𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟕𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ✔️

𝕏𝕀𝕍

After I catch a few more fish, we head out into the Arena early the next morning to look for other tributes. This time, we have some luck - only a few minutes after we head out, Aurora spots a set of purple footprints, and Phoenix forces us to run to try and follow them.

The purple footprints wind through the forest, going in all sorts of directions. After half an hour, we come across some leg prints, so whoever made the prints must have stopped to rest her. We examine the clearing by the prints carefully, since there are purple footprints across the area going in all directions. The tribute must have stayed here for a while.

There's only one problem - there are so many prints around here, it's hard to figure out which prints are from when the tributes left. Phoenix is convinced that one set of prints is the one we have to follow, but I think that's the way we came from, and Vesta finds another set of prints leading from the scene.

"Look," Vesta says carefully, pointing to Phoenix. "These prints get wider in the front, so they're heading in a forward direction. Yours are going the wrong way."

"That's the way we came from, Vesta," Phoenix says, annoyed.

"No, we came from that way," I say, pointing to our own footprints leading into the area. "I think Vesta's right."

It takes Aurora and Axel to back up Vesta for Phoenix to change his mind. "Fine," he huffs. "You better be right."

Vesta gives me a look, but we don't say anything as we continue onward. Finally, after two hours, we catch up to the culprit - the girl from District 6. Her District partner died in the Bloodbath, but she's still wandering the Arena.

"Finally," Phoenix groans, dropping his backpack. "Stay here."

Phoenix grabs his knife without hesitating, and he runs toward the girl. She doesn't stand a chance as he tackles her to the ground and sticks his knife into her neck.

Phoenix is panting when he returns, but something about his eyes are unsettling. I look at Isabelle's eyes for confirmation. Hers flicker around the area as she readjusts her backpack on her shoulders. In comparison, Phoenix's eyes seem wild, and he looks almost unhinged.

"Let's go," Phoenix pants. "I saw some yellow footprints in the distance."

I'm too afraid of Phoenix to argue, and we head over to where the girl lays on the ground, her throat dripping with blood. The ground beneath her is a mix of glowing purple and pink from where she struggled with Phoenix. I can't take my eyes off her as I pass her. Her lifeless eyes seem to stare at me as I pass, and I shudder as I turn to the others.

"Here they are," Phoenix says, pointing to two sets of yellow boot prints. "Let's go."

This time, the journey is short. We're allowed to walk through the Arena, and after about an hour, the Arena begins to change a bit. Some black and white tree branches are scattered across the ground, as are some black feathers.

"This must have been where the birds attacked," Aurora mutters to me from behind me, and I nod. It's not long before we come across the end of the tracks.

There's a small, yellow print of a body, splayed out on the ground. The yellow has patches of red blood across it. The six of us gather around the print, silent.

"There's the girl from Three," Axel says quietly.

I notice movement behind Phoenix's head across from me, and I glance up, but I don't see anything. Maybe I imagined it.

There it is again! I watch as a drop of something lands on the ground from the tree above it. It's a red puddle.

"What an awful way to die," Aurora says, looking down at the yellow print.

I think I'm going to vomit. I ball my hands up as I slowly look up into the tree.

It's the boy from District 3. He's laying in the tree branch, and he looks scared out of his mind. He's covered in grisly gashes across his whole body, and his wounds are still bleeding and dripping to the ground below.

The boy spots me looking at him, and he looks like he's about to faint. Please, his eyes beg me. Don't tell the others.

I look to my right, and I can tell Vesta has spotted the boy as well. We share a look for a moment. What are we going to do?

I watch as Phoenix examines the print. "I wonder where the boy went," he says, his voice wavering slightly. He looks... hungry. Hungry for blood.

I don't want to send Phoenix into a frenzy any more than he already is. The boy from Three is going to die soon anyway.

"Maybe the two of them split up," I suggest. "Whatever. We'll find some other tracks soon, probably."

Vesta looks at me again, but she doesn't say a word as we head away. I don't look back as we leave the bleeding boy behind to his own misery.