Shelby woke up, a gasp leaving her lips and her eyes wide in shock. She looked around the area, noticing how shady it was here- trees reaching up to the heavens- their roots disappearing through the moss covered water that had surrounded them all.  The air had a tint of coolness to it, which wasn't all that surprising thanks to how dark it was and how cool the water felt. 

Shelby turned her head slightly, seeing the blonde head of her brother. 

"Tyler?" 

He whipped his head around to face her, relief shining in his brown and blue eyes glad to know that his sister was finally awake. 

"Shelby! Oh thank god, I'm so glad you're awake." 

"How long have I been out for?" 

"Uh about two days." He responded, "there's only been about seven deaths since that..." He trailed off trying to find a word to name the event but he didn't need too. Shelby understood and her heart immediately grew heavy, she looked around again. 

"Tyler, where's Mikey?" 

The boy grew silent, his mouth shut for he was unsure on what to say about that matter He looked away from his sister, finding her stare to be rather intimidating at that moment. 

"Tyler? Tell me."  She commanded, her heart growing even more heavy. He can't be... No, he can't. He's probably gone out to get some food. That's it. That has to be it. 

Tyler cleared his throat a little, finding interest in his feet as he gave her an answer, "he uh... Mikey's dead....  We were running and this building was about to fall on  you and well... He sacrificed himself for you." 

She slowly brought a hand to her mouth, closing her eyes so she could control the feelings of grief that was swimming in her.  Guilt had settled on her shoulders, weighing her down slightly as she thought back to those moments of stifling heat.  He died because of her, she should have been much more aware, she should have just powered through the whole thing and if she had done that then maybe. Just maybe Mikey would still be here. 

"Shelby..." Said Tyler his tone gentle, "please don't feel guilty, he did it to save-" 

"Who else died while I was out?" She nearly snapped, an edge to her tone as she kept her true feelings under wraps. 

Deciding to appease her, Tyler answered. A sad expression on his face as he recited each of the people that had their life taken away from them, "Serena from District one, that cyborg girl from District two, Donnie and Katrina from District three, the dragon mutant from District six and Raph from District seven."

"So... No one else?" She asked, wanting to get rid of the guilt that continued to swirl in her stomach, mixing in with the grief. 

Tyler only shook his head, "no, no more deaths. We'll be safe for a little bit but I think we should walk around and find a new shelter. When you're ready that is." 

"Let's do it now." Said Shelby instantly, picking herself up from the damp ground- dusting herself off. 

Her brother just looked at her, rather unsure. He wasn't a complete idiot, he knew his sister and he knew her well. She was thinking about Mikey, he could tell and he could tell that she had felt rather strongly about that particular mutant.

"Shelby-" 

"No. Let's just go.  I don't want to be found out." She said, and with nothing else to say on the matter she began to walk away. Her brother sighing as he too followed, worrying over his sister. 

The two of them walked through the swamp, the water and mud clinging onto their pants as they made their movements- weighing them down with each step. The croaking of frogs met their ears, hissing of snakes as they slid over the water- ignoring the two presence, the calling of birds joined into the mix as well- not wanting to be left out. But Shelby didn't focus on those things nor did she cared. She was much more focused on how Mikey had died. 

The girl knew she shouldn't be beating herself up about it, only one person was going to make it alive and if she was being perfectly honest, out of everyone she wouldn't have pegged Mikey for being the winner of the games despite the talents that he has. He's always so cheerful and happy, and Shelby believes that he trusts people a bit too easily... If he had gone with someone else then there was a possibility that he would have died from them. 

Instead of me, she thought, if it wasn't so hot at the time then maybe....

She shook her head, clearing herself from the negative and guilty thoughts. She needs to be here, she needs to be in this moment of time oppose to the past. Thinking about the past now wouldn't help, especially since enemies could be lurking around somewhere. 

Meanwhile Aiden was sat at home, his own worry clouding his mind as he watched his siblings go through the marshland, his father somewhere the he knows not of.

A few more minutes of the two Bradfords walking around past and then Claudius and Caesar took the screen, the footage of the current happenings being played behind them as they spoke. 

"Claudius. Am I wrong or did they just past a group of fungus pavor plants?" Questioned Caesar, pointing his pen at a group of plants which had black coloured leaves with pale grey dots decorating them- appearing to be pimples of sorts, meanwhile growing in the center of this plant was a glowing blue mushroom with light blue intricate designs lacing over it. 

"Oooh." Breathed out Claudius, taking note of them, "those things aren't good." 

"For those of you at home, these plants have been made to bring everyone's worse fears to reality." Said Caesar, his voice low as if he didn't want any tributes to hear him, "depending on those fears they can change the victim's mental state and could even kill them." 

Aiden's heart stopped, his eyes widening as he heard that fact. Surely... Surely his siblings' fears aren't that bad, right? Right?

Of course that was proven wrong as some events unfolded. 

Shelby continued to walk, completely oblivious to those strange plants and the odor that they had just emitted. The many other smells that continued to clash into the other was the perfect disguise for the fungus pavor plants and a shame it was for if Shelby had managed to detect it then she could have hurried herself and Tyler out of there. But what would be the fun in that?'

She took in another step and just like that everything changed for her. 

Her new white hair blew out in front of her, getting tangled with each stand. She looked down and noticed flexible pieces of ice wrapping around her torso and thighs, acting as a shirt and skirt, she turned her attention away from that and over to her now extremely pale hands that had claws to join the asset. 

Usually the fact that she was in her half-shift form would make her blood turn colder then it was. This time it was the fact that her hands were stained with blood, blood evidently from her family as she lifted her head up to see their corpses with another body standing off to the side. And that body was her.

Shelby looked at the other version of herself, seeing the glowing blue eyes and the freckles that were splattered on her face, shoulders and collarbones. 

"You did all of this." Said her doppelganger in a monotone voice, "you lost control again and killed them all." 

"No, no I didn't." Shook the head of the real Shelby Bradford, "I'm in control, I have control."

The clone cocked her head to the side, no expression on her features as she let a question slip, "then why did you kill them?" 

"I didn't kill anyone!" Snapped Shelby, her body shaking as fear grasped her heart- shackling it in it's chains. Everyone is alive, she knows it. She's in the Hunger Games with Tyler. Aiden and her dad were all at home, where they belong. 

"Then why is their blood on your hands?

Before the girl even had time to answer she was tackled to the ground, the swampy terrain latching onto the material that covered her back. Shelby let a growl slip as she fought her other self, she was in control. She didn't kill anyone and she wasn't going to let anyone tell her anything else. 

The two of them fought one another, blasts of snow being fired out- ice shooting out in more directions then one. Tension settled on the shoulders of the cold loving mutant, trying her best to dodge all the attacks that was being sent at her- more words were spoken to her, more sentences having an impact on the thoughts that were floating around in her mind. But she needs to focus on the fight, thoughts are secondary in these sort of situations. She needs to concentrate, she needs to- 

The cannon sounded off. Her thoughts shattered. 

Her body shook violently, her blue eyes widening as she looked into the glazed eyes of Tyler.  She took a step away, shaking even more as she noticed the massive ice shard that had skewered her younger brother. 

Her brother is dead. 

And this time it's her fault.