The 46th Fear Games

Post-Bloodbath POVs The Fear Series Part I

Heavily Inspried by American Horror Story and Scream Queens

Rules
1. You are able to submit up to two tributes, but when you're reserving a tribute, you can only reserve one. If the tribute is going to be new, you can hold the spot(s) for up to an hour. If you're going to post a link, you can hold the spot(s) for up to thirty minutes. Reservations last up to forty eight hours, meaning that you have two days to complete the tribute. However, holding a spot is different and it means that you're creating the tribute(s) right away.

2. Please, don't spam. If you want to get more people to join your Hunger Games, just ask me first. I could help you out by giving a sponsor reward for anyone who joined or who has joined, but if you do it without my permission (a.) it's rude and (b.) I'll kill your tribute right away (if you have a tribute). Also, trying to reach comment 100, or 200, or 300 is also extremely annoying. I'm fine if it's maybe two comments, but if you have three repeated comments (or more) I'll just ignore you and (possibly) kill your tributes. Keep in mind that I don't reward people for reaching these comment numbers on my Hunger Games.

3. Please stay active. If you submit a tribute, you're also secretly signing an agreement to stay active during the months these go on. My Hunger Games may range from one month (meaning I'll be quick in writing) to up to four months (meaning I'll be more descriptive and have longer writing). I may even go over four months, but if I do, then I'll be perfectly fine if you no longer are participating. Also, I don't figure out a victor until the last day of the Hunger Games. If I like a tribute, they may survive longer, but if their user is not active, don't expect them to win. It would be completely unfair to those who have participated and stayed active during these months.

4. I will try to update any where from once a day to, at the latest, once a week. Keep in mind that this isn't including anything that may happen to me or things that happen around me. I usually try my best to stay active and update, but I do experience times where I don't know what to write and it's a pain in the ass! I'll do everything in my power to keep on writing during these times, but since I practically have OCD, I may absolutely hate it and rewrite it.

5. I will be swearing a lot during these Hunger Games. I try not to go off on a crazy swearing spree, but with children killing children, it'd only be appropriate that some would be swearing. I mean, who wouldn't swear if they're trying to run away from an angry pack of mutts? I've heard people swear when they stub their toe, trust me, I could be a lot worse since someone may be shoving a sword right through you chest or stomach.

6. I appreciate advice and will follow it as closely as possible. While I may not be spot on, it will be close enough that I'm following the guidelines. Please keep your advice open for possibilities and incorporate as much into as you can. If you want your tribute to lay low for a day, tell them what they should do. Maybe they should try to preserve their food during the day or gather berries, because "laying low" might mean drowning in an ocean or sleeping in the middle of the ground.

7. I'll allow you to comment on my writing, including whether you like it or not. While I do really get angry if someone completely blows off my writing, I'll try my hardest not to have it affect the placings. However, if you're commenting on how bad my writing is, please turn it into constructive criticism. If you don't like my writing a certain way, I'll try my hardest to change it. However, if I truly don't like your ideas, then I will, nicely, say that I don't like it or that I don't really think it'd be the best for my Hunger Games.

8. Your tribute template must include the tribute's fear and how they react to fear. Since these aren't your typical Hunger Games, fear will be a huge factor in your tribute's outcome. Fears such as death or any other normal/stupid fear is highly condemned. While I want the tribute's fear to resemble their history, I don't want something as casual as death. I understand some tributes won't have many fears, but just one serious fear is enough to give your tribute more depth.

Tribute Template
I honestly don't really mind what you have on your tribute template, but I do recommend you having all of the following. If you don't, your tribute will be at a huge disadvantage since I won't be able to connect with him/her as well or I won't have any ideas for them. Make your tributes interesting and open for change, but not too open where a nice, little girl becomes a serial killer over night. Also, make your tributes realistic. If someone is nice and quiet, why would they have a killer side to them? I may in fact like your tribute enough that I allow them to survive longer than they should have. Without further ado, here's the recommended template:

Name: (This is required, both first and last. Names that are boring or regular will be completely ignored.)

Age: (Ages twelve through eighteen. If I want someone younger, I'll ask a user to create one.)

District: (The Capitol and Districts Zero through Fourteen will be cooperating. If there hasn't been an update in a while, post two or three alternative districts just in case. It'll ensure they get a spot.)

Gender: (Male or female. This is pretty self explanatory.)

Personality: (This should help resemble the backstory. If a tribute spent their entire life playing sports, then they'd be athletic and competitive, not quiet and weak. Please, just think about if you were this tribute and went through the same things they went do. If it is a nice person, do not add that she has a killer side to him/her, all the tributes will need to kill another and you just don't need to add it.)

Backstory: (I don't care if you call it history or background, but please put some thought into this. Tell me what your tribute's life has been like, and please include as much as you can. I don't care if they're the most boring tribute possible, but I need to know why they're so boring or why they act a certain way.)

Weapons: (I'd prefer only one to two weapons, but three is tolerable. Anything above three will be ignored. Please try to have your weapons resemble your tribute, like if they've been living in District Seven their lives and throwing axes against trees, don't say their weapon is a baton or a mace, it should be axes, since they're better at it.)

Appearance: (This should be shown in a lunaii and a real life picture, but if you post a description, I'll try my hardest to create a lunaii and find an image that relates. It may not be exactly how you pictured it, but if you don't get it yourself, I'm not going to say that I'm sorry, since you should have got it. If you don't post a lunaii or real life picture, please post as accurate of a description as you can. Saying that she has green eyes and blonde hair is not descriptive enough.)

Reasons for Winning: (This is a section completely new and completely optional. Every tribute wants to come home for something or someone, so tell me. However, if you say they want to come home for their girlfriend and there was no girlfriend in their backstory, I will ask you to try and add her in the backstory or tell me about what the two did together, like would they kiss each other or were they stuck in the friend zone?)

Fear(s): (Every tribute is afraid of something, but please, try to keep your fears similar to their backstory. If they were attacked by crows when they were younger, don't tell me that they fear something like heights, they'd fear crows. I'd prefer to have at least two fears, but the more you have, the more I'll like your tribute.)

Reaction to Fear(s): (Since every tribute is afraid of something, they react differently to their fear. You may not say that your tribute just ignores their fear, or else they will have a huge disadvantage. The more detailed you are about how they react, the better I can portray your tribute.)

If you want to add anything else, such as strengths, weaknesses, height, etc. please feel free to. These are just the ones I'll be looking the most at and the ones that I'll use to determine whether your tribute survives longer than the others or not. Advice may also influence how long your tribute lasts, but the better the tribute template is, the more I'll enjoy your tribute. Please put a lot of consideration into making your tributes, because the nicest tribute might win, or may the meanest. You never know.

