The 1448th Hunger Games: Tinted Red

 

To some people, killing is a small matter. To others, killing is unimaginable.

But in the Hunger Games,

killing is

e s s e n t i a l .

Welcome to the 1448th Annual Hunger Games.

All of the killers will be

t i n t e d   r e d .

rules/info

 * there is no limit as to how many tributes may be submitted per user.
 * there are no reservations. the existing ones will expire on the 28th of april.
 * tributes may be rejected if they are unfinished, flat, stereotypical, offensive, et cetera.
 * uncropped lunaiis with a transparent background are required for this hunger games.
 * in addition, real life pictures are also required. they must be of somewhat good quality.
 * these images are also both due at the time of the tribute's or tributes' submission(s).
 * to prove you have read these rules, please tell me your favorite tribute from the seventy-fourth hunger games at the bottom of your comment.
 * only links will be permitted.
 * refrain from causing conflict; this is immature and usually ends in a user being banned or blocked from either the wiki or my hunger games.
 * and the most important rule : please try to be active. the readers of my fanfictions are my biggest motivators that keep me from being a huge procrastinator.

twist
These games are entitled  The 1448th Hunger Games: Tinted Red for a reason. Why, one may ask? It is simply due to the twist.

In this year's Hunger Games, the killers will indeed be tinted red.

For each kill a tribute achieves, their skin will turn a darker shade of red. After five kills, their pigment will return to its natural color, and the tribute will receive an item they need or would like to have, depending on the circumstances.

For Career tributes, this is simple and an advantage over the other tributes.

But what about the tributes who are silent? The weak ones? Perhaps they are not truly weak.

As Aeschylus said once,

"This is the law: blood spilt upon the ground cries out for more."

People will kill for anything.

alliances
careers : Isla Ackleson (2), Gladia Torres (2), Axinite Peridot (4)

anti-careers : Delia Falcon (0), Lucy Morgane (5), Clara Willows (9), Matthew Shephard (9), Cliffe Holden (10), Jack Mannequin (13)

capitol/district 6 alliance : Bree Richmond (C), Maxwell "Max" Brites (6)

districts 0/3 alliance : Aidan Wolff (0), Luna Tick (3)

districts 4/8/12 alliance : Dylan Murrow (4), Oxford Roope (8), Ash Harper (12), Adela Hallows (12)

districts 14/15 alliance : Cassandra-Thérèse Maipe (14), Louis-Michael V Maipe (15)

districts 10/11 alliance : Dawn Pyres (10), Zia Fallows (11)

alone : Egil Colby (C), Gale Freeman (1), William van Hezewick (1), Matthew Smith (3), Apio Atsu (5), Goddess Diamond (6), Eris Bodil (7), Melvin Norwood (7), Proserpina Cambric (8), Ty Cleo (11), Amethystia Thall (13), Max Muzzele (14), Garnet Amaryllis (15)

arena
The arena for the 1448th installment of the Hunger Games is rather dazzling.

The playing field is inspired by the ancient Dunrobin Castle of Scotland. This stunning estate features rooms of weaponry, a massive library, and magnificent gardens.

But don't be tricked by its beauty - trapdoors could be anywhere, and secret passages are abundant.

Goddess Diamond (6)
My legs are shaking as the Peacekeepers escort me to the hovercraft. This year, we have been informed, we will not be meeting our stylists and we will be set out from the hovercraft.

After the full thirty seconds it takes for me to climb the stairs to get in, I notice there are different rooms. I find the one that has my name on a plaque beside it and walk inside.

My uniform, which is a black tanktop and tight black pants, matches the tall black boots laid out for me. I sit down on a bench and pull off my flats and force the boots on. I walk to a mirror and clip my necklace around my neck. I french braid my hair and tie it at the nape of my neck.

There's a television. It's broadcasting the news, read by the reporters, Cassiopeia and Heracles. They're talking about us.

"I think Isla has the best chance of winning," Cassiopeia says, looking at her fellow news anchor. "Great score, allied with the Careers, she's got it all."

"What about Ty? He must have gotten a ten for a reason," Heracles voices.

A timer appears on the screen.

