The 200th Annual Hunger Games - The Ultimate Games

Game 2, Day 2 (Morning)

Acacia McCartney POV

“I can’t believe he’s dead.”

I woke up to Marc and Gabriella quietly conversing with each other. I blinked and yawned, stretching out my arms. Sun streamed through the curtains, shining onto the rotting timber floorboards. Quickly I wriggled out of my sleeping bag and joined the two of them outside on the verandah. They were sitting on the stairs leading into the house, looking out at the street. We had run for absolutely ages after the bloodbath, we were hoping to reach the edge today. Marc told us he saw a forest in the distance yesterday evening, so we decided to head over there in hopes of greenery and trees. So far all we had encountered was even more houses. The longer we had travelled, the worse the conditions of the houses were in. Right near the city they were near perfect, but further out where we were you were lucky to find one without a hole in the roof somewhere.

I wandered out onto the porch and sat down next to Gabriella, who was staring over at the other side of the street with sadness in her eyes. Marc sat on the other side of her, glancing over at his friend with worry in his eyes.

“It wasn’t your fault, Gabs.”

Gabriella shook her head, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “It was Cedric, he stabbed Travis in the stomach and I saw it. I could have saved him somehow, but I was hiding in the cornucopia,” she choked out, “He saw me as he was dying and he said ‘help me’, b-but I couldn’t leave my spot because otherwise I’d get killed and-“ Gabriella finally stopped talking, staring down at her shoes as tears began to leak from her eyes. She wiped them away hurriedly and sniffed. I sat by her awkwardly, not really knowing what to say.

“Gabs, we don’t blame you. It was Cedric who killed him, not you.” Marc reassured her. Gabriella sighed and let her head fall back so she was looking at the sky, shutting her eyes.

“I never said you guys blamed me.” She muttered. “I said I blamed myself.”

Marc and I remained silent, both of us unsure of what we could say to change her mind. But we both knew that no amount of consolation would make Gabriella stop blaming herself. So quiet we stayed.

Dianna Barrett POV

My eyes snapped open as a scream tore through the air.

I leapt up with a shout, my sleeping bag entangling my legs and making me fall to the ground all over again. I struggled out of my sleeping bag and grabbed my knifes, running out of the small room my allies and I had set up camp in. Toby, Summer and Thomas were nowhere to be seen. I turned into the hallway and ran down it and into the open living area, my heart pounding in my ears. I reached the front of the house and slammed the door open as I ran through, my feet pounding along the ground. I skidded for a few metres before slamming into the rails on the porch, the front of my body lurching forward and over the beams of wood. I steadied myself and looked out at the street, my mouth dropping open at what I had seen.

Summer and Thomas stood in front of Cedric, glaring the boy down with their weapons in hand. Cedric didn’t look at all fazed, though. Instead he was grinning. Because held in a headlock, struggling in his grasp, was Toby.

“Let him go.” Thomas said calmly, stepping forward. “We have weapons and we aren’t afraid to use them.”

Cedric laughed cruelly, the corner of his lips tilted upwards in a devilish smirk. Toby struggled in his grip, but Cedric simply tightened his grip around the boy’s neck and he went still, fear apparent in his eyes.