Real Life Gallery
''Coming Soon. . . ''

Careers
Finn Koran (1), Dazzle Glathworth (1), Radiant Tayz (2), Isla Ackleson (2), Fausto Grandeur (4), Tessa Griffin (4), Callimont Crusoe (12)

Anti-Careers
Giorno Giovanna (Cap), Apio Atsu (3), Jayda Idylwyld (3), Lenox Asa (6), Cheyanne Violanta (9), Soot Dustcloud (12)

District Zero and Fourteen Alliance
Topher Celene (0), Elise Stokes (14)

District Eight and Fourteen Alliance
Banette Tsukomogami (8), Luxray Meganium (14)

District Eight and Nine Alliance
Verena Chambray (8), Crow Messor (9)

Loners
Fabrina Lustrus (Cap), Briggs Mitchell (0), Aster Bright (5), Peach Proston (5), Caliban Rweed (6), Axel Alex (7), Clara Shrub (7), Libomin Pigfield (10), Sharlene Randell (10), Garth Stormcloak (11), Taligelia Rendervault (11), Caesar Sharpclaw (13), Laura Power (13)

Careers
Dazzle Glathworth (1), Radiant Tayz (2), Isla Ackleson (2), Fausto Grandeur (4), Tessa Griffin (4), Callimont Crusoe (12)

Anti-Careers
Jayda Idylwyld (3), Soot Dustcloud (12)

District Zero and Fourteen Alliance
Topher Celene (0), Elise Stokes (14)

District Eight and Fourteen Alliance
Banette Tsukomogami (8), Luxray Meganium (14)

District Eight and Nine Alliance
Verena Chambray (8), Crow Messor (9)

Loners
Fabrina Lustrus (Cap), Briggs Mitchell (0), Apio Atsu (3) (Separated from Alliance), Aster Bright (5), Caliban Rweed (6), Lenox Asa (6) (Separated from Alliance), Axel Alex (7), Sharlene Randell (10), Taligelia Rendervault (11), Caesar Sharpclaw (13), Laura Power (13)

The Sponsors
''Whenever money is earned during the course of the Hunger Games, it will appear besides the amount you currently had. For example, if you already had $400 and earn $100 for killing a tribute, it will appear like this: $400 +$100.''

The Sponsoring Gifts
''Due to the twist and the supplies available at the cornucopia, all weapons that were not at the cornucopia cost an extra $100 while weapons available at the cornucopia are $100 cheaper. Also, sources of light cost an extra $100 due to how important it is during these Hunger Games. During the course of the Hunger Games, some weapons and supplies will be cheaper or more expensive on certain days. ''

Weaponry
Awl: $150 (original price $250)

Axe: $400 (originally $300)

Baton: $400 (originally $300)

Blowgun: $650 (originally $550)

Bow: $650 (originally $550)

Brass Knuckles: $450 (originally $350)

Chakram: $600 (originally $500)

Club: $450 (originally $350)

Club (Spiked): $550 (originally $450)

Crossbow: $700 (originally $600)

Dagger: $200 (originally $300)

Darts (x12): $400 (originally $300)

Flail: $500 (originally $400)

Hammer: $400 (originally $300)

Hatchet: $450 (originally $350)

Javelin: $400 (originally $500)

Knife: $150 (originally $250)

Mace: $450 (originally $350)

Mace (Chained): $550 (originally $450)

Machete: $300 (originally $400)

Morning Star: $550 (originally $450)

Needles (x6): $400 (originally $300)

Poison: $350 (originally $250)

Quiver of Arrows (x12): $300 (originally $200)

Rocks (x12): $250 (originally $150)

Scythe: $350 (originally $450)

Shield: $400 (originally $300)

Shurikens (x12): $400 (originally $500)

Sickle: $350 (originally $450)

Slingshot: $500 (originally $400)

Spear: $350 (originally $450)

Spike Trap: $500 (originally $400)

Sword: $250 (originally $350)

Throwing Axes (x3): $600 (originally $500)

Throwing Knives (x6): $400 (originally $500)

Trident: $600 (originally $500)

Whip: $450 (originally $350)

Food
Apples (x12): $150

Bananas (x12): $150

Bread (loaf): $250

Cookies (x12): $150

Crackers (x30): $100

Dried Meat (x3): $150

Energy Drink: $300

Granola Bars (x12): $200

Oranges (x12): $150

Soup: $250

Water: $300

Warmth
Blanket: $250

Matches: $400 (originally $300)

Sleeping Bag: $200

Medicine
Antidote: $500

Anti-infection: $500

Burn Cream: $450

Insta-Relief: $700

Painkillers: $400

Sleep Syrup: $350

Miscellaneous
Alcohol: $500

Canteen (empty): $300

Camouflage Paints: $450

Drug of Choice: $500

Flares (x3): $450 (originally $350)

Flashlight: $400 (originally $300)

Gasoline: $350

Gloves: $200

Hat: $200

Net: $350

Night-Vision Goggles: $600 (originally $500)

Parka: $300

Rope: $200

Socks: $150

Spile: $250

Wire: $400

The Sponsoring Money System
The following factors play an influence on the amount of money the tributes receive for sponsoring: During the courese of the Hunger Games, there are three different ways to earn money or receive discounts on the gifts:
 * Whether they were reaped or volunteered
 * Their district (Capitol tributes get a bonus)
 * Whether they are a Career tribute or not
 * Whether they are in an alliance or a loner (romances get a bonus)
 * Their training score
 * Their odds of winning
 * The 8 tributes in the training favoritism earn a bonus
 * Every time a tribute gets a kill, they earn $100
 * Every time a tribute gets a distinct assist, they earn $50
 * Tributes on the Capitol Favoritism for a certain day of the Hunger Games earn a discount on the gifts if they purchase the items the following day (if your tribute was on the Capitol Favoritism for Day 1, you can send them discounted gifts for Day 2, but not for Day 3)
 * Games Favoritism #1: 75% off
 * Games Favoritism #2: 50% off
 * Games Favoritism #3: 40% off
 * Games Favoritism #4: 25% off
 * Games Favoritism #5: 20% off
 * Games Favoritism #6: 15% off
 * Games Favoritism #7: 10% off
 * Games Favoritism #8: 5% off

The Arena
The arena resembles a post-apocalypse city, completed with destroyed buildings and an abandonned underground train station. Every hour of the day is covered in a thick darkness, with the only possible way to keep track of time being by the daily thunderstorms from midnight to six o'clock in the morning. The arena can further be divided into different sections: the cornucopia, the buildings, the underground train station, and the forest.

Cornucopia
The Cornucopia contains essential items for the tributes' survival, including crates of food, backpacks (small and large), flashlights, and water canteens. However, the only type of weapon the cornucopia has at the start of the Hunger Games is bladed weapons, mainly different types of knives and swords, with a limited amount of daggers, spears, and shurikens. There's no other weapons in the cornucopia except for the aforementioned.

