User blog:Panthermic/Oppressive Wrath: The 76th Hunger Games

Hello, and welcome to my first Hunger Games. Enter your tributes, and see if they have what it takes to survive the ultimate battle royale. May the odds be ever in your favor!

Introduction
It's been about 70 years since President Snow and Coin where killed and the Hunger Games abolished. Most of the characters from the original series are either dead or elderly, bringing a whole new cast to the series. Some of these you may recognize as descendants of some of your favorites.

After most of the founders of the new government formed by District 13 died, several pro-games believers began to run a campaign, trying to get their leader, a man named Cassius Falcon, to be elected as the new president of Panem. Knowing the horrors of the Hunger Games and still having footage of some games, the anti-games believers tried to weed out the new political party.

Eventually, a civil war broke out between the nation because of it. Districts that had the games as a primary part of their culture joined the pro-games seperatists, while the ones terrorized the most by it joined anti-games loyalists. Though the war was only a year, it was devastating and full of casualties.

Unforutanetly for the loyalists, their leader, Paxton Horn, was killed in the war. However, seperatist leader Cassius Falcon remained alive, and, being the only leader up for election, won the vote over. All the work the rebels had done previously had been erased, with career districts re-opening academies, stealing money from the other districts, making the outer districts yet again povertized.

As one last jab of mockery to the rebels who had ended the games, now president Falcon named the upcoming games the "76th Hunger Games", to pick up where the former capitol had left off. But not all hope was lost... rumor has it that a few anti-games loyalists are somewhere in Panem, waiting for the right moment to strike and make things right again.

Tribute List
Just like the original games, there will be 2 tributes from districts 1-12, one male, one female, for a total of 24 tributes.

Alliances
Tributes will have bonuses and penalties based on their district that will affect their likelihood of getting into an alliance. Tributes from District 1, 2, and 4 have an increased chance of getting into the careers, while other districts have a decreased chance of getting in.

Careers: Copper (1M), Raini (1F), Aristedes (2M), Juniper (2F), Marlin (4M), Marina (4F), District 10 Male (10M)

Anti-Careers: District 6 Female (6F), Willow (7F), District 9 Male (9M), District 10 Female (10F)

Loners: Saito (3M), District 3 Female (3F), District 5 Male (5M), District 5 Female (5F), Colic (6M), District 7 Male (7M), District 8 Male (8M), Laila (8F), District 9 Female (9F), Xavier (11M), District 11 Female (11F), District 12 Male (12M), District 12 Female (12F)

Key: Bold is the alliance leader, Italics is the co-leader.

Arena
The arena will be rather plain, as to get the audience accustomed to seeing a games again. The games will begin in a marsh, with shallow water guranteed to make your feet wet. The cornucopia sits in the center of this salt-water marsh, where the best items will be. Some items will be scattered around the cornucopia, but they'll be of lesser quality than the ones within.

The salt water marsh extends for 400 meters in each direction, before turning into a dry grassland. Depending on the direction you went, the grassland can stretch on for a while or will stop at another biome.

If you travelled north, the grassland stops at around 100 meters from the marsh, and goes into a temperate forest. Many streams run through this river, none of them deeper than a foot. They'll provide enough drinkable water, meaning quiet a few bloodbath survivors will probably head here. The forest is quiet, though the dangers usually come out at night, in the form of predatory wolf mutts. If you're unlucky, you may even run into a grizzly bear.

Heading west from the cornucopia will lead into hill country. The hills peak at about 150 feet, providing good lookout points to watch over the area. Travel deep enough into the hills, and there will be a hidden valley with a large lake. Tread carefully in it's waters though, as legend has as it a lake monster lurks in it's depths.

Going south will take you to a bunch of rocky spires and felled boulders. The vegetation becomes short, sparse bushes and patchey grass. This area is dangerous due to falling rocks and the abundance of poisonous snakes, which usually hide in the bushes. This will usually sway tributes to stay away, but brave these dangers and pick from the grove hidden between the rocks, and have bountiful food for the games.

Finally, if you choose to travel east, you will be mostly dissapointed. The grassland doesn't stop like it does the other three ways, and just keeps on going on and on. If you want to put as much distance between you and others without stopping, this is your best bet. But good luck finding food or water out in the endless meadows, as once your far away from the other tributes, you're far away from their supplies as well.

Aristedes Domingo, District 2
Today was a day I had marked on my calendar. Reaping day. Just about everyone in Panem dreaded this day... just about. Us "career districts", the ones that supported bringing back the games, revelled in the Hunger Games. Here, it was a major part of the culture, and seemed to raise the moods of everyone.

Day in, day out. Once you reached the age of 12, your parents ship you to one of the many career academies. Some even got a head start by joining before reaping age, and those seemed to be the ones the capitol bet on the most. Most of the time, it's the ones that didn't get many bets that win.

You see, most careers here are so full of themselves. Arrogant, overconfident beings who overlook way too much for their own good. What they seem to forget, is it takes more than being able to swing a sword to win a Hunger Games. Sure, combat helps, but just knowing how to fight isn't going to save you from poisoned berries.

That's why I'd consider myself different. Being in the illegal trading business gives you insight to all kinds of folks. You learn to be more aware of the people who surround you. Few times I've nearly been shammed, had to blast my way out of a situation. Why? Because I can talk my way out of it.

I guess I'd better stop talking about myself though. I realize I'm sounding a bit like the other careers with all this self praise. But if one thing is certain: I must be the career leader. If I can control them, get them to act more rational, then maybe I'd have a strong shot at winning.

Now, I have reached the massive line of people waiting to be checked into the reaping. So many faces, yet only two of us from this whole crowd would even go in. Usually, it was several arrogant, irrational people who took a footrace to the stage in their volunteering way, to try and secure the spot as tribute.

Seems this year would be different. The district gives up it's female tribute, catching me off guard. Who was she? I didn't recognize her. Yet that sitll wouldn't be the twist. I watched as the heavily modified escort took to the bowl, and pulled out a boy's name. Then, their voice, softer than a mattress, spoke into the microphone:

"Aristides Domingo"

This was it. I had been picked. No other boy dared to stand up, either due to their fear of my connections, or maybe their want to rid me of this district. It's too bad that second option was unlikely. It's going to take a lot more than some stupid capitol show to kill me for good.

Raini Desmedona, District 1 Female
"Let's go. Get up Raini. Come on!" I hear a voice say from within my dream. I feel my body shaken across the bed, as I halfway open my eyes. I can hazily make out a taller figure standing over me, as I sleepily rub my eyes. The image comes into focus, and I see my district partner, Copper, looking rather annoyed. "We got to get to the training center early! Can't slack!"

I sit up, letting out a yawn. "Awh come on Copper. Who says we have to? It was a long ride here." I stated. "Don't give me excuses Raini! We can't be late, it'll make a bd impression on us and the careers! You know how uptight the ones from District 2 are!" Copper snapped, getting very annoyed with me. Not wanting to anger the career boy, I got out of bed, and began to get ready.

