A Short Story: Sacrifice

Only twelve tributes remain.

Mist and fog swirl around in the jungle-like arena aimlessly, and the four careers are outnumbered by a whopping eight mediocre tributes. Peyton is calculating, devious and unforgiving. With a total of four kills so far, she is no doubt a force to be reckoned with. She's leading the careers this year, whipping them into shape, putting them into their place and teaching them the artistry of relentless murder.

Tansy and Caelum have formed an alliance. Combining Tansy's survival skills with Caelum's combat abilities equals havoc for the other tributes, and each with a training score of 9, these two tributes are not to be underestimated.

Let's not forget about 15 year old Sukey Rae. This District 12 native beauty is a pure dark horse. Appearing when you least expect her. She'll be there when you're in a vulnerable position. She's may seem like a sweet, harmless lass but this girl has no fear. No remorse. Keep an eye on Sukey.

Lyla Proctor of District 8 is aggrivated. Frustrated, bewildered. She craves for a sensation, the sensation to end Peyton's life. Her determination and strength grows stronger each day, plotting the downfall of Peyton Ohara. She will demolish Peyton with all her might, or will she?

Sheena Nyomi is also not pleased with Onyx Andromeda. Onyx savagely murdered Sheena's counterpart, and Sheena doesn't sit well with that. But Sheena isn't focused on slaying Onyx, she's focused on her survival, her health and her safety. No prissy skank will destroy Sheena's path for triumph.

Harlyn Star, Nero Caius and Neptune Talon are all alive and well. All three of these lads are kind, sympathetic and loyal guys with no plans of revenge. For now.

So, how will these games pan out? Will Peyton devour everyone? Will Sukey's stealth overpower all? Will Tansy and Caelum's alliance be too mighty for anyone to conquer?

Let the games begin, for real.

Day 6
Sukey Rae masks her visibilty by crouching under some junk in the cornucopia. She's shaking and damp with rainwater. Her katana blade is glazed with a scarlet, putrid liquid. A gruesome pink slime adorns the crimson liquid. The ale of life. She's still recoiling from killing the District 1 male, her rib is severed and her face has rotting wounds. Nothing too noxious, luckily.

Sukey also managed to leave Sheena Nyomi bleeding to death in a trench, but no cannon has blasted yet. Sukey's worried she didn't completely finish off Sheena, and that's bad news because Sheena is a primary force to be reckoned with.

Munching on an apple, Sukey plans to spend the rest of the games concealed behind jackets and bags. Also, hopefully she doesn't run into the wicked girl from 2. No doubt the biggest threat in the arena.

Suddenly, she hears a few cackles and trudging through the wet grass. She freezes and doesn't release a single breath. The last thing Sukey needs is four blood craving careers to come slaughter her with no remorse whatsoever.

Thankfully, it's just the pair from 5. But still, two outnumbers one. Sukey holds in her breath, clutching her katana with a painfully tight grip. "Tansy, did that just move?" Caelum exclaims, and Sukey knows she's screwed. She hears the unsheathing of blades, and sees the radiance of metal. Before Tansy can remove the jackets and bags, Sukey bursts forward, letting out a fierce battlecry.

Mayhem.

Forgetting about Caelum, Sukey slams Tansy into the wall of the cornucopia with such inhumane force Tansy drops her sword. Perfect, Sukey thinks to herself. Sukey drives the slender, lengthy blade through Tansy's windpipe. Choking and gagging on blood, Tansy slides to the ground as Sukey pries the blade loose from her throat. Twirling around, Sukey clobbers the blade through Caelum's leg and makes a break for it.

Whilst Tansy slowly dies a horrendous death, Sukey bolts away, her jet black locks flailing behind her in the revaneous storm.

As soon as Caelum uproots the katana from his leg, he rushes to Tansy's aid. But the cannon chimes just as he kneels down to inspect her. It's too late. Caelum falls over Tansy and yelps and cries like a baby. He truly loved Tansy.

Sukey Rae was next on his hitlist.

~

The careers this year are more voracious, brutal and proficient than ever. Peyton Ohara, the calculating crook of District 2 leads the pack this year. Although she is only sixteen, this demonic young girl is dominant, quick witted and an utter monster in combat. Her counterparts think she's very loyal and sweet, but that's not the case. Peyton has big plans, and it doesn't involve her so-called friends.

"I can't believe he died.." that was Onyx Andromeda of District 1.

"Man up, Onyx. We were never here to make friends, we're here to win. His death has gotten us closer to victory, so stop your bitching seriously. Get over it. He's dead." Peyton snaps with ferocity and dominance. Her comment is making Onyx's blood boil.

Onyx would argue with Peyton, but makes decides against that option. Onyx already has enough wounds.

"We will avenge him anyway. That polluted brat from 12 is trash, I'm surprised she even killed him. Luck really does exist, hey?" Peyton exclaims, trying to get a grip on her anger.

