The Hunger Games: Multi-Verse

Day 10

Clove Kentwell's POV

My Games were looking really hopeless.

No weapons, no food, no water, no Seth . . . Not only to protect me, but to be with me. I had never wanted to be a lonesome tribute. I mean, the first time I'd found myself alone in the arena, I'd almost been killed by the vampire. Then Seth and Paul had saved my life.

But here I was, alone. I was surprised I had even made it a whole day and a half without Seth.

I missed him terribly. Now that I was alone in the Games, everything was a lot scarier. They were scary before, of course. I mean, the only person that hadn't wanted to brutally murder me was Seth. But now I knew that the next time I encountered a tribute, either I died or the other died. Next time I ran into a living thing it would be a life-or-death situation for me.

My chances weren't looking to good.

That is, until the evening before the eleventh day in the Games.

No cannons had boomed the entire day. As night neared, I grew more and more tense. I jumped at every whistle of the wind and my head was on a swivel.

A deathless day most likely meant some sort of intervention from the Gamemakers, and since Seth had just died most of the attention from the viewers was likely to be on me. I wouldn't be surprised if the Gamemakers threw some sort of mutt at me again, or repositioned that bull-man-combo monster to come after me again after it had just killed Seth, the only person I cared about in these Games.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep that night, if I wanted to stay alive.

But right as the sun dipped below the horizon, an alarm blared three times. My heart began beating faster with anticipation. What did the Capitol have in stores for us now?

Claudius Templesmith's voice began booming over the speakers. "Tributes, this is an announcement on behalf of the Gamemakers."

"Congratulations on making it to the final six. You have all proven yourselves as outstanding tributes. However, you are all in dire need of something to fight with. To become a true victor, you must be armed and prepared." Claudius started, "Out of the graciousness of their hearts, the Gamemakers have decided to provide you with the necessary tools that each of you would need to come out on top. Tomorrow, starting at noon, a feast will be presented at the cornucopia."

The trees parted slightly as they did each night for the anthem. I looked up at the sky and saw various weapons flashing through the screen among the stars. A bow and a set of arrows. A small metal handle with a glowing red stick of light emerging, like a futuristic sword. A necklace with pristinely carved silver slivers of metal along the chain. Two small little circles of metal with a red sticker on them. Another bow and more arrows. And an array of sharp throwing knives that I instantly recognized were destined for me.

I didn't smile, not yet. I didn't have the knives in my grasp just yet. But I now stood a chance, if I could get out of the feast alive.

I instantly turned on my heel, and began running through the forest, hoping to make my way towards the cornucopia field by noon the next day.

I was so hungry and getting extremely thirsty, but I knew I had to push. Even if I wanted to stop and give up because of Seth's death, I had to keep going. I had to keep my grief at bay.

If I ever wanted to feel physically satiated and quenched again, I would have to win these Games. And if I was going to win these Games, I needed a knife.

"Good luck." Claudius Templesmith bade the rest of us ominously. The national anthem played in the sky, and I glanced up quickly to watch Seth's face flash across the night sky. Instantly, another wave of sadness combed over me. A small part of me had hoped that the canon from earlier belonged to another tribute, and somehow Seth had made it away from the bull-man alive.

However, the Games are never that merciful.

I tried to push Seth out of my mind. I now was very driven to win — for myself, of course, but also for Seth. He had put himself in much danger to protect me, and then he had died for me.

I continued to run through the dark terrain, making my way towards my knives.

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