All-Stars: Non-Careers

Chapter 40

Arden Grake

What a lovely Arena. It was simply bursting with life. How very accommodating of the Gamemakers to put us in a cemetery. It would save me a trip.

I only wished there was more cover. I couldn't see anyone else in the distance, but I wished I couldn't see so far. If someone came by I'd have to hide behind a bug gravestone and hope for the best. There were the houses every now and then, but I was sure they'd be commandeered by the more powerful alliances before long.

I was going to have to be more creative. There was nothing around to build a shelter with other than a few thin trees. Around here, a shelter would only attract attention. It wasn't really a necessity, since the air was only cool, not cold. I didn't think the sun was going to rise anytime soon.

I didn't need a shelter so much as a hiding place. Beth's gang would be sweeping the Arena now, looking for anyone who didn't get hidden in time. My options were limited and nearly universally disgusting. I saw an open grave and bent nearer out of curiosity.

Lattice Granger

Dark Days

Vicit Mortem

I didn't know if she was real or not. Probably they just wanted to spook us. I moved on and tried to find a less obvious choice.

I knew what I had to do as soon as I saw a half-open coffin standing up in the bottom of an open grave. There was a desiccated hand sticking out of it. I regarded the gory sight with resigned disgust.

I leaned over and grabbed the arm. In this Arena I half-expected it to grab me back, but it stayed still and cold. I braced it on the edge of the coffin and snapped it off. It cracked like a twig and little bits of dried flesh flaked off it. I took my nasty prize and found another grave with a coffin, this one empty. I pushed the coffin around until the open side faced the bottom and crawled inside. I stuck the arm in the crack and closed the coffin around it and me. No one would want to get close enough to examine that gross thing. I didn't want to be close to it either.

Beth O'Darielle

I screwed up. Chase died before I was hardly started. Merle was crying all over the place and Torchy kept consoling her like a perfect, syrupy gentleman. It was all very revolting.

"What's your problem? You're the one who wanted into the alliance," I said.

"You didn't have to do that! You killed him," Merle said. Torchy stood aside awkwardly.

"Yeah I killed him! That's what I do, bonehead!" I said. "Get the picture yet?"

"Screw off," Torchy said. "Go gut someone else, all right?"

"What's the matter, lover boy? Getting attached to the prey?" I asked. He blushed.

"Maybe I want some fun first. You do it your way, I'll do it mine," I said.

"So take her for a spin and finish it," I said. Merle looked at me with horror. She started to back away. I could tell she was about to run. It was plain Torchy wasn't going to get anything done. I took out a knife. I had to do everything.

"Leave her alone!" Torchy said suddenly. He jumped between us and held up his machete. I'd have made a big stink if I cared.

"Whatever. If you're going to be like that, just go. We'll find you anyway," I said. Torchy watched me over his shoulder as he and Merle retreated.

"It's you and me now, Jack," I said to my last ally. He looked as unperturbed as ever. I, on the other hand, was itching for some action. Torchy said I should go gut someone. I could handle that.

Ree Morning

I wondered if the rest of the alliance was together yet. Some of us had to be dead already. We were the weakest alliance. It was practically a requirement for membership. I hunkered in my grave and listened to the noises in the night. There were occasional screams that didn't sound like anyone I knew, as well as hooting owls and ghostly wails.

I thought it was a ghost when I saw a light over the edge of the grave. When I heard someone talking, I knew two things. First, it was a Tribute. Second, it was one of the ones willing to kill. She was using a flashlight because she had nothing to be afraid of. I could only hope she didn't find me.

The footsteps got closer. Beth peeked over the edge of my grave and pointed her flashlight at me.

"Hey," she said. "You know intestines are long enough to hang someone with?"

It really is my grave, I thought. And I was right about my alliance. I was glad Beth found me and not them, and I was glad I didn't lead her to them. I was an easy target, but Beth would get what was coming to her. Junie could beat her easy. I hoped she did.

Haber Dasher

Girls knew how to get things done. We'd all found each other in the Bloodbath and we'd even gotten some supplies. We had this in the bag.

