Deceived: The 500th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 86 - The Arena: Day 5

HYDRA BERRY'S P.O.V

Awaking to the sound of the doors opening, I see the damage caused outside of the shelter.

They really weren't lying when they said that they'd mess this place up. Before, the cornucopia was just a divided area. Now? Loitering are trees, objects, random parts of nature. The ground is saturated, waterlogged.

Counting the competitors left, I work out that there are fifteen of us; this alliance makes up a third of the remaining competitors. Alix is the last sibling left. Three districts are out. District One have the advantage, whereas Two, Six, Seven and Twelve only have one person each.

Kristov has been dead for almost a day now. Letting that sink in really hurts, so I'm trying to forget it ever happened. Forget that my twin isn't here anymore.

Rhymer cuddles me as he sleeps, breathing heavily. Eunia and Libo are curled up in little balls as they sleep, either side of tiny Pleione. She and Libo have already died once; I don't want them to have to go through that agony again.

Then again, I don't really want to die, and I know that Eunia and Rhymer fear the inevitable too.

We've already decided that Libo should go home, considering his parents miss him the most. Pleione just wanted to see us again - now she's done that, she's preparing to face her fate. Rhymer just frowns whenever we talk about it.

But still, rebelling - like Eunia suggested - is worth a shot. If it works and saves the lives of all five of us, that'll be better than only one of us making it. The more of us that can make a difference, change the future, the better.

Detangling myself from Rhymer's grasp, I get up. He's tired - he spent the night comforting me until I fell asleep. Even when I was asleep, whenever I woke up, he was awake, trying to soothe me back with a lullaby or a friendly kiss.

Gripping my scythe, I venture around the cornucopia. Already, my trousers and boots are coated in a wet layer of grime and mud, but that doesn't matter.

"Tributes."

What does Jarrett want now?

"The gas had been released. You have two hours to get to the cornucopia. Those already there, it'll spread there if you don't leave, making these finals very difficult for you."

The others stir, unsure of what's going on. With gas, we won't be able to rebel. "Guys," I yell, forcing them awake. "They're releasing gas here if we don't leave. We're gonna die, have no chance to do our plan."

Instantly, they all bolt upright, quickly adding their extra layers and shoving all of our goodies into our bags. Not that we need half of it - this'll all be over in a few hours.

"May as well stock up our stomachs," Libo laughs. "Let's eat as we walk."

"Guys," I say. "Gas is going to be everywhere in the arena. They said they're playing a minigame with us."

"Gas masks," Pleione says.

"What?" The twins look confused. I'm never going to be able to describe myself as a twin without Kristov around; it won't feel right. "Gas masks?"

"Gas marks," Pleione says again, running off. She pulls at this mask, hidden in a tree, yanking it free from its branch. "This is the game, right? Find them or you die?"

"Knowing our luck, there will be fourteen," I point out. "One has to die before the final brawl commences." Bet one of us will die. I'm happy to take my life in order to preserve one of the Lapworth twins or Rhymer's life. Or Pleione'a. Damn, she found out the minigame.