"The final twelve.." Ianthe murmurs under her breath. Peyton rolls her eyes. "It's day six and I don't even have a scratch, every single one of you guys are battered. You guys really need to think on your feet during a brawl, because we used all our medicine to save Onyx." Peyton declares, staring daggers into Onyx's eyes.

"Onyx if you drag us down any more I'll stab you to death on the spot. You seem weak anyway, try prove me wrong. Now go to sleep, I'll take the first watch."

Onyx doesn't respond to Peyton's threat, and heads off to her tent. Ianthe and Cadmus also follow Peyton's order, and they head off to their tents. "Imbeciles." Peyton hisses to herself as her allies enter their tents.

Peyton hears a cannon.

Beaming to the sky, she sees the hologram of Tansy Lynx. "Surprised she lasted this long. Ha."

~

Lyla Proctor scales a colossal oak tree for the night.

She's undergeared, wounded and only has a vary amount of supplies, and it surely won't last her a few more days. "Please.." she whispers, eyes glaring into the sky. She sees a silver parachute sailing towards her, and she sighs with relief.

Snatching the note from the case, it reads 'ENJOY' . Ripping the case open like a maniac, she fishes out a purple capsule. Poison. "Interesting.." she says, dipping her knife blade into the lethal gel. Although she would have preferred some food, the poison will definitely give her an upperhand from now on.

Snap, goes a twig below her tree. Leaning towards the substance, Lyla sights the boy from 7. ''Neo.. Neko? Was that his name? ''Lyla thinks to herself, but she can't help but blush. That caressable blonde hair.. those blue eyes.. the muscles.. Lyla can't keep her cool. As she slants forward she makes a terrible fall. "Shit!" She shrieks before making impact with the ground.

Nero runs towards Lyla, axe at the ready. For a second, their eyes lock on to one another's. Nero could easily rid of her on the spot. A quick blow to the head is all it would take. But something's alluring about Lyla ,something enchanting, he doesn't know what. Lyla shares the same emotions.

"Go on. Kill me," she almost hisses, waiting for the blade to make contact with her skull. But it never does.

"What's that from.." Nero says, brushing his foot against a gaping slash in Lyla's arm.

"Ran into the careers. Peyton almost hacked my arm off. You should see what Cadmus did to my back.. it stings like hell." She declares. "There's some flowers around here, if you grind them for a bit then place them on the wound heal it almost instantly. It's better than any morphling."

Nero extends his hand, and the two begin venturing. Although Lyla doesn't fully trust Nero, she remembers her poison just incase.

~

Sheena Nyomi emerges from the dampened, murky trench with a fierce grunt. She has an almighty gash in her rib. Clutching the dried out wound, she begins to drag herself along the bank into an obscure bundle of bushes.

If only Sheena realized Sukey earlier, Sukey would be deceased. But Sukey definitely got the jump on Sheena, and luckily for Sheena, didn't finish her off. Equipped with a wicked looking bow, Sheena decides she's going to go and hunt tributes after sorting out her wounds.

Coating the barren wound with a relieving gel, Sheena hops up feeling fresh again and sets off for the cornucopia.

~

Neptune Talon is in great position, he's located a crystalline source of water, and he's furnished with masses of gear. Nothing can harm him now.

Apart from Peyton.

Slowly dozing off by the career camp, Peyton is only metres near Neptune, who's lurking by the gleaming pond. Thirsty, Peyton hooks her most mortal weapon, a jagged sword, and heads towards the aqua lake. Wielding the spiky blade, Peyton scans the area for anything suspicious. When everything seems fine, she plunges her head into the water and takes robust chugs.

Neptune flees the scene, satisfied he managed to escape Peyton.

~

Harlyn Star, also in great shape, chews on some walnuts as he hides in a mammoth sized cave. He also veiled the entry with greenery, so he's completely concealed. Harlyn had a rough start to the game, he got his arm sliced by Cadmus, and also had a close encounter with Tansy Lynx, who's luckily fallen now.

Harlyn's game plan as of now is to camp it out, and come out to play when only few tributes remain.

Leisurely, Harlyn dozes off, unsure of what lies ahead for the days to game.

Day 7
"Onyx, make yourself useful. Go to the cornucopia and grab anything that may benefit us. Even slightly." Peyton tells Onyx as she sharpens her daggers.

"The rookies would have already inspected it, they're so eager-" Onyx responds, only to be cut off by a dagger lodging into a tree inches from her head. Peyton giggles as she uproots the blade from the tree bark.

"Do it."

Sighing, Onyx ferociously shoulders Peyton in the gut and heads towards the cornucopia.

"What a lazy bitch, like seriously do District 1 girls even have to raise a finger? It's pathetic." Peyton complains, as per usual. Ianthe rolls her eyes, and Cadmus follows suit.

