Deceived: The 500th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 15 - The Arena: Day 1

ROXEN REDPATH'S P.O.V

I sat with my stylist, Flur, waiting for the announcement to go off. In less than 2 minutes, I will be in the arena.

Flur looks just like me. She's only 18 too. She started styling this year. We're the exact same height as me. We have the same golden hair and blue eyes. She was pretty. So am I.

"Roxen, listen to yourself and no one else," Flur warned me. "I'd be willing to bet on you, but promise me, you won't be stupid and let anyone take charge of you. Your weakness is trust."

I let this thought sink in. Atlus? Majoris? It could be any Career. Not Septimus though. Septimus loves me.

I love him.

"Tributes, you have 60 seconds. Please stand on your metal plate in your glass tube."

I hugged Flur. I'd become close to her, she is the only girl here who I've spoken to without screaming at. This may be the last time I see her.

She reminded me about trust. I slipped into the glass tube as the "30 second" announcement went off.

Then she said something I will never forget.

"It would be a sin to not depend on your twin sister."

"What?" I replied?

"Your mum had us at the same time. I moved to the Capitol with our auntie." I looked into her eyes. She started crying. "I'm glad I got to meet you. The whole reason I'm a stylist is so one day I could see you. Good luck."

The glass tube began to shut behind me. I put my hand up against it. She did the same. This is my fate. She, my long lost twin sister, is going to watch me die. My mum is going to watch me die.

I'm not dying. Am I mad?

That's what the games do to you. They make you mad. Insane.

The last thing I saw was Flur hold her fist across her chest on her heart. The symbol of love. Tears ran down her face. I copied her symbol.

I had to balance myself as I saw the end of the tube. I felt a chill run down my back as my body temperature dropped several degrees. This was going to be a cold place, wasn't it?

I rose out of the ground. To my left was Ovid, and to my right was Topaz. I could see the daggers I wanted laying nearer the back of the cornucopia. The only dagger out o.f the cornucopia was a bent one. Who would use that?

"Ladies and Gentleman," boomed President Ammon. "Let the 500th Annual Hunger Games begin! This is minigame 1. 3 of you will make it out alive. Good luck, and my the odds be ever in your favour!"

The 60 second countdown started. I wouldn't let anyone distract me. I will get the the cornucopia and get my daggers. Trust no one.

Does that mean I shouldn't trust my twin?

No, I am distracted. I looked up at the clock. 48 seconds. I braced myself in a running position.

My breath misted in front of my face. Our clothes were made of a strange clothing the Capitol call a 'base-layer.' The snow surrounding my plate was beautiful. I wanted to touch it, but that would mean death.

The 10 seconds started counting down. Snow started to fall. The snow was deep enough already...

GONG!

The 24 of us all raced to the cornucopia. The only person near anything was Wade. He grabbed the bent dagger and a near backpack and sprinted for the snowy forests. So someone did want that dagger...

I got to the cornucopia at the same time as Atlus. We grabbed two daggers each. What? There's only 5 daggers? What about everyone else in our alliance?

Backpacks and tributes were disappearing quickly. Suddenly, Atlus fell to the ground beside me. Something similar to a trident, but with only two prongs, was stuck through his gut. I saw Jaymes running towards Atlus, a spear in his hand. I couldn't stop him. The spear pierced through Atlus' neck. Atlus gurgled blood before freezing.

Jaymes tried to recover his items. I went to stab him in the back with my daggers as a huge shuriken whizzed passed, cutting up Jaymes' back into his head. It flew back to the owner, which happened to be Maxwell. Maxwell caught his deadly weapon, grabbed a backpack and ran before anything could harm him.

Pomeline emerged from a small hole inside the cornucopia. No survivors. I ran towards her and dived on her. She shrieked, trying to kick me off of her. I plunged the two daggers into her eyes. She let out a high pitch scream and stopped moving.

I yelped in pain. A mini axe was in my back. I yanked it out and threw it in the direction it came. Ivory jumped out of the way just as it hit Geranium in the leg. She grabbed the weapon, sliced his neck and ran into the wilderness.

The violence wasn't dying down. Majoris and Septimus were stood over a screaming girl. Haile. Her bow was out of reach. I want Haile to live. If she lives, I die. Majoris would kill me.

Majoris flew back onto the floor. There was an arrow through his chest. Septimus' sword was lodged in the snow beneath him. Haile rolled to the side, grabbed her bow and sprinted. She didn't have a single cut on her. Wow.

Did she use that arrow as a dagger?