"Oh, that must be our timer! The tributes will momentarily be lifted into the arena."

Suddenly, the floor begins to rumble and the portion I am on starts to rise while the ceiling opens. After thirty seconds, I'm met by a blinding light. I realize it's sunlight.

I gape at the arena. I'm surrounded by a beautiful garden, complete with stone fountains by the silver Cornucopia. When I turn around, I see a castle styled like the buildings of old. It's absolutely beautiful, and I ponder how long it took to build this.

A number appears on the top of the Cornucopia. 55.

I take a deep breath and locate a teal bag near me. I got this.

Max Brites (6)
I'm not as concerned about the arena as I should be. I'm mostly thinking about Dom - will I come home for her in the flesh? Or will I be returning in a wooden box? Will there even be enough of me to put in a box?

Stop thinking about it. You'll be fine, Max. Dom's waiting for you. Isn't she? Of course she is, who am I kidding?

The numbers above the Cornucopia's mouth continue to count down. I look to my right and see Adela (12), and to my right is Lucy (5). As far as I know, Lucy's (5) the leader of the Antis, so if I mess with her it'll be a bit of a problem. I'm not sure about Adela (12), but she seems quiet.

My gaze drifts back to the Cornucopia. Bags lie on wooden pedestals and miscellaneous items litter the grass. A few feet in front of me is a sheet of plastic with a small loaf of bread on top of it. If I can't get anything, at least I'll get food and a bit of shelter.

If I run a little farther, I can get a knife. There's a coil of wire nearby. But it's risky - it's close to a bow as well, a very coveted agent of death in most Hunger Games. I'm sure I could just run in and get the wire without any suspicion befalling me.

I know my ally, Bree (C), will want a bow. She used it sometimes in training, and I could tell she had a preference to it. Hopefully, she'd kill anybody who'd try to get it before her. But she doesn't strike me as a killer.

10

I'm gonna get through here and get home for Dom. I am. I will.

Isla Ackleson (2)
I swear to God if anybody touches those throwing knives before I do I will be the first person to turn bright red, I think to myself as the gong rings and I sprint to the vest. When I get there, though, another girl meets me there and lays a hand on my item.

I quickly recognize her as Adela (12), who got a six in training. I almost laugh as I weasel my hand into the vest and pull out a throwing knife, then stab her in the face. I shout in agonizing pain, though, as my body turns the color of cotton candy. Is this what it takes to win?

At least I know she's dead.

I yank the throwing knife from her cranium with a sickening crack. One of my allies, Axinite (4), wrinkles her nose in disgust.

"You've gotta be on top of your game, bitch!" I yell at her. Then, I pretend to drag my knife against my throat. If she doesn't get all her shit together, she's gonna be dead and I'll be stuck with this guy who got an eight. An eight!

I see her roll her eyes, but she throws a spear at Jack (13) anyway. She screams and her skin turns to match mine. I laugh. Then I see Gale (1) trying to fill a bag with supplies.

"Bitch!" I shriek and tackle her. She's stronger than she looks, and to my surprise she has me at her mercy. "Let me go, you traitorous little fu-"

Before I can finish cursing her out, somebody picks her up from my body and slams her to the ground beside me. Blood trails from her petite nose and I laugh. What a weakling she is!

I grab a knife and roll over to stab her in the back, but she gets up and I graze her shoulder. "Damn you!" I yell as she runs off with a backpack and a crossbow. She turns around and smirks at me. "That's it!" I scream. Gladia (2) has to hold me back so I can be focused on the now. I take my anger out by stabbing Egil (C), causing my skin to turn more red.

This time, it doesn't hurt as much.

Dylan Murrow (4)
"None of them are looking," I whisper to Oxford (8). They're all caught up in Gale drama. Just grab the bag and I'll pretend not to see you."

"What if they do?"

"They won't."

Oxford (8) dashes in, but on the way out of the Cornucopia he's stopped by Gladia (2). Gladia (2) turns him to face me. "You're the only one not red yet," he explains. I notice William's (1) body nearby. He must have killed him. "Just stab him."

Panicing, I bring my elbow to Gladia's (2) skull and he falls over, unconscious.

