Alyssa of Nine (Reimagining the Hunger Games)

Chapter Fifteen: Hall of Fatalities

Just as soon as we all climbed up onto the next floor of the Pyramid, the way from which we came had been sealed. All around us were walls of stone with ancient carvings and hieroglyphs, several of the images were pretty disturbing in what they depicted, of people getting run through with what appeared to be giant blades. But this quickly turns out to be the very least of our problems.

Marina says, "You guys should come over here and read this." She is pointing to another inscription. This time, Jayden reads it.

This place, young tributes is the right direction to go,
But before you proceed, there are things you must know,
This area is not a safe place as the ancient hieroglyphs and carvings show,
If you fail to move swiftly, it's a guarantee blood will flow,
So unless you wish to die by a thousand knives at the Gamemaker's hands,
Then you must not hesitate, but take swift flight to safely reach these sands.

I suddenly hear a strange, and eerie sound, and before I can really think of where it is coming from, Jayden yells, "RUN!" And we hurry, as I see several knives flying by us. "Alyssa, duck!" Matthew shouts, as one particularly lethal blade just misses stabbing me in the back. It was also a very close call for Matthew.

Unfortunately, for two other tributes, the girls from ten and eleven, both are stabbed by at least ten different knives, and both end up collapsing in a macabre death dance, blood staining the stone. The Gamemakers are really going through us. I guess it's all good for them. Anything to make these Games a smash hit success.

I don't really know how long we've been running for, but Jayden says, "look! We're almost out of this blasted pyramid!" And indeed, we are. When we finally stop, we fall upon the sand, gasping for air and not willing to do much other than rest up for a while.

We continue on our way not long afterwards and Jayden and Matthew lead us to an oasis, which we decide to make camp close by, claiming it as our territory.

This is certainly a good thing, in terms of having plenty of water. Marina refills our water bottles and leaves the water to purify after adding the correct amount of iodine to each. I don't know what we're going to do for dinner tonight though, it's anyone's guess. We've decided that it's too risky to start a fire, since we would rather not take the chance that the remaining Careers will find us.

Even if we outnumber them with Roland and Jeremy gone, that might have changed. They might have made alliances with any other tributes that remain. This isn't very likely however, Careers don't often mix with tributes from the more outlying districts. But there is still that possibility. They obviously teamed up with Jeremy, after all. Until he saved my life and got himself murdered by Adonis. What a little idiot.

Jeremy's sacrifice is another thing that just won't leave my mind. Why did he do it? What did he mean by owing it to me? I may never have any answers, and in all honesty, I could be safer not knowing. I just don't get it, he hated me. It doesn't make any sense.

Marina decides to sit beside me. I guess I'm not the only one unable to go to sleep. "Can't sleep?" She asks me. "No, I don't think I'll be able to tonight. I was just thinking about what happened earlier. You know about Jeremy Forbes?"

"The guy from your district, the one who was murdered by that scary Career Adonis?" Marina asks. "Yeah, him." I reply. "I just don't understand why. He seemed to make it so blatantly obvious he hated me, from the fact that I'm an orphan with executed parents to the name I never wanted. It's something I just don't get."

"Well," Marina says quietly, "Think about it. Jeremy's supposed hatred of you and his proclaimed loyalty to the Careers, the Capitol, all of it may have been an act. I mean, I won't give names, but there are many back home in Four who have this theory that something is happening. Or it's about to happen, anyway. I don't know what it is, but this may be it. Something that may even change our history, hopefully for the better."

If only that could be true, I thought. People have paid terrible prices for trying to take up arms against the Capitol, for attempting to fight for a free Panem. Look at what happened to my family. Look at what happened to District Thirteen.

"Well, anyway, I think you should try and get some rest Marina. I'll stay up a while and guard the camp. There's really nothing wrong." I tell Marina, who doesn't look as though she believes me, but still decides to turn in anyway. It was a lie. I know that right now, I have to find ways to keep the pain inside. But I just know that something has to happen, and soon.