"Hurry hurry hurry!" Copper hissed, grabbing me by the arm like an excited kid would their parent at a carnival. "I don't need you pulling me along to know where to go!" I shout, getting tired of Copper's antics. We rush to the elevator, awkwardly pushing our way past two tributes who had already entered. "Watch it 11 weaklings!" Copper snidely remarks. "Come on now, you know that wasn't cool. You know how life is in District 11." I chide, to the shaking of Copper's head. "Oh come on, we're not here to feel sorry for people Raini. They're gonna die anyway!"

The elevator finally lands on the training floor, where few tributes are. It was 6 in the morning, two hours before the gym was to open. But us career districts knew that it secretly opened it's doors early, giving us yet another edge in the coming up games.

"There!" Copper whispers to me, pointing to the duo from District 2. We approach the two and I'm met with the piercing gaze of the 2 Male. "Ah. The District 1 tributes. Careers I suppose?" the tall, bearded man says, extending a rough hand. He looks like someone I won't wanna mess with, and I dreaded the day when I would have to turn on him.

"Yes. I'm Copper, and this is my district partner, Raini." Copper says, shaking the large boy's hand. "As you know, we are from District 1, and would like to be in the career alliance with you." The girl from 2 stares him down, as if checking his eligibility for being a career. She's kind of small, being shorter than me by a little, her curved green eyes looking me down from their position inside her freckled face. "I think they'll do." she affirmed, her bearded ally nodding his head.

"Welcome to the careers then. I'm Aristides Domingo, and this is my partner in crime, Juniper. I think we'll learn to like each other, but in the mean time, we'd best begin." Aristides announces, as we turn to the elevator, to see a pair of tributes walk out. "Late as usual, seems to be a staple of District 4." Juniper muses, as I note the features of the two tributes.

The boy is rather small for a career, being shorter than both Aristides and Copper. He has medium-length blonde hair, sea green eyes, and a tan complexion. His district partner looks similar, having chest-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and tanned complexion. They'd both be considered quiet attractive to many, but looks can only get you so far, especially in these kinds of games.

"Sorry for the delay! We got caught up in a mentor lecture." The boy pants, both tributes probably having ran here. "Being late in the games would've gotten you killed." Aristides comments, pacing around the two. "But I guess you'll do. District 4 I assume?" Both tributes nod. "Yes. I'm Marlin, by the way." the boy says. He then nudges his district partner, who had been kind of infatuated with Copper, waking her from her admiration. "Oh right. I'm Marina. District 4 girl."

"Pleasure to meet you!" I chirped. "I'm Raini. District 1 Girl." The other careers seemed surprised by my lighthearted attitude, especially Juniper, who seemed disgusted by it. Thankfully though, Marlin and Marina seemed to appreciate it, smiling back at me. "Yea she's a little bubbly." Copper says pushing me out of his way. Always wanting to be the center of attention. "I'm Copper. District 1 boy."

"Juniper. Don't get on my bad side, and we'll be fine." Juniper scoffs, not being a fan of Marlin and Marina. "I'm Aristides. Welcome to the careers. Now, as I was saying before you two interrupted, let's get to training, shall we? Might as well use this 2 hour headstart." No one argues, as Aristides beckons us to the weapons station. He was no doubt going to put us to the test, to see if we were really worth his time as careers.

Laila Weaverly, District 8 Female
Nervous. It's the only thing I could feel as I exited from the District 8 suite. Ever since I had been reaped into these games, I had anxiety about my fate. No one seemed to help me, my mentor didn't tell me much, he was too focused on my district partner, who was older, more capable, and more likely to win the games than me. What was I to be anyways, I made clothes for a living. In case you didn't realize, making fashion isn't a helpful skill in a game where everything is trying to kill you.

How I wish I hadn't been picked. I had so much ahead of me, I was beginning to grow in wealth. Then one day of rotten luck, and I find myself hear in the capitol, about to try and prepare for a games I knew I'd never be ready for. How much the tables had turned.

I step off the elevator, to a noisy training room filled with just about every person out there to eliminate me, to end my life. Trust no one, that was the one motive I could live by. The one piece of advice that will keep me alive. I keep walking through the gym, taking care not to bump into anyone and make an enemy right off the bat. What would I do? What skill should I train? I knew literally nothing about staying alive in the woods. District 8 was always urban, I never had seen the wilds.

I take deep breaths, trying to calm myself down before I have a panic attack. "''You're worrying too much Laila. You're fine, you're okay." ''I think to myself, managing to calm down. I walk up to the plant recognition station, which had a whole bunch of plants I'd never seen nor heard about. I decide to take the test, to see what I did know, and what to work on.

I sift through it, and not surprised when I find out that I hadn't done well. I decide to take it again, keep on trying it to get a better score. Eventually, I begin to remember some of the names of the plants, and what they look like. I learn to not eat this, that it was poisonous, and learn that this plant would heal burns. Eventually, I lose track of time as I keep taking the test, and by the time I had done it for who knows how long, I had managed to finish with a 90% score.

I laugh a bit, admiring how much I learned in such a short span. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. I leave the plant identifcation station, walking past a few tributes as I go to another survival station. After learning how to build a shelter, I add another skill under my belt. Even if I were feeble and unathletic, I could outlast many now with my knowledge of survival.

Eventually, the day of training begins to come to it's end. I had learned quiet a bit about surviving in the wilds, and figured I had a better chance of winning than when I had first entered the games. As I boarded the elevator to go back to my district suite, I begin to feel a tingle in my chest. A spark of hope, that maybe, just maybe, I could defy all odds and win these games. That somehow, someway, I could triumph, and go home to my parents, who I dearly loved. My goal was one step closer to being in reach.

Xavier Scrypt, District 11 Male
Another day of training it would seem. Everyone had seemed to establish themselves in an alliance, if they had one that seemed. The majority of tributes seemed to be on their own, loners. Of course, you had the careers, the meanest, most vicious tribute killers there where. I had made a mental note to stay away from them, knowing of their superior combat skills.

But there was a big surprise not often seen in a games. A group of tributes had formed together to create an alliance made to defeat the careers. These supposed "Anti-Careers" were a bunch of rag tag tributes who were probably not expected to win. I admired them for their goal to defeat the careers, an alliance that was arguably the strongest in these games. But I knew they probably never would be able to stand up to them.

I continue to practice my combat skills, knowing that I'd need to know how to fight in case I had a run-in with someone at the bloodbath. I hoped my size would intimidate others to not come after me, but you never know in these games. After all, when the boy from 1 had called me a weakling, I had it marked in my mind to kill him first, if I had the opprotunity.

I bump into the small 6 Female who was only 12. I still didn't like people getting into my way. "Watch where you're going shrimp." I threaten, shoving the girl on her back. The girl begins to get teary eyed. "Why does everyone bully me? What did I ever do?" I scoff at her remark. I notice her heavily bandaged arm, and think of a snide remark to make. "Cut yourself more. It's an obvious way to fix your issue." With that comment, she begins to sob, attracting me unwanted attention.

