Leaving Sanity behind

[ali]

The sun beat down on us as Dice carried me for miles. I could tell he was getting tired. I didn't blame him. The moment we'd left the Cornucopia, it had been nothing for miles. Just the sun shining down on us from the pale abyss above our heads. It had began to feel uncomfortable as we continued across the stretch of land away from the Cornucopia. Sweat had begun to trickle down my forehead as I was carried. Every jolt, or movement of my leg caused me to gasp and wimper in pain. I could still feel it throbbing. My head spun from dehydration and made me groggy.

Finally we reached salvation. It was a rather large patch of land and it was covered in grass mainly. Some of it was tall thin grass which swayed happily in the trees, others were tiny shrubs of grass poking in and out of the murky water. I knew I needed a drink but it would be safer to boil it first. I closed my eyes as we went to continue, but I couldn't the pain was too much.

"Dice, please...can we just stop for a little while" I said in a tear choked raspy tone.

I look up at him. I notice that he's been crying and his lip is swollen. I hadn't stopped crying since we left the Cornucopia. I let the occasional choked splutter out as I wished for everything to just go away. Suddenly a canon roared out into the arena. Startled I buried my face into Dices shirt, tears socking the golden fabric. Seconds later another canon fired.

That could have been me.....

I continued to cry into Dice's shirt. I didn't mean too but I couldn't help it. I owed him, he could have left me for dead but he didn't. I was lucky to have Dice as an Alliance. He was nice. I would be eternally grateful for what he did for me, carrying me all this way, and to be honest I don't think I could ever repay him. I closed my eyes tightly trying to ignore the pain. This was madness in its true form. I could hear just over the rattling of the crossbow, as I shook terrified, the beating of Dice's panicked heart. It thudded loudly in his chest, like a drum. I closed my eyes tighter still, trying to focus in on that noise.

[Rosetta]

To be covered in blood is an awful affair. It's hot, disgusting and sticky. It's even worse when it's someone else's blood. Lethe retched as she trooped behind Anya, covered in the blood of another. Her eyes squinted ahead through the heat, desperately searching for something. Her head was still reeling from the bloodbath. Had she really attacked the others like that? Was she being marked down as a coldhearted killer this very second?

Lethe wiped the sweat from her brow. The sun bore down of them and she could feel stinging sunburn rising on the back of her neck. As they trooped away from the Cornucopia, Lethe re-tied her ponytail, re-capturing the flyaway strands.

Lethe forced the most recent thought from her mind as her eyes narrowed and she caught sight of green...green! That meant plants! "Anya!" Lethe cried, running ahead. There were plants! Lethe dropped to her knees, easily distinguishing one plant from another. Greedily, her hands reached out, taking each plant and stuffing them into her bag, and then into her mouth. The sweetness spread over her tongue and Lethe swallowed it down, happily, feeling so much better after eating. She held out some plants to Anya, as she put a day's serving into her bag along with some medicinal herbs. "Eat, Anya," she told her and then glanced around. Her heart stopped as she caught sight of a girl nearby and a boy. The girl clutched a crossbow, crying, her knee bent at an odd angle. She was hurt. Still, she could cause damage.

"Careful," she whispered, although she knew the two of tributes could see them there. Lethe got slowly to her feet, clutching her knife. The helmet was heavy on her head and her shin guards were too tight, but that didn't matter. She looked at Anya. "Should we attack?"

[/blockquote]

[ali]

I slowly opened m eyes at the sound of muttering. I looked round, tears clouding my eyes. I gazed round and saw two people crouched in the grass. Oh God, I thought. Quickly I fumbled for my crossbow. I wasn't going to let them get me. I didn't want to die. I was so scared, my hands began to sweat. I shoved the arrows into the cross bow and aimed it at the girl.

"I am sorry" I muttered as I shot the arrow at her.

[attacks Lethe, bow]
[dice=200+4000]

The stupid arrow broke. I suddenly felt furious. I bit my lip tightly furious with the stupid thing. I went to grab another arrow.......[rand=5160804089373981167093611402073693219638010725864064990360041444]

[Rosetta]

An arrow came hurtling towards Lethe. Instinct told her to move, but instead she froze, eyes wide, as death came racing towards her. But, the arrow just missed her, wind sweeping over her. Her heartbeat slowed, and anger took over. Now was the time to attack. Lethe pushed forward, but the girl spoke first.

"I'm sorry."

The word stopped Lethe in her tracks. A familiar bout of fear washed over her, pushing away her confidence. Was she about to attack this girl? Then she remembered the arrow. "I'm sorry myself," she told the girl, a girl who held onto her morals despite what Lethe had figured: You must kill to live.