Ovid stood on a high brach near the cornucopia. He loaded his crossbow and aimed it. At me.

I fell to the floor just before the arrow could hit me. Velorum was hit. He shrieked as blood poured everywhere. He fell to the floor limp. Zak yelled, furiously shaking Velorum's body. Topaz rested her hand on Zak's shoulder. Zak's best friend had just passed away.

I heard a noise. From inside the cornucopia.

"Runyon, get out of there!"

Chester was near. And so was Runyon.

I pounced on Runyon. Majoris tried to help but as he got up, the wound in his chest squirted blood everywhere. I picked up a sword from beside me. I've never learnt to use one of these. How hard can it be?

I slit his throat in one clean cut. Easy peasy I guess.

Chester cursed loudly, throwing a knife. It flew at a tremendous speed. Majoris stepped in front of me. I shrieked as he fell to the floor. "Majoris. Stay with us. Don't die."

"Roxen," he gurgled, blood spilling out of his mouth. "I've done my job. Why let two of us die? I'm already going, I just-"

He stopped breathing. No. No this can't be happening. I will never know what Majoris was going to say. No. Get me out of here. Please.

I clung to Septimus as Velorum, Atlus and Majoris lay still around us in the tinted pink snow. Dead.


KEELAN LURO'S P.O.V

I walk with Nancee and Maxwell. Maxwell was hitting everything in sight. He wasn't taking his first kill too well.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"Only 7?" Nancee asked, sounding disgusted. Can we get rid of her?

"The Capitol won't be happy with that," I groaned. "I wonder who died."

"Hopefully not Jed," Maxwell said. I stared at him, confused. "I want to kill him myself."

I understood now. "I wouldn't mind getting my hands on Yarrow."

Nancee shrugged. "I hope Pomeline isn't dead. She's my kill."

"Oh yeah," I nodded, remembering a question that's been on my mind for a while. "What did Pomeline do to you? You know what happened to us two."

"She chose Jaymes and Haile over me," she said bluntly. Maxwell glared at her. I don't think so.

"What do you mean?" I asked, approaching her, my katana in my hand. She gulped.

"I wanted to ally with her. She said no." Nancee was sweating. How can you swear in such cold conditions like these?

Oh yeah, she's lying.

"That's not what I heard," Maxwell said coldly. He grabbed his huge shuriken and advanced towards her. She was cornered.

Nancee yelled. "I'm not lying. She hates me and wants me dead because I'm not good enough for her."

"However, you'll kill anyone to get to victory."

We sprung around. Haile was there with her bow and arrows. Nancee lunged towards her with a spear. Haile shrieked. She can't get hurt. I ran behind Nancee and stabbed her in the back, the blade sticking out her front.

Haile started crying. I yanked the Katana out of her dying body. "You can't ever trust anyone." I murmured.

Haile was shrieking now. BOOM! Nancee had officially died. 8 down, 13 to go. I looked over at Haile. Nancee's last breath was used to throw her spear at Haile. The spear was pierced in her torso.

"Guys, I'm not going to make it. Please, my entire alliance is down. District 5 has no hope. Win for me. You saved me from torture." With that, Haile lurched forward, vomiting blood before collapsing into the pink snow around her.

BOOM! "9 down. 12 to go." Maxwell said, a hint of sadness in his tone. We kissed Haile's forehead and carried on walking before anyone else could find us.


CHESTER LITTLETON'S P.O.V

I've been walking for at least 4 hours. I'm exhausted, running for about an hour overall. I witnessed a killing about 2 hours ago. Haile and Nancee. Who's left from District 5? I counted on my fingers, trying to remember their names. Pomeline, Nancee, Haile, Jaymes and Geranium were gone. That left Wade, Tansy and Alisma.

Then I realised. Alisma isn't going to live long. She has no throwing knives.

I found a hollowed out tree with a hole big enough for me to fit. I learnt how to make shelter in training. I grabbed a bunch of twigs and branches from around the snowy forest. It looked beautiful. Shame we're all killing each other in a wonderland like this.

I killed Majoris. The most arrogant and stupid guy from District 1. I wonder what all that big talk in the interviews was. Going on about being the 'finest Career?' Both of those 'finest Careers' are dead.

I hid in the dark tree and pulled my backpack off of my back. Wow. I ran in there and took every box of throwing knives I could along with one big backpack. It was easy, with the brain dead Careers only caring about killing the weaklings. The real competition starts soon.

My backpack contained a loaf of bread, a packet of dry fruit, a rope, two water bottles, one empty, one full, iodine - I'm guessing for the impure water, a sleeping bag, a flint and steel, a pair of gloves and a dagger. I hit the jackpot.