The Cornucopia lays in the center of the arena, with destroyed buildings and abandonned roads surrounding it. Instead of having soft grass underneath the cornucopia, it rests on cracked pavement, which once served as the city square. A nonfunctional fountain sits a decent distance from the mouth of the cornucopia, providing decent coverage for tributes. The fountain remains in a good condition, with only small sections of it collapsing, except for the fact it doesn't contain any water.

Buildings
The Buildings are scattered all across the arena, ranging in both size and shape. Some buildings have been completely destroyed, while others remain perfectly intact. With the buidlings covering the main portion of the arena, other tributes are usually the largest threat to the tribute. However, there may be a few mutations roaming freely around, some of which may be incredibly dangerous, but the chances are much slimmer than they are in the forest. Another huge threat is that the Gamemakers have complete control over the buildings, and they will do anything to frighten the tributes.

The Buildings may also provide food, water, and weapons for the tributes. Weapons that weren't at the cornucopia (and some that were) can occasionally be found hidden somewhere, if the tribute searches hard enough. Sometimes the weapons may be out in plain sight, but other times, they may be hidden very well in the rooms.

The Buildings are classified in a somewhat simple fashion. The first letter in the name of the building identifies what direction the building is corresponding to the cornucopia (i.e. buildings north of the cornucopia start with N). The following number identifies how close it is to the cornucopia, with the smaller numbers being closer to the cornucopia. The last number identifies whether it's closer to the left or right side in comparison to the other buildings of the same direction (i.e. buildings ending with a zero are the furthest to the left, while buildings ending with a nine are the furthest to the right).

Examples of Building Classifications: Building S25 (located south of the cornucoipia, close to the cornucopia, and right in the middle); Building E57 (located east of the cornucopia, same distance from the cornucopia to the forest, and closer to the right side of the section); Building W92 (located west of the cornucopia, close to the forest, and closer to the left side of the section)

Underground Train Station
The Underground Train Station runs throughout the entire arena, although it's underground and covered heavily in debris. Without a flashlight, the tribute could be easily lost, and if the ground above them collapses, they may die from oxygen depravation if not crushed. Mutts tend to roam more freely around the underground train station than the buildings, but there's still more dangerous mutts in the forest. There are four entrance staircases for the underground train station, each one in a different direction from the cornucopia (i.e. north, east, south, and west).

The Underground Train Station does not have any safe sources of water, but if a tribute searches deep enough, they may find some food or a metal tool that could be used as a weapon. However, the underground train station prevents tributes from receiving sponsoring gifts, as there's no way a gift could reach the tribute. If a gift is sent to the tribute, they will receive it once they're outside.

The Underground Train Station is classified in a simple fashion. All the train tracks are numbered, with the tracks running from the north to south being even numbers and hte tracks running from the west to east being odd numbers. The train tracks aren't exactly straight (they're more like a maze), but whenever a track turns to face a different direction, the number for it changes. The smaller numbered tracks are closer to the west side of the arena, while the higher numbered tracks are closer to the east side of the arena. Tracks between forty and sixty and in between the west and east side of the arena.

Examples of Underground Train Station Classifications: Track 45 (located only marginally closer to the west side of the arena, and runs from the west to east); Track 16 (located near the west side of the arena, and runs from the north to south); Track 77 (located between the middle and the east side of the arena, and runs from the west to east)

Forest
The Forest is located on the outskirts of the arena, being incredibly small compared to the rest of the arena and creating the circular shape of the arena. There's only about a half mile distance from the start of the forest to the force field preventing tributes from escaping the arena. Of all the other parts of the arena, it has the most threats, with multiple mutations residing in the forest. However, unlike the other parts of the arena, the forest can not be controlled by the Gamemakers at all, so it may be safer for some to hide here.

The Forest is also the only place in the arena where you can hunt for food, with the exception of the stray squirrel or bird roaming the abandonned city, and have access to a clean water source. All the plants located in the forest are safe to eat, and absolutely none of the berries are poisonous. To some extent, the forest provides the greatest chance for survival, providing both food and shelter. All the animal mutations are also edible, although they are dangerous to the tribute while still alive.

The Forest is classified in a very simple fashion. The first letter identifies the direction the tribute is from the cornucopia (i.e. the forest north of the cornucopia starts with N). The following numbers identify where the tribute is located as if they were a part of a clock separated into 60 sections (i.e. the forest directly west of the cornucopia would end with 45).

Examples of Forest Classifications: Forest E12 (located to the east of the cornucopia, and slightly north of the east side of the arena); Forest S37 (located to the south of the cornucopia, and almost directly between the east and south side of the arena); Forest N55 (located to the north of the cornucopia, and towards the west side of the arena)

Note: The letter for the direction the tribute is in comparison to the cornucopia is rather useless with the following numbers. However, it makes it easier to judge where the tribute is by including the direction. As long as you imagine the forest as a clock with the minute hand, it's very easy to understand.

Tributes' Uniform
The tribute's uniform for the Fear Games is exactly the same, with the only variation being the color of the jacket and the type of shirt underneath. All the girls wear a v-neck while all the boys wear a crew neck. The color of the shirts are a lighter shade of the color of their jacket. The lightweight, nylon jacket has a standard collar, two pockets at the waist, and is zipped in the front. The jacket is water and wind resistant, although it doesn't entirely protect the tribute from the cold weather. They all wear slim-fit cargo pants with two front pockets, two back flap pockets, and two long pockets along the legs. The tan pants are tucked into the tributes' combat boots. The black boots have both lace-up and zip closure, go up to the tribute's upper calf, and have grippy soles. The color of each of the tribute's jackets are the following:

The Capitol: Cardinal Red 

District Zero: Light Gray 

District One: Orchid Pink 

District Two: Orange Red 

District Three: Daffodil Yellow 

District Four: Light Sea Green 

District Five: Pale Turquoise 

District Six: Pale Green 

District Seven: Oak Brown 

District Eight: Blue Violet 

District Nine: Pumpkin Orange 

District Ten: Blood Red 

District Eleven: Lime Green 

District Twelve: <font style="color: #708090">Slate Gray 

District Thirteen: <font style="color: #000080">Navy Blue 

District Fourteen: <font style="color: #FFC0EA">Pastel Pink 

Capitol Favoritism
The Capitol Favoritism will show who the Capitol is rooting for, but only the top eight will be shown. Each day, including training, a new chart will be added, showing who is being rooted for the most. A tribute that is on the training favoritism chart were being rooted the most during training, and the entire training days. The charts will most likely chart every day, so there'll always be a new chart at either the end of the previous day or the start of the new day. When the day starts, the chart will not change. When there's less than eight tributes left, the chart will only contain as many placings as the tributes that are left.