"Shut up, damn you're such a baby." I talk down, but it doesn't do anything. Eventually, it seems her allies show up to jump me. "Is there a problem here?" the rugged looking girl from 10 asks. "Uh, yeah, you're stupid ass friend here didn't learn to move." I reply sarcastically. "You should watch your mouth, before someone slams it shut!" The girl from 10 threatens, as I just laugh.

"Oh go home lassie. You're not scaring anyone." I roll my eyes, watching as they leave. I knew they wouldn't start shit with me. They didn't have the guts. But it seemed someone did have the guts to challenge someone else. I look over, to see a commotion. The boy from 10 was going at it with one of the career boys. About time something eventful happened.

Saito Keitaro, District 3 Male
I had been observing all the tributes through training. Taking note of everything they did, they quirks, the ways they acted. All notes that would come in handy later, if I were ever to meet one of these fatal foes in the playing field. No one would stand in my way of winning, not some big career who thinks they're made of steel, or some no name tribute who somehow pulls off the upset over every tribute better than them. I wouldn't let myself fall victim to anyone, that was for sure.

However, my most recent observation made me despise some tribute more than others. The boy from 11 had just striked me as irksome. He had shoved a 12 year old girl down, despite being much bigger and older than her. But that wasn't the worst part. He had insulted her, told her to cut herself, all those nasty things. I knew this freak couldn't be allowed to do his acts of bullying, stealing the hope of others just to satisfy their own lack of it. I wouldn't allow it.

As I was about to go confront said bully though, another event transpired that attracted my attention a little more than the previous incident. The boy from 4 and boy from 10 where squaring off, both armed with weapons. Why the peacekeepers hadn't come into to stop it, I didn't know. But after looking over the situation more, I noticed it was a test to get into the careers. I could see the career leader watching, his arms crossed, as he debated to let in the unnamed tribute into the alliance.

The boy from 4 rushed at the boy from 10, who himself wielded a rather unique weapon, a bullwhip. The whip crackled as it struck the boy from 4, who clutched a now bleeding wound on his arm. The boy from 10 quickly lasso'd the boy from 4's trident, pulling it out of his grasp. Before the boy from 4 could react, the boy from 10 had his own weapon pointed at him.

I looked over the other careers. The girls from 1 and 4 were shocked, both probably afraid for what would happen to the 4 male for failing. The boy from 1 was loud and cheering on the fight, loving the show it presented. The girl from 2 looked disapointed that a tribute from 4 would be beaten so easy. But the leader's expression was rather studying, as if trying to pinpoint the 4 male's weakness so it could be fixed. I knew he'd be a dangerous leader, and added him to my list of threats.

I turn my head to the sound of sniffling, breaking away from the drama of the careers. The girl from 6, the one who had been mercilessly bullied by the 11 boy, sat alone, her anti career allies having left to watch the fight between the boys from 4 and 10. I pondered for a few moments what my next move was. It was like an angel and devil sat on my shoulders. Should I comfort her? But I can't make connections with other tributes. I'm a loner. But come on now, she was just 12, and that bullying was uncalled for.

Giving up to my good side, I decide to comfort the girl. I sit down next to her, watching as she looks up at me. "W-What? Yo-You gonna m-make fun of m-m-me?" she sputters, sniffling between words. "Why would I do that? No. I'm here to help you." I respond, patting the girl gently on the back. She begins to dry up, drying her eyes with her sleeves. I notice her left arm is heavily bandaged, and wondered if what the 11 boy said was true.

"R-really?" She asks, somewhat surprised. "Of course. I hate to see people get bullied. It makes my skin crawl." I say, forcing a smile. "Someone does that to you again, just kick em' between the legs." My comment there cheers the girl up, as she lets out a small giggle. "T-Thank you." she says shyly, her once teary face turning red from embarassment. "What's your name?"

"I'm Saito. District 3 boy." I respond. "Saito... that's a nice name." she responds. "Reminds me of a hero more people should hear about." I didn't expect that one. Kind of made me feel good, gave me a confidence boost. "Yeah... maybe..." I stutter, trying to find something to else to say. "Oh right. I didn't catch your name." She looks at me, before speaking "My name is..." A loud bell rings, signalling the end of the training. "Better get going. Good luck in the interviews." I state, before walking off. Interesting one, that was.

Interview
The capitol buzzed with excitement as the tributes they had come to adore over the past few days where about to give their opinion on certain questions. All 24 of them would be asked touching questions, close one to home ones, that would sure relive the nostalgia of how they had come to be tributes. This would be the final night the 24 would be together before the games, before they started to kill each other.

The first interview is that of Copper, a show-offish career tribute from district 1. He was flamboyant, loud, and a real crowd pleaser, as they seemed to love the way he acted. After him was his district partner, the bubbly Raini, who's spunky and ectastic nature made the audience love her. Her niceties arised the question of how such a good person would be thrown in a death match of the games, and made some in the crowd wish her to be removed from the games just so she'd be guranteed to live.

The large boy from 2, Aristides, goes up next. His level headed, calm nature intrigues the audience. He teases them just enough to make them want more, before leaving them in mystery of his master plan. His district partner, Juniper, chills the crowd with her cold, calloused nature. She's mean and straight to point with her answers, and it seems the crowd sees her as a heel compared to the rest of the face careers.

Next up is Saito, who charms the crowd with thoughts that no one would consider. What tops his interview is his warning, as he mentions he will target a certain a tribute. Tributes are uneasy after hearing the threat, and it seems Saito is right on the mark for his time, as soon as he mentions his interview is over it ends at the point. The crowd wants to see more of this tribute for sure.

Things go south for the career pack though, as Marlin goes up next. The awkward boy is a nervous wreck in front of the crowd, who boo him off the stage for his stuttering nature and poor choice of answers. Marina somewhat redeems District 4, lulling the capitol into a story of how she needs to win or her family business will run out money, making the audience feel sympathy for her.

Most of the outer districts aren't that intresting, save for the case of the boy from 6, who's name is Colic. He's a brave, confident boy who seems to fear nothing. He outright mentions his plan to wreck havoc to the careers in some form, making many question why he didn't ally with the anti careers. After his threats and possibly targetting by the careers, Colic exits, leaving it to his district partner.

She's very nervous in front of the crowd, but midway through her interview, she looks back at the tributes. She gains confidence from this, and finishes strong. Some speculate someone in that crowd of tributes had given her some sort of confidence booster... the anti career leader, maybe?

District 7 gives the capitol a roughened bunch. The boy talks about he would love to plant an ax into someones head, making the crowd go crazy for the bloodthirsty tribute. His partner, a girl fittingly named Willow, says she'll play the games smart, but be sure to throw in some entertaining surprises in there as well, to please the capitol and not get herself killed.