So, Lethe stepped forward, swinging her knife high.

[attacks Ali, knife]
[dice=200+2000]

[/blockquote]

[rand=015685857506468892869630307424813584274349384941166312720999121666]

[ali]

Suddenly the gril was there and she slashed at me. I felt a sharp pain on my neck. Instinctivly I put my hand to my neck. I pulled back to see blood. M hand shook, the tears began falling. The blood slipped down my throat. I closed m eyes and shoved the arrow in the crossbow, raising it and shooting at the girl.

[attacks Lethe,bow]
[dice=200+4000]

The arrow shot straight into her forearm. I grimaced cringing at the thought of the pain I had bought her. I saw blood slip down her arm and I gagged. But she wasnt dead yet. I reached for another arrow.[rand=2073084207762033792844958555228830184662316625143760772856251042977]

[Rosetta]

This time Lethe gasped aloud as the arrow made contact with her skin. Pain shot up on her arm, as she wrenched the arrow out and threw it to the ground. Slippery blood dripped down her skin, coating the already existant blood there.

Lethe saw the girl who'd shot her cringe and instantly realized: this girl was just as afraid as she was. Lethe pitied her. They were alike in many ways. Still, this was the Hunger Games. There was little time for pity. Lethe's mind told her to get a move on, attack, don't feel bad. She's faceless. She could be plotting against you. Kill her!

"I'm really sorry about this, really," Lethe muttered to the girl, before coming at her with her knife, which glinted in the sun, eagerly awaiting blood to lap up.

[attacks Ali, knife]
[dice=200+2000]

[/blockquote]
[rand=59432169329375035034839445725083864266307791695961494053248316]

[Matt]

It had been a while since Anya and Lethe left the Bloodbath. Thankfully, the two of them suffered from minimal damage. Lethe had impressed Anya back at the Cornucopia. She never expected someone as sweet as her to deal such damaging blows.

Lethe shouted at Anya, and ran ahead. At first, the tribute was confused But then she saw the plants. Anya gladly devoured it, happy to have some food iin her stomach. They decided to save the rest for later.

And then the fighting began. It happened so fast, and Anya just stood there, surprised at what was happening. She recognized the girl, he pitiful one of whom she spared. "I saved you once." Anya said, grabbing the hilt of the sword and pulling it out of her rucksack. "Don't let me make the same mistake again.

[Matt]

It had been a while since Anya and Lethe left the Bloodbath. Thankfully, the two of them suffered from minimal damage. Lethe had impressed Anya back at the Cornucopia. She never expected someone as sweet as her to deal such damaging blows.

Lethe shouted at Anya, and ran ahead. At first, the tribute was confused But then she saw the plants. Anya gladly devoured it, happy to have some food iin her stomach. They decided to save the rest for later.

And then the fighting began. It happened so fast, and Anya just stood there, surprised at what was happening. She recognized the girl, he pitiful one of whom she spared. "I saved you once." Anya said, grabbing the hilt of the sword and pulling it out of her rucksack. "Don't let me make the same mistake again.

[ali]

Suddenly my arm began to bleed. I couldn't even make sense of what was happening. I looked at the girl, she'd gone for me again. I grabbed another arrow

4 arrows left I thought as I aimed at the girl. She was really starting to scare me, I wish she'd just leave me alone. I aimed againa and pulled the trigger.

[attacks lethe,bow]
[dice=200+4000]
[miss]

Damn! I screeched inwardly as the arrow missed her. How could it miss? 3 arrows left..most of them were scattered ont he ground. I reached for another arrow.

(ALIKIA- 30 damage)[rand=6870251995674803940450503057626641171872550791797923339694252071]

[plantix]

I run away with Ali in my arms and our supplies. There are tears running down my face, not from what has happened to me in the blood bath, but to what has happened to Ali. She’s just a girl, and innocent young girl. I got away with just a swollen lip, but she got her knee broken and back bruised by malicious tribute. My teeth grind on how she’s in more pain then I am. Why her? Why!? That isn’t fair!

We suddenly reach a large grassy area. The grass is tall and the ground is- damp? I swallow for a breath of air. My throat is so dry from this running this much and I’m trembling as I slow down. Suddenly, fatigue takes over as I’m walking quickly across the ground. I wheeze for air, for rest, but I know we have to keep moving.

"Dice, please...can we just stop for a little while" Alikia says to me. She must have noticed that I was tired from running so much.