Training scores, amount of kills, romantic relationships, and other impacts your tribute does to the Hunger Games will influence the favoritism chart. Tributes that seem to be surprising, even if they may be weak, will also influence the decision, especially if they suddenly turn out to be a crazy killer while they performed terribly on training. Many different qualities will also influence the favoritism, as those who are charming will be liked more by the Capitol than someone who is rude.

This concept was originally created by Kaeghan. If you plan on using this in your own Hunger Games, please credit Kaeghan-is-a-Tribute, also known as Kaeghan, for the creation of this.

The Twist
Before the start of the Hunger Games, each tribute has received two tattoos on their legs, each of a different tribute's name and district. Starting on the second day, one tribute will feel a burning sensation of the tattoo, where it will change its color from black to blood red. During that day, the tribute must kill one of the two tributes tattooed on their leg unless both tributes are dead. In this case, the tribute will have to choose from one of the alternate options. If the tribute doesn't have any alternate options available, they'll still receive the prize—being able to live another day. If the tribute fails to kill any of the tributes on their leg or their alternate options, the tribute will end up dying from the tattoo, which will inject poison into their bloodstream if they're too late.

If a tribute does not want to kill the tributes on their leg, there are two alternate options. First, the tribute may choose to kill their district partner, if their district partner is still alive. The other alternative is to kill one of their allies, if they have allies that are still alive. Please note that the only alliances involving in this rule are the established alliances before the tributes entered the arena. Two (or more) tributes must be a part of an alliance for more than 24 hours for the tribute's allies to be considered eligible for this alternative.

Now, you may be wondering how this twist is inspired by American Horror Story and Scream Queens. One of the major recurring themes in both of these horror shows is betrayal, which is the purpose of this twist. The tributes truly can't trust one another, and that's exactly what I was trying to create: an atmosphere where you were forced into always being aware that someone might be out to get you.

''Please Note: All these tributes were randomly assigned tributes that they would hunt as a part of their twist (if their tattoo is activated). The only time tributes were changed was if their district partner or themselves were the one they were supposed to hunt. Users may have tributes hunting their other tributes or even tributes in their alliance. ''

Briggs Mitchell - District Zero
In all my dreams about the future, I have never thought about what would happen if I entered the Fear Games. I've had a week to prepare myself for the arena, but it's like my mind still can't wrap around the concept. Every morning, I keep thinking that I might wake up from this horrible nightmare, but this nightmare is reality. And I'm smart enough to know that no matter how hard you try, you cannot truly escape reality. The Capitol may try to escape the reality of their sins of having children killing themselves by acting as if it's just a fun game, but they know that there will eventually be consequences to their actions. It's only a matter of time.

I don't remember when the pedestal started raising, I just remember sitting on it, waiting for the imminent moment when I enter the arena. Maybe it's because I'm expecting a blinding light, but instead, I'm surrounded by darkness. I raise to my feet when I feel the pedestal stop, and allow my eyes a brief moment to adjust to the darkness. It appears as though the material of the cornucopia is actually illuminating light, so that you can sort of see what surrounds the cornucopia. The light barely reaches the other tributes, and behind me, there's only a faint outline of a city or buildings or something.

The timer appears above the cornucopia in a bright, white light, counting down from sixty seconds. I scan the weapons and supplies at the cornucopia, looking desperately for a chakram. Swords, knives, daggers—only bladed weapons? I can't spot a single chakram anywhere. I can feel a bead of sweat start to form above my eyebrow as I realize how screwed I'd be without a chakram. Hell, I might not have focused on using shurikens, but I'd rather use a shuriken than throwing knives, a weapon that's foreign to me.

Thirty seconds remain on the clock, and I can practically feel myself becoming desperate as I look over the cornucopia again. There has to be something similar to a chakram or shuriken, right? There's decent-sized backpacks, which would be a necessity for survival, but to stay alive in the arena, I need some sort of weapon. Everyone can use a knife, but you'd have to get close to attack someone with it. I'm not strong enough to attack another tribute with just a knife. I need a ranged weapon, period.

As the timer hits fifteen, my frantic eyes lock upon a belt of shurikens, almost hiding behind a large backpack. I could easily grab both the shurikens and the backpack, but they're right in the mouth of the cornucopia, where every other tribute is running. If I don't get out before everyone starts to gather supplies, I may not be able to leave alive. The Careers are already targetting me due to my training score of eleven, and if I run right into their "den," they could kill me before I even reach the shurikens.

There's only a couple seconds left on the timer, and I'm forced to make my decision. I could grab supplies nearby and ensure my safety of the bloodbath, but I'd be f***ed for the rest of the Fear Games. But if I attempt to grab the shurikens, I might be dead before the end of the day. The thought of this being my last day flashes across my mind, but I push it back, focusing entirely on the shurikens. I've made my decision, a decision that may cost me my life, but I'd rather risk my life now than suffer through the rest of my time in the arena.

The gong rings, and I sprint towards the shurikens.

Lenox Asa - District Six
As the gong sounds, I hesitate for a moment before running off of the pedestal. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the small girl from Thirteen—Laura or Lauren or something—being engulfed in the darkness as she runs away from the cornucopia. I hear a girl scream to my left, and notice the scream came from Cheyanne (9), who's sprinting towards the cornucopia. Caesar (13) gets up from the ground—he must've tried diving at her—and starts chasing her. I want to help my ally, but I'm not going to go against that mutt-person hybrid thing to save her.

A couple meters away from me, Verena (8) and Caliban (6) fight over a decent-sized backpack. Crow (9), Verena's (8) ally, stands a little distance away, watching his ally with a worried expression. Caliban (6) tries pushing Verena (8) away, but she manages to get the upper hand, somehow managing to elbow him in the face. He releases the backpack, both hands covering his face where blood starts oozing wildly out of his nose. While distracted, Verena (8) and Crow (9) escape, looking over their shoulders every so often until they disappear into the darkness. Aster (5) flees in the opposite direction of them, carrying little supplies.

Caliban (6) eyes lock with mine for a moment, but instead of attacking me, he runs towards another backpack a little distance away. The backpack is considerably smaller in size, but it's still full of supplies. When a tribute runs right past me with a backpack and a knife, I force myself out of the trance, grabbing a small knife nearby my pedestal. The tributes are still looking for weapons rather than fighting, so I hold the knife close to my chest and look for my allies.

"Lenox!" I hear Cheyanne (9) scream, and my head turns towards the sound. Cheyanne (9) holds onto small backpack, and flashes me a smile.

