Day 3
The sun has just begun to peak over the horizon when Helia Bitumen (D3) and Rose Hathaway (D7) are woken up by hissing, low and constant. They spent the night before bathing their legs and feet in the cool stream they set up camp near in the heart of the Jungle. Rose, whose burns and cuts were worse, used some of the Burn Balm from her pack to soothe the injuries. Knowing that any unfamiliar sound is likely bad news, the girls pack their weapons and supplies as quickly as they can in the dim morning light. Just as they’re getting ready to flee the Jungle, the snake appears. It’s long, probably at least 15 feet, Helia guesses, and it’s got two wicked sharp teeth the size of soda cans.
They run, not looking back, away from the stream and out of the Jungle. They emerge at the base of the Western Mountains where the Brutal Brunettes have set up their own camp. Jadette Topaz (D1), Athena Wright (D2), and Ashlynn Reid (D8) look up at the sudden noise from the treeline and lock eyes with Helia and Rose. The girls all know what must happen: run or fight. The Brutal Brunettes, still on edge from their encounter with the pigs, haven’t put their weapons down all night. They are ready to fight, and having an extra person gives them an advantage. Helia and Rose turn to run and Athena notices that Helia is wearing her chest armor from the Feast. Ashlynn notches an atlatl dart into her atlatl and sends it flying towards the pair, barely missing Rose’s head, and the two girls continue to run getting further and further away.
The Brutal Brunettes set out after Helia and Rose who are running along the outer treeline of the Jungle. Jadette, armed with stakes, takes aim for the girls’ legs hoping to immobilize them. She manages to hit Rose in the calf and tackles her. Meanwhile, Athena goes after Helia. She doesn’t throw her axe until she’s close enough to land a fatal blow. Knowing the armor will protect anything above the hips and below the neck, she aims for the head. Helia runs in a zig-zag pattern, making it harder for Athena to land a blow. She throws her axe once she’s about 5 yards away, but misses. The axe grazes the size of Helia’s head, taking her right ear off and landing in the sand with a thud.
Helia screams, and Rose, still flailing under Jadette, manages to land a punch to Jadette’s nose. Blood drips down her face and, while distracted, Rose is able to slip out from under her and run to Helia. She helps her to her feet and they continue running, Helia holding her hand to her head to try and slow the bleeding.
Ashlynn sends one more atlatl dart flying in their direction. It bounces off Helia’s chest armor. Ashlynn goes to her allies and they retreat in the opposite direction.
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Helia and Rose run back into the Jungle once they’re certain The Brutal Brunettes aren’t pursuing them. Helia’s head is bleeding profusely from where her ear used to be and they have to stop after a few minutes. Rose takes some gauze from her backpack and wraps Helia’s head, but they decide to stay put until the bleeding stops fully.
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The Outsiders have just woken up when a parachute lands next to Finn Cressy (D10) where she sleeps cocooned with Aster Shay (D7). The alliance has been somber since losing Amaury Cohen (D6, deceased) and Indiana Rose (D3, deceased) the day before. In the parachute is some Strong Healing Balm which Finn immediately opens and applies to her severely injured left ankle.
“Ahhh,” she sighs as it begins to heal the wound. The relief is immediate.
Aster, Finn, and Meena Flammia (D9) lounge around at their camp on the top of the Eastern Mountains for a few hours. They’ve all begun to doze off when the ground begins to shake beneath them. Rocks, mud, and dirt begin to fall around them and they look up to see a sheet of debris falling down the Mountain. The group quickly grabs their bags and supplies and a boulder barrels down the Mountain, hitting a peak right next to their camp and smashing it into thousands of little pieces.
“A landslide!” Meena yells. She runs, followed by Finn who grips Aster’s hand tightly, dragging her behind them. “Is your ankle okay?” Meena asks Finn, who nods in reply.
Rocks, uprooted trees, and dirt are falling around them as they run as fast as they can down the mountain. The ground continues to shake beneath them, throwing them off balance occasionally. A boulder just barely misses them and they are forced to dive for cover.
