I wake up slowly, my senses gradually acknowledge certain things.
I am sleeping on my back.
I can hear something crackling.
My eyes are watering.
I can smell smoke...smoke?
My eyes snap open, and I sit up.
The forest is on fire. This is no gamemaker trick, this is the work of a tribute.
I stand up quickly, and look around. The forest is on fire all around me, trapping me in a circle of flames.
I think back to yesterday, and realise that I doubled back to where the boy from twelve died yesterday.
So it was a tribute that killed him, and I walked right back into their territory.
I cough as the thick smoke engulfs my head. Bending over quickly, I pick up the baby and put him in the sling, then I rip part of the blanket off, and cover the baby's face.
I grab my sword and pack, and look around the circle of fire for any way to escape.
"You should have stayed back in district four."
I hear a mocking voice ring out behind the flames.
"You careers think you're so great, volunteering to bring honor and glory to yourself"
I spin around, trying to locate the owner of the voice. It continues.
"The truth is, if any of you knew what life is like after the games, you wouldn't volunteer. You would cower in fear on reaping day like the rest of us!"
I have my sword held ready, but I can't attack what I can't see.
I cough again, the smoke becoming overwhelming.
"Now, to late, do you know the truth, the arena is a living hell! That the capitol throws innocent children into, and then puts it on TV for all to see!"
I catch sight of my foe, I think it's the girl from district six.
She looks around sixteen, and her black hair is flying around her head, mixing with the smoke. She is standing at the edge of the meadow, just on the other side of the fire ring.
"Oh yes, now you will die. Slowly, and painfully. Suffocation is agony I hear."
Tears stream from my eyes as I cough violently, there's nowhere to escape the thick smoke.
"You won't be killing just me, my district partner had a baby on the first day, and I have him with me!"
I shout out between my coughs. I see her tilt her head to the side, uncertain if I am telling the truth. I uncover him briefly, letting her see. She raises one eyebrow, then shrugs.
"I'm saving him from a life of torture."
I step closer to the fire separating us.
"What do you mean?"
She looks at me with her strange, light grey eyes.
"My mother is a soothsayer, gifted with the second sight. She told me that I would be entered in the games on my sixteenth year, and a child would be born in the games. This child, if it survived, would be cursed to live a life no one should have. So I am doing him a favor."
I shake my head. She's crazy! She has to be.
"You will still be responsible for the death of an innocent baby!"
She grins wickedly, and shouts at the sky.
"I hope none of you capitol people think that Zivia Tatorous is being inhuman, or cruel. After all, you are responsible for the lives of twenty four children every year!"
I stare in shock at her. If she was back home in her district, she would have been shot long ago.
"You are all murderers! Every single one of you sick people who enjoy watching these games!"
She then starts shouting profanities at the sky, cursing the capitol and everyone in it.
I'm on my knees now, trying to breathe. My lungs feel like they're on fire, and my eyes are streaming.
I am falling into unconsciousness, when I hear a scream from the Zivia. I look up through blurry eyes, and see dozens of the little rabbits attacking her.
I look away as they start biting her, bringing her to the ground where they can feed easier.
I cover my ears, trying to block out the sound of her screams as she is eaten alive.
I fall unconscious just as I hear her cannon fire.
When I wake up, the first thing I hear is the baby crying.
I sit up quickly, and look around. I am somewhere in the forest, sitting against a large tree. The baby is beside me, and looks fine. I pick him up, and rock him. I try to say something soothing to him, but my voice just comes out in a croak.
I retrieve a canteen of water from my pack, a couple of feet away, and drain it quickly.
"That's better."
My voice is still a little hoarse, but at least I can talk now.
I look around. How did I get here?
Then I see the drag marks.
Who would rescue me from the fire? I have no friends left in the arena.
I search around for a little while, and find some footprints leading away from the clearing.
I follow them for a little while, and within a minute, I am stopped short in my tracks.