Someone appears behind Cheyanne (9), but before I can even respond, the person—no, the person-mutt hybrid thing from Thirteen—jumps on top of her. Cheyanne's (9) ear-splitting scream is muffled as the hybrid thing rips off part of her cheek with his claw. Tears stream down her face, and she tilts her head back, locking eyes with me just moments before the hybrid bites her nose and most of the skin on her face off with his bare teeth. There's no point in helping her now when her skull is visible through her blood. She's officially the first death in the 46th Fear Games.

But the hybrid doesn't stop mutilating her. Instead, he digs his claws deep into her eyes, ripping them out in a swift movement. Blood sprays into his face, but instead of looking disgusted, he appears to be pleased. His teeth, already tinted from the blood, dig deep into her throat, ripping out her thyroid cartilage, as if he's bobbing for apples. As the hybrid digs its claws into Cheyanne's (9) shoulder, he looks up, locking eye contact with me.

He flashes me a smile, his teeth covered in the blood and skin of an innocent, little girl, who I chose not to protect, even though she was my ally. It seems ironic that my siblings and cousins suffered a similar fate, with them not being protected by the ones that should've been protecting them. But I don't spend much time dwindling on the thought, instead, I run away.

Caliban (6) is fleeing in the same direction as I, so I veer to my right, trying to distance myself from any possible threat. Out of the corner of my eyes, I notice Axel (7) fleeing with a small backpack, flashlight, and a knife. He looks over his shoulder, making eye contact with me, before dashing away, vanishing in the darkness. As I'm about to get out of view of the bloodbath, I look back towards Cheyanne's (9) corpse, where the hybird is pulling a backpack off of her corpse. Whatever happened to him as a child, it's made him into a monster, both mentally and physically. But he will die sooner or later, even if I have to kill him myself.

Apio Apsu - District Three
The Anti-Careers are already crumbling. The alliance wasn't very strong in the first place, but I assumed we would at least survive the bloodbath. Cheyanne (9), one of my allies, has already fallen, and Lenox (6) fled without considering the rest of the alliance. Giorno (Cap) hasn't even moved since the gong sounded, and I can't see where my other two allies are, but they're probably gathering supplies. Before entering the Fear Games, our plan was to meet in the cornucopia, and try to take control of it before the Careers. But the Careers have already dominated the cornucopia, all of them fighting tributes away from their supplies.

I manage to get close to the mouth of the cornucopia without any complications. The closest tributes to me, Finn (1) and Sharlene (10) are engaged in a fight, but while Finn (1) has a better weapon, the fight is intense. I drop to the ground when Finn's (1) sword almost cuts me when he's swinging it towards Sharlene (10). She ends up dodging the attack, cutting his forearm, and a low growl escapes his throat. I jump to my feet, trying to run away, but Finn (1) backs into me, causing me to lose my balance and him to drop his sword. Sharlene (10) deeply cuts Finn's (1) stomach with her knife, and when he tries tackling her, she kicks him to the ground besides me.

"Bitch," Finn (1) curses as Sharlene (10) runs off. He moves his hand to his stomach, touching his wound, and darts his eyes towards me. "I'm going to kill you."

I try to get on my feet, but Finn (1) pulls my leg back. He tries crawling on top of me, but I violently twist him off of me. My foot aimlessly kicks, and when my foot makes contact with his chest, his grasp on my leg loosens, allowing me to escape. I dive for the knife in front of me, and I point it towards Finn (1), who's clearly suffering from his knife wound in his stomach. He stupidly tries to tackle me, but I shove the knife right into his forehead as he does. His body goes limp on my legs.

A girl screams to the left of me, and I look to see that it's Dazzle (1). I yank the knife out of Finn's (1) forehead, and quickly grab the flashlight besides me. When Dazzle (1) starts running towards me, I've barely been able to get to my feet. She's unable to catch up to me when I start sprinting away, poorly trying to throw knives at me. By the time my surroundings have started to become harder for me to see, she's no longer behind me. Just then do I realize that I did exactly what Lenox (6) did, flee without my allies. But I'm too afraid to risk going back.

Elise Stokes - District Fourteen
I still wait close by my platform, carefully scanning the cornucopia for an opportunity to grab the throwing knives and leave. Of course, the only set of throwing knives left are positioned in the mouth of the cournucopia, where most of the action is occurring, but I'm not prepared to leave without them. Going through a Fear Games without a weapon basically guarantees your death, unless you end up with good sponsors. But with my somewhat mediocre training score, there's a slim chance that I'll actually gain any sponsors.

Although the Fear Games have just started, the Careers are already dominating the bloodbath, even though they don't appear to be as strong as they have in previous years. Accepting an outsider, especially someone from District Twelve, is a huge indicator of it, and of the two tributes that have fallen, one was a Career. Still, all the Careers appear to be engaging in a battle with another tribute, but it's hard to determine who is winning the fight.

Fausto (4), who I believe is the leader of the Careers, makes the first kill from a Career. He yanks the beautiful blonde hair of Peach (5), causing her to fall hard on her back. She frantically tries to stab him with a knife, but he steps on her wrist, snapping it. Before Peach (5) is able to grab the knife with the other hand, he pins her to the ground with his knees. Using her own knife, he slits her throat in a quick movement, a rather painless death. As he moves away from the corpse, he leaves a huge opening for me to grab the knives.

Fabrina (Cap) runs right by me as I'm running towards the cornucopia, and I realize that approximately a fourth of the tributes have already left the bloodbath. Banette (8) and Luxray (14) leaving after gathering supplies from the outskirts marks the second alliance to leave the bloodbath, which surprises me. I would've assumed Luxray (14) would be engaged in the fighting, but I guess he's playing it safe.

I hear a sickening crunch to my left, and turn towards it. I see Jayda (3) grabbing her face, blood flowing between her fingers, while Tessa (4) pleasingly smirks. When she tries to punch her again, though, Jayda (3) kicks her in the stomach. As I grab onto the knives, I look up just in time to see Isla (2) tackle Libomin (10) from behind. He tries to squirm out from underneath her, but she starts to repeatedly stab him with an awl. It's not long before he stops squirming.

"Elise!" a familiar voice calls out, and I turn to see Topher (0) running towards me. A knife flies right past my face, and I hear Topher (0) scream in pain.

Callimont (12). That son of a bitch aimed the knife at my ally. My ally who, eventually, will have to die in order for me to go home, but my ally, nonetheless. When she throws another knife towards Topher (0), I tackle him to the ground, and the knife flies right into Garth's (11) back. He screams out in pain, rips the knife right out of his back, and charges after his district partner, completely ignoring Callimont's (12) attack.

I look down to see Topher's (0) forehead gushing blood—he must've hit it against the crate when I tackled him. Callimont (12) now seems to be in a fight against one of the Anti-Careers, so I pull Topher (0) to his feet. As we start running away from the bloodbath, I grab onto a backpack, putting it over one shoulder, as I use my other arm to push Topher (0) ahead of me. Although he nearly falls over multiple times, we finally escape the bloodbath, heading towards the city.