“It’s not shaking over there,” Aster points to the Western Mountains, which are not far away from them now. The Eastern Mountains begin to collapse under them as they keep running toward the west. Finally, they reach stable ground just as the entire Eastern Mountain range gives way and falls in on itself in an unnatural fashion. Where a mountain once stood, covered in greenery and wildlife, there is only a giant pile of rubble. The girls let out a collective sigh of relief and begin their search for a place to set up camp.
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Helia’s head continues to bleed, forcing she and Rose to stay where they are in the Jungle. It’s nearly noon when more hissing causes Helia’s chest to constrict. I won’t be able to outrun the snake again, she thinks to herself. She’s lightheaded with worry and folds her head in her arms when Rose lets out a scream. More hissing, more screams. Helia looks up to see Rose enveloped in a fog. No, not fog. Steam.
The steam erupts from cracks in the ground that seem to have come from nowhere. It’s sporadic, but unrelenting. Rose tries to run but it’s as if she’s stuck in glue. Her body moves slowly and irregularly, and wherever the steam touches feels like it’s being burned. It makes no sense, she feels like she’s on fire, but Rose can’t see any fire or burns on her skin at all. In fact, her skin seems smooth, almost liquid. I’m melting, Rose realizes, horrified. Her skin is liquifying. It doesn’t hurt at first, until the first layer of skin is melted away. Then it’s unbearably agonizing. She screams.
Helia stands up and unsteadily reaches into the steam, trying to pull Rose out, but as soon as her hand gets close to the cloud she’s thrown backwards. She hits her head on a tree and the world spins. She can’t move and can barely see as more blood trickles down into her eyes, but she’s forced to lay by the base of the tree and listen to Rose’s screams which get louder and more desperate as more cracks form around her, releasing more steam. Helia knows what this means, Rose must have been voted out last night.
All at once the screams stop and so does the hissing. Helia sits up as far as she can manage but she’s unsure what she’s seeing. A pile of bones surrounded by some gelatinous looking liquid, but no Rose. A cannon sounds. She slumps back and rests her head on the tree, her mind becoming foggy and her thoughts incoherent. Her head is still bleeding pretty heavily and she knows she needs to move before another tribute shows up to finish her off. But it’s so warm and comfortable here, she thinks. She decides to close her eyes for just a moment. Her cannon sounds.
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The Infinity Alliance has been wandering the Jungle all night, struggling to find a place to make camp. The ground is uneven, the trees are obstructive, and there are nefarious looking plants and animals all around. Around noon they stop dead in their tracks at the sound of screams from somewhere else in the Jungle.
It’s past midday when they finally find a stream and a flat piece of ground to make camp on. It seems like someone may have been here before them, and recently, but whoever it was isn’t around anymore. Flint Cornelian (D1) and Mason Banner (D5) offer to take first watch while everyone else naps; they’re all exhausted. A few hours have passed and Waverly Aster (D2) and Ocean Simpkins (D4) are on watch. Waverly’s mentor sent burn balm the previous night, and the ugly burns that covered her chest, neck, and arms less than 24 hours ago have been replaced by fresh, new skin. When rustling in some nearby bushes startles them, they decide to wake everyone else to be safe.
The rustling gets louder and is joined by a low hissing sound. None of the group knows what to make of it when two large, yellow eyes peak out at them.
Kai Albacore (D4) freezes, realizing what it is and what kind of danger the alliance is in. “Don’t move!” he warns the others, putting his arms out to keep them from approaching the bushes. “Slowly pick up your stuff and then we need to get out of here.”
Everyone follows his orders, grabbing whatever they can and holding their weapons defensively. Gabriel Rose (D6) is picking up his pack when a stake slips out of a pocket, hitting the ground with a clang! He quickly scoops it up but the damage is done, the same snake that had terrorized Helia and Rose earlier slithers out from the foliage and lunges forward to try and take a bite out of Ocean. She yelps and then turns on her heel, running away. The others follow suit having given up any hopes of fleeing quietly.
