Chapter 38

AN: Thanks for the 140 reviews! And no, this isn't the final battle, just the torture I've planned for the tributes. ^.^ Enjoy!

Clyde Fenix D2

Waking up after my peaceful rest was… interesting. Well it was if you count being chained onto a giant metal ball; I've never seen that happen before. I suppose I better get myself to the feast, but why would they have this metal chain on me if they wanted me to get there quickly? It's probably happening to the other tributes too, I guess the final three have to prove their strength if they want to survive. I grab my sword and make my way slowly down the stairs of the building; I haven't left here for a couple days, because I like this place. When I get outside I know that I'm in a different area, I can just tell because there are different buildings.

I look one way down the road, and all I can see is destruction, and it's far away. Then I notice that it's making it's way towards me and I run, knowing that in order to survive I'll have to get passed whatever's happening now. Being slowed down by a sixty pound metal ball has its advantages; I get to actually see what's happening behind me. It's not pretty; all the buildings are crashing down onto each other, landing in the middle of the road. Leading me towards what I believe is the center of the arena; I could get there without the motivation, thank you. A sharp of glass catches my arm and I have to keep lumbering forward.

I'm so glad I'm trained right now; the other two might die because they won't be able to get passed this. I've done similar things in training, just without the motivation of a building falling on top of me. The metal ball which I've named Larry bounded forward and hit my calf, caught off guard by Larry I stumble onto the ground. Right then a building falls, and it's right above my head. Normally I would do a forward roll or something to get out of the way, but that would be stupid since Larry might hit my head. So I just scramble with all my might and hope to Larry that I don't get smashed. Who dies during the travel to the cornucopia? Not Clyde.

The buildings are actually falling at a slow pace; the slowest tributes would just be able to make it. So this test isn't about speed, its strength that matters here. I've got plenty of that, so this should be a no brainer, but more like a way to burn off my legs. I see a small red mark in the road a fair distance away, I immediately know that it's the safety line. And it's so far away… I don't even stop myself from whining right there, who would honestly say that it's alright? I decide it's time to loose some weight, because the pace I'm running at is getting me mauled by shards of glass. I drop my backpack, knowing that I now won't be able to eat the beef jerky on the way to wherever I'll end up.

I have the pill in my jacket pocket, and while running I check to make sure it's still there, since it could be the key to winning this thing. I just hope that I won't need it, because if I'm on the brink of death I might not be able to reach in to get it. Let alone pop it into my mouth, it probably takes some time to activate anyway. I can't doubt the pill though; I just need it to come through for me in the end. I almost growl in anger at the shards of glass hitting me, they don't even still for some reason. Once they make the cut they seem to vanish, I'm glad that I sacrificed beef jerky for speed. It's really paying off.

I see the red line closer now, and I speed up in anticipation, praying that Larry won't make me trip again. Instead, he hits an innocent mailbox and it ends up with a big bulge in it, I end up carrying it with me for a couple seconds while it slows me down. Just enough for me to loose my enormous lead on the buildings, and for that I end up taking a few glass shards to my un-chained ankle. I speed back up, crossing the red line as I almost faint, but I don't because I'm scared the debris might hit me from the last building. Though nothing crosses the red line, even though I see a few things get close, I never knew Game-Makers were that good at math. It almost makes me think its worth caring about.

The chain is still on my leg, and consequently so is Larry, a thing I've grown to hate so much. I look up, knowing that I shouldn't because I really don't want to see what horror I'll have to get through next. Especially since I'm tired of Larry, he is like an annoying extra limb, that's useless and just hanging there. Too bad I probably can't cut it off, but Larry probably will probably leave me as soon as I get too the final battle. That won't help me against what's next though, a giant climbing wall, ready to be climbed by a certain tribute from district two. And I'm not talking about Vixen. I hope the other two are having just as much fun as I'm having.

Jude Herra D6

I stare up at the climbing wall, and I do something that you could call a smile, there's finally something that I can do! I almost died when running through the street; the buildings collapsing reminded me of Evan… I just rolled over the line, scared to death that I wouldn't make it. I'm not the best runner, but I was able too get there pretty quickly because the metal ball wasn't that heavy in my opinion. I think one of the glass pieces got a nerve or something, because I couldn't move my leg. I think that once it vanished I could move it again, but I'm not really sure when I gained back control.

I stretch out my hands and begin climbing; it's not that hard of a climb, any inexperienced climbers wouldn't have much of a problem with this. If your hand stays on one of the grips too long it gets scorching hot though, so there is no time to rest. I feel it's even more of a speed drill than the last course, simply because the weight doesn't really do anything here. Sure it's harder to get your foot on the grip, and move it, but it's manageable. Though I have stayed somewhere too long many times and I almost let go in surprise, almost. I hope my hands aren't burned, that would make fighting a lot harder. Ugh, I shouldn't have left my gloves in my bag.

I wonder how the other two are holding up, one may already be dead. I quickly remind myself that it's wishful thinking, a habit that I really and hole-heartily need to drop. People don't win the Hunger Games by hoping, but by doing. Although I'm not too keen on doing either, since doing means killing. I've already killed once, and I have yet to feel regret for killing Koal, but that doesn't mean that I want to do it again. It would really suck to come this far and fail right when you were so close, believe it or not, that's an understatement. I did that to someone, and I'm not proud of it.