"Let's get out of here," I tell Oxford (8). I pick up a bag for me and we run in the direction he claimed to see Ash (12) go.

In the background, Isla (2) yells.

"You'll pay for this, you son of a bitch!"

Luna Tick (3)
I know that all Aidan (0) wants to do is get the hell out of here, but why would I do that when Delia's (0) vulnerable and I have two kunai knives?

I laugh at her, and when she turns around I launch both knives into the back of her head. She doesn't even have time to scream when she falls over. I snicker at her corpse as I pull my knives out.

"Luna!" Aidan yells. I turn, but then I'm blinded by searing pain. When it stops, I notice my skin has turned a light red. This must be the twist. I look up at Aidan (0) and see that he's pointing at the Antis, who are leaving the Cornucopia. "We should follow them," he mouths.

I reach down to pick up a red backpack when somebody practically jumps on me and I fall to the ground. I scream and reach around with my knife and push down. I'm not sure who I hit, but it was somebody. I push the tribute, a groaning Isla (2), off my back. I should kill the nearly red tribute now, but she'll eventually succumb to the stab wound in her leg. She'd need some pretty powerful medicine to heal that, or just somebody who's really good at healing.

As the Bloodbath dies down, Aidan (0) and I follow the Antis into the castle.

Cliffe Holden (10)
"We're down to four, guys. We're still the biggest alliance, but two of us died," Clara (9) says dejectedly.

"Those assholes have got it comin' for them. Do you think they'll be surprised at the fact that their foes are stronger than them?" Matthew (9) smirks.

"It's not the time to make plans for revenge," Lucy (5) mutters. "Did any of y'all get supplies?"

I nod. "I got a sword and a backpack. Haven't looked in it yet."

"I got a bag," Clara (9) says.

Matthew (9) looks up.

"Don't tell me you didn't get anything!" Clara (9) sighs.

"I got a kukri and a water bottle. No food."

Clara (9) rolls her eyes, and I glance at Lucy (5). I can tell that she, too, doesn't want conflict within the alliance. She gives me a look that says Can you change the subject'?

"This is a big library," I say out of the blue. Lucy (5) gives me a minute nod of her head.

"Yeah," Lucy (5) agrees. "I bet there's all sorts of hidden passages and other stuff. We should split up and cover the area."

"Are you crazy?" Matthew (9) scoffs. "There's gotta be traps everywhere. If anything, we need to all stay together."

Clara (9) rolls her eyes and walks down one of the corridors in the library. I walk to where a knight's helmet lays and place it on my head. I don't look back at them.

When I walk to an empty sword case, I gasp as an orange-haired girl jumps out and plants her hand over my mouth.

"Don't move or scream, or I slit your throat."

Cassandra-Thérèse Maipe (14)
Louis-Michael (15) and I walk in silence through the halls of the palace. We've passed many doors, but they've all been locked, and we don't want to draw anybody to us. I walk towards another door we haven't tried.

"Don't even try," Louis (15) sighs. "I hate to do this, but we're gonna have to find a common room or something if we don't want to break down doors."

I lean against a painting and sigh. A second later, I almost fall back as the painting rips in two.

"A secret passage," I observe. I step through and find it's pitch black. Louis (15) follows.

"I'll go in front," Louis (15) offers. He holds his scythe out in front of him and starts walking. I keep my hand on his shoulder so we don't get seperated. In the other hand I hold a vial of poison. "Cassandra, don't move. There's something up here."

"Let's just go back," I begin to panic. Is it a trap?

"Shit," Louis (15) curses. I see the outline of something pointed fall and Louis (15) goes down.

"Louis!" I scream, but he doesn't respond. "LOUIS?!"

A cannon booms. A liquid pools beneath my feet. "No!" I yell. "No, no, no, no. . ."

I fall to the ground and tears fall down my face, the first time they've done so in years. "Fuck you!" I yell to nobody.

But I must go on. Louis-Michael V Maipe will become a well-known name because of me.

Zia Fallows (11)
Not much has happened today for us - after the Bloodbath, of course - apart from me being disappointed for a while after discovering my bag was just filled with plastic sheets and an empty water bottle. I know I should be thankful for what I have, but it's hard not to be jealous when your ally got a sword and a small vial of poison.