Laying about ten feet in front of me, is a girl and boy. Both dead, a knife in each of their chests.
It's the tributes from ten, I walk slowly over to them, and see the girl has a piece of white fabric in her hand.
I pull it out of her grasp, and smooth it out. There is a small note written on it in blood.
~Win, and bring the baby home. Tara and Dean~
I look down at them, and notice they're holding hands. They look similar, with their dark red hair and slender frame. Siblings?
Why would they kill themselves? To save the baby. But why not rescue the baby and let me die? Did they, like me, not want to keep living in this corrupt world?
I hear a hovercraft approaching, and I nod a silent thank you to them both.
I walk quickly back to where I woke up, and collect my things.
There's only two other tributes besides me now.
Most likely the gamemakers will do something to force us together now.
I'm not wrong, after several minutes of hiking through the woods, I hear a loud rumbling roar, and the ground starts shaking.
I look up, and through the trees I can see the mountain. As I watch, the mountain side shifts, and thousands of tons of rock come crashing down.
The gamemakers have started an earthquake.
I turn, and run as fast as I can, leaping over cracks forming in the ground, and dodging falling trees.
I know where I'm going, right now the meadow is probably the safest place to be.
It doesn't take me long to get there, and I run into the center of the large field.
This must be where they want us to go, because the ground isn't even trembling here.
After about an hour or so, I hear a cannon fire, and the rumbling stops.
I stand wary, the end of the earthquake must mean that the one remaining tribute is in the meadow.
I keep a sharp eye out for any signs of movement.
I don't see any of the little rabbit mutts, the gamemakers must want the last two tributes to decide things among themselves.
I know I should be nervous, soon it will be decided who will live and who will die, but I feel perfectly calm.
In a few minutes, I spot the other tribute. It's the boy from nine, he's armed with several long knives, and he looks like he can use them.
He is tall, and fairly muscular. His dark brown hair falls in waves just below his ears. He knows where I am, and he's taking his time getting to me.
When He's about a hundred feet away, I raise my sword, and drop my pack on the ground. I place the baby carefully on the pack, and stand in front of him.
The boy stops a few yards in front of me.
"You're from four aren't you. One of the careers?"
I nod.
"Bruce Gilroy. You're from nine?"
He nods.
"Avery Twill."
We stand silent for a moment, watching each other, trying to find the others weakness.
"I guess we should end this."
He says quietly. I nod, and we raise our weapons.
I take a step forward, but he stands his ground. Great, he's making me come to him, fine.
I run the last couple of feet, and swing my sword at him. He blocks it quickly with one of his knives, and with the other he slashes at my stomach. I pull away, barely missing his blade.
A long fight ensues, both of us giving, and receiving wounds.
He seems to get the advantage on me, when he cuts my right side deeply. I staunch the blood flow with my free hand, and take several steps away from him.
He is panting heavily, and raises his knives, ready for the death-blow.
I lower my head, waiting, waiting. Now!
I jump to the left, taking him by surprise. Turning quickly I run him through the torso. He gasps, and looks down at his blood covered stomach. Then he looks behind me, spotting the baby sitting watching us with big eyes.
"He deserves to live."
He says quietly, blood dribbling from his mouth. He falls to the ground, and I hear his cannon.
I stand panting heavily, bleeding badly from several wounds. Waiting to hear the announcement of the victor.
Nothing.
I look up to the sky, frowning in puzzlement.
I didn't miss count the tributes did I? No, I'm sure I am the last one standing...
I glance at the small child resting on the back pack.
Are they really that cruel? They expect me to kill a baby?
I sigh, and bend over painfully, picking up one of Avery's knives. Then I walk over to the baby, I brush the hair off his forehead, and look at the small round mark left by the serpent. Then I bend down, and whisper.
"I'm sorry."
I straighten up, and raise the knife. Pausing, imagining the drama they're making out of this on television.
"Goodbye."
Then I bring the knife down.
The last thing I remember, was a sharp pain in my side, and falling to the ground.
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