Just when I think I'm close to finishing the wall I'm attacked by these mutts, the best animal to compare them with is a spider. Just meaner and uglier, it's nothing to worry about. I end up climbing with only three limbs touching the wall, while my right arm hosts my sword. The second I get close to one a web is shot into my fact, making me stab blindly, and as a result miss. This also causes my left hand to get a nice sample of the burning. Evan and Zombie would be laughing so hard if they could see me now, about to be snuffed by a hairy Capitol citizen. And the fact that I'm pulling the exact same stunt as Talus, except there's nothing to comfort me if I fell.

I manage to kill one by slicing half it's legs off, it lost balance and nearly crashed into me when it feel down the wall. There are three left, turning the normally blue climbing wall purple where they stand, they can't move while doing it though. I know that I don't want to touch the purple instantly, and that my time to get over the wall is ticking. I decapitate one without touching the purple and I keep going, hoping that I can work my way around passively. These spiders are way too aggressive, the second I tried to move around the side I had a web shot at me. Growling I manage to stab that spider from where I was at, take that bitch.

The last one is far from me, and I don't even bother with attacking it. I instead try to avoid the purple, a task that is only getting harder by the second. I recognize the smell, and the color, and I remember what it is. Ugh, the stupid Game-Makers are stealing one of our pranks! I was close when I said I was pulling a Talus, the purple stuff is the itch solution, I just know it. And the burning on the grips was also Zombies idea! Though I can tell that I won't be covered in the stick solution, or in feathers. The Game-Makers wouldn't humiliate a dead tribute would they? I guess the Hunger Games do kind of need a comedic side; it makes sense that it would have to do with death and irony.

I eventually pull myself over the wall, tired and angry at the Game-Makers stealing of Zombies idea. If I survive this I swear I'll go up to the Head Game-Maker and punch him so many times that no Capitol surgery could help him with the face I'll give him. I pant for a while, taking sips of the water bottle I saved before I get up again. I wonder who the genius was who decided that it would be fun to get the last three tributes exhausted before the final battle. We'll all be so sluggish and we'll make stupid mistakes, aren't they worried that their dear Clyde won't win? I bet it's more of a scheme to make me loose.

True Whittier D7

They never exaggerate when they say the last part of the games is the hardest, yet they somehow didn't predict us running a marathon. I've done pretty well so far; I just cut off the chain to the massive metal thing during the run. I finished it quickly without getting hurt; it almost seemed way too easy. The climbing was a little more difficult, I ended up wasting three of my ten knives killing spiders. I'm from seven so I know how to climb, so it initially wasn't a problem after the spiders fell to their doom. The stupid things were creepy though, so I'm glad I won't ever have to deal with them again.

I did slip and my back hit the purple, it slipped through my clothes and made me itch like crazy, once I got to the top I cut out the infected area of my clothes and I ended up skinning my back to get rid of the itch. It's a small part though, and I covered it with medical supplies. I like my choice, if I win; they'll heal it back at the Capitol anyway. If I don't, then I won't have to worry about itching like crazy while I'm dead. I can't afford distractions either, and once I got over the pain I realized that the itching had stopped. What worries me the most is ripping away my clothes and having the other tributes see a point where I am injured, and attacking it accordingly.

The third and hopefully last challenge moves straight towards me, literally. I step back and realize there is nothing to step back too, just the edge of the climbing wall; I can go to the side either. There's a huge building with no doors or windows blocking my attempt at escape, it's the same for the other side. I think I'm doomed until I look at the wall coming towards me more closely, it turns out that it's just a huge target. I step forward with a knife in my hand, getting ready to throw it as close as I can into the bull's-eye. I'm hit with an electric current and knocked down to the ground. I look down to see a fine red line that I believe my foot crossed, and I look forward and see a green line a couple yards away.

I understand now, and I carefully re-place my footing so that I get a good distance away from the red line. I throw the knife and hits the red, I groan loudly because I've lost another knife. The moving target makes its way closer to the green line and I feel a bead of sweat form on my forehead. I give another attempt, this time hitting the outer ring of the yellow; I practically glare at the stupid thing. I take a deep breath and try to focus this time, because I know what will happen once the target reaches the green line. I throw as hard as I can, not that it matters too much since this is a test of accuracy.

It hits the bull's-eye, if I was the stereo-typical rich girl I would squeal, and if I did right now I wouldn't blame myself. I walk past the green line and I pick up the three knives storing them in my belt, but I won't need them anymore. My axe is all I want with me, it's my smart sides fault that I'm keeping them. I walk back and stand on the green line, desperately waiting for something to happen. I can pretty much guarantee that I didn't expect gas; I suddenly am afraid that this isn't the end. That I've got one more task left and it's to escape the gas, but I've already breathed in some of the fumes. They don't feel harmful, but they seem to be making me drowsy.

Once I wake from the gas I feel refreshed, I instantly check my back and I feel the bandages still are there. Crap. I take a look around at my surroundings, and it reminds me of somewhere I've been before. It's pretty grassy here, and every once in a while I'll see a patch of reddish/brownish grass. It's some type of island, that's for sure, with a giant statue in the center. It's actually pleasant here, the winds nice and the golden horn in the left corner looks like a fun child's place. Who knew that career island was actually a nice place? I'm glad that the Game-Makers have arranged my visit; I didn't mean it when I thought about canceling it.