"Should we try to go back to the Cornucopia after the anthem?" I ask Dawn (10). She looks up from fiddling with her bracelet.

"What if the Careers are there? What if they kill us? Are you insane?" Dawn (10) runs a hand through her hair.

"All right then," I mumble, rolling my eyes when she turns around.

The sound of trumpets to the first notes of the anthem play, and we both travel to the balcony to see who has died today. It's a grim thing to do, but we still need to figure out what foes we have left.

First to appear is Egil, and he is shortly followed by Delia. I didn't even bother to get to know them, but I know Delia was in the Anti-Careers. Next is a surprising death - William from District One. I thought he was with the Careers, but I suppose not. Adela and Jack appear, and to end it all is the boy from Fifteen with a long name.

"Alright, take first watch," Dawn (10) commands. "Wake me up in a few hours."

"I don't have a -"

She tosses me her sword. "Yeah, you do."

She leans over and in seconds I can tell she's fallen asleep. I roll my eyes. First watch, my ass, I decide. She's gonna have to deal with it.

Matthew Smith (3)
“Wake up!” Somebody shouts, and then I hear a loud clanging noise next to my face. I bring my arms up to protect my head, but find I can’t move them - I’m cuffed to something.

Or someone.

Somebody rips off the blindfold on my head. It’s a girl with white hair I recognize as Axinite (4). I’m cuffed to a pale hand.

“You guys can’t see each other, so I’ll introduce you guys to each other. Matthew Smith from Three, meet Garnet Amaryllis of Fifteen. You are gathered here today because we need help.”

I stay silent. Making a smart remark here could kill me.

“You see, my friend Isla here was stabbed by Matthew’s bitch of a district partner. So, you two have to heal the wound, or we will kill you. If you don’t believe us. . .” She pulls out a dagger I didn’t know she had. “I guess the mystery item I get will be proof enough.”

She’s not even that red, but I know she could always kill more judging by the expression on her face. “I’m going to uncuff you. Don’t try to escape. I will kill you. You will examine the wound, and then you will ask Gladia for supplies you need to operate. And remember, my spear here is both a melee and a ranged weapon, so do. Not. Try."

She pulls out two silver keys, and she beckons for us to stand up. Garnet (15) and I share a glance and walk to the crates on which Isla (2) lays. She is clearly knocked out cold, but she is still bleeding.

“I can’t tell if her skin is red from heat or if it’s because she’s already killed two people,” Garnet (15) mutters.

“We have to discuss something,” I tell Axinite (4). “Please don’t listen.”

She rolls her eyes. “Whatever.”

I pull Garnet (15) over to the side of the Cornucopia. “I can stitch it up. I’m going to, too. However, I’m going to put too much of a chemical in her system - one that will heal her at first, and then put her in a coma in two days. Unless the games have ended by then - which I doubt, considering only eighteen percent of us died yesterday - she’ll be vulnerable and an easy target.”

“As she appears to be the leader of the Careers, it’ll disband them, and they'll probably end up killing each other,” Garnet (15) realizes. “Let’s go ‘heal’ her.”

Surprisingly, Gladia (2) can procure all of the medicinal supplies we request, and he doesn’t question anything when I hand him the empty tube of the chemical that will sedate Isla (2) in a few days.

“Go now,” Axinite (4) commands. “If she doesn’t wake up in a few hours, I will find you, and I will kill you.”

Garnet (15) and I split apart and jog away as if we never had to work together to heal a wound.

Amethystia Thall (13)
I can't risk moving right now. There's too many things that could go wrong, especially since there's a tribute who scored three points higher than me right in front of me. I'm so happy I got that camoflague kit in the Bloodbath; otherwise I would be dead or dying.

My gaze shifts to my small backpack. There's a dagger in there, but if I reach down to grab it I could be spotted and killed.

Max (14) tosses his sword up in the air and catches it. I could get him right now - he's off guard and turned away from me - but I just can't.

My mentor's words echo in my mind: "Kill or be killed."