Isla Ackleson - District Two
It is absolutely unacceptable for the Careers to have lower training scores than, not just one, but two tributes from weaker districts. Briggs Mitchell (0) and Sharlene Randell (10), two girls that didn't stick out at all until the training scores were revealed. In fact, the two girls I thought were the biggest threats, Jayda (3) and Elise (14), turned out to be rather mediocre. Elise (14) may have scored a nine, but her odds of winning were in the double digits, which is rather disappointing for anyone from a Career district.

I watch as Garth (11) chases Taligelia (11) with a knife, yelling racial slurs more frequently as he starts to slow down from exhaustion. But, while he's focusing on the African-American girl, he is oblivious to everyone else, a fatal flaw during the bloodbath. I shout towards Tessa (4), getting her attention, and gesture towards Garth (11). She seems to understand the gesture, and throws a spear right through his heart. For a second, he stays unmoving, but the next second, he's on the ground, dead. Taligelia (11) disappears instantly.

"Isla! Dazzle! She's right there!" Radiant (2) shouts. I turn towards him, and see that he's pointing towards Briggs (0), who has just grabbed onto shurikens. "Get her!"

Dazzle (1) is the first one to reach Briggs (0), and wields a sword recklessly at her throat. However, Briggs (0) dodges the attack and swings her backpack at Dazzle's (1) head. Upon contact, Dazzle (1) is flung to the side, her her head banging against the walls of the cornucopia. There's a sickening sound that causes me to cringe, and she falls on the ground, either dead or unconscious. Briggs (0) starts running away before we're close enough to attack her her.

I pursue Briggs (0) with Radiant (2) close on my heels and start to throw knives at her. Of the four knives I threw, two would've killed her—had she not been wearing a backpack—and the others were just badly aimed. With less and less light as we run further away from the cornucopia, there's not a lot that I can do. If only this arena had more light, I would've been able to throw a knife into her head by now. Instead, I'm forced to chase her through a dark forest using my other senses. Eventually, the darkness overcomes us, and I can't even see Radiant (2) anymore.

Jayda Idylwyld - District Three
The bleeding of my nose has died down since Tessa (4) punched it, but I can clearly tell that it's broken. Tessa (4) and I stopped fighting after I kicked her, but I know she'll be seeking vengeance on me sooner or later. Most of the other Anti-Careers, though, have completely failed to actually fight the Careers. Cheyanne (9) died right away. Lenox (6) left before the bloodbath really started. Apio (3) did kill a Career, but disappeared soon after. Soot (12) tried killing some weaker tributes, but they all managed to run away from him. Giorno (Cap) just recently moved away from the platform, but at least he's fighting with Tessa (4).

"We have to leave!" Soot (12) yells to Giorno (Cap) and I. I've noticed that the number of tributes still at the cornucopia has decreased as well, but I want to at least one more Career to die before the bloodbath ends. "Jayda! Giorno! We have to leave n—"

At the sudden stop, I worriedly glance towards Soot (12). His eyes are wide, staring at a knife sticking in the middle of his chest. His hands grab onto the hilt of the knife, trying to pull it out, but his hands shake too aggressively that he is unable to. Eventually, he collapses on the ground, and I look to see that Callimont (12) threw it. I want to attack her, but Giorno (Cap) beats me to it. He knocks Tessa (4) to the side, and lunges towards Callimont (12) with his sword. She dodges the attack, but the distraction allows me to run to Soot (12) safely.

Soot's (12) pulse is low, but it's still there. He motions for me to leave, but I shake my head, stubbornly refusing. I attempt to promise that everything will be fine, but neither of us believes us. Maybe it would've been more convincing had I not choke on my own tears. I'll be damned, though, if I leave him here to die with the Careers. I put his arm around my neck, forcing him to his feet, and start leading him away from the cornucopia. I leave the backpack behind, but I keep a knife tucked into my pockets.

When we're far enough away, I glance back towards the cornucopia, watching as Giorno (Cap) fights for his life against the Careers. Besides him, the only other non-Career left is Clara (7), but she doesn't survive very long. Fausto (4) knocks her against the side of the cornucopia, trapping her with his weight. She tries headbutting him and kicking him in the groin, but neither causes him to loosen his hold on her. Fausto (4) pulls a knife out of his back pocket, and shoves it into her eye. She screams in pain, but he keeps stabbing her in the eyes until she stops screaming and lifelessly falls to the ground.

Giorno (Cap) must realize he's the last person left at the cornucopia, because he lunges towards Fausto (4). I can tell he's not really trying to kill him, but instead, trying to get a reaction from him. When Fausto (4) jumps away, Giorno (Cap) makes a mad dash to the trees opposite of us. Instead of running towards us, he's running away from us, selflessly allowing us to escape, even if he may die. Tessa (4) runs after Fausto (4) and Giorno (Cap) with a flashlight, and I realize that Giorno's (Cap) chances of surviving are slim, unless he can navigate through this arena without any lighting.

Only six cannons sound, marking the end of the bloodbath. Out of thirty-two tributes, it's a lot less than expected, but it's safe to assume that these following days will just add on to more and more deaths. These are called the Fear Games, where you have the same chance of dying from fear than dying at the hands of another tribute.

Aster Bright - District Five
Six cannons sound. Six tributes are already dead. Twenty six tributes remain. I didn't really make any allies or close friends leading up to the bloodbath, but I can't imagine how alliances are feelling. And how those tributes' families are feeling. Did they think that their son or daughter could win? Did they cry? Did their son or daughter's death traumatize their siblings? Did Peach (5) die? I didn't talk to her much during the train ride or during training, but she was my district partner; I'd still feel upset over her death.

I wander around the arena, using my hands to guide me around the trees and whatever landscapes surround me. My eyesight already sucks in the daylight, but with limited lighting, I feel like I'm actually blind. When I left the bloodbath, I hoped that I would've been lucky and a flashlight would be inside my backpack. Instead, I had a thick blanket, rope, a dozen apples, a few granola bars, and a knife with a blade the size of my pinkie. I wasn't even fortunate enough to get matches, instead, I got possibly the smallest knife I've ever seen.

A twig snaps nearby, and my entire body freezes. I don't know where the sound came from or how close it is, but I need to hide. Hiding in a bush seems like a risk, since I've already tripped onto multiple shrubs and bushes, so another tribute could easily find me by mistake. Climbing a tree seems even riskier as I won't be able to see the branches, but it would also be safer. I see a flash of light from between the trees, and make up my mind.

