My Hunger Games

Chapter Ten

While the quad alliance sleeps comfortably enough in their tent, the careers, well, Districts One and Eight, were wide awake. At least the boys were. Savannah surprisingly was fast asleep. Carlos was on watch, but Jake couldn't fall asleep. His eyes were closed, but he couldn't have been more awake. Jake props himself up on his elbows, looking over at Carlos. "You awake?" he whispers.

"When am I not?" Carlos says blankly. Jake sighs.

"I can't fall asleep. I keep thinking they're going to come after us, and we won't be ready. They know we're here; everyone does, because everyone's here. When can I expect a knife in my back, or the tent set on fire next?" Jake asks. Carlos shrugs.

"Well, no matter when the attack comes, I don't think you can ever expect it. That's kind of the whole reasoning behind killing someone; you don't want them to know you're going to do it." 

"I still wish we could just do nothing," Jake huffs. 

"Come here," Carlos instructs, looking down at Jake. Jake shifts so that he's laying down, his head in Carlos' lap, staring up at the ceiling. Carlos was sitting up. "I don't want to be here either," he admits. "I know, it sucks. I thought these games would be over by now, and someone would win. Either that, or that we would have much fewer people." As Carlos continues, he subtly plays with Jake's hair, staring straight ahead. "I had this whole plan; make an alliance with the careers, make it to the final few, hopefully some of the others would be taken out before then, and make it out of here alive, just like everyone else hopes to. But I never expected to be caught off guard, multiple times."

"Was I part of your plan?" Jake asks, looking up at him.

"No, actually," Carlos answers, looking down. "But I'm glad your are now." Jake smiles, closing his eyes. "You should try to sleep again," Carlos suggests. Jake mumbles sleepily, folding his hands over his chest and falling asleep. Not meaning too, soon, Carlos had as well. 

With no one on watch, Savannah woke up sometime later, calling out to the two of them. Her vision was still blurred, but she could see the two of them sitting there. "Carlos? Jake? So help me god, if the two of you are dead... and if you're not, I'll kill you for falling asleep when I get back." She took a sword with her, exiting the tent. She wanted to clear her head, and get some fresh air. It was too hot in that tent for her liking. Trudging out into the snow, Savannah had only the littlest idea of where she was going. When a sudden sound caught her attention, she snapped into focus. "Come on... where are you?" she hissed. "Come on!" 

Back in the other tent, Karalyn rolls over in her sleep, her arm subconsciously reaching out. As she started to wake up, the realization that her hand was touching the bottom of the tent hit, and she cautiously moved it out further, only feeling the same ground beneath her. Confused, her half dazed state only puts two and two together when she hears the loud boom of a cannon, that not only wakes her up, but everyone else in the tent as well. She jolts up, discovering that Ashton is no longer beside her. "No!" she screams, searching frantically for him even though it is plenty clear that he's not there.

"What's wrong?" Luke asks, taking her by the shoulders to calm her down.

"Ashton! He's not here! I just heard a cannon and I-" just then, Ashton walks in through the front of the tent. 

"Sorry 'bout that, Princess," he directs his arrival at Karalyn after hearing her concern. "I had a little business to take care of," he smirks. Sitting back down, Karalyn slaps him, furious. "What the hell!" Ashton shouts.

"I thought you were dead," she hisses through gritted teeth.

"Well I'm not! Jeez, you hit hard!" Luke stifles a laugh, while Rhett and Kendahl remain silent. 

"Where the hell did you go?" she demands.

"I told you, I had to take care of something." Karalyn rose her hand to slap him again but Luke grabbed her wrists before she could. "Hey, can you control your girlfriend, please?" he says to Luke.

"I'm trying! I mean.. she's not my girlfriend, we're just..."

"We're just friends," Karalyn finished.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't get the memo from all the cuddling and kissing up to one another that you two do."

"We don't not!" Karalyn whisper yells, her cheeks flushing.

"You could have fooled me, Princess."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Both of you, stop fighting! Anyway, you know you're being very secretive lately, I think you deserved that first slap!" Luke challenges him.

"Not the way she hits, I didn't! I think you've left a permanent mark on my cheek," Ashton complains. 

"Not to interrupt," Kendahl butts in. "But if that cannon wasn't for you, then who was it for?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Ashton replies.

In the morning, Carlos wakes up before Jake, panicked. He notices that Savannah is missing, and immediately wakes Jake. "Huh?" Jake mumbles. "What's wrong?"

"Savannah's gone," Carlos flatly states, standing and leaving the tent. Jake follows him out into the morning light and snow. There were footsteps, approximately her size. Carlos tracked them with Jake following behind. When they were a good distance away, they looked down, and saw the red stained snow beneath their feet. Jake's eyes widened, staring down, fixed on the trail. Suddenly, Carlos stopped dead in his tracks, Jake bumping into him. "Dear God..." 

Jake stepped to the side, unsure whether he wanted to look. When he saw what Carlos had seen, his breath stopped, as did his heart, momentarily. By their feet, Savannah lay in a pool of blood. Her neck was snapped, her throat slashed, and her own sword stabbed through her chest. Jake, overwhelmed by the scene, buries his face into Carlos' jacket, his hands placed on Carlos' shoulders. On a limb, Carlos wraps an arm around Jake's waist, and pulls him away from the scene. It was just the two of them now, in their alliance. Now, it was more crucial than ever that they try to either find Niall and Annie and try to regroup, or try to take on the quad alliance themselves. 

The latter didn't exactly work in their favor the last time, but Niall and Annie were the ones who ran. Neither option looked great write about now, but it was better than dying. Carlos lead Jake back to the tent, where the both of them sat in silence. Neither of them could figure out what would have persuaded Savannah to go out on her own, especially when she couldn't see. It was the stupidest move she could have made throughout the entire game. And now, they were down way more people than they had wanted.

"I don't wanna see anyone else die," Jake whispered. He was sitting curled up, knees pulled to his chest, chin resting on his knees. 

"I don't either," Carlos told him. It was surprising, the change in his views since day one. But Jake was right on this one. The games have gotten out of control, though, and there wasn't much they could do. Their plan was falling apart, and every little bit of hope they had kept slipping out of their fingers. The only thing that was left to do was pray for a miracle, at this point.