Runyon. He died because of Roxen. Majoris saved her life. Roxen is my biggest threat at the minute.

The national anthem started playing outside. I peeped through the hole in my mess of twigs to see who's faces would appear in the sky tonight.

Velorum. Atlus. Majoris. Pomeline. Jaymes. Haile. Nancee. Geranium. Runyon.

I organised my bag. The stuff I didn't need to use right now was put at the bottom. I picked at the loaf of bread, eating a very tiny amount. I ate a huge breakfast. I also don't feel hungry. I'm a murderer.

Get over it Chester, the public love you. As long as you have given a good shoe, you won't be a target. That's all that matters. You'll survive.

Even I won't survive, District 1 will still be under my family's power. My girlfriend is pregnant. It's been confirmed it's going to be a boy. She told me about a week before the Reaping.

What if I never see my baby son?

"Dusk, if you're watching this," I started, gulping back my emotion, "Take care of our baby. I love you. I'm fighting for you." I'm sure it'll be broadcast. Emotional moment always grab the heartstrings of the crowd.

I grabbed my sleeping bag and slid into it. If it's cold during the day, the night will be a disaster. I bet someone will die of hypothermia tonight.

I closed my eyes and my head filled with images of Runyon and Majoris' deaths. They're my fault.


PHILLIPE HONEYMAN'S P.O.V

I sat with Fione, having last minute make-up put on. I don't want to be shiny on camera. Fione doesn't die her hair for the arena like me. She has her hair a magenta shade this year.

The camera man stuck his thumb up. "Good evening Panem!" Fione greeted the camera warmly. "Today, we had an exciting line up for you all. A total of 9 tributes are dead, with 12 to go until we have our 3 survivors."

I smiled at her, indicating it's my turn. She smiles back and I turn to the camera.

"Our first death was Atlus Rathbone, being taken down from District 5's Jaymes Germander. Jaymes, in his interview, said he would be proud if he died doing something he achieved and saw as a good thing to do." I announced. "Shortly after, Jaymes was killed by District 9's younger Paisley brother, Maxwell."

"Our next death came from Pomelime Cropper, District 5's sweetheart. She was killed by the beautiful Roxen." Fione flicked her long hair out of her face. "Roxen then received one of Ivory's throwing axes in her back. she threw it at Geranium Keene. Ivory finished Geranium's life by slicing his neck with the axe."

"What about Haile though? She was a lucky duck to escape two Careers. Thanks to District 9's Ovid Floog for firing an arrow through Majoris Baxwoll's heart." I whined, knowing the crowd would love it. "Ovid's next target was Roxen, but she dodged it. Sadly, Velorum Tavistock didn't have the same idea about ducking, taking the arrow through his body."

"Our next Bloodbath tribute was Runyon Hoverhound, the gymnast from District 9. He was killed by Roxen." Fione smiled into the camera, her pearl white teeth shining.

"Our last Bloodbath tribute was Majoris Baxwoll. Chester had thrown a knife out of anger towards his own District's tributes after losing his ally. Roxen was the target, but Majoris, being beyond healing, took the knife and saved Roxen's life." I announced. "Now onto our other dead tributes."

"Yes," Fione replied, "an exciting moment. Nancee Rankine had lied to her allies, Keelan Luro and Maxwell Paisley. Haile Lord came into view and Nancee attacked her. Nancee killed Haile and Keelan killed Nancee. Farewell to those two tributes."

"That leaves 15 tributes left, 12 more needing to die before our 3 surviving tributes are put into the Ultimate Game. District 1 has 5 tributes left, District 5 has 3 tributes left and District 9 has a whopping 7 tributes left!" I squealed.

"Now, for our 'Capitol Catch.' The most popular option was Pterodactyl Mockingjays. These will be put into the arena at midday tomorrow." Fione said.

"Our options for Day 3's 'Capitol Catch' are again, acid rain, or lava pits underneath the snow. The acid will look like normal snow, but anyone who comes into contact with it will receive terrible pain, including itching, swelling, hallucinations and even death. The lava pits will not be visible to tributes underneath the snow, but there won't be many pits, with only 5 in the arena. This will mean instant death to anyone who is unlucky enough to find the pit." I took a deep breath. That was a lot of talking.

"Get voting guys!" Fione squealed. "I am Fione Lickprivick."

"And I am Phillipe Honeyman," I said, "thanks for joining us! We'll be back tomorrow! Goodnight Panem."