Next up goes the 8 Male, who surprised a ton of people by achieving a career level score and high odds. He's somehwat full of himself and has an ego, which would suit a career. His district partner, Laila on the other hand, is the opposite. She seems insecure, but has a creative mind, and redeems her interview with a trick question no one in the capitol can answer.

The last tribute noteworthy of mention is that of Xavier, nicknamed "Bane of Careers", due to his outstanding performance in training and refusal to ally with the career alliance. Many people picked him as the shocker tribute, the one who would win despite the careers being favored. He's strong willed and seems to care less about the games, giving a rather average interview.

With that, the highlights of the night end. The tributes return to their suites, where they would get one last night of sleep in a luxurious bed, before entering the games, and perhaps living the last day of their life. Only time would tell who would still be standing 24 hours from now, and who would be sent home to their families in a coffin.

Marlin, District 4 Male
Butterflies were in my stomach. My palms sweated as I trembled a bit, trying to calm down. I was so nervous, District 4 was supposed to prepare me, but I didn't feel prepared at all. As I got dressed into a relatively normal outfit, I could only guess as what the arena would be. I knew everyone would be expecting a lot from me. I was a career, District 4 would be watching my every move. Oh god, I couldn't fail in front of them. Don't screw up, don't screw up... make my district look good.

"Enter to tube Marlin, it's about to go." My stylist remarks, probably wanting to watch the games already. I enter the tube, and watch as it closes around behind me. I take a few more deep breaths as it begins to rise, like an elevator to my doom. All it had been the past few days was "You got embarassed by a no name! That kid probably has never trained before like you! You're a failure!" I couldn't take the heat. I choked on my interview, I didn't please anyone. I just wanted to get through these.

Sunlight blinds me as my platform reaches it's peak, stopping in it's place. When I adjust to the bright sun, I notice I'm situated in a bog. There are patches of cattails and reed plants to hide in, but other than that, it's just swampy water and wet grass. I could see some items shine under the shallow water, glinting in the sun. But the goodies were no doubt in the golden cornucopia, which sat proudly atop a miniature plateau in the swamp.

I look around, sighing a bit to see the tributes to my left and right aren't that strong. The boy from 5 stands on my left, with the girl from 12 on my right. If I got into a fistfight with either, I probably would win. Or so I hoped. My eyes were locked on that cornucopia anyways, so I probably wouldn't even have to deal with either tribute until I was well armed.

"60. 59. 58." I hear a voice echo through the arena. I mentally prepare myself to get going, to get ready for the dash to the cornucopia. "45, 44..." Time keeps ticking on, as tributes react differently to the situation. Some face the cornucopia, in a running stance, others face away, planning to book it and get as far away from the bloodbath as possible. I wish I could do the same.

"13, 12, 11." Here we go. Final ten seconds. These next 10 minutes would seperate the strong from the weak, and only the better half of the 24 would be left standing. I prayed that I would be one of them. I was uncertain, but one thing was for sure... it was go time. "3, 2, 1." Then, a gong rings out. I throw myself from my position, sprinting towards the cornucopia as fast as I can go. Let the games begin.

Juniper, District 2 Female
Squish squish squish. The sound of my shoes as I run through the muddy marsh, racing to the cornucopia. Everyone at the career academy made fun of me for being undersized, but now it seemed to be a good advantage for me, as I get to the cornucopia before any of my other fellow careers do. Unfortunately for me, that damned boy from 6 managed to steal some supplies and escape, beating just about everyone to the cornucopia. I would kill him personally myself, I hated that damn kid.

I grab a few knives, and a curved sword. They'd do for now, for eliminating as much of the competition as possible. Then, the tributes start arriving. Copper and Marina arrive next, followed by boys from 5 and 9 and girls from 3 and 11. "We got company!" I shout to Copper, who arms himself with a spear. "Your left Juniper!" he shouts, as I turn to my left to see the girl from 11 thrust her spear towards me. I dodge her attempt to impale me, before grabbing the long handle of her weapon.

I pull on it, getting into a tugging match with the girl. Eventually, I out-muscle her and rip it from her grasp. She tries to run, but attacking me was her first mistake. I run her down, giving her a long, stretching cut across her back, severing her spinal cord. She falls paralyzed into the swampy water, where I grab my sword with two hands, and plunge into the back of her head. That seems to do the job, as the first cannon of the game loudly booms. BOOM! The carnage had officialy begun.

Soon, the cornucopia gets crowded, as the rest of my career alliance show up. Most of the tributes had ran here, only a few were absent. Time for the fun to begin. "Aristides! Duo fighting to your right!" I call out, as I spot the boys from 8 and 9 beat up on each other. Aristides goes over to them, to finish off the victor of the battle. I run out of the cornucopia, spotting Marina struggle as she fights off two anti careers, the girls from 7 and 10. I run over to her aid, not wishing to lose an ally.

I swing my sword downward, catching the girl from ten in the calf. She falls off balance, grabbing on to her ally for support. I prepare to take down the girl from 7 to immobilize them both, but she's smart, tossing a hatchet my way, forcing me to dive to the ground to dodge it. I get up, angered now that my shirt is soaked from diving in shallow water, and I'm prepared to kill them both. But they somehow manage to trample Marina, as I watch them dissapear to the north.

I walk over to help Marina get up, when a larger body slams into me, pinning me into the cornucopia. The bloodthirsty boy from 7 raises his ax, nearly taking my head off. I duck in the nick of time, as his blade richochets off the cornucopia metal, as I prepare a counter-strike. I make a wide slash towards his abdomen, but he brings his axe's handle down, which blocks the attack. He then smacks me in the forehead with the handle, stunning me and knocking me on my ass into the dirt.

I look up at him as he raises his ax, and I can only feel dissapointed with myself as I'm about to die. One of the highest rated tributes, to place 23rd and be killed by nobody. Thankfully, this dark event doesn't happen, as at the top of swing, the 7 male yells out, as a spear potrudes from his chest, his heart on the edge of it. I look away from the sight, to see Copper yank his spear out of the dead boy. BOOM!

"The ice cold, tough girl Juniper, put on her rear by some crazy lumberjack." Copper chides, shaking his head as he teases me. "What the capitol must think of you." He extends his hand, and helps me up. "Shut up Copper. Don't tell Aristides about this, okay? We don't need another Marlin on this alliance." I mutter. Copper winks at me. "Sure thing cutesy." I roll my eyes. "Don't call me that." I growl. He got on my nerves, but he was an asset to this team. We both part seperate ways, as we continue to kill off the tributes who stand in our way.

Laila Weaverly, District 8
People were fighting all around me as I plodded quietly through the carnage, making sure to avoid any other tributes. I had to keep a special eye out for the careers, who were hunting down just about anyone and trying to kill them. I quickly hear footsteps and duck in a bunch of reeds, as I spot the 5 female get run down from behind by the career girl from 4. She lets out one cry of pain as a trident sticks through her back, before falling dead into the boggy waters. BOOM!

