A Collection of my Writer's Games Entries

Misfortune: Task 6 (Tessa Whitlens) D7 *Finals*

** Task - The End... Or is it? **

I found Niles after a moment. In the darkness, I almost stabbed him but he grabbed my and went to the ground.
"Tessa!" he exclaimed, pulling me into a hug, "I'm so glad you're okay!" I hugged him back. 
"Where's Aaron and Zane?" I asked,
"I lost them, there was a huge explosion Tess. I don't know where they went..." he continued talking but I wasn't listening anymore. Everything happened in slow motion. The girl that threw the knife at him, me throwing my own knife at her. The knife spun so slowly, but I couldn't stop it. Niles coughed blood out and fell to the ground. The girl looked stunned for a moment, she stared at the knife sticking out of her heart. She paid. Aaron had spent hours teaching me to throw knives - now it had saved me. I let the girl fall to the ground as a canon boomed. I turned to Niles, his chest was moving raggedly.
"Oh, Niles," I cried, kneeling down. I ripped some cloth off my clothing and covered his wound. I could save him. I had to stop the blood.
"You have to get out. Tell Zane that I love him and wished that we had always been together," Niles barely whispered,
"You'll make it," my tears dripped onto his face. The blood seeped through. I had to save him.
"You know, I never actually had a real friend," he stopped for air, "No one liked me, I was a loner. Then when you volunteered for your little sister, I thought, this girl is brave - she can win this thing. Even though only one could win, you made the effect for me - to be friends. Thankyou Tess. I'm not going to say I hope you win, but don't ever let the Capitol rule you. Be yourself," he closed his eyes,
"Niles!" I screamed, shaking his shoulders, "Come back! Please!" I curled up into a ball beside his cold body. He couldn't die. He was my friend. I closed my eyes. I couldn't afford to lose someone, not again.