“To the Huts!” yells Gabriel. He has a feeling that the snake will not follow them out of the Jungle. He’s right. As soon as the last of the Infinity Alliance emerges from the Jungle the snake turns around, hissing angrily at its lost meal. Mason and Flint, who had run hand-in-hand from the Jungle the same way they did into it, stand next to each other. Mason’s hand is trembling.
“It’s okay Mason. Hey, look at me. It’s gone now,” Flint says He looks directly into Mason’s eyes and that seems to be enough to comfort him; Mason’s hand stops shaking.
The Infinity Alliance creeps cautiously around their new surroundings, checking inside huts and around abandoned clotheslines. No mutts or other tributes seem to have been here at all before them.
“This is perfect!” gushes Waverly, excited to have a roof to sleep under. Some of the huts even have mattresses on the floor.
“Ocean and I can go fish for some dinner,” Kai offers and everyone nods fervently. Trail mix and jerky can only satiate an appetite for so long. The alliance has just sat down to eat when Claudius’s voice once again rings through the arena.
“Hello tributes! The time has come for another Daily Feast! If you’re interested in trying your hand today, be at the Cornucopia Island by sundown! We hope to see you there!”
After a brief discussion, it is decided that everyone but Ocean will attend.
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The sun has dipped below the horizon and seven tributes stand awkwardly on the Cornucopia Island waiting for the projection of Claudius Templesmith to arrive. In addition to most of the Infinity Alliance, Finn and Meena have shown up. They all eye the contraptions ringing the island warily, unsure what to make of the day’s challenge. Finally, Claudius materializes.
“Welcome back, tributes! Helia was yesterday’s feast victor, but unfortunately, immunity didn’t save her from hemorrhaging to death.” A few tributes look stunned at this revelation.
“Today’s challenge is going to test your physical strength. The feast victor for the day will receive immunity for 24 hours, and we’re going to give your body a rest by granting you one wish: whatever weapon you would like, we’ll transport one of a kind inside just for you. No automatic weapons are allowed! For those who maybe didn’t see their specialty at the Cornucopia, are running low, or just want something else to arm yourselves with, this has your name written all over it. For today’s challenge, you’re going to step up on one of the available platforms, extend your arms over your head, and insert them into the cuffs. The cuffs are attached to a lever, which is attached to the bucket over your head. If your arms fatigue for even a moment and lower, the bucket will tip over. Some of your buckets are filled with water, others are filled with… well, not water. Good luck!”
A bin appears next to Claudius and the tributes once again reluctantly drop their weapons and supplies in and then take their places on one of the platforms. The platforms aren’t marked with any names, just numbered one to seven. Once on their platforms, each tribute raises their arms and are swiftly cuffed to the lever and bucket overhead. Once the final tribute has been secured, the gong sounds.
Initially, all the tributes do well. No one moves for fear of having a bucket of some unknown substance pour over their head. About fifteen minutes in, though, Meena begins to struggle, her arms are visibly shaking and she’s straining to keep them in position. She’s barely brought her left arm down two inches when the bucket teeters over and a viscous, black liquid pours out. The stuff covers her from head to toe and she screams from shock. The other tributes look on in horror, waiting for something more to happen but it doesn’t. The black tar is harmless, just an inconvenience to wash off. Meena hops off her pedestal and sits on the ground to watch the others.
Gabriel and Finn begin to waver not long after Meena. Their arms shake and Finn braces herself as she feels her right arm give out. Water falls from her bucket followed by something slippery.
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“Wha-” Finn is barely able to react before the sensation of pins and needles running down her body overtakes her senses. She lets out a scream and looks down at the three electric eels that have wrapped around her arms and torso. She flies off the platform, screaming and shaking trying to get them off as they continue to shock her. The raucous causes Gabriel’s arms to give out as well, and he’s prepared for the worst. He lets out a sigh of relief when only the cool rush of water soaks his body. The eels continue to shock Finn, sending her into convulsions until finally, a high pitched noise emanates from Claudius’s projection. The noise seems to disturb the eels; they unwrap from Finn and slide off into the water surrounding the island. Finn seems to be unconscious but her body continues to spasm from the shocks.