Alikia buries her face in my shirt while I run with her in my arms, we hear cannon fires… One…. Two… Three… Fo-? What? There isn’t another one… I gulp on how many surviving tributes there are… there are eighteen tributes left other than us. I’m wondering if Noelle survived this blood bath? I wonder which tributes died… I hope that it’s someone who was pursuing us.

I lay her down on a dry patch of land and I lean over on all fours. I pant for breath and I hear Ali say the words "I am sorry" before I hear an arrow fly.

Did she spot an enemy? What happens next is a blur to my mind because I have less air… but when I look to my side to see Alikia, there’s a girl who’s trying to kill her. No… I look at her body and now there’s a cut on her neck and her forearm.

“No!” I scream as I ready myself to use my hands to attack her attacker.

[Dicentra Damage points -1.5]

[Rosetta]

Lethe's reassurance returned to her as soon as she heard Anya's voice, like a bell in her head. She saw a glint out of the corner of her eye and glanced around to see Anya had pulled her sword to defend her. She once more felt a rush of gratitude for her new friend. Friend...the word felt funny even in her mind. Lethe seldom even made friends for fear of not being able to recognize them the next day. So, back in District 5, she mostly remained alone, alone with her horses...no one else...A disembodied name surfaced in Lethe's mind: Laura.

Laura, a sweet girl who'd accompanied her while riding, who'd understood her. Her friend. Lethe desperately tried to grasp the girl's face, but like everyone else, Laura slipped, unrecognized, into that awful pool of white...along with her family and come tomorrow, Anya too. The fact smacked Lethe hard in the face and her eyes widened, staring at Anya. Oh gosh...she hadn't thought of it. If she made it to tomorrow, she'd wake up beside a faceless girl...now, she knew it would be Anya, but tomorrow...would she be frightened? Attack Anya? Shivers went down Lethe's spine. There was no way she'd-

An arrow whizzed past Lethe's head, scattering her thoughts easily and she whipped around, heart racing. They were still in a fight! She couldn't lose herself now. She licked her lips, held tight to her dagger and surged forward, the only thought on her mind was to kill. Because perhaps she could drown her worries in blood...

[attacks Ali, knife]
[dice=200+2000]

[/blockquote]
(occ: I think the order is after me, Matt, then Ali, then dice)[rand=893459436716511805302396393381059326890816679224377918473358731717]

[Matt]

"Lethe." Anya spoke in an almost calming whisper. Her eyes didn't dare to move from the body of the girl who was almost dead. "Lethe...let me finish it." Anya never considered herself a very religious person, very much unlike her mother. The woman had read the bible to Anya as a bedtime story. The blonde tribute remembered an old prayer that her mother had taught her, one of which she performed every night before bed. Perhaps spirituality was what Anya needed most in the arena. Even if God wasn't real, the faith was sure to power her to do things she never thought possible before.

"Now I lay me down to sleep." Anya took a few steps forward, almost to where she was right beside the dying tribute. A mixture of tears and sweat fell down her face. "I pray the Lord, my soul to keep." Anya's grip tightened around the hilt. She wondered how Patch was doing, if he had been performing this prayer at night, if he had been praying for the life of his big sister. "And if I die before I wake..." After a long breath, Anya raised the blade into the air, ready to strike.

"I pray the Lord, my soul to take."

[Attacks Alikia, Sword]
[dice=200+1000]
[Shallow Cut on Right Bicep -- 3.5 damage]

Anya's nervousness overpowered her, and the cut was rather shallow. But it was enough to kill her. "Lethe...Lethe, grab her things. Now." Anya's whole body shook, and she was almost positive she was about to faint. Her teary eyes looked up at the girl's ally. "What...what was her name?" [rand=681626592064276324605061439797282532050209585577225336452666670084]

[plantix]

“No!” I scream as I use my hands to attack her attacker. But I’m too late, for her ally had got Ali first. Her body and cloths are splashed in blood. My eyes widen to her attacker as I see that Alikia is practically a corpse. I wasn’t able to protect her. I growl at the two murderers, killing this innocent flesh. ‘They must die… They must die!’ my mind says.

"What...what was her name?" her killer asks. How dare they?! How dare they speak right to my face and steal her things!? My teeth grind as my eyes widen at how disgusted I am at her. Her eyes are teary, but so were Alikia’s. Mine are flooding right now.

“Her name was Alikia!” I yell at the top of my lungs, giving her attacker a warning. Rage fills my soul ‘No mercy! No mercy!’ my mind calls for her blood. I charge at this girl, my fist held up and in an attack against her, shooing her away from her body.