After the girl from 4 moves on from her victim, I continue my stealthy march towards the cornucopia. I arrive in their, to be surprised that it's pretty much empty. The careers must be out taking down other tributes. I observe the boys from 8 and 9 as they continue their brutal beating of each other, neither one seeming to gain an advantage in their fistfight. They seemed to be too focused on each other to notice me sneak in.

Quickly, I began to grab what supplies I could. Grabbing a satchel bag, I begin to throw items and weapons into the large bag. My supply grabbing is going great so far, but as I reach for a box of crackers, I feel a sudden pain on the top of my hand. I pull it back, seeing a cut on it, as I quickly step back, knowing a tribute who was hiding in the shadows had cut it.

I'm glad I did, as a sword swings to where I was standing a few moments before. The career boy from 4 must've been waiting for me, as he runs forward at me again. He swings his blade down, as I'm forced to use my large bag to stop his sword. He grunts at my block, as I push with all my strength back, managing to knock the boy off balance. I whirl around and swing my back into the head of the imbalanced tribute, toppling the boy over on the ground.

I quickly grab my bag, holding the torn part from the sword so my items wouldn't clatter out. I hop over a tribute who's crawling on the ground, spreading blood everywhere as they suffer from a severe wound on their torso. I keep running, ignoring the boy from 12 who seems to have spotted me. My focus was getting away from this bloodbath alive, and I could care less now if someone seen me.

I keep running, as the sounds of battle get farther and farther away. Eventually I begin to tire, and start to slow down. My heart pounds loudly, it's beating roaring in my head as I force myself to stop. I pant for breath, as I lean over a tree, feeling the aches in my body as the adrenaline began to wear off. I had done it. I had survived the bloodbath. I celebrate, though only shortly. These games were far from over, and there would be many more steps to climb if I were to come out on top.

Xavier Scrypt, District 11 Male
"You made a mistake getting in this knife fight." I think quietly to myself as I dislocate the 12 female's elbow, causing her to drop her knife. I punch the girl in the jaw, grabbing her knife and quickly stabbing it through her neck. I rip the blade out, as blood shoots out of the wound like a geyser. She clutches the wound, but I follow up with another stab into her chest, as I force her to the ground.

I keep stabbing the girl over and over, until I finally hear her cannon. BOOM! Without second thought, I grab what supplies she had, and continue making my way closer to the cornucopia. I take my time, as I witness the boy from 5 take an axe through the back by the girl from 3. She takes no time in finishing the job, as she rips the axe from the boy's flesh and heaves it around, cutting his head clean off. BOOM!

I continue my stroll, arriving to the cornucopia, where a bunch of supplies still remain. I grin in delight as I see two swords hanging from the ceiling rack. I grab both of them, one for each hand, as I dual wield the blades. Now I'd like to see someone, anyone, come and try to kill me.

I get my wish, as I spot the bloodied girl from 3. I'm surprised, as I know she wasn't accustomed to killing, and was horrified by the act she'd just commited. But I guess getting that first one would be enough of a confidence booster for her to take me on. Deciding to have a little fun before I get into this fight, I taunt her a bit. "You're from District 3? Thought someone of your home would be smarter."

With that, I rush forward, wielding both my blades. Just as I suspected, she was a weak fighter, and she barely manages to block my first strike. What she failed to realize, is that I had to weapons, as I easily slip my second blade past her defenses, impaling her through the chest. She howls in pain as I rip out my sword, her once yellow shirt now stained of blood.

However, she does surprise me, as after that wound, most people would give in. But I guess adrenaline is a weird chemical, as the girl swings her ax at me. I duck under the slow attack, raking one of my blades across her midsection, as I hear the sound of something plop onto the marshy ground. When I turn around, her intestines are sprawled all over, reminding me of a bowl of chilly.

'''BOOM! '''That strike seemed to do her in. I take her backpack from her mutilated corpse, and sling it over my own shoulders. My work here was done. If that didn't please the sponsors in the capitol and get me some kind of attention, then nothing would. Taking one last look at the carnage, I sprint away, having done exactly what I had planned. Thin out the competition.

Saito Keitaro, District 3 Male
Cannons rang like a symphony of bells, as the bodycount kept increasing. I was already roughed up early in these games with a run-in with the boy from 12, who managed to get the upper hand on me. His advantage was short lived though, as I managed to distract him with the old "look behind you!" trick, which fooled him long enough for me to get away from the spear wielding boy.

Now I sit quietly in my position inside the bush, as I watch the tribute who had been crawling around and leaving a bloody trail everywhere finally went still and died. BOOM! I go over to investigate, rolling over the body. It's a nasty mess, with a long, bloody crevice stretching across the tributes entire torso. The unfortunate soul was none other than the girl from 9, who's life was just ended by someone with a blade.

Taking anything I could use from the deceased girl, I make my way into the cornucopia. The boy tributes from 8 and 9 looked worse for wear, each one of them sporting many bruises and bleeding wounds from the beatdown they'd been laying on each other for the past 5 minutes. They're fight seemed to finally be slowing down, as the boy from 8 put the boy from 9 in a submission hold.

They weren't my focus though, as I quickly grab what I need. I twirl a knife around in my hand, holding it properly as I prepare to leave. That is until I see two careers into inside the cornucopia. I quickly duck behind a crate, surprisingly falling on something soft instead of the hard metal. I hear a muffled cry under me as I land, and I'm quick to spring up, knife at the ready.

"Oh, it's just you." I whisper with relief. The girl from 6 must've been hiding her unnoticed the whole time. She's managed to grab plenty of items, I had wondered why she hadn't left. "What are you still doing here?" I ask, confused. "Him... the one from 9. He's my ally. I can't leave him!" she whispers back, as I look back to the boy from 9, who had begun to go still.

"It's too late for him, come on, you must go!" I urge the girl, "If you don't, those careers will kill you!" The girl then notices the two careers, who I identify as the boys from 2 and 1, come over to the exhausted boy from 8, who still has the boy from 9 in a choke hold. She seems to panic, ducking back down. "I-I can't! They're too strong! I can't... I c-"

I quickly quiet her, as the two career boys began speaking. "Well well well. The capitol love boy, mister eight male. Looks like you did quiet well taking down this lowlife." the boy from 1 cackles, obviously being the taunting type. The one from 2 stays silent, as he just observes his ally. "Here friend, let me help you out here." the boy from 1 says, stabbing his spear into the boy from 8. His yells echo through the cornucopia, as I quickly grab the girl from 6 and prepare to run, hoping the scream would mask our footsteps.

It seems to work, as only the boy from 1 follows us out. His friend from 2 goes back in, to finish the job I assume, as the career boy from 1 pursues us. '''BOOM! '''The cannon just adds some more noise as I rush ahead, the girl from 6 following me as I hear something whistle through the air. ''RIPPPPPPPPP! ''I look behind to see the spear tear through our supply bag, spilling it's contents onto the ground.