We were a strong enough alliance to claim one of the stone houses for ourselves. They would be easy to fortify and defend, since they didn't have any windows and they only had one door each. We chose one far away from the Bloodbath, just in case. Emmalie and Calista set about clearing out bits of rock and rubble as Lyra and I sorted the supplies and readied our weapons.

I wasn't scared when I saw someone through the door. I couldn't tell who it was right away. We didn't have to be afraid of anyone, and it might have been a girl who needed help. When it got closer and I saw it was a man, I took action. I took up my sword and went out to give him a piece of my mind.

"Hey! Get out of here! This building's taken," I said. When he didn't move, I went closer and swung my sword in a warning. "Who do you think you-"

The intruder never said anything. He punched his machete through my middle with more force than I thought possible. I gasped and toppled forward to the ground as he yanked it out. He started to step over me and I grabbed his legs. I might be dead, but my sisters could still get away.

Emmalie Bluebell

We all shrank together when we saw Haber fall. I'm sure none of us were surprised she got herself killed, but it was all very sudden. Whoever did it was just outside our building. By the time I got up, Jack was too close for me to get past. He stood in the door, blocking our only exit.

I picked up the nearest object, a backpack, and swung it at Jack's head. He took the blow and stepped into the building. There was hardly enough room to maneuver around him. If the three of us had taken weapons at the Bloodbath, we would have been able to take him. But Haber was the fighter. Lyra used arrows, but we were way too close for that. I was a thief and Calista was just sort of useless.

Jack grabbed me by the shirt and dangled me off the ground. He stabbed me in my torso and I heard the machete clang on the stone wall behind me. I should have left Haber sooner.

Calista Corral

I wanted to be a useful ally, but two of my allies had already died in front of me and there was nothing I could do. Jack dropped Emmalie and turned back to me and Lyra as we huddled against the far wall of the stone building. He stepped closer and I knew I had to do something. I threw a rock at him. He swatted me with his free arm and I stumbled closer to the door. I picked up another rock and was about to throw it when I heard Lyra's scream. I couldn't see her, since Jack was in the way, but the cannon told me all I needed to know. I was too late. All I could do was run. I scuttled out the door while Jack's back was still turned.

Lyra Axelle

It was like fish in a barrel. Emmalie was barely dead when Jack dropped her and turned his attention to me and Calista. There was no way I could get to my bow and fire off an arrow before he got to us. I didn't even have time to pick up the bow. Calista did all she could, and I was surprised she was so brave. When Jack hit her, I thought she would fly into the opposite wall and smash her head. But he was just a Tribute, not a behemoth. I saw Calista moving as Jack raised his machete. I hoped she got out.

60th place: Ree Morning- killed messily by Beth

I didn't think I should leave the Little Child alliance without heavy casualties. It was a collection of the weakest, youngest Tributes in the Games. Ree was separated and those are the ones that die in the wild. I liked Ree because she was optimistic and she didn't give up, but I let her go because it was inevitable. Beth will be killing in more detail in the future, but this time I left it vague to be nice.

59th place: Haber Dasher- stabbed by Jack

I wanted the first night to have a lot of death because it made sense when the Tributes weren't familiar with the Arena yet and Beth and her allies were marauding. Haber was a logical place to start because she has zero survival instincts. In this, her third time, she actually developed a bit. I never would have expected that. She was still nasty, but she does care for her friends. She just thinks you have to have boobs to be a friend. So rest in peace and this time I'm maybe a little sorry to see her go.

58th place: Emmalie Bluebell- stabbed by Jack

When I realized Haber's alliance was in a small enclosure, I saw that it was ripe for a m******e. Emmalie was going to abandon the alliance soon, but she wasn't quick enough. A thief would do well in some Arenas, but this one wasn't so great for Emmalie. I don't think she was many people's favorite anyway. She never had much chance of winning.

57th place: Lyra Axelle- stabbed by Jack

Lyra could have been a great defender for the building if she could have fought from a long distance. In such short range her arrows weren't very useful, and she wasn't a hand-to-hand fighter. Jack was way bigger than she was and machetes are bad news. I picked one person to live because I didn't want to give Jack too many kills at once. Calista was Lyra's friend, and she's going to miss her.