I woke up in the middle of the Cornocopia. I remember closing my eyes beside Niles. Then it went black. I sat up and saw eerie glow in the sky as the anthem suddenly came on. I realised I had my backpack, knife and sling shot back. I looked at the screen. Niles face was first, then the girl I killed. I cried. I had already mourned for Niles and now he was gone. It was my fault - if I had just listened to Aaron, Niles would be here. But you and Aaron have to win. A voice told me. That was true. We were going to have to break apart our alliance sometime, but the hug he gave me - it felt so real. As if we were friends, no - family - not allies. Niles said I was brave. I wasn't brave. I hid, all this time with all the 'big boys' to protect me. He was the brave one. I was just the annoying kid that tagged along. I wiped the tears from my face. I had to win now. Me or Aaron. I felt bad about leaving Zane, but we couldn't all win. Niles would hate me for this. It was betrayal. But every year an alliance would break apart, they would kill each other - that was how the Games worked. They were designed to break us. Unfortunately it had worked. I searched my bag and found the little bag with ammo in it. I put a ball into the pouch of my slingshot. Loaded. I stepped out into the night. Only four of us were left - but could I kill Aaron. The fact that I couldn't see very well wasn't helping. I waited for my eyes to adjust a little better. I heard grunting. 
"Tessa!" I heard a shout. Aaron. Without thinking, I ran to the sound. I could see two shadows wrestling. Aaron was cursing words too bad to repeat. It was the District 12 boy. You could tell he was bigger than Aaron - Aaron was 16 - the other boy looked about the maximum age for the Games. I pulled back my slingshot, it suddenly got a lot lighter. I aimed but they were moving around too much. I closed my eyes and released. I heard a howl - human thankfully - and then I heard groans of pain. I opened one eye and saw Aaron stabbing the other boy constantly, I shut my eyes again until I heard the canon boom. Someone - Aaron - wrapped his arms around me.
"Sorry you had to see that. You saved me, Tess," he talked quietly,
"I didn't save Niles," I mumbled into his stomach, he was way taller than me,
"You knew we had to split off anyways. That's why the Capitol do this - to make us weak,"
"Really?" I said, looking up and wiping a few stray tears,
"Yep. But they can't fool me. No one's going to hurt me," he said, "It's just you, me and Zane now," he whispered,
"We're not going to.....you know.....," I barely whispered,
"Of course not," Aaron replied. I wasn't sure if he was lying or not, "Zane!" he yelled out. Aaron started jogging. I could see a small rock thing but no Zane. We got to the rock thing - which was Zane. He was huddled up, rocking back and forth, mumbling about Niles.
"You going to kill me?" he spat at us, "It's what we all have to do. It's almost like a normal thing now.."
"I wish I could," Aaron sighed, cutting him off. In the distance wolves were howling.
"Maybe we should get away from here," I said. I hated wolves. I use my slingshot on one wolf that comes near 7, I always feared it would eat me. Maybe it's friends will instead.
"We'll be fine," Aaron shrugged it off. But it was too late. I could see their red and yellow eyes in the forest.
"Wolves!" I screamed. It set the wolves off though. They jumped out of the forest, onto Zane. Zane flapped his arms around and tried to get away but with one jerk, Zanes head rolled onto the snowy ground. I screamed again, I barely heard the canon. Aaron grabbed me and sprinted, dragging me along behind. We were going to the Cornocopia. My feet caught up with me and we ran for our lives. I didn't even get to tell Zane..... Both the brothers were gone. Leaving the brother and sister alone.
"Jump up onto the Cornocopia," Aaron puffed. I was too tired to reply. We weren't far from the Cornocopia. He lifted me up and threw me up, then kept running with the wolves - four of them - hot on his tail. I realised what he was doing.
"Aaron!" I shouted. He was going to die, surely he knew that. He spun around so suddenly, and slashed at a wolf. It fell to the ground, limp. He spun again with his knife out and kept running to the forest.
"I love you Tess!" I heard him shout. He was sacrificing himself, for me. The wolves howled and whined. Tears streaked down my face for the fourth time. Another person, dying because me.
"Aaron," I whispered, he disappeared into the trees and the final canon boomed. 

The Games had finished. I made it back to my family, alive. I cried for weeks, maybe even months, for Aaron, Niles and Zane. Everyone congratulated me, I didn't know why, what was there to congratulate? I lived in the Capitol now with Rohan, Clara and Dad. They knew of my brother now, Dad always knew. It was cold the morning I went outside for the first time in the Capitol. I hadn't been out since the Games. I was rugged up with a fur jacket, I didn't understand why I lived here. Dad took all the money I won and came here. I hada a new Mum now, she was mean to me. My bodyguard - Jackson - waited for me. I took a breath of cold air and started walking. The snow reminded me of the Games. I cried silently. I longed for Aaron to hold my hand. I wanted Zane to freak out about the dirt on his boots. I needed Niles to argue with Aaron. Just so everyone was with me. The tears made my cheeks cold.
"Are you okay? Ms Whitlens," Jackson asked,
"Do I look okay?!" I growled at him, "My brother and my friends are dead and you people carry on with whatever the Hell you do!"
"Look kiddo," he smashed me against a wall, his arm across my neck, "Don't mess with me. So make it easy, right?'
"Easy for what?" I spat at him. I gasped as his face changed into a familiar character. Whytt. I went to scream but he covered my mouth. I struggled against him.
"You never win the Games, Tessa. You're never free from us, and since you seem to be....unco-operative... you must be eliminated. So congratulations Tess, for giving everyone a fantastic show," he showed me his stained teeth. He strangled me. I kicked but it didn't make a difference. What did it matter anyway? My family were fine without me. They would be safe. I could be with Aaron, Niles and Zane. Exactly where I belonged, because I was never meant to win the Games. No one my age is. I let the blackness consume me. After all, I'd figured by now that the odds - in this world - are never in your favour.

The End