Die First

PART 5- FAMILIAR

DAY 3 IN THE ARENA:
I'm awakened by Achilles, and I leave Oceania to rest for a little while before waking her up, I'll be fine on watch alone, I don't miss anything. When I eventually do wake her up, it's because I see movement at the swamp. Oceania and I decide that at sun up we will wake Achilles and Demetrius up and 2 of us can go to the swamp and kill however many tributes are hiding there. The moment the sun has risen enough for the arena to be filled with light, Oceania wakes the boys up while I grab my sword, axe and a bag with some bandages, food, and water. Just incase something bad happens, always prepare for the worst, especially in the arena. We decided Demetrius and I would go and Achilles and Oceania would stay at the waterfall. The swamp is at the north of the arena and we are in the east, it's quite a long walk but could be worse. As we are walking Demetrius tells me we can walk straight through the middle of the arena, Cecilia and Rill know Achilles and I are good climbers, and we are fast, so staying at the cornucopia would be a death trap. "So, Athena what's life like in District One?" Demetrius asks me once we have finished discussing strategy. 

"Well I can't speak for others, but it's been pretty bad for me."

"That's all I get? Pretty bad? Come on, I barely know you, Athena Belcourt from District One. And lets face it, if we don't get to know eachother while we are here, we will never get to." We both laugh, though, as sad as a laugh could be. 

"Ok, ok. In short. My mother died when I was an infant, the only times I would "play" with Achilles and Glimmer growing up, we were practicing for the arena in the woods around the back of my house, I started officially training for the games at 12, my father dissowned me and my sister at 13 because we were the future of District 1, I volunteered for the 73rd annual Hunger Games to spare my sister, the boy I love also volunteered, condemming one of us to certain death. And here I am talking to you. What about you, Demetrius Smith? What was your life like in two." 

"I'm sorry Athena, I knew about the volunteering for your sister, and I knew you loved Achilles, I also know you hide your sadness about those things extremely well. I would've never expected your life to have been that bad though. Why do you never say."

"Easy. Because I honestly don't care about my own life. The only times I'm sad, or worried is when I think about people I trust, and their lives. Like you, Achilles, Oceania, Glimmer. I'd say at least 3 out of the 4 of you are going to die. If not, it's guaranteed 2 will. When I think about that, I'm sad, when I think about the possibility of being killed in here. I feel free." Demetrius hugs me, this is the first time I've completely trusted that someone won't kill me. I didn't think Demetrius would, but the thought was always there, until now.

"Come on then, we are almost there." Demetrius says and we start running towards our target. As we near the swamp, we crouch behind some plants, "How many do you think will be there?" He asks me.

"It's hard to say but lets think of who is left, other than the four of us. Cecilia and Rill won't be hiding here, neither will Matthias, the boy from 7. The District 5 boy, the girl from 6, the girl from 10 and the boy from 11, however? I'd say it's likely."

"You think all four of them will be hiding here?"

"Well think about it this way. All they know is that there are six careers, possibly scattered around this arena, each one of them has had a District partner killed by us. Where else are they going to hide, other than a fog covered swamp?" Demetrius nods, understanding my point of view.

"What's the plan then boss?" Joking, again. Does this boy insist on taking the piss out of me this entire time? I mean we are in the Hunger Games. If there's one time to be serious in your life it's now. Although, I suppose it isn't, Demetrius may not have long to live. May as well have some fun during your last days. I snicker a little at his idiotic question. 

"Well there's two of us, possibly 4 of them. No point in splitting up, we can stick together until either we find them, or they show their faces. Agreed?"

"Agreed." 

We sneak through the plants, and Demetrius and I immediately notice all four of them sitting together, on some rocks on top of the swamp. They look so happy. Laughing, smiling getting to know eachother. Little do they know that within a matter of seconds, there will be nothing left for any of them. Reluctantly, I grab my sword and Demetrius hands me the spear Achilles gave him, so that his hands are free to shoot one of the tributes, the one blocking the others from seeing us. The boy from 11 collapses after taking an arrow to the neck by Demetrius. The other 3 freeze. I quickly run up to the boy and stab him through the heart. I can't let him die chocking on his own blood. I throw Achilles' spear to Demetrius, who kills the girl from 6, while I kill the boy from 5 and the girl from 10 with my sword. 4 canons go off, one by one. "Hey, Athena, are you ok?" Demetrius asks me whilst putting his arm around me, comforting me. 

"Yes, it's just. The four of them sitting there, so happy, thinking they were safe. How could they do that? Surely they knew that would result in their death, right? There is no way they didn't expect someone to find them."

"Maybe they just, didn't care. You said it yourself. There are 6 trained killers, including us out there and one strong, skilled boy from 7, but only 4 of them. They had probably accepted their fate. They might have just wanted to have fun with eachother for their last days alive." We both stand there for a moment, looking at the circle of rocks that were echoing with joy, just minutes ago, but are now silent enough to hear a pin drop. The walk back to Achilles and Oceania at the waterfall is mostly just silence. I think Demetrius and I killing four tributes who were just trying to be happy in a bad situation has made the 4 of our deaths seem a lot closer to happening. When we arrive at the waterfall Demetrius hugs me again, this time less comforting, more desperate, like hes clinging on to a life he's already lost. Wether he thinks that life is mine or his, I'm not sure, but I hope it's mine. I'm not letting any of the other 3 die before me. Not a single one. 

We spend the rest of the day sitting on the rocks by the waterfall. Just four kids, laughing, smiling, talking, getting to know eachother. It all seems a little too familiar, as though I've already seen this group of four kids, sitting on rocks, having fun, not realising what's going to happen next. Except the first time I saw this group, I knew what was going to happen to them. Both Demetrius and I knew what was going to happen to them. But this group? Anything could happen, with this group it isn't in my control. So I stop thinking about the kids from earlier. Right now, it's just Achilles with his arm around me, kissing me on occasion. Just Demetrius joking, making fun of us. Just Oceania smiling bright enough to light up the entire arena. I'm the happiest I've been in a long time. For a moment I forget where I am right now. I forget this happiness will be taken away from me, just as easily as I took it from the group earlier today. I forget that it could be taken in 5 days, could be tomorrow, or it may be in 5 minutes. All I know is that the second one of the four of us is killed, none of us will ever laugh this way again.