Day 7
The mood is somber and tense at the Beach Huts on the morning of Day 7. With only four tributes left, three of them belonging to the Infinity Alliance, splitting up is becoming inevitable. They want to stay together as long as possible, and Jadette Topaz (D1) is the glue that binds them. Until she’s dead, they will not separate.
Kai Albacore (D4) sits, gathering his supplies together, stuffing his gauze and balms into his backpack and laying out his weapons. His head pounds from overthinking - there’s no way he can kill these people, especially his own district partner. He wouldn’t be able to face going home if Ocean died by his hand.
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Similar thoughts run through Gabriel Rose (D6) and Ocean Simpkins’ (D4) heads. The three sit in silence, packing their things and readying their weapons. Ocean fishes for breakfast and the three share one last meal together, only the sounds of their chewing can be heard over the waves breaking along the shore.
Gabriel finally speaks. “It must be awfully sad,” he starts, “to be alone now. We have each other, but Jadette is by herself.”
Ocean and Kai stop to think about this and then nod their heads in agreement. Time ticks on and the trio settle back into silence.
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Jadette sits anxiously, drawing shapes in the sand with her sword. She knows she’s outnumbered and while this would be a problem even in a normal Hunger Games, it’s an even bigger issue now. Maybe there’s a rift in the group, she thinks. Maybe I voted for the right person. Maybe there won’t be a tie. I can still win this thing.
“I can still do this,” she mumbles. It doesn’t sound very convincing, even to herself.
She keeps her mind busy by condensing all the supplies she’s accumulated from her fallen allies. She puts all of Ashlynn and Athena’s things into one hand pack and loads her Goody Bag with stakes and daggers, clipping it to her person for easy access. Thinking of the crossbody luxury purses produced back in District One, Jadette attaches some rope to the hand pack and ties it diagonally across her body.
Taking an axe in one hand and her sword in another, Jadette stands and begins to walk in circles on the beach. Not knowing was killing her but perhaps knowing would be worse. Watching the sun slowly rise in the sky, a sinking feeling creeps into Jadette’s stomach and her blood runs cold.
“Please, please, let them have split up,” she closes her eyes and practically begs some unknown deity. The air seems to have taken on a slight chill and Jadette shivers, her hands clasped together around the hilt of her sword. Tears begin to stream down her face as she realizes the wind around her is picking up, but she can see that just a few feet away a palm tree stands stationary. She knows she’s been voted out.
“Please,” she sobs, falling to her knees as the wind continues getting stronger and stronger, circling like a tornado around her. She begins gasping for air as the wind picks up more, crushing her chest and windpipe. Choking for breath, Jadette puts her hands to her throat and sputters. Her face is turning purple and her head is heavy, her lungs burn. She can vaguely hear the wind whirring around her, but even that begins to fade as her senses dull. A single tear runs down her face as her body crumples and the wind dissipates. A cannon sounds.
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The cannon startles the Infinity Alliance and they look at one another sadly. Their time is up.
“Well,” says Gabriel, rising and picking up his weapons and bag, “I guess that’s that.”
“Yeah,” Kai grabs his trident and harpoon, his backpack already on his back. He puts his hand out and Gabriel shakes before walking away.
Kai and Ocean look at one another. Being from the same district, their alliance feels much more personal, harder to break.
“Maybe we could stick together for now,” offers Ocean, looking hesitantly at Kai’s face for a reaction. She’s nervous, he could kill her on the spot. But he wouldn’t do that, she reassures herself.
“Yeah, for now,” Kai agrees, and they walk off in the opposite direction of Gabriel.
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“Tributes! No voting tonight, but there will be a Feast,” Claudius’s voice fills the arena. “I know, you’re thinking ‘No voting? Then what’s the point of a feast if we don’t need immunity?’ This will be more like a traditional Hunger Games feast with things you all want or need. See you at the Cornucopia Island at sunset.”
Kai and Ocean can’t figure out what it is that they might need - they both know how to fish and have weapons to boot - but they decide to go anyways. Having more supplies can’t hurt. Similarly, Gabriel decides to go because he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Hopefully I don’t have to kill anyone, he thinks as he makes his way toward the small island at the Southern tip of the arena.
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Gabriel, Ocean, and Kai stare awkwardly at one another while waiting for Claudius’s projection to appear. When it does, a table rises in the center of the Cornucopia Island, followed by a clear, dome-like structure.
“Hello tributes! See that table over there? It has three packs on it, one for each of you. We’ve included things we think you’d all find… useful. And I know what you’re thinking, ‘But there’s a dome over the table? How will we get to the bags?’ You see, the dome will only open once blood is detected on its surface. I hope you’re all seeing where this is going. You must fight, or find some other way to shed blood onto the dome, for it open and to get your packs. No immunity today, though, seeing as there’s no voting tonight. Good luck!”
“No,” Gabriel looks at his former allies sadly. They convene near the dome and Ocean reaches out to touch it. Zzzzz. It gives her a slight electric shock and she yelps and jumps back.
“Blood is blood, shouldn’t we just be able to,” Kai jabs his finger with the tip of his harpoon and holds it over the dome, letting a drop of blood fall from his hand. It splats onto the dome and seems to be absorbed into whatever material it’s made of. Nothing happens; the dome sits stationary over the table and Claudius’s projection reappears.
“Ah, ah, ah,” he scolds, waving his finger at the tributes. “Sorry, it won’t be that easy. If you need an incentive, any bags left on the table in ten minutes will disappear. The clock starts… now!”
“So they really want us to fight,” Ocean sighs, looking on the verge of tears.
“Seems it,” Kai says glumly. The three stand, staring at one another, no one wanting to make the first move.
“Maybe we should just draw straws, you know,” Gabriel offers. “Whoever loses gets stabbed or something.”
“We could,” says Kai. His heart constricts thinking about what he has to do next. “Sorry, Gabe.”
Kai makes the first move, launching his trident at Gabriel. The outermost prong catches the District Six boy in the side and opens a gaping wound. Gabriel looks at Kai in shock as his blood spills out onto the dome. It gives a creak and begins to lift from around the table.
“I… can’t believe,” Gabriel holds his side and watches as Kai grabs Ocean by the arms and drags her under the dome to get their packs. Betrayal. The two District Four tributes have remained allies, leaving Gabriel alone. It makes sense, of course, them being from the same district and all, but it still hurts. Without thinking, he reaches into his pack and pulls out two stakes and throws them, one at each tribute. Their backs are turned, but Kai looks back sadly at Gabriel at the last second. Gabriel winces as one stake catches Ocean in the back of the neck and the other buries itself in Kai’s face. A cannon fires as Ocean’s body falls, her hand wrapped around the pack labeled with a “4F”.
Gabriel clutches his side and hobbles to the table, grabbing his pack and clearing out. Kai screams, pulling the stake from his eye and screaming louder when he realizes his right eye is gone, impaled on the end of the stake. Gabriel continues walking away with his pack, crying as he listens to Kai’s pained sobbing.
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END OF DAY 7 —
Jadette Topaz (D1): deceased, 4th place - VOTED OFF
Kai Albacore (D4): alive, injured (severe; right eye poked out by stake)
Ocean Simpkins (D4): deceased, 3rd place
Gabriel Rose (D6): alive, injured (severe; trident wound on left side)