Contest: The 140th Annual Hunger Games

Host: THGF1234

"Mia, stop making so much damn noise!" Nick snaps, his tone hitting a dangerous note. I huff and clap my hands together obnoxiously, catching a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye. I whirl around, a small object flying free from the tips of my fingers with inexplicable ease. The dart whooshes through the humid air, burying itself into the feathers of a dark colored bird.

It cries and stutters through the air, tumbling gracefully toward the grassy earth. Nick snorts and tucks the arrow gripped lightly between his fingers back into the quiver with frustration. "Whatever." He mutters, turning around and stomping off into the forest, dodging around a jumbling of trees. I sigh and roll my eyes as I pluck the delicate bird off the ground, grasping its neck in the palm of my hand.

It was still warm, though its heart had stopped beating, the little creature was still holding onto the last shreds of life. "Hey! Mia!" Nick hollers from somewhere in the distance, I glance up and begin a fevered walk around the trees to find him standing before a bushel of berries.

When I reach him, he glances over at me and raises one eyebrow. "Are these poisonous? I haven't got a clue." He comments, plucking one from a branch and holding it up to inspect. I shrug and take the berry from his hand, dropping it on my tongue and biting in with my teeth.

A fruity, wonderful taste spreads along my tongue, electrifying my senses and I smile with glee. "Nope, they're fine." Nick frowns, confusion written all over his face.

"How do you know?" I shrug again and begin pulling handfuls of berries off the bush.

"I'm a twin, I know everything." I tease, flashing him a white toothed grin. Nick scowls and unzips the backpack strapped to my back, he digs his hand inside and comes out with a plastic jar fit for storing food.

"Great, here." I say, dumping a group of berries into the container. "Take my bird." I say, holding up the dead creature. Nick scowls and wrinkles his nose, a displeasing look on his face.

"Why? I hate dead things." He grumbles, neglectfully taking the bird in his free hand and stuffing it into the backpack for later.

"Because I asked nicely." Nick rolls his eyes, an annoyed glint in his gaze.

Suddenly, a loud squeal erupts throughout the forest and Nick jerks, causing me to drop a handful of perfectly juicy berries on the ground. I frown and glance at him, completely unconcerned by the girl's scream.

"I dropped the berries!" Nick blinks and looks over at me, a desperate gleam illuminated in his eyes. Instantly, I know what he's about to say and a headache blossoms behind my eyelids.

"No, no, no, no. We are not helping her, she screamed and now she can die for it." I argue, refusing to allow him to drag us to the scene of what I know will be a brutal death. He clenches his jaw and closes the container, tucking it back into the backpack.

"Then I'll go without you." He snaps, I bite the inside of my cheek and sigh deeply.

"Damn you, come on." I grumble, pulling a knife from the holder and gripping it tightly. Nick flashes me his signature grin and grabs an arrow, balancing it lightly against the bow's string.

Nick and I creep through the now silent forest with ease. It's not long before we come across a small clearing where a boy is towering over a girl, a knife at her throat. Nick crouches behind a bush and jerks his head at the pair. I nod and tuck my knife away before stumbling out into the clearing like I didn't know where I was going.

"Oh!" I squeal, coming to an abrupt halt as the boy glances upward, our eyes meeting. He frowns slightly and backs away from the girl, tilting his head slightly. "I heard a scream..." I bumble, keeping a keen eye on the knife in his hands.

"Who are you?" He snaps, grasping the knife tightly between white knuckled fingers.

"Mirabella. The next victor of the victors games, and you are?" I wonder, allowing the corners of my lips to quirk upward.

"Alexander, your killer." He growls, a feral sound that comes from the back of his throat.

"Oh hardly." I mutter, dodging right as he lunges forward, knife outstretched. My back hits the ground and I roll to my feet, whirling around just in time to see Nick's arrow embed itself in Alexander's shoulder, strategically placed where it won't kill him but surely prohibit him from wielding any more knives.

He cries out and falls to his knees, the knife tumbling from his now still fingers. He clenches his jaw and glances toward the bushes as Nick comes out of hiding, his face set in a stern line.

"Hey!" Alexander shouts, looking between Nick and I with disdain. "That's cheating!" He declares as if the Gamemakers will hear him and punish us for using our brains. Nick shakes his head and rolls his eyes.

"No, it's called," He pauses, wrapping his hand around the wooden shaft of the arrow. One forcefully jerk downward and the shaft snaps, leaving only a tiny portion protruding from Alexander's shoulder. He cries out again, the sound causing my ears to rattle. "teamwork." He finishes, wiggling the broken arrow in front of Alexander's face before stepping backward, a smirk on his face.

I flip forward and lower myself to the ground, sliding across the grass for several feet before pushing upward and nailing my knee into the side of Alexander's jaw. There's a loud pop, a blood curling scream, and a heavy thump as his body falls to the ground.

Alive, but definitely in poor shape.

"Are you going to kill me?" A quiet voice wonders, Nick and I look over at the girl with brown hair and red streaks. Nick shakes his head and pulls the bow over his head, strapping it to his body.

"Nope, see you 'round." He says with a playful wink and grasps my hand, pulling me back into the cover of the forest.