"Leave it! Your life, or the items!" I shout to my ally as I keep running. That's when I hear a cracking noise and my friend cry out in terror. I turn around to see her fall onto the ground, a whip lasso'd around her ankle, the boy from 10 pulling her closer. I quickly dive to grab my ally, unfortunately by her long hair. She yelps because of this, but I manage to halt her slide towards death, as I quickly put my blade into her hands. "CUT IT!" I scream, as she leans forward, cutting the whip from her leg.

The boy from 10 glares at us as we ruin his bullwhip, but it seemed to matter for not as the boy from 1 stood over us, grinning. "So close, yet so far! Guess that's the story of every tribute from district 3 and 6!" I get in front of the girl from 6, shielding her from the blow I know is coming. Maybe if I stopped the spear, she could still live. That's all that would matter to me.

I watched as the bronze metal gleamed in the light, as it came speeding towards my chest. I prepare to die, when all of sudden the spear is thrust sideways, and I see the boy from 9, who I'd thought to be dead by strangulation, stomp the polearm into the ground. He tackles the boy from 1 to the ground, looking back at me and the girl from 6. "RUN!" he shouts, before his face is pummeled by the 1 males fist.

"NO!!!" I hear my ally shout as I have to pry her away from her ally who was soon to be killed. I ran through the grassland, getting to the edge of the forest. I can hear my ally sob as we turn around from our safe spot in the forest, to see the boy from 9 go down, being put out for good by the boy from 10. BOOM! I never knew the tribute's name, but his actions would be remembered by me, and for that, I hoped his death was painless.

Aristides Domingo, District 2 Male
"Overrated." I mutter as I rip my blade from the 8 male's skull. I know the 9 male had gotten up, and had ran off. A test for my careers, it would be. When I arrive outside the cornucopia again, I take in the smell of blood as 9 corpses litter the ground. My careers arrived back from their chase of the boy from 3 and girl from 6, coming up empty handed.

"We would've had those suckers had their friend not interferred." Copper complains, as he rests against the cornucopia wall. "They're long gone now. Maybe we could hunt them tonight?" I nod silently. "If that's what you want, then we'll if everyone else agrees. But until then, I need to know how many tributes you eliminated today. Think of it as checking your work effort for a business."

Of course, show off Copper steps forward. "I got one. Funny story how I did, come at a good ti-" he's hushed up by a slug to the arm by Juniper. "What he was about to say, was he saw me get one too." I turn to Raini, who seems to be in an odd mood. Just by this, I can tell she murdered as well, as I knew she wouldn't take it lightly like most careers would.

"No need to say Raini. I can tell this is something you wouldn't wish to remember." I calmly order, trying to make sure she stays okay. "Why though? You should bask in the glory of killing!" Copper stupidly exclaims, as I begin to tire of his antics. "Enough." I order, and Copper surprisingly listens. I look to the boy from 10, who wasn't much for talking. "9 boy. He's taken care of."

"I took out the girl from 5." Marina shortly explains, trying to talk fast as if to hurry me up. I know why she did, it was a tactic to bail out a friend. "You, Marlin. How many?" I question, as Marlin faces away from me. "O-one." I know he's lying, I watched him attempt to take out the 8 female but fail and end up beaten by her. I was planning on letting him off easy, but since he dared lie to me, I would have to punish him so.

I slowly waltz over to Marlin. "I couldn't hear you over there. Say again?" I ask again. "O-" His answer is cut out by me grabbing his throat and lifting him onto the wall. Marina is appalled, and tries to save her friend, but Juniper and Copper restrain her. I ignore her cries to let Marlin go, as I prepare to show why I can only take so much. "Look here Marlin, I know you failed in your duty to kill. You see, we work as a business here, and taking out the others before they take us out, that's our trade."

"You have failed to meet the one simple goal of this business, and it could very well compromise it. I planned on letting you off, but since you lied to me, which is UNACCEPTABLE to this alliance, I have to remind you, that you do not put your coworkers in jeopardy." I drop Marlin on the ground as he gasps for air. Taking a knife, I make a shallow cut in his cheek, scarring his handsome face. A permamanent reminder to not lie to me.

"That goes for the rest of you. No secrets, no lying. We work as a unit. Understand?" I ask. "Good." I nod, as Juniper and Copper release Marina, who rushes past me and hugs Marlin, visibly tearing up as she thought her ally would be dead. "Patch him up. We have work to do tonight." I order the estranged girl, who glares at me. I walk away from my group, as I begin to plan for tonight. It was time to get to work.

Willow, District 7 Female
Keep going. That was the one thought in my mind. Get as far away from the cornucopia as I could, away from the careers. They were about to come out into the arena anyways, like hounds escaped from a pen. It was only a matter of time, and I wanted as much distance between me and them. That is why I just kept going, not stopping, not planning on stopping.

"Willow, please! Slow down... I can't do this anymore." I turn to my ally, who sits down in front of a tall tree. "What do you mean you can't do this anymore? The games just began!", I protest, "We have to keep moving! Those careers will be in these woods by tonight!" The girl just shakes her head, as she pulls up her pant leg. Then, I realize why we had stopped.

The girl from 2 had wounded her during the bloodbath. I remember, because I tossed a hatchet to buy us some time to escape. "I'm sorry. I-I can't continue..." my ally sighs, as blood still poured from the wound. She was growing weak, that I could tell, and I knew she wouldn't be alive much longer. "You don't mean that...", I cry, "You do not mean the words you just said!"

I crouch by my ally, furiously searching through our supplies. I can't find any medical kits. Nothing at all. Stupid! Why couldn't I have grabbed just one roll of gauze, ANYTHING and my ally could live! But now, she will probably die, and it will all be my fault. "Willow, it's hopeless... I'm a goner. You're just... wasting time and energy... it's time to let go." she calls out, as I hang my head. My eyes become watery, and I know that the capitol will realize my tough girl persona was merely an act.

My ally grabs my hand, looking at me in the eye. "Don't cry Willow. Please... don't make this tougher than it has to be..." I shake my head. "Please... don't leave me here alone... I don't know if I can do this myself..." I say, beginning to cry. I'm a blubbery mess, as my ally takes her other hand and wipes my tears away. "I failed you... all of you. I couldn't lead the anti careers, and now all of us but you are dead."

"Stay strong Willow. As your leader... this is my last command...", she whispers, focing a smile. I notice her eyes begin to close. "Please... no..." I mutter, sniffling as I wipe my eyes. Her grip loosens, and her body goes still. '''BOOM! '''My leader, my possible final ally alive, was gone. I was on my own now, and I had one shot. I couldn't let her down.

Drying my tears, I grab my deceased ally's supplies, taking them with me. I continue my trek away from the cornucopia, as the sun begins to lower in the sky. Night was upon the arena soon, and who knows what kind of creatures lurked. Taking one last look back, I notice the hovercraft come in, and grab her body. I hold my head high, knowing she wouldn't want me hanging it low. "Keep your chin up Willow. Confidence will keep you alive." One last bit of advice. One I'd keep from her till I died.