Waverly is the next to falter - her arms give out and her bucket tips over. At first, only water spills out but it’s followed by three piranhas. They latch onto Waverly’s right shoulder, left hip, and left calf and she screams. She doesn’t run from the platform, but instead grits her teeth and rips the fish from her body, causing them to take large chunks of flesh with them. She begins bleeding heavily and eventually passes out from blood loss.
It’s just Kai, Flint, and Mason left. All from the same alliance, the fear of what may be in their buckets is the only thing keeping the boys from giving up together on the count of three. A mosquito has begun to fly around Mason and Flint. It’s more annoying than anything, but it lands on Flint’s arm causing him to spasm slightly. The abrupt movement sends his bucket tipping over and an iridescent liquid pours over him. As soon as it makes contact with his head, he lets out an ear piercing scream. The liquid is acid and it burns his skin, causing Mason to reach out to try and help him. His bucket empties water onto him. Flint’s cuffs release him and he staggers into the water around the island, screaming from the pain. Mason runs to him.
Kai, realizing he’s just won, lets out a sigh of relief and tentatively lowers his arms. His bucket tips over but it’s empty, nothing falls onto him. The cuffs release him and Claudius’s voice booms, “Congratulations! Kai Albacore of District 4 has earned Day 3 immunity and the weapon of his choice! It will be delivered to him tomorrow by midday.”
Two hovercrafts appear; one picks up Finn’s now limp body and Meena, who is trying to resuscitate her ally. The other picks up the Infinity Alliance who are in various states of shock and consciousness.
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The Brutal Brunettes have made camp along the outer treeline of the Jungle and they sit, listening to the screams of the tributes at the Feast.
“I’m glad we didn’t go,” says Jadette. Her nose has stopped bleeding but she thinks it may be broken from Rose’s punch. Ashlynn and Athena nod in agreement.
Once back at their camp on the Western Mountains, Meena sets Finn’s body against a rock. She and Aster spend the night trying to wake her. She finally rouses long enough to drink some water and cast her vote, but falls unconscious again not long after the parachute has re-ascended.
The Infinity Alliance are worse for wear as well. Waverly regains consciousness after Ocean applies some of the Regular Healing Balm from her backpack to her wounds. They’re deep and will likely require something stronger, though. Mason helps Flint stay out of the sand and tries to dress his wounds with leaves and his windbreaker.
“It’s Eliana’s birthday,” Gabriel says sadly once everyone has settled down. “She was supposed to be here.” He begins to sadly hum the tune of “Happy Birthday” and the others join in.
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That night, everyone thinks long and hard about who to vote off. Only half the tributes who entered the arena are alive now, and 12 parachutes return to the Control Center with 12 names.
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END OF DAY 3 —
Flint Cornelian (D1): alive, part of the Infinity Alliance, injured (severe burns over all over body
from acid)
Jadette Topaz (D1): alive, part of Brutal Brunettes, injured (broken nose)
Waverly Aster (D2): alive, part of the Infinity Alliance, injured (severe wounds on right
shoulder, left hip, and left calf)
Athena Wright (D2): alive, part of the Brutal Brunettes
Helia Bitumen (D3): deceased, 13th place
Kai Albacore (D4): alive, part of the Infinity Alliance, gained 24 hours of IMMUNITY (safe
from Day 3 voting) and weapon of choice to be delivered on Day 4
Ocean Simpkins (D4): alive, part of the Infinity Alliance
Mason Banner (D5): alive, part of the Infinity Alliance
Gabriel Rose (D6): alive, part of the Infinity Alliance
Rose Hathaway (D7): deceased, 14th place - VOTED OFF
Aster Shay (D7): alive, part of The Outsiders
Ashlynn Reid (D8): alive, part of Brutal Brunettes
Meena Flammia (D9): alive, part of The Outsiders
Finn Cressy (D10): alive, part of The Outsiders, unconscious from electric eel shocks