Climbing the tree takes a little longer than I was able to during training, but I'm up the tree fast enough that I avoid the other tribute. I settle myself on a sturdy branch and place my backpack on the branch above me, tying the rope around it so it doesn't fall. By the time the other tribute walks into the clearing, I'm entirely rigid, barely risking to breathe. The other tribute doesn't notice my presence, but he—I assume the tribute is a boy due to his heavy breathing—sits against a tree nearby. It's when he sits down that I catch a glimpse of his face.

Caliban (6). He accidentally flashes the light in his face as he sits down, and immediately turns it off when he stops uncontrollably blinking. I wonder if he managed to smoke weed, snort cocaine, inject himself with heroin, or whatever drugs he does before the start of the Fear Games. Maybe his mentor allowed it because it may be the last time he ever has drugs. Or maybe because his mentor lost complete faith in him. Either way, I can't help but feel sympathy for him after remembering what he told me during training.

<p style="text-align:center;">- - -

''The second day of training was even worse than the first day. The Careers were established, finding humor in humiliating other tributes, and ultimately, controlling the entire training area. Other alliances had formed, but none nearly as threatening as the Careers. The Anti-Careers, composed of only three tributes, didn't appear as threatening as they wanted to be, and was clearly no match to the Careers. ''

''I decided to start my day at the sword station, as the Careers were at the throwing knives station, taunting some of the other tributes at the station. For fifteen minutes, I was alone with the trainer, learning how to properly grip the sword, but always failing to have a firm grasp on the hilt. I could tell the trainer starting to doubt my abilities when I ended up cutting my own hand on the sword. He completely seemed disinterested in helping me when I couldn't cut completely through the dummy, the sword getting stuck halfway through it.''

''I had switched to using a smaller sword, one that didn't require as much strength to use, when Caliban (6) walked over to the station, incredibly calm for someone about to be sent to their death in a few days. I didn't understand how someone could possibly appear to be fine in these circumstances, unless there was something mentally wrong with them or if they were a Career tribute. But then I noticed something.''

''Caliban's (6) pupils were extremely dilated, even though the lighting in the training center was bright. Occasionally, he would sniffle, and there was a used tissue sticking out of his back pocket. He kept wiping his nose, and I remember seeing his hand come away with blood on it, which he quickly wiped on his pants. I was hoping that maybe he was just sick, but one quick sniff of him revealed that he was clearly on drugs. From the symptoms, I assume he snorted it, so he was probably on cocaine or snuff. ''

''"You're pretty good with a sword, aren't you?" the male from District Twelve said to Caliban (6). He was one of the only tributes a part of the Anti-Careers, an alliance I actually believe he created. Caliban (6) didn't respond, so he continued, "Would you like to join the Anti-Careers?"''

''Caliban (6) turned towards the other tribute, looking him directly in the eyes. "I'm going to elsewhere," he muttered, and started marching away. ''

''The other tribute turned towards me, but I walked away before he could even say a word. There was no purpose to be in an alliance, unless you wanted to have an unnecessary connection to someone you would either have to watch die or have to kill yourself. Alliances were and still are weak, serving only a purpose to weaker tributes who want to use other tributes' abilities to survive longer in the arena. But all alliances end.''

''I remember I had to use the bathroom a little later, as I could barley last a few hours without having to use it from the anxiety, and encountered Caliban (6) in it. For a moment, I considered going to wait outside until he was finished—I didn't want him to think I was stalking him—but when I saw him spreading cocaine along the edge of the sink, I froze. I didn't mean to awkwardly stand there and watch, but I didn't know what else to do. ''

''When Caliban (6) looked into the mirror, he jumped, knocking all of his cocaine into the running sink. He tried turning off the sink, but all of his drugs went right down the drain. When he looked up, his entire face was drained and he had a murderous look in his eyes. I considered leaving at that moment, but I didn't want to make enemies right before we go into the arena. And my legs refused to move, so I was stuck there. ''

''"What the f*** is wrong with you?" Caliban (6) screamed, aggressively shoving me into the wall. "Why the f*** are you f***ing following me?"''

''"I wasn't following you," I said, my voice thankfully being steady. "I had to use the bathroom. This is a bathroom for all the tributes, isn't it?"''

''"No, you were obviously following me," Caliban (6) argued, although his face showed he was in pain. "You followed me from the sword station. What, did you want some of my crack? 'Cause it kinda just went down the drain." ''

''"No, no," I said firmly. "I don't want any of your crack." ''

''"Then why?" Caliban (6) asked, helplessly sliding to the ground with his back against the wall. "Why did you even come to the bathroom?"''

''I knew that he wouldn't believe me if I said I had to use the bathroom, so instead, I remained silent. My eyes shifting from Caliban (6), who put his head between his knees, to the sink. ''

''Caliban (6) looked up, and must've noticed me looking at the sink. "Do you know why I do drugs?" he asked, his voice almost sounding weak. I decided to move to the ground next to him, wanting to be there to comfort him, but not knowing how to or why I even wanted to. "My family was poor and when my sister decided to run away, my mom completely shut down. She no longer worked, and we needed extra money to survive, so I went into the drug world. And, you know, I was good at it. It actually made me feel like I could do something besides being the starving kid.''

''"And, since I started to distribute drugs, I kinda wanted to know what was the big deal with it all. And I found out what made drugs so special. They allowed me to escape reality. To forget about all the troubling things that were happening, and to actually feel happy. And they helped with my anger issues, so it seemed like drugs had a positive influence." He sighs and rubs at his eyes. "Oh my God, I'm pathetic, sitting here crying over losing drugs."''

''"You're not pathetic," I say, awkwardly touching his elbow to try to comfort him. "You were doing it all to keep your family together. My parents left me at birth, but when I actually had a family these last few years, I realized that I would do anything for them." ''

''"But what happens now?" Caliban (6) asks. "My parents already went through my sister leaving, so what would happen if I actually died? I have two younger siblings still at home; what would happen to them if my parents both lost it? If I don't return home, they're all going to die 'cause of it." He stands up abruptly, wiping his eyes with his sleeves. "I'm sorry, I need to train." With that, Caliban (6) left the bathroom, leaving me speechless on the bathroom floor.''

<p style="text-align:center;">- - -

I never quite understood why either of us revealed things about our personal life that would have no effect on us during the Fear Games. For the rest of training, Caliban (6) was focused and calm, with little traces of anger hidden behind his cool demeanor. He would go to the bathroom every other hour, probably to do some more drugs, and I always made sure to use the bathroom whenever he was at one of the training stations. We never talked for the rest of training and barely acknowledged the other, as if we were pretending the conversation never happened.

It wasn't until now, when I sit in the tree, staring at Caliban (6), that I realized we had reasons for telling the other things about ourselves. We wanted to confide into someone, as there was nobody else to confide into. We couldn't call our families, and we might never see them again, so we wanted someone to know. And who else would understand better than a fellow tribute? Because, while we may be forced to kill one another, all the tributes in the arena have a special bond, a bond that they will share with nobody else. What I did was rather uncharacteristic, something I'll probably never do again. But in the end, we all just want to be known by someone who can understand.