Raini Desmedona, District 1 Female
''I hear a rustle in the bushes, as the frenzies girl rushes at me with a sword. I panic, sliding on my back to avoid the swing. I quickly throw my hands up to block, but in my mad defense, my sword flies up and cuts through my attacker's torso, as blood splatters all over my body. I look in horror at the deed I had commited, as the tribute barely lives beneath me...''

I wake up with a gasp, as I notice two of my allies sitting by a campfire in front of the cornucopia. We had hunted for the rest of the day for tributes, coming up empty handed. I had grown exhausted from the travelling, and first chance I got when we returned to the cornucopia was get a bit of shut eye. Now, I was jolted awake by nightmares of the horrid act I'd commited earlier today, one which I wished to forget.

"Hey... you alright?" I hear a soft voice say in the dark cornucopia. I look around, noticing the recently scarred face of Marlin. "You seemed kind of frightened." I nod my head, sitting up from my sleeping bag. "Yea... I'm just... just having some issues sleeping." Marlin walks over, taking a seat by me. "Night terrors? Yea, I get them really bad too. I used to have a dreamcatcher... but don't tell anyone."

I smile a little bit, glad to know Marlin is still a human boy and not a robot like most careers were bred into. "I wonder how my people back home are doing. Hope my family isn't too worried about me.", Marlin continues on. "Mine too." I respond quietly. "They're probably worried sick about me." I cringe a bit as I remember someone like family too me, someone who had gotten me to such a high point... and how I repaid them for it.

Soon, a brass symphony echoes through the arena, alerting all of us careers. I rush out of the cornucopia, looking to the sky, to see the fallen victims of the first day. "Wonder if we'll be surprised by anyone." Juniper mutters sleepily, as the first face illuminates the sky. The girl from 3 pops up, who was one of the few tributes to not fall to a career blade.

Next up shows the boy from 5, another non kill by a career. The girl from 5 shows up, and I look to Juniper, who had claimed that victim. The boy from 7 pops up next, as Copper tries to fist bump Marina, who coldly brushes him off. The boy from 8 shows up next, as Aristides gives a silent, respectful nod to the sole tribute he killed.

The boy from 9 appears next, as I hear Copper grumble. Probably still mad about being bested by a nobody. His district partner's face shows up next, as I look away quickly. I still could remember her face as she looked down onto her mutilated chest, the look of horror and agony as she fell... ''QUIT THINKING ABOUT IT! ''I scold myself, pinching my arm to stop the thoughts.

The girl from 10 appears, explaining the cannon from this afternoon. I look to the boy from 10, an ally of our's and her district partner. He's as silent and stonefaced as usual, but he drops his head, looking to the grass. Even he respected her, despite them being polar opposites in alliance. The girl from 11 showed up, as Copper tried yet again to fistbump Marina on her kill, but this time she outright smacked his hand away and walked off.

The anthem closes with the 12 female, as the symphony stops and the normal ambience of night continue. "Everyone get some shut-eye. We have a big day tomorrow. 7 tributes are still out there, and we need to eliminate them before they eliminate us. We go hunting at first light.", Aristides orders us all. "Any questions?" Marina is the one to speak. "Who has the first shift?"

"I do." I volunteer. "I'm having trouble sleeping anyways. It can't hurt me that much." Aristides accepts my offer. "Raini does. In an hour, you'll wake Copper. He'll then wake Juniper, who'll wake me, and so on. You got the last shift bud." Aristides says, pointing to the 10 male. He silently nods, before dissapearing into the cornucopia. "Put this fire out. I'll see you tomorrow." Aristides tells me, as he and the others go to bed, leaving me alone with the gentle nightly ambience.

Colic, District 6 Male
Chirp chirp... how happy the birds sounded. Not like they had something always after them, something trying to kill them in every moment. They stood on their perch in the tall trees, their chirping somewhat musical. I'm sure a lot of tributes had run to the forest, as it provided good shelter from the elements. But what it also had was some dangerous mutts... some I had to escape from last night.

Climbing down from my tree which had been a rough bed, I stretch my aching muscles. This forest was oddly serene, but everything that appeared good in these games were usually false. The cornucopia was pretty much proof of this, yet just about everyone still ran to it and died. All those faces in the sky were victims of this great big lie, this huge illusion that it seemed only I could see through.

Now, it was time for my plan. My plan to ruin the games for the careers. I hated them with a burning passion, a fire that could only be quenched by their pain. Their type had been responsible for the deaths of so many tributes of the past, and now that the games had been reborn, it seemed they hadn't changed a bit. It was my job, my duty, to discorage future careers, and to encourage others to team up to take them down. Their lot needed to be vanquished, to be permanently extinct.

I grab my things and pack up, leaving the forest I'd made temporary shelter in. Walking through it's coarse grass and brambles, feeling the blades of grass brush up against my legs. It's trees stretched high into the sky, letting some rays of sunlight in to give it a mystical feeling. I'd almost become enchanted by it... almost. No distractions today from the arena.

I leave the woods, walking through the golden plains. The cornucopia was in sight, surrounded by a swampy waters. I remembered running through them in a rush to get my supplies. I was just about to start my process of ruining them, but the others began to show up, and I knew I'd have to leave. I keep walking towards the cornucopia, until I reach the beginning of the bog.

I crouch at the edge of the plains in the tall grass. Taking out a pair of binoculars, I look over the cornucopia. Empty. Foolish careers, they failed to leave one person on guard duty. This would be a piece of cake. Putting down my bincoluars and storing them in my duffel bag, I stand from my hidden position, as I trot through the bog and make my way into the cornucopia.

"Here we go." I whisper with a smile, as I begin to get the poisons out of my bags. I begin to grab foodstuffs and water from one side of the cornucopia, sprinkling a little bit of nightlock juice into some of them. I keep on going through with my plan, and things are going accordingly. I'm just about finished with my whole idea as I wrap up the poisoning process, when I hear metal bang against the cornucopia floor.

I whirl around, spotting the girl from 4 attempting to sneak up on me. I was not one for fighting, but I had learned just enough in training to stand my ground against a tribute, even one so dangerous as a career. She notices her stealthy cover is blown, as she rushes me trident in hand. I quickly rip the closest weapon off the rack to the rack behind me, and swing it towards the incoming trident.

''CLANG! ''My machete richochets the girl's attack, knocking her weapon aside. I swing my weapon in a high sweeping motion, but the girl swiftly ducks under the blow, hooking my machete with her trident. She then twists the weapon's blade, which wrangles it out of my hands. She smirks at me, seeing I'm unarmed. But her career arrogance hadn't thought of one thing...

I always had a backup plan.

Marina, District 4 Female
Foolish boy. Had he seriously thought the cornucopia would be completely empty? Of course not! Aristides had told me to stay hidden in here, for a free kill. What do you know, here is one here! The boy from 6 didn't stand a chance against me now. After all, I had just disarmed him from his own weapon. Now just to finish the weakened tribute off, to complete the job.

