The Keeper Games

Eleven - Alexander Stone

I awoke to the sound of chirping. Birds. As my eyes opened, I could see Jack on the grass, in deep sleep. However, I did not see Bianca nor Luke.

I was immediately worried. Could they have gone to hunt for food and got killed by other tributes. Or worse, by the Careers?

I then calmed myself and mumbled to myself, "They probably just went hunting for food. Calm down, Alex."

But...this was the Keeper Games. Anything could happen.

Alex shook the thought out of his head and blinked a few times, to enhance his vision. He saw a piece of paper, a note, on the tent.

It read,

Dear Jack and Alex (if you're still alive),

Bianca and I went hunting for breakfast; we'll be back if we catch some game. If not, ...we might be gone for a while.

From,

Luke

I then heard groaning outside and I immediately ran outside to see who it was. Relieved, I found Jack tossing and turning, half conscious. Eventually, he opened his bleary eyes and said tiredly, "Mornin'."

I sighed, relieved, and smiled. "Morning"

Suddenly Jack shot up and exclaimed, "Where are Luke and Bianca?!"

"Calm down," I said.

I then proceeded to show him the note that Luke had left me.

Jack sat down and put his serious face on and said, "You know the Games really wear you out. Like normally back in District 12 my friends and I would be able to hunt at any given moment with really no second thought. Now, the second anyone leaves our camp everyone is just freaking out, wondering if they are going to come back alive. Like now that I think about it even though we are at camp, it doesn't mean we're safe. The Careers could attack at any momen–"

The bushes rustled.

There was a blur of movement.

In seconds, my knife was in one hand and a grenade in the other. I saw a figure for a glimpse...and then...gone.

Suddenly, a knife slashed in the air. I cartwheeled out of the way and hurled my knife towards the receding figure .

The person came into view and I recognized her as the female tribute from District 2. Her name was...Amy. Fluidity was her strength. Weapons...not so much. She must be teaming with another trib...

Suddenly, another outline appeared for a blink of a second, pulled back, and let go. Immediately, my instincts kicked in as I hurled my body to the side, the arrow missing me by a foot.

I was confused. And then I saw Jack slumped on the ground, an arrow clipped him in the shoulder. A minor gash, but still able to be infected I thought as I flung a dagger and a grenade at the forest.

I was out of weapons. For now. Amy took advantage of this susceptibility and ran towards me, full speed, dagger in hand. The other girl was, also. Then, an arrow sprouted from Amy's chest. I whirled around and saw Jack holding his bow, but he was evidently weak. Her speed took her half way, and then her body gave way.

A cannon sounded. But I had no time to party. The other girl was still racing full speed at me, with no mercy.

I pounced, dagger in hand. She was not expecting this. And then I realized something. All the tributes in this arena weren't scary and terrifying... they were formed from hunger and thirst to be this way. On the inside, the tributes were just normal teenagers forced into bloody labor.

As I saw the cloud of fear pass through her eyes, I lowered my dagger, just for a second.

It was her time to pounce. She disarmed me and kicked me to the floor. She readied her dagger and said, "Say good-bye."

I shut my eyes and let myself go. I had nothing else to lose...

Or at least that's what I thought.

Just then, I heard a gunshot. Followed by another gunshot.

Then I saw the girl drop to the floor, her clothes soaked in blood.

I sat up, and to my amazement, I saw Luke and Bianca. Bianca was holding on to Luke's shoulder, and Luke was holding a gun pointing at Amy's dead body.

I was breathing so fast, I felt as if my heart was about to overload.

Bianca catered to Jack's wound as Luke catered to mine.

"Nothing much, just minor cuts and bruises." I said, brushing Luke off, "I'm not sure about Jack though..."

Luke helped me up, and we walked over to Jack.

"It's a miracle he's breathing..." Bianca said, wrapping a bandage around his wound. "He has to rest. Let's put him down inside."

Luke and I carried Jack inside and put him in a bed of grass.

He was going to recover, without a permanent wound, so that's SOME good news.

Actually, I lied. The other good news was that out of the twenty-four tributes, so far, ten are dead. Almost half our competition was dead. Maybe we could make our way out of the horrible arena.

The arena. I almost forgot... the clock. Every time time strikes another hour, a life is lost. A simple press of a button to the Gamemakers is loss to a family and pity to friends.

Bianca was waving a hand in front of my face, "Alex...ALEX...ALEX!!!!" I woke with a start.

Bianca noticed my waking. "What are you thinking about? The arena? The fallen tributes? Or even District 11?" Bianca asked, trying to notice my reaction.

"Nothing. Just... thinking." I said, looking up.

"But... about what?" Bianca asked, slightly annoyed.

"Nothing." I said.

I took a seat on a chair, and it actually felt a bit comfortable.

But since the games were still present, that feeling was soon going to end very soon.