The Ultimate Games

The Cannon Shots (Pansy)

 Draco and I have been trudging through the forest for hours. The sweltering heat is giving me a headache, and I pant as we walk uphill. The lack of water is taking a toll on both of us.

"What exactly are we doing?" I ask between heavy breaths. Draco sighs and stops, wiping sweat from his forehead with his arm.

"Some kind of a river or stream," he replies, clearly agitated. "Or a pond." I nod, and we continue walking. Surprisingly, we haven't seen a tribute since the beginning of the games. This arena must be bigger than I thought. Draco managed to snag a backpack of supplies from some Lost Cities kid. Inside we found a box of matches, some crackers, a flashlight, and some socks. They'll certainly be convenient.

As we continue walking, night begins to fall. Soon, it is completely dark. A shiver runs down my spine as the cold quickly follows. There are still no tributes in sight, but with the darkness, they could be anywhere. I cling to Draco's arm, but he brushes me away in annoyance. Suddenly, a cannon shot rings out. I practically jump, releasing a small yelp. Five more shots quickly follow.

"What were those?!" I shriek. Draco shushes me, scanning the forest to make sure no one has heard my cry.

"I don't know," he mutters, I can hear the fear in his voice. Music begins to play, and a crest appears in the sky. I haven't heard the music before, but I recognize the crest from buildings all over the Capitol. As the music continues to play, the crest disappears, and six faces appear in the sky. Among them are Cho Chang, Seamus Finnigan, and Lavender Brown. There are also three Lost Cities kids, two girls and one boy.

"There were six pictures," I observe as the music fades and the last picture disappears from the sky. "Just like the six shots. Think they're related?" Draco is still staring up at the sky, deep in thought.

"Probably," he answers. What are they, though? I settle down against a tree. The bark scratches at my back, but I don't care. I think back to the horror show in the field at the beginning of the games. Why are those six tributes special? I wonder. I didn't see any of them except for Cho in the chaos. I was granted the great pleasure of seeing her slaughtered with an ax by a brown haired Panem girl. Then it hits me.

"Those are the dead tributes," I realize aloud. Draco's eyes widen, and he nods.

"I think I did see the— the body of one of the Lost Cities tributes," he recalls. They display the dead in the sky every night? What else do they do? And why didn't we know about it? There are thirty tributes left in the games, and I have a sinking feeling as I imagine my face up there in the sky.