Episode 4 