Predator

Chapter 10

The next morning, we packed our supplies and set out, ready to face whatever the arena would throw at us. The final days were upon us, and only one would emerge victorious. The gamemakers would make sure of that. But in that moment, we were united, ready to fight for our survival, and determined to defy the odds.

The next few days were a blur of preparation and tension. The forest seemed to grow quieter, as if it knew the end was approaching.

One afternoon, as we were foraging near the edge of the forest, we heard the distant sound of footsteps. We froze, exchanging tense glances. Someone was coming.

"Get down," I whispered, motioning for Lyra and Aria to take cover. We hid behind a cluster of bushes, peering through the leaves.

Three tributes emerged from the trees - a muscular boy from District 2, a tall girl from District 4, and the boy from District 3. They must've been half of the career pack. They looked confident, armed to the teeth, and moving with the purpose of hunting.

"We need to take them out," Aria whispered. "If they find us, we're done for."

I nodded, gripping my knife tightly. "We need a plan. Ambush them. Take them by surprise."

Lyra's eyes darted around, assessing the situation. "I'll create a distraction. You two flank them."

It was risky, but it was our best chance at surviving this. We moved into position, my heart pounding, ready for the fight of my life. Lyra picked up a rock and hurled it into the underbrush. The sound drew the attention of the career trio, and they moved quickly towards the noise, ready for another kill to add to their tally.

As they passed our hiding spot, Aria and I sprang into action. I lunged at the boy from District 2, aiming for a quick, disabling strike. He was strong, but I had the element of surprise on my side.

My knife found its mark, sinking into the side of his neck. He screamed in pain, blindly swinging his weapon at me as his final move, but I ducked and dodged, and soon he fell to the floor. Another, dead.

Aria engaged the girl from District 4, using her agility to outmanoeuvre her. She dodged a heavy swing from the girl's axe, then countered with a swift slash to her arm. The girl screamed in pain, dropping her weapon.
Meanwhile, Lyra took on the boy from District 3. Despite her small size, she fought with fierce determination, using her speed to keep him off balance. She managed to disarm him, kicking his weapon away and landing a solid punch to his jaw.

The fight was brutal and chaotic. The boy from District 3, despite his injury, fought back with a ferocity that clearly took Lyra off guard. He managed to land a blow on her shoulder, sending her sprawling to the ground.
But before he could finish her off, I threw my dagger at him, it connected with his head. Soon enough, he fell to the ground and delivered the final, decisive blow. A third, now.

The girl from District 4 was on the defensive, now outnumbered and outmatched. Lyra and I pressed our advantage, moving in tandem toward her and Aria. We fought with everything we had, driven by the primal need to survive.
In the end, we were victorious.

The three tributes lay motionless on the ground, their faces twisted in final expressions of shock and pain. We stood over them, panting and bloodied, but alive and breathing.

"We did it," Lyra said, her voice trembling with a mix of relief and horror at what she had just done.

I nodded, wiping the blood from my knife on my clothes. "We need to move. Others must have heard the fight."
We quickly scavenged what we could from the fallen tributes - weapons, supplies, anything that could be useful. Then we fell back into the forest, leaving the scene of the battle behind.

That night, as we huddled in the cave, the reality of what we had done weighed heavily on us. We had killed to survive, and we knew we would have to do it again in the very near future. The faces of the fallen tributes haunted my thoughts, but I pushed them aside. There was no room for guilt or hesitation in the arena.

The next day, we moved with renewed determination. The number of remaining tributes was falling, and we knew the final showdown was coming. We stayed close, watching each other's backs, ready for anything.

As we approached the clearing near the cornucopia, we saw the telltale signs of a trap. The Gamemakers had set the stage for the final confrontation, forcing the remaining tributes into a deadly area.

"We need to be smart about this," Aria said, her eyes scanning the clearing. "There are bound to be traps and hidden dangers."

I nodded, formulating a plan. "We'll split up, circle around, and take out any remaining tributes one by one. Use the terrain to our advantage."

Lyra looked determined. "And if we get separated?"
"Stick to the plan. Trust your instincts."

With that, we moved into the clearing, each of us taking a different path. The air was thick with tension, every shadow and movement a potential threat. I crept through the bushes, my senses on high alert.

Suddenly, I heard a rustle nearby. I crouched low, peering through the foliage. Two tributes - a boy and a girl from District 6 - were moving cautiously, their eyes darting around nervously. They hadn't seen me yet.

I waited until they were close, then sprang from my hiding spot, catching them off guard. The boy reacted quickly, swinging his weapon at me, but I dodged and countered with a swift strike. The girl tried to attack me, but Lyra appeared from the shadows, taking her down with a well-placed blow to the stomach.

The fight was brief, but intense. We overpowered them, leaving their bodies behind as we continued our sweep of the clearing.

As the sun set, the arena grew eerily quiet. The only sounds were our own footsteps and the distant calls of night creatures. We regrouped near the cornucopia, exhausted but resolute.

"We're almost there," Lyra said, her voice filled with determination. "We can do this."

I nodded, feeling a surge of pride for our little group. We had come this far, and we would surely see it through to the end.

The final battle was upon us, and we were ready to face it together.
The night fell heavy and dark, the oppressive silence of the arena broken only by the occasional distant rustle.As the numbers dwindled, it became clear that the Gamemakers were pushing us towards the cornucopia for the final showdown.