankles. "You should probably put on a harness first though, Or not i don’t really mind ruining my uniform."

[one-eyed-psychopath]

After she had got all clipped in, I walked towards the trainer as he looked for a harness big enough and strong enough to hold my large build. He finally found one and handed it over to me, allowing me to slip into it. He finally finished lacing up and I too clipped the cord to my ankles.

I walked over to the edge of the building and sat down, with my legs dangling below me. "This is nice. So, who's going first?" I chuckled as I questioned Delta, then looked back towards the floor.

"This is gonna be fun."

[kav-droomers]

Dark Days || Hunger Games History || Kav and Kaffira

After the urban biome I made straight for the suite. Both Dalyan and Ms. Davis wanted to speak to me alone about my progress and as much as I didn’t want to waste valuable training time, the fact Absinthe was preoccupied in the center gave us some privacy. Luckily our talk was brief, they wanted to know what new stations were available. 

I leaned against the wall of the elevator and watched the numbers light up as the car descended, until it stopped and opened at the seventh floor. “Fancy running into you here.” I grinned at Kaffira as he walked in. I didn’t mind the boy from Seven, but I was a bit weary of his stability. Maybe this would be my chance to dig a bit further and gain the chance to train with him again. “Were you planning on going to any particular station? They’ve added a few new ones.”

The car continued its descent as we chatted, a ting echoing through the car when it arrived at the training center. Yet, the doors didn’t open. “Um,” I began pushing the “open door” button on the key pad. “Shit.” I mumbled.

[one-eyed-psychopath]

After the morning's training I headed back up to the suite and had some lunch. Ashley told me that in order to get my 'state of mind' ready for the games, I'd have to find out what it's like in them, so I'd spend a couple of hours watching re-runs of past games. Start to finish. Back to back. Only breaking for pissing. I'd need to know when to do what and shit like that.

Stepping into the elevator, I nodded at Kav as I entered, then turned to face the doors. "I know right, a small world indeed!" I joked, then waited as the doors slid shut.

"Yeah, Ashley wants me to look into some of the past games,g et in the right mindset, et cetera." I chuckled, then turned towards him. "You're free to join me if you wanna mate." I offered, then turned towards the elevator doors waiting for them to open. As Kav told me what happened, I couldn't help but laugh. "Less time training I guess."

I turned towards the buttons and pressed the 'emergency unlock' button, before stepping back. I tried prying the doors open, but couldn't get a tight enough grasp. "Well shit."

I slid down to the floor and rubbed my forehead. It was warm in here, but that was the only problem I had. That was, until the lights turned off.