The Girl With The Shimmering Smile

The Bloodbath

Okay I lied... THIS is the last chapter for a while (probably)

TW graphic scenes with death and violence!!

I ran like I never had run before. I heard footsteps clatter to the ground when a hoard of teenage feet were running towards the cornucopia. Some had chosen to take cover in the woods but most of us needed the supplies the cornucopia could provide us with. I ran past the random bags laying on the ground, knowing the good stuff would be placed near the cornucopia. I could hear the blood pumping in my ears as my heart was beating faster to get enough oxygen through my body. I was only a 100 feet away from the golden horn-shaped cone now. My breath was getting heavier with every step I took but thanks to my long slim legs I was one of the first to arrive. There was no time to look for a special kind of weapon. Instead I wrapped my fingers around a cold metal knife laying on a big plastic crate. The footsteps I had heard were only seconds behind me. I turned around and stabbed the girl from district 6 in the stomach before she was able to grab a weapon. She tried to fight me with her bare hands but I used my body weight to pin her to the ground. Warm, red liquid sipped out of her abdomen as I continued to stab her with my knife. I'm almost certain I accidentally punctured her left lung because a pop was heard and the girl started to have problems breathing. It was brutal and I decided to end her suffering. I stabbed her in the throat, leading the carotid artery to break.The light in her big dark eyes disappeared as she quickly bled to death.

A feeling I've never felt before started to form inside me. A hunger for blood and for justice. I liked killing this girl. It made me feel powerful, finally in control. For years I have been trained for this very moment. It was nothing like I had imagined. It was even better. I had never fought back before, always letting everyone run me over. Always letting them touch me the way they wanted to. That has come to an end. I was capable. I could win this and finally be my own person.

I got up from the ground and looked around me. Cato was busy stabbing the district 5 boy with his sword, Marvel had found a scimitar and used it on one of the girls, and Clove had just found a stack with throwing knives. I didn't have time to look for Marina but I caught the district 5 boy trying to get one of the bags. I ran over to where he was sitting and threw myself over him. He had no chance to defend himself as I jabbed the knife in his ribs. He screamed out of pain and I caught myself smiling. I turned him around so he was facing me and continued to slash his body. He tried to reach for the knife a few times but the bleeding wounds made him weak and slow. The warm blood was soon painting my face red. I stabbed him until he completely stopped moving. He had long since stopped screaming, accepting his fate.

It was completely silent when I got off him. No screams, no running feet and no stabbing. There were dead bodies lying everywhere, no careers thankfully. We all stood bloody with our weapons ready. We didn't trust each other. Marvel was the first to lower his sword. Marina followed his lead shortly after that. My eyes were fixated on Clove. I trusted her the least and would never lower the knife before she safely tucked hers away. We were staring at each other for what seemed to be hours. Cato seemed to be in a rush as he stepped in front of the short girl. "Clover c'mon tuck it away we don't have time for this". She rolled her eyes but did listen to him shockingly. She opened her jacket - revealing a whole stack with knives - and put the one she had in her hand in its spot. I hid mine inside the jacket as well.

We looked through the supplies together, deciding what was worth bringing for the hunt and what to leave. I packed some kind of dried meat, a water bottle, a bottle of iodine in case we had to refill the bottles and lastly a sleeping bag. We had no idea how long we would be gone and it would be stupid to not bring it in case we had to sleep out there. I also picked up the metal bow we had found in the cornucopia. They had looked at me like I was an idiot when I picked it up. I had to argue with Clove to bring it with me for several minutes. I knew I wasn't a natural with the bow but I was more than capable of shooting someone with it. I chose it mainly because I could stay behind the other careers. They would be the first ones to go for the kill which would allow me to stay at a safe distance. If they somehow survived Cato's sword, Marvel's spear or even Clove's knives I could easily shoot an arrow in their heart. I wasn't even that bad with it - everyone was just on the edge and worried I would mess it up. I had trained with it at the academy, obviously it wasn't my first choice but it would do. Cashmere's words were still ringing in my ears too. She wanted me to grab the bow. It would benefit me when it comes to the sponsors since it eliminated the risk for anything to happen with my appearance she had said. I didn't really care about it but I knew they did. Plus the other tributes would just see me as a helpless girl since they've seen me struggling with it in the training center. Little do they know I hid a knife in my jacket. I didn't even care about playing dirty, I will do whatever it takes. I could even use one of the arrows in close combat if I had to. Sticking it in the throat and letting them bleed to death isn't that hard, I had already done it once and would absolutely do it again. The hardest part is making sure they don't have a chance of doing the same to you.

We ran through the woods like a starving pack of wolves. It didn't even matter how loud we were since we were the apex predators. Cato made sure we all ate some of the dried food before we left, making us alert and ready to hunt the other tributes. We were running in a line with Cato in the front and Marina in the back. From out of nowhere Clove stopped. We had been running for about an hour at that point. "I hear water" she said. We all stopped and listened for the sound of lapping water. Dehydration was one of the most common death reasons so we knew many tributes would have to seek water sooner or later. None of us heard any sign of water except for Clove though, but we trusted her to lead us to it anyway.

Clove was right. A river was streaming down a little hill filled with big rocks. This would be a perfect place to hide since the big rocks could work as small caves. We decided to take a break for the first time in hours. I was exhausted but had tons of energy left at the same time. My feet are swollen even though the brown leather shoes they gave us were very nicely made. The other careers were sitting on the ground, looking and listening for enemies to kill. The water was shimmering in the late afternoon light. An idea was soon created in my mind and I took off my shoes, jacket and pants, leaving them nicely folded on the riverside. The sponsors would only get a minor show today but I bet they would send me gifts to take it even further. The water was ice cold but I didn't flinch. I noticed how everyone's attention turned to me as I walked further into the river. I felt Cato's eyes specifically burning on my ass but I only wiggled it more knowing that information. My head was suddenly under water, erasing the last signs of the bloodbath battle. I made sure to get all the blood off my face, I didn't need it to cause me any infections- I was already exposed as it was. The boys and Marina soon joined me, leaving Clove alone on the riverside.

We laughed as we dried in the late afternoon sun. Marvel had once again come up with the most stupid comparison between a hedgehog and a dog. It made no sense whatsoever but the passion he felt for the subject made us all crack up. The laughter died out the second we heard a stick break behind us. Clove was the quickest to get up and ran towards the noise before some of us were even able to react. She soon got back with one of her knives pointed at a tribute's throat. I recognised him as the boy from 12th. Lover boy as we had called him after the interviews. He looked rough with a few bleeding wounds in his face, probably from Clove's attempt to bring him back. I wondered why she didn't just kill him.

"He can lead us to her" was all she said as she pushed him to the ground. We all looked at her in complete shock. Clove -the vicious killing machine- didn't want to immediately kill him? She was right though. He was our best bet to find her, and she was our biggest threat so we had to take her out before she killed any of us. But why would he help us kill the woman he was supposed to love? I was really sceptical about this. It didn't make any sense. But there was no point arguing since Cato had already made up his mind. I didn't want to be on his bad side and there was no way that boy would change his mind about anything anyway. "If you try anything you're dead" Cato says as he's scraping the tip of his sword on Peeta's cheek, making a small wound opening up. He winces at the pain but nods in an agreement. So Lover boy.. lead us to your lover.