Fausto Grandeur - District Four
I'm still chasing Giorno (Cap), following the sounds of his footsteps, with Tessa (4) somewhere behind me. She must've fallen behind, though, as there's no longer a beam of light pointing in Giorno's (Cap) direction. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps disappears, and I freeze, holding my breath as I listen for his. I can hear his heavy breathing behind a tree, so I swing my knife in the direction. The knife cuts through flesh, some blood spraying onto my hand, and he starts running away again.

I continue chasing him, using my senses to follow the footprints, but it's rather challenging. I hear Giorno (Cap) bump his head on one of the lower tree branches, and a few steps later, I bump my head on the same branch. I massage my temple with one hand, using the other to feel for the surroundings. The ground beneath my feet changes into a harder surface—concrete or stone, I think—before changing back to the soft grass that crunches beneath our feet. A thought that we must be approaching the end of the arena flashes across my mind, yet Giorno (Cap) is still running at a solid pace.

Suddenly, a bright beam of light is pointed directly at Giorno (Cap) and I, blinding us. I turn away from the light, uncontrollably blinking, and using my hands to cover my eyes from the light. When I turn towards the light with squinted eyes, I see someone drag Giorno (Cap) by his hair. He reaches for his sword, which he must've dropped after being blinded, but when he can't reach it, he starts punching and scratching the attacker. The attack drops their flashlight, dragging Giorno (Cap) with him or her.

I can hear a splash, and realize that I must be far into the arena if a source of water is so close. I grab the discarded flashlight and shine he light towards the sound of the splash. Tessa (4) kneels besides a pond, dunking Giorno's (Cap) head underneath the water. Every so often, she lifts Giorno (Cap) above the water by the hair, letting him eagerly breathe air, before dunking him again. After doing this about five times, she grabs onto his neck, dangling him above the water, and I hear a loud crunch.

A cannon sounds. Giorno (Cap) no longer struggles with Tessa (4), instead, he stares lifelessly into her eyes. His eyes still look fearful, the last emotion he must've had before he died, and it's eerie to see his head tilting one way with a part of his neck bone sticking the other. After staring at him for a great deal of time, Tessa (4) drops his body into the water and quickly stands up, walking away without looking back at the corpse.

I catch up to Tessa (4), and we walk together in silence. I scan the surroundings with the flashlight, trying to get the idea of where I had chased Giorno (Cap). The trees are spaced evenly apart, all being about two to three yards away from the next. There's two collapsed building structures nearby, with concrete slabs and rubble surrounding the base of each. When we pass the structures, Tessa (4) stops, leans against a tree, and turns towards me.

"Okay, this silence is killing me," she says. "Can I ask you something?" She doesn't wait for me to answer. "Why are you so cold?"

"I'm not cold," I respond, realizing only seconds later that she was referring to my personality, not my body temperature. Either way, my response is still accurate.

"Okay, cold was not the right word," she says. "Why are you so"—she wiggles her fingers, as if she could reach out to find the right word—"emotionless?"

I wish I could say that I'm not emotionless, but it'd be a lie. And she is one of my allies, so creating an alliance based on lies seems like a terrible idea, especially if she finds out. "I'm sorry I act emotionless," I say instead, trying to avoid the question.

"You didn't answer my question," Tessa (4) says. "I mean, what traumatic childhood experience was so bad that you can't even act like a person." I bite my lip, refusing to answer. "Come on, if you tell me, I'll tell you about myself." I open my mouth, but she cuts me off. "And I do have quite an interesting story, probably worse than yours."

"Look, it's not like I don't want to tell you." Because, in all honesty, I did want to have someone that I could open up to. Maybe have someone help me deal with my irrational fear of men, but it also seemed risky. Why should I allow another person to be attached to me when I'm not entirely sure I want to win? "But I'm not really confident with revealing those things."

Tessa (4) probably wanted to continue pushing me to tell her, but she seems to change her mind. She shrugs. "Well, if you ever want to talk, I'm always here."

She moves away from the tree, and we continue walking towards the cornucopia, the only sound being from our feet crunching the grass. Tessa (4) rubs the palm of her hand with her fingers, and I wonder if she somehow got injured during her fight with Giorno (Cap) or if she’s doing it out of boredom. I debate asking her about it when she decides to break the silence.

“You know, when I was eleven years old, my dad got into a huge fight with all these other grown men," she starts. "Maybe it had something with fishing or someone owing money or something—I don't really know—but I saw my dad emerge from the crowd with a knife sticking out of his chest. His killer fled right after, but not before I caught a glimpse of his face."

"Why are you telling me this?" I ask with a small hint of agitation. I don't mean to sound agitated, but I don't see what she's trying to accomplish by telling me about this.

"Well, we're district partners and we've been together for the past week, but we don't know anything about each other. Like, all we know is that we're both from District Four, that's it!" She clear her throat. "Anyways, back to my story. So, since I saw who my dad's killer was, I figured out what his name was, learned all I needed to know about him, and stalked him to his house."

"You stalked your dad's killer?" I ask, almost laughing at the bizarreness. "Why didn't you just get Peacekeepers to handle it or something. You didn't need to stalk the guy."

"What were the Peacekeepers supposed to do?" Tessa argues. "They don't always punish those who deserve it, especially when it's someone from the higher class. So I had to punish him myself. I broke into his house in the middle of the night, and banged on all his windows and doors with a knife, waking him up. I approached him from behind, and when he spun around, I stuck a knife right into his chest, just like he did to my dad."

"You killed someone?" I ask, completely in shock. "Wait, but you were only eleven when you killed a fully grown man?" I honestly did not believe her. She couldn't even look at Giorno's (Cap) corpse after she killed him. "I don't believe you."

"I swear. I killed that man when I was eleven," Tessa (4) says, her voice having no traces of a lie. "It was a bad deed, but with a good intention."

"A good intention?" I ask with more disbelief than I had before. "What could possibly be good about killing someone?"

"Isn't that what we're in this arena for? To kill people." She is on the verge of screaming, but restricts herself. "I don't see why you're making me feel like I've done something wrong. Haven't you already killed like two other tributes? You know, they had lives ahead of them and families who are probably grieving their deaths. But you had to kill them so that you could go home. And I had to kill that man because he destroyed my family. The only way to rest a vengeful soul is to take vengeance."

Both of us calm down after a few moments of silence. "Why did you tell me that?" I ask after she seems to calm down. "You could've told me anything else about yourself, but you chose that. Why?"

"Because isn't the beginning to every story a tragedy?"

Crow Messer - District Nine
''Coming Soon. . . ''

Axel Alex - District Seven
''Coming Soon. . . ''