"You're just as bad Ianthe. Seriously, get a grip on yourself. You've only killed like one person. I've killed four Ianthe. Four." Ianthe is getting tired of being bossed around by Peyton, everyone is. The career pack is slowly, but surely, crumbling.

"I'm done with your shit, Peyton. You boss everyone around," Ianthe says as she begins packing her belongings. "Remind me why I should follow a sixteen year old girls' orders? We all know your plans Peyton, you'll ally with us until you no needer our help then you'll stab us in the back. A typical District 2 tactic."

"So, you're leaving the alliance?" Peyton hisses.

"That's right." Ianthe replies.

As Peyton's ready to charge Ianthe, something cuts her off. A scream. Onyx's scream.

Ianthe is immediately bolting towards the cornucopia, eager to save her friend. Cadmus also darts right behind Ianthe, while Peyton mildly jogs for the cornucopia, not really caring for Onyx's fate.

~

Ianthe reaches the scene, brandishing her longsword.

Onyx struggles at the mouth of the cornucopia, her abdomen ridden with stab marks. There's also a large slit across her chest, and an arrow wedged in her hip. Her moans are achy, daunting and filled with pain. "Onyx.." Ianthe murmurs. "Who did this to you?"

"S-S-She-Sheen-She-" Onyx's collapses dead on the spot. "Sheena." Ianthe hisses. Cadmus arrives at Onyx's corpse in unison with her cannon.

"Top ten.." Ianthe says.

"Make that top nine," Peyton spits, slashing her dagger at Ianthe.

Ianthe evades the blade only just. "You're insane!" Ianthe says, flaunting her longsword. "Sweet heart, don't you remember? You're leaving the alliance? So you mean nothing to me now. Just another victim. Have fun." Peyton hoots before lunging.

Cadmus decides to turn on Peyton, chucking his spear at her. Peyton saws it in half in mid-air. "Haha, too easy!"

Brandishing his sword, Ianthe and Cadmus begin to hack away at Peyton, who's holding off pretty decently. "Two on one, aww that's no fun," Peyton shrieks as she knocks Ianthe to the ground, then slashes Cadmus' neck. He falls to the ground and his cannon sounds. Ready to finish Ianthe, Peyton discovers she's not there. She spots Ianthe sprinting into the foliage, and pursues her.

~

Two cannons.

"I wonder if the careers turned on eachother." Lyla says to her new ally. "Probably. Peyton has really bad anger issues, so I can imagine her just doing something shallow like that." Nero replies, sharpening his axe blade.

"Speaking of the devil!" Lyla whispers, pushing Nero to the ground. "What?! What!" Nero shrieks, and Lyla puts a hand over his mouth. "Look!"

Nero beams into the distance, and sights Peyton chasing a blonde girl. He watches until they disappear into the distance. "They're gone. Holy shit, she is turning on the careers."

"She's mental. Come on, let's go this way." Lyla says, beckoning Nero into the opposite direction of Peyton.

~

"Haha!" Squeals Peyton as Ianthe tumbles infront of her. Before Ianthe can scatter, Peyton bolts towards her and smashes her to the ground with brutal force.

"Fuck you, hoe." Peyton screeches, raising her sword as Ianthe flails about.

Peyton digs the blade straight through Ianthe's cheek, uproots it and thrusts it into Ianthe's face again. Over and over. Peyton, and the viewers at home, lose count of the amount of stabs. The cannon blasted minutes ago.

"Fuck," Peyton hisses as she rams the blade into Ianthe's face.

"You."

Peyton gets up, and spits on the bloody bomb sight she's created.

Death Chart
'''12th. Tansy Lynx (D5), windpipe slashed by Sukey Rae (D12)'''. (Day 6)

'''11th. Onyx Andromeda (D1), stabbed and shot by Sheena Nyomi (D11)'''. (Day 7)

'''10th. Cadmus Delphi (D2), neck cut by Peyton Ohara (D2)'''. (Day 7)

'''9th. Ianthe Peru (D4), stabbed in the face multiple times by Peyton Ohara (D2)'''. (Day 7)

'''8th. Caelum Levi (D5)''', drowned in tidal wave. (Day 9)

'''7th. Neptune Talon (D9) axe to the neck by Harlyn Star (D10)'''. (Day 9)

'''6th. Sheena Nyomi (D11) stabbed in the back by Peyton Ohara (D2)'''. (Day 10)

'''5th. Harlyn Star (D10) arrow to the heart by Nero Caius (D7)'''. (Day 11)

'''4th. Lyla Proctor (D8) throat slit by Sukey Rae (D12)'''. (Day 12)

'''3rd. Sukey Rae (D12) head crushed by Nero Caius (D7)''' (Day 12)

'''2nd. Peyton Ohara (D2) '''burnt alive. (Day 13)

'''1st. Nero Caius (D7)'''