Chapter 12

Beetee's point of view:

Day 5 of the Games, 11:55 pm:

I had been looking for my competition for most of the day. I was now settling in for the night to get some sleep.

Just then, the anthem started playing. I then saw the face in the sky of Charley Curt, the District 7 girl. So, she was the one who triggered the cannon earlier today.

So, who is left? The entire Career Pack, and both from District 12. Sometimes there is a strong and physically fit tribute from District 12 that makes it to the top eight, but not often, let alone both of them. This will be interesting.

I went to sleep.

Day 6 of the Games, 10:47 am:

'BOOM!' went the cannon.

Now we are down to the top eight. At this point there will be family interviews by Capitol reporters in the Districts of the living tributes. I wonder what my family will tell the reporters? They will probably just be quiet and answer the questions. Or my sister will say how I always look out for her. My mom will say how proud she is that I made it this far. My dad is still mad at me for volunteering, probably.

I moved on. I knew exactly where I was in the arena and had mapped out in my head the shortest rout back to my trap. If a tribute sees me, then I act scared of them and run. They then think they can get me and follow. I lure them into my trap and, 'BUZZZZ! Electrocution!' I thought maniacally.

I searched the city for the rest of the day. I found no one. I had to be patient.

It was now midnight. The anthem started playing. In the sky I saw the face of Peter Wolofon, the boy from District 12. He was so big and strong, and he scored an 8 in training, he must have died in a tough fight at least.

The twelve year old, District 12 girl making it this far. Dang! I admire her. I sure hope it doesn't come down to me and her.

Day 7 of the Games, 11:01 am:

I was 3 blocks south of my trap when I caught one of the Careers in my sights. Hmm? He was not with the rest of the pack? Curious? No matter.

It was John Green, the boy from District 4. He was carrying a spear. He looked about as tall as me, but with more muscle on his bones.

I had a knife in my hand. With my hand-eye-coordination I could kill him from here with a well aimed throwing-knife. I would need to get closer though. So, I snuck up behind him and I was about to do it.

'Okay, moment of truth. My first kill!' I thought.

Among other statistics, during the Games every tribute has a kill-count-score. Though it is irrelevant unless you're the last one standing in the end. My current score stood at zero.

I was about to throw my knife into John Green's back, when I was grabbed from behind. A hand went over my mouth. I was pulled behind a corner of a building and was then spun around. I was face to face with Xena Forman, the girl from District 2, and she had a knife to my throat.

"Well, you seem to be good at hiding." she said quietly enough as to not alert her teammates that I now guessed were nearby. "No one kills my teammates except me." she finished with an evil tone.

She was too strong for me and I had no chance of fighting her.

'I'm sorry, Lori.' I thought. 'I've failed you.'

I closed my eyes and turned my head away as I knew she was about to stab. When right at that moment, Macy Keen, the 12 year old girl from District 12 ran at full speed and collided with all of her body-weight. Xena Forman was knocked away. The edge of her knife nicked my neck, but the wound was not deep.

In less than a second, Xena Forman plunged her knife into Macy Keen's throat.

'BOOM!' went the cannon.

'I was about to die and she sacrificed herself for me?' I thought. 'Why? She didn't even know me.'

People had sacrificed themselves for others on the Games before, but not often. I had no time to think about it though. I ran for my trap. Xena Forman hailed her teammates and I knew that within minutes they would be hot on my tail.

Third-person point of view:

Caesar Flickerman's TV studio:

"Well, ladies and gentlemen." said Caesar Flickerman. "It looks like Beetee was just saved by Macy Keen. We all commend her sacrifice, and now Beetee is running. The six kids from Districts 1, 2, and 4, are all converging on him. Beetee is running to the unusual contraption that he spent days putting together. We still haven't quite figured out what it's for, but we shall see, or he will die quickly and we will be down to the top six."

Everyone's attention was drawn to the television screen there in the TV studio.

Beetee ran to his elaborate makeshift contraption. He ran past the barrels of water and climbed a ladder up a telephone pole. When he got to the top, he stood on some thin metal bars that could hold his weight, and he kicked the ladder away. The Careers all crowded around at the bottom of the pole.

"You've done well, Beetee." complemented Buzz Vandermon, the boy from District 2, who had several wounds from his fight with Peter Wolofon that he almost lost. "I'll give you that. But this is the end of your rope. Come on down, and I'll kill you painlessly."

"I admire you for your bravery and strength." said Beetee. "But I've got to win. I have to much at stake."

Buzz had a look of interest on his face.

"You volunteered to help someone." said Buzz. "I admire that. But this is a game. And if you can't play it, you can't win it."

Beetee smiled maniacally.

"Oh, I will win the Games, Buzz."

"And what exactly are you going to do to win the Games?" said Buzz with doubt in his voice, gesturing around to his five teammates. "You're from District 3. You're not a fighter."

Beetee had the secretive look in his smile as though he knew something they didn't.

"You're right." said Beetee. "I'm not a fighter. And as you just said, I'm from District 3...so what am I?"

He then pulled a cord that slipped through some hidden loops on the pole, and it caused all of the water filled barrels on the ground to tip over and soak the lower pant legs and boots of the Careers, as well as flood the area they were standing in with an centimeter of water. Beetee then took the electric cord with the live exposed wire sticking out of the end, and then flipped the switch. The end of the electric cord began to spark.

"I'm an engineer!" he said, answering his own question in a dramatic tone of voice.

Everyone there in the TV studio watched while on the screen Beetee threw the end of the exposed live wire into the water at the Careers feet. All six of the Career tributes bodies went rigid as they spasmed with electric shock.

Beetee allowed the electric current to flow for about 10 seconds until he turned the switch off.

'BOOM!' 'BOOM!' 'BOOM!' 'BOOM!' 'BOOM!' 'BOOM!' went the cannon six times.

Everyone there in the TV studio looked at the screen with jaw agape in shock and surprise. They were in the middle of the Top-seven, and then they went from the Top-seven to the victor in one big quick kill!

"Well, ladies and gentlemen..." said Caesar Flickerman a little lost for words, "...that's that! And what an unexpected victory for District 3, that was!"

Caesar then tapped a button that tapped his microphone into the giant hidden speakers inside the arena.

Beetee's point of view:

That worked out better than I though it would. I thought I would get one or two of them at a time, but all of them at once? No matter. Time to go home, and offer President Carson whatever he wants.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" came the voice of Caesar Flickerman booming out of the sky. "May I present the winner of the 35th Hunger Games! Beetee Latier, male tribute from District 3!"