Hello friends! I'm SO SORRY that it took me this long to write, I've been kept busy by a Selection RP I'm hosting. Enjoy!
(Don't forget to react in the comments! I love reading all of your thoughts on what's happening!!!)

Cinnamon was furious.

That was never a good thing, but today she was armed as well. She almost felt bad for Niles.

Almost.

The kid was still in the tree. None of the pack had any arrows, and he was a bit too high for spears. He must've been up all night, but she wouldn't know. The pack had moved their camp to a space beneath the tree to block his escape route.

A pallor wreathed Vire's face as she gazed, unblinking, at the tree. Cinnamon couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for her. Manny had come back in the quiet hours of morning and gone strait to sleep, but he still didn't know about the Niles. When he found out, though...

Cinnamon never got a chance to wonder. A gurgling noise was filling the arena, and all of the pack immediately grabbed their weapons. Trying to identify the sound, Cinnamon scanned the area. The muffled gasp that left her mouth was enough to alert the rest of the pack.

A wall of red liquid was moving toward them, devouring all in its path.

The metallic tang of blood filled the air as Cinnamon turned away, forgetting her shield in her haste to get away from the wave. She could hear the other careers behind her so the same, but she ignored them.

A single word filled her mind.

Run.

<==——==> <==——==> <==——==>

Niles could hear the careers scrambling away, but he couldn't see why. Tree beaches obscured his view of the arena, but he assumed they had seen another tribute. A gurgling noise reminded him of his thirst, unquenched since last night.

A gurgling noise?

The boy leapt from the tree, but it was too late for the small tribute. A wall of red, sticky blood was almost on top of him. Niles barely had time to grab his token, a beaded necklace, before the wave engulfed him.

<——<<  ~~~  >>——>

Anson was frozen.

He had collapsed next to a brilliant red rose, its fragrance filling the air. Silent tears slipped down his face as his thoughts filled his head. His mother... she had smelled just like this rose. Memories threatened to envelop him.

A cannon shot broke into his reverie. Looking up, Anson noticed for the first time that the air was growing warm. A metallic tang filled his nostrils, and he saw a red wave on the horizon.

The rose forgotten, Anson leapt to his feet. A nearby rock offered the best protection he could find. Slipping himself into a chink in the grey stone, he shut his eyes right and waited.

<<=+ \_/-•-\_/ +=>>

Jared scrambled to his feet upon hearing a canon shot. He had spent all of the previous day climbing a huge mountain, and now he had a vantage point over the entire arena. Looking to his right, the little tribute noticed a red stain on the cornucopia ring. The faint specks of color showed him exactly where the Career pack was.

It was clear they hadn't been expecting this. Jared saw one speck freeze, and guessed that the Career had fallen. The unlucky tribute's comrades continued on, ignoring their friend.

The red wave overtook the clearly injured Career. Jared winced as the speck was covered in a red foam.

Another cannon boomed soon after.