[Attacks Anya]
[dice=200+5000]

When I attack, I manage to get her away from Alikia’s body, but not her bag. Did they only kill her for her bag?- for a piece of string and maybe a pair of socks? I hold her in my arms again and cry so much that I think my eyes turn red.

“Ali!” I scream to her body. I look to her attackers and ask them with the rage of a volcano and the sadness of a storm “Why?! Tell me… Tell me!.. Run or I’ll kill you two!” I scream at them again.

I look into the corpse and cradle her. I didn’t hear a cannon fire, but I hope it doesn’t. I look into the girl’s face and say “No… Please don’t leave me… We… we were supposed to live until the end… Us in the final two… Then you could win and find someone nice to marry… You weren’t supposed to die… Not so young.” I cry even more causing my tears to drop on her skin.

I look up at the two killers, with a face of sadness, as if telling them to go away since it’s too sad. As if they didn’t kill her and they’re just watching. “Please… just go…” I squeak under my tears.
[rand=731639455538243089937434298917652309392404276877617303206701762974]

[plantix]

(Please ignore)[rand=24950715922750533873261405155062770809163269586866539458862971514]

[ali]

I felt a final stab. My eyes widened. Blood trickled down my arms, I fell backwards and into the dirt. I lay there for what seemed like eternity. The blood trickled into the land like water. I tried to breath but I couldn't. I kept gasping for air but I couldn't seem to grasp enough. I tried to reach for something, I wasn't sure what but I was reaching for something....

Is it just me or is it getting colder.......

Tears began to stream down my face, pooling in my ears. I just stared up at the sky, my eyes fluttering trying to stay awake. I couldn't die, not now. Please, not now. I wasn't ready. It seemed that everything was becoming grey. Was that normal?

"NO!" I heard Dice roar.

I tried to call for him. I desperately needed him now, but I couldn't. All that came out my mouth were a few raspy squeaks. I couldn't see Dice. I knew he was there but..I just couldn't see him. Everything seemed to be slipping away, like I was being held down by the last couple of strings. Like I was some sort of giant balloon, ready to float away. I sniffled crying.

"What...was her name" Asked an unfamiliar voice. Possibly my attacker?...my killer. I couldn't be sure. The pain in my knee was gone now.... How odd... I thought to myself. Knee's didn't usually fix themselves.....Suddenly Dice was shouting again.

"Her name was Alikia! There was a momentary pause before he continued again "Ali!!...Why?! Tell me...Tell me! Run or I'll kill you two!"

It seemed like he'd directed my name at me. I tried to call his name again, but as soon as I tried he was cradling me in his arms. I began to cry harder, knowing this was the end. I didn't want to go. I didn't want to leave Dice. He was my friend...my one...and only true friend. My 'other friends' where some sort of fabricated lie I told everyone.....but it was all a lie. I lied to everyone, even my self. My tears continued to slip down my cheeks. I stared up at Dice through my tear clouded eyes.

"No… Please don’t leave me… We… we were supposed to live until the end… Us in the final two… Then you could win and find someone nice to marry… You weren’t supposed to die… Not so young." Dice choked, sending tiny tear drops raining down on my cheek.

They felt so warm compared with my skin. I cried harder scrunching my eyes shut for a second listening to him asking the two attackers to go away. I don't know if they did. I seemed to lose control of my body for a second. My hand shakily reached up and gently wiped his tears away. I don't think it made much difference. I opened my mouth to say something..this time I managed to gain enough air to speak.

"Dice..." I whispered quietly

"D...don't cry Dice....please....I..d..don't want to remember ....you....as...a..crying......" I stutter as cold slowly envelops me. "It will b...be....okay..."

I managed to smile slight before muttering my last few words.

"Win for me...Dice.....I know you...can...."

Suddenly its like all the air in my lungs is snatched all at once. I gasped. The world began to fade into nothingness. The last thing I saw was Dice crying over me. Then everything went black, the string was cut.

I felt like I was falling through nothing. I don't know how you can fall through nothing, but I was. I could hear him crying still....Dice. The sound only stopped when I hit the ground. Nothing didn't usually have floors? Nor did I think they had flowers either. I slowly sat. I looked round. I was in a meadow.....somewhere far away....beneath a willow tree.......I stood slowly. Unsure if it was real or not. Then I saw her. The little girl in the yellow coat. She smiled and walked towards me. As she walked towards me, she morphed into a face much recognized by many.

She was me.

I couldn't help but smile as she walked into me, disappearing for ever. She was part of me, the part I left behind all those years ago when my mother died. I began walking away from where I stood leaving sanity behind. And taking enlightenment firmly in my grasp.