I close my eyes and grab the dagger. He still hasn't seen me, but he hears me when I take a deep breath by his head. He stands up and makes a deep incision on my stomach, but I'm still close enough and have enough adrenaline to stab him in the chest. He spits out red blood and falls to the ground. A cannon booms.

I clutch my stomach and collapse. When I pull my hands away, blood coats them. The crimson plasma pools around me, and I realize his cut almost went all the way through on my body. I cough and blood flies from my mouth. The world spins, and then I can't see anything.

Apio Atsu (5)
Staying in the weapons room for too long is not the brightest idea. Careers could come in at any moment, or other bloodthirsty tributes could get their hands on an armory of weapons. I'm just here to find a kunai and a vest of throwing knives. I see the vest hanging on the wall, so I put down my backpack and stand on a chair to grab it. I lift it from its hook, and then the door opens.

I freeze as a figure slinks in. They haven't seen me, but I know they will. It seems they won't be much of a challenge, though - he doesn't have a backpack or weapon. I suppose that could change, though. It would be of my best interest to take him out now.

I grasp the handle attached to one of the sleek blades and try to recall what I learned in training. I bring my arm back and thrust the knife through the air at the tribute. To my astonishment, it punctures his throat. The idiotic tribute yanks it out. Moron, I think. Who would be so stupid as to pull it out? If he had a chance of living, it's gone now.

His knees buckle and he crashes to the ground. I hear a strained gagging noise and a cannon. It's pretty safe to say I can go see who it was. I climb down from the chair and walk to the carcass, blade ready if I need it.

I don't, though - it's obvious he's dead. His chest fails to rise and fall, and there's enough blood to feed someone. Not that I would drink his blood. That crosses the line for me. I think it's the boy from Seven.

He has absolutely nothing, so I leave his body there and select another few throwing knives and two kunai knives.

I venture off into the castle, unsure of what to do next.

Pain suddenly hits my body and I fall on my knees to the tile floor. My skin turns light red and for once I understand this year's horrible twist.

Proserpina Cambric (8)
Ty (11) is on the balcony diagonally below mine, and I have a perfect shot at his neck with my blowgun. But if I miss, he could easily turn around and throw a scythe at me. I've hit every target in the training center with my blowgun, though. It shouldn't be too hard to hit a stationary target, right?

I bite my lip and lean over the railing. He's so vulnerable in this position - anybody could come up beind him, and anybody could attack from above. I close my right eye and line up where I predict my dart will hit. I take a deep breath and fire.

As predicted, the razor-sharp dart punctures him in the back of the head. Normally, it would just be a minor wound, but the fast-acting poison I procured instantly kills him. A cannon booms, and red streaks start crawling up my arms. I whirl around in pain, and see a figure running towards me.

The tribute, whom I can't make out, throws a liquid at me.

My face burns like the sun, and then I am numb.

Luna Tick (3)
"Why did we need him again?"

I turn to my ally, Aidan (0). "Because," I hiss, almost growl even, "he's going to help us get rid of those Career brats."

"He's from Ten! He has just as good an idea of killing as we do! That's not a lot of knowledge!"

"Shut up!" I shriek. I hear a groan from the corner of the bedroom we placed him in. I pick my sickle up from the bed and twirl it around in my hands. "Cliffe, sweetie, are you awake?" I fake pout.

He sits up rigidly in the wooden chair he is tied to. I can tell he's tried to stand up, but he obviously can't - we took every precaution to assure he wouldn't escape our bonds until we wanted him to. "Where the hell am I?!"

"An arena in an undisclosed location designed by the -" Aidan (0) starts.

"Shut up! You're here. And you're ours to control," I interrupt.

"Are you that psycho from Three?" Cliffe (10) asks.

"No, that's my district partner," I cackle, my red hair flying in my face.

"I'll take that as a yes. Why the hell am I here?!"

"You're gonna help us kill the power that reigns over the arena - the Careers! And when we're done, I'll let you kill your nemesis. Dawn." Cliffe (10) has no response. I can tell he's thinking things over. "Make your decision or I'll make it for you!" I shout.

"Fine. I'll help you."

I smirk and cut the ropes with my sickle's blade. "Now we get to recruit more," I smirk.

