Day Ten

Sponsorship

The winner of today’s sponsorship vote is…Jordan Strong of District 11!

Jordan Strong, District 11 Male

Congrats, Jordan, you get a free attribute point added to your lowest attribute (Cunning).

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Day Ten

Dr. Christina Bieber-Lake, District 9 Female

I wake up to the boom of a cannon and the scent of blood. Immediately, I’m on my feet, scrambling for my katana as the lights above me suddenly shatter and envelop the room in darkness, save for the light shining in from behind a silhouetted figure in the doorway, bow held at the ready.

A female voice to my left cries out as an arrow is launched by the mysterious figure at the door. I’ve nearly reached him when he launches another arrow at me. My heart nearly pounds its way out of my chest as I feel the arrow slice through my hair.

In the next second, I’m slicing my katana out in a sweeping motion, extending my right arm out across my chest. It’s a clean stroke, one that snaps my would-be assailant’s bow in half, and separates his head from his body. A cannon fires as his head hits the floor, and his body crumples down next to it, both leaking blood.

I step out into the hallway, breathing heavily, and look down into the eyes of the boy from 4. His face is unreadable, a mixture of pain and determination. Why would he attack us so rashly?

Behind me, Kelly stumbles out of the room, supported by Drew. Blood pours from a wound in her leg (Attribute Point Lost), the arrow that caused it held firmly in her left hand, blood dripping from the metal point?

“Sarah?” I ask, already remembering the body I stumbled over and knowing the answer.

Drew shakes his head. “Dead.”

My chest tightens. She’d been on guard duty while the three of us slept and Chris hunted. She must have died suddenly and quickly, otherwise she would have raised an alarm.

We have to stay here and wait for Chris to return. I help Drew move Kelly to a dark corner of the room, and do my best to bandage up her wound, all the while feeling my heart thumping in my chest.

I haven’t been worried about being in the arena at all up until now. Even during the flood, I was able to remain calm, to know that the Gamemakers simply wanted us to move to a new area.

But now my alliance, my stalwart and impenetrable alliance, has lost one of its most powerful members. And now, as I watch the claw descend from the ceiling and lift Sarah’s body away, arrow still jutting out of her skull, I realize what the tightness in my chest is.

It’s fear.

 

Joselyn Broadway, District 1 Female

I groan in a mixture of annoyance and pain as I feel the wound on my leg re-open as I stand (Attribute Point Lost). I need stitches. Or at least some quality bandages so I don’t bleed out.

With the edge of my sword, I slice the sleeve of my suit off, and wrap it around my wound. It won’t do much, but it’ll stop the bleeding for a while.

Laughter erupts from behind me, and I turn to look at my ally, Alex. He sits crossed-legged, facing away from me, head drooped and resting against the corner of the room. He laughs, sitting almost absolutely still.

“You okay, Alex?” I ask, already knowing his answer.

“All okay! All okay here!” he giggles.

He turns to face me, his insanity so eerily painted over his face (Attribute Point Lost). His eyes are wide, unblinking, and his mouth is etched into a permanent toothy grin.

“Still not gonna hurt me, right?” I ask.

Alex shakes his head vigorously.

“No no no no Jossy’s my friend I won’t hurt Jossy! No one hurts Jossy!”

I sigh, and nod my head. Alex spins around and wedges his head back into the corner again, silent save for the few giggles that erupt from his mouth at random intervals.

He’s just a meatshield at this point. And there’s no point in killing him, not yet at least, while he seems so eager to protect me.

I’ve lost an ally, but it appears that I’ve gained a pet.

 

Alexandra Browne, District 10 Female

My stomach grumbles violently (Attribute Point Lost) as I check my ally’s chest wound. It’s still painful, and she lost a lot of blood yesterday, leaving her groggy and sluggish (Attribute Point Lost), but it’s stopped bleeding at least.

“Jackie, we need food,” I say to her firmly.

“I know.”

“I’ve got to leave you here for a bit if we’re gonna eat.”

“I know. It’s fine.”

Jackie’s voice is soft, so delicate that you could step on it and crush it with almost no effort. I jump to my feet and race out of the room, my mace in my hands.

I’ve got to hurry back. I can’t be alone in here yet.

 

Jordan Strong, District 11 Male

I duck around a corner, trying my best to not cry out in pain. Behind me, I can hear my district partner charging down the hallway after me. My head is throbbing where she bashed the blunt end of her mace handle (Attribute Point Lost), and the spear wound I gave her in her leg (Attribute Point Lost) doesn’t seem to be slowing her down.

I look over my shoulder, and she’s there, barreling towards me, a battle cry on my lips.

As I race past an intersection in the hallway, I notice a blur of motion to my right.

Cyle Cucinotta, District 11 Female

She steps out from behind the corner, and I have absolutely no time to react before she releases her bowstring.

 

Dr. Alison Gibson, District 7 Female

The arrow makes its mark in Cyle’s head with a sickening thud, and she collapses over herself, tumbling to the ground. Her cannon fires before she’s even stopped moving.

I let out the breath I just realized I’ve been holding in my chest, and turn to look at the boy from 11, further down the hallway. He holds a hand to his forehead, breathing heavily and looking rapidly between Cyle’s body and my bow. He turns to run away before I can even think about whether or not to shoot me.

Katherine’s been avenged. I stand still with a mixture of pride, sadness, and relief as the claw descends to scoop up my victim’s body.

Soon, I am all alone in the hallway, a few spots of blood the only hint that anyone else was ever here with me.

Over half of us that entered the arena ten days ago are dead. Soon, very soon, things will wrap up. I can only hope I’ll be there at the end, just as alone as I am right now.

 

Jordan Snyder, District 7 Male

The third cannon booms out, and I slam my fist against a wall in anger. Those should have been my kills, mine!

I lick my chapped lips (Attribute Point Lost) and continue stomping down the hallway, looking for tributes. Dehydration can wait. Everything can wait. I’ll find someone to kill soon.

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Deceased Tributes

Zach Peterson, District 4 Male

Sarah Kenny, District 4 Female

Cyle Cucinotta, District 11 Female

Injured Tributes

Joselyn Broadway, District 1 Female

Jackie Fortier, District 2 Female

Alex Dooley, District 3 Male

Kelly Farley, District 5 Female

Jordan Snyder, District 7 Male

Alexandra Browne, District 10 Female

Jordan Strong, District 11 Male

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Statistics

Strongest Tribute: Dr. Christina Bieber-Lake (D9 Female)

Most Agile Tributes: Chris Prescher (D6 Male) and Drew Chambers (D9 Male)

Most Cunning Tributes: Jackie Fortier (D2 Female), Kelly Farley (D5 Female), Chris Prescher (D6 Male), Jordan Snyder (D7 Male), Drew Chambers (D9 Male), and Dr. Christina Bieber-Lake (D9 Female)

Most Charming Tributes: Jackie Fortier (D2 Female) and Dr. Alison Gibson (D7 Female)

Strongest Overall Tribute: Dr. Christina Bieber-Lake (D9 Female)

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The benchmark for Day 11 has been posted on the home page!