I lunge forward, aiming to impale the boy. He somehow gets away from my strike, before throwing a knife off the rack. I quickly duck, growling in anger as I feel it clip my cheek, as warm bloods wets my cheek. I look to the boy from 6, who starts to run. He wasn't getting away from me now, I wasn't going to let someone wound me and escape unharmed, that was for sure!

I give chase to the boy, who runs through the bog and into the fields. I could still spot his tomato colored jacket as he ran, focusing on it. I didn't care about leaving the cornucopia unattended, this tribute had to die. He had already crossed the line.

Our chase takes us through the plains, and into the woods. I'm surprised this boy hadn't grown tired yet, as I was beginning to fatigue, and hell, I was a career. It seems our chase is finally coming to an end though, as I spot the boy stall out in front of a river. Right where I wanted him. The water was my friend, and I knew I'd have an advantage if he tried to swim away.

But yet again, this tribute was tricky. He quickly pulls out an infatable raft, and begins pumping air into it. I get closer and closer to him, and just as I'm about to pounce on him, he gets into the inflated raft and pushes into the river. Not hesitating, I set my supplies on the shore so they wouldn't get wet. I take a deep breath, before diving into the river, continuing my pursuit.

I glide through the water, swimming after the escaping boy on his raft. Eventually, we go through some rapids, with the boy gaining speed. My shin bangs hard into a rock, as I cry out in pain, as I begin to lose control of my own swimming and the river takes me over. I gasp in terror as the current drags me underwater, as I feel myself being pulled deeper and deeper down.

I push myself back to the surface, inhaling a breath of air before I'm shoved back under by the current. I begin to panic, as my chest burns for air, my lungs being depleted of oxygen. My pleas of mercy are muffled by the water, as only the sounds of my air bubbles bursting through the liquid ring under the surface. Drowning truely was terrible, and soon it would claim my life.

However, the rough current begins to lighten. A break in the river! Kicking my legs furiously, I push with all my might to escape from the river bottom. My lungs blaze like hot peppers, as they crave air so bad. The last of my air escapes my mouth in bubbles as I scream in agony, water sloshing down my chest. I don't know if I can make it, as my hands claw the surface of the water...

I break free, gasping for breath as I begin to cough up water. I crawl out of the water, my wet clothes clinging to my body. I lie down on the muddy shore, as I have officialy lost track of the boy from 6. That wasn't the only thing that I had lost track of either... I didn't know where I was at all. I was seperated from my allies, soaking wet, and had nothing on me but a trident... I was in a dire situation indeed.

Xavier Scrypt, District 11 Male
"Someone has been here before." I say to myself, seeing a piece of torn cloth in some briars. Someone had been in a quick hurry to leave the woods. I followed some bent over grass out of the woods, and through the plains. They trodded over grass continued further south, until I came upon a rocky wasteland. "This looks like a rough place to stay." I joke, before continuing on.

Strange shaped spires of rock poke from the ground, going up into the air 20 to 30 feet. Crows caw menacingly, hanging from the sparse, ugly trees that lacked leaves. Boulders where common to find too, as the short stubby grass begin to lessen the hints of someone treading over them. My trail had begin to grow cold, and soon I'd lost track of where the tribute I was tracking had gone.

I decide to chance it, as I begin to climb up some of the rocky spires. I get up about 15 feet on one rocky spire, and I can see a good ways in each direction. But yet I still cannot find the tribute who had left these tracks. There where no cannons, so I know they couldn't be dead. Getting frustrated, I climb down from my spire, landing on the stubby grass with a thud.

Then, I soon realize why no one considered coming here. I hear a hiss in the bushes, as a pit viper slithers out of a bush, heading my way. I was surprised by how aggressive the snake is, as it rears up and attempts to strike me. I jump over the snake's extended head, and stomp down ontop of it, mashing it's brains into paste. "Pathetic." I say, spitting on the dead snake.

This did make me more cautious though, as I didn't really expect nasty snakes to be hiding here anyways. More crows caw, as even I'm unsettled by this atmopshere. I feel like someone's watching my every move, not like the people in the capitol, but another entity inside this arena watching. Something inhuman, it definetly didn't feel like another tribute.

Just as I'm about to get spooked and leave, I finally pick up the trail again. Using this hope, I continue my journey into the rocky wastelands. I keep my sword close, in case I had another encounter with another aggressive snake, or something much more dangerous... Something I have never seen the likes of in my life.

Marlin, District 4 Male
We begin returning from our hunt in the hills. It had been rather uneventful, and Copper was still bragging about the tribute he had killed yesterday. Man, he was so loud and obnoxious, I wondered if he had an off button. "So yea, one less threat in the arena, ya know?" He finishes his speech, before Aristides stops in his track. Juniper bumps into him, pretty much annoyed by the sudden stoppage. "What?" she protests, before Aristides readies for a fight. "Something's wrong."

Immediately, we rush into the cornucopia. Weapons are tossed from their racks, clustered around the on the floor. "Looks like someone attacked while we where gone." Copper states the obvious. "Where's Marina?" I ask, beginning to panic. She was the only career who didn't hate me, and at this point, I couldn't be alone with the others without her presence.

"Calm down Marlin.", Juniper orders, "There's not been a cannon yet. She's alive." I get on my knees, searching for her, intensely scraping around the floor. "Oh please be okay please be okay..." I blather, trying to find any sign of where she could've went. "Marlin, enough. She's obviously not here." Aristides states. "We need to find her! Come on, let's go!"

"She's a big girl, she can find her way back to the cornucopia.", Copper says boredly, "We should just stay here." I step up to Copper, getting mad at him for his lack of concern. "One of your allies is out there ALONE and who knows in what condition, and you just stand here?" I shout. "Back up little boy. You don't want trouble here." Copper warns, but I was pissed.

"What if it where you at there huh prissy boy? You would love it if someone came looking for you!"

"Marlin enough!" Juniper yells, grabbing me by the arm. I yank my arm from her grasp, as I begin to swing. My punch lands, hitting Copper in the face. Copper swings back, knocking me sideways. "You wanna go right now huh? I'm fine with killing you now by all means!" he screams, as Aristides has to hold him against the wall. "You're all being foolish right now! We're CAREERS, not children. Fighting each other won't bring Marina here, now will it?" Juniper argues, being the voice of reason.

"She's right. You think you two killing each other is going to help our plan out any?" Aristides points out, trying to calm down Copper. "Look, if you're so hellbent on finding Marina, I guess we can come to an agreement. Me, you, and Ten can go and hunt for her. Copper, Raini, and Juniper can stay here. Is that okay with everyone?"

The boy from ten, who I had forgotten was even here, nods silently. "Fine by me. As long as I don't have to deal with this load carrying the alliance down." Copper says, insulting me. "It'll work for me. Just be quick." Juniper adds on, as we finally come to an agreement. As I leave with Aristides and the ten boy, Copper glares at me. I knew he'd need to be killed, or I would find myself dead soon.