Gladia Torres (2)
Axinite (4) is watching the front of the Cornucopia while I am watching the back.

"Hey Gladia! I'm gonna eat! You should too," she shouts at me.

I walk around and find she's laid out a tarp and some food like it's a picnic. Isla (2) limps over to us and sits down on the tarp. The antidote my mentor sent must have done her well. I can tell she's still in pain, though.

The sky dims to a near black and Axinite (4) lays out some dried fruit and meat and a bottle of water for each of us.

"It's kind of nice," Axinite (4) says, staring at a tree or something in the distance.

Isla (2) scoffs. "Bitch, if you're watching the scenery instead of the people, you're gonna die. No doubt about it." Axinite (4) rolls her eyes. Out of us three, I am the only one truly fit to be a Career. Axinite (4) is far too nice, and Isla (2) is a pest. A pest that can kill, but nonetheless a pest. I am a warrior who believes in honor and fairness.

Isla (2) suddenly sits up straight. "Hey, you!" she screams. She winces as she stands up and throws a knife I didn't know she had into a figure in the distance. She sits down and I see her eye twitch as she turns more scarlet. "She poisoned me earlier."

Two cannons boom and trumpets pierce the air.

Blue-toned pictures of Apio, Melvin, Proserpina, Ty, Amethystia, Max, and Garnet cover the sky. Isla (2) shows no emotion as she cleans under her fingernails with a bloody knife.

"I'll get first watch," I declare.

Zia Fallows (11)
My eyes jolt open. As I suspected, Dawn (10) is asleep. "Bitch," I mutter. She hasn't done anything but sit around the past two days. We haven't eaten since launch for the games. And I don't know about her, but I'm hungry.

In fact, I would kill for food right now. Literally.

I glance at Dawn (10) again. It's clear she's out. I take a deep breath, latch my hands around her neck, and squeeze.

Her eyes open wide, and mine do, too. I forgot to take into account she has a sword.

Even though she is tired and is losing air fast, adrenaline fuels her actions. She hits my hands with the sword. I immediately draw them back and notice a thin line of blood across my hand. It's slowly but surely growing - the blood is dripping on the floor.

A glint of something silver causes me to look up. Dawn's (10) determined face is the last thing I see.

Max Brites (6)
I wake up to a cannon and notice the room I fell asleep in is much colder now than it was last night. Well, technically, Bree (C) and I are in a hallway, not a room. But we locked the doors on either end so it's more like a room. I throw my blanket over Bree (C) and walk over to one of the doors. Without the knots we made to keep it shut, the only thing keeping the doors closed would be the flimsy locks that may as well be decades old. I begin to undo the rope.

After about ten minutes, I free the rope from the door and undo the lock by twisting it. Sword in hand, I cautiously begin to open the door.

But it won't budge.

I try yanking the door open. Pushing it. Pulling it. Nothing works. I don't want to wake Bree (C) up, but I have to.

"Bree!" I shout. I see her open her eyes and stretch. "The doors won't open!"

"We've got food and water. We can wait it out," she yawns.

"I guess you're right," I dejectedly admit. I lean against a wall in defeat. A piece of paper falls down from the ceiling.

Maxwell Brites,

''We regret to inform you that your sister Dominique was killed in a rebel attack in your home district. We assure you the situation is under control.''

Our condolences, 

The Capitol

I drop the paper in shock. No. She can't be dead. There's no way.

"What's wrong?" Bree (C) asks. Her eyes are wide with curiosity.

"Just something that fell from the ceiling."

All of a sudden, the suits of armor on the pedestals in the room begin to move towards us.

"What the hell?" Bree (C) shouts, holding her bow.

I grip my sword. "The Capitol is doing this. You take my sword and start swinging. I'll try to electrocute them."

Directly following my statement, a mace flies through the air at the hand of a silver guard and hits Bree (C) in the leg. She shouts out in pain and crumples to the ground. "Shit," I mutter. Bree (C) helplessly swings at the invincible knights as tears stream down her face. And then I realize. . . she looks like Dom.

Dom's face replaces Bree's (C) as I stand there frozen, watching crimson blood pour from her leg. I snap back into reality and drag Bree to the back of the hall. She picks up her bow and starts shooting. Her aim is off, but it's enough to hinder the knights while I build a contraption to stop them. Then the arrows stop flying through the air.

I glance back to see Bree (C) has fallen back. Her eyes are closed and her chest is not rising. I run over to her and feel for a pulse. Nothing. I perform CPR. A cannon goes off.

By this point, the knights have surrounded me. I close my eyes as one brings an axe down onto my neck.

I see Dom, Bree, Mom, Dad, and a light. Then nothing.

Lucy Morgane (5)
Cliffe (10) is still missing, Matthew (9) and Clara (9) hate each other, and I don't know what to do. I got sleep the first night, but none since. I'm afraid something will happen and my lack of sleep will impair my decision-making skills.

Since the library is silent, I can hear every last thing, includinga door creaking open and near-silent footsteps. Then I hear a scream, a thud, and a cannon.

Careers.

"Where are the others?" A feminine voice hisses.

"There's three more of them," says a masculine voice. Gladia (2).

They must think Cliffe (10) is still here. I don't know if that will work for me and Matthew (9) or against us - it could go either way.

"Split up," the first voice announces. "They're trapped in here."

I hold my breath and my throwing knives as I crouch behind a shelf, praying they can't see me. Suddenly, a blonde girl rounds the corner and makes eye contact with me. She puts her finger to her lips and throws a globe to the ground, creating the illusion of a cannon's boom. "Got one!"

She crouches down to my eye level. "I will let you go, but I need you to answer one question for me. I know a passage out of here. I promise I won't kill you unless you try to kill me," she whispers. I nod. "Where is Gale Freeman?"

"The one girl?" The Career girl nods. "I don't know. But I've looked outside a lot, and she's in the castle. She hasn't gone out."

The Career girl rolls her eyes and points to a painting. "It will take you to the kitchen. But I can't tell you there's nobody there." She runs off without saying another word. Seconds later, I hear a yell and another cannon.

"Damnit Gladia, I could've used that kill!" It's another Career, not the blonde. But I know now that I am a loner.

And sometimes, lone wolves are the most dangerous of all.

Dylan Murrow (4)
I watch birds fly outside through the window. It's nice to have a sense of peace in the arena - it reminds you that there is hope that you might make it out alive. At this point, there's a six percent chance of getting out of here. It may not seem like a lot, but two days ago it was three percent. I'm ecstatic that I'm somewhat close to getting home, but I'm not happy about why I might make it home. Sixteen innocent teenagers have died because of the Capitol. And there will be more.

"Pass me a water bottle, will ya, Ash?" Oxford (8) asks.

"Sure," Ash (12) answers and tosses a water bottle to Oxford (8). Ash (12) takes a sip from his water. As Oxford (8) is taking a sip of his, Ash (12) eyes his water. "Hey, this tastes - "

He's interrupted by his own choking. I rush over to him. His eyes are practically bulging out of their sockets and he has turned a pale white. He coughs blood onto my uniform. A cannon goes off and another soon follows as Oxford falls from his chair.

"Mister Murrow," a sly voice calls. I stand with my trident tight in my hands as a slim figure slinks out of the darkness. Cassandra (14).

"Did you kill them," I ask, but it comes out sounding more like a demand.

"I have a proposal for you." I fold my arms. Maybe what she has is worth putting up with her for a few minutes. "Ally with me. We're both skilled, and nobody would suspect us to be working together. We might even be able to make it out together."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Cassandra (14) begins to unscrew the cap of her poison or acid or whatever's in there.

"You killed my allies! What, did you think I would say yes?!"

"How do you even know that was me? When you were all asleep, a Career could have snuck in and poisoned everything!"

"How did you know that we were all asleep?"

She lunges at me with her poison. I block it with my arms, but in doing so I drop my trident and fall to the ground as I yell in pain. Everything begins to spin.

Cassandra (14) kneels down by me. "Any last words?"

"Juliet, I love you. I love you so, so much and I wish I could see you one last time," I confess to the ceiling.

"Cheesy-ass punk," Cassandra (14) mumbles and pours the bottle on my face.

Everything is calm.

Gale Freeman (1)
I pick up the next book from the shelf. It's a nautical novel about an undersea adventure, and it seems to be over two thousand years old - the year's 1448, and this is from before the Dark Days. It looks boring, though. I put it back on the shelf and pick up another book. This one seems more exciting. It's an abridged version of a story of a family whose boat crashes on an island. I'll read it when I have a chance.

I peel the orange that I got from the bloodbath and eat the slices one by one until there are none left. I follow that with a sip of water and a granola bar. I fiddle with my crossbow and pick up the book again.

At around Chapter Four, I hear a soft footstep. It's barely audible, but it's there. I quickly but silently put the book down and grab my crossbow. Standing up, I peer through the shelves to see who it might be. I see dark brown hair from behind one shelf and raise my crossbow in preparation to shoot. I pull the trigger, but the arrow misses. The figure shrieks - it's a girl, then - and runs towards the door.

She gets there before me.Luckily, though, the castle's hallways are very long, so I have a clear shot to her neck. I shoot her before she can get too gar away and she collapses to the floor with a thud. Blood begins to pool around the open wound. I leave the bolt in her neck until I hear her cannon. Then I retrieve the bolt from her neck and walk back to the room I was in. I glance down at my red-toned hands.

The girl was from Seven, and she was my first kill. First kill in the games, anyway. I've killed before.

Another cannon goes off somewhere - it must have been some idiot starving to death or something. Speaking of, I need to find food tomorrow or I may suffer the same fate. The girl I just killed had nothing on her. She must have been searching for food.

Well, she looked in the wrong place.

Matthew Smith (3)
I didn't find any more food. I'm down to my last few bags of dried fruit and an apple, and I need to eat the apple tonight. I think I might be able to last a few more days at this rate, and that might just be enough to win.

I lay on the king-sized bed in the room I currently reside in and look at the ceiling. It displays a scene of a war with a bloody battlefield. Based on the weapons, I assume the winning side is the Capitol and the side with more dead is the rebels. We all know that this was not what happened, though. The rebels had equally good equipment, and they were not lead by a girl with blonde hair, but a girl with brown hair - Katniss Everdeen. But the Capitol just wants to forget about her.

Then I hear a noise - a strangely familiar and welcoming noise.

A noise that can only resemble a blue time-traveling machine.

I crack open my door and peer down the hallway. Nobody is in my line of sight, so I hold my taser tight and walk towards the direction of the noise. And then I see it.

I'd only seen it in my dreams and once when I was eight. But I still know what it's called.

"The TARDIS."

I'd never heard the name. I just knew.

I ran inside it and dropped my backpack. I smiled in glee as I flipped the controls that I knew would get me out of this hell.

"Geronimo!"

sponsoring
This year, only the users/mentors of the tributes may sponsor their tribute(s). Each tribute will have 100 units of spending money. First kills of the day and brutal/unique kills will earn extra money.

Pieces of advice cost ten units each.

weapons
all of which cost 40 units.


 * arrows (12)
 * axe
 * blowgun
 * bolo knife
 * bow
 * broadsword
 * butterfly swords
 * claws
 * coil of wire (1 yard/meter)
 * crossbow
 * dagger
 * darts (12)
 * fencing sword (either sabre, épée, or foil)
 * hatchet
 * knife
 * kukri
 * kunai knives (2)
 * kunaii
 * mace
 * machete
 * poison (3 doses)
 * scythe
 * shortsword
 * sickle
 * spear
 * spiked mace
 * staff
 * sword
 * taser
 * throwing axes (2)
 * throwing knives (3)
 * trident
 * twin swords
 * two-handed sword

food
all of which cost 35 units.
 * apple
 * beef
 * bread
 * chicken
 * coffee
 * dried fruits
 * dried meats
 * energy drink
 * juice
 * orange
 * pizza
 * soup
 * water bottle
 * water skin

medicine
all of which cost 45 units, with the exception of the instant relief, which is 80.


 * anesthetic


 * antiseptic wipes


 * bandages (4)


 * burn cream


 * first aid kit


 * instant relief


 * iodine


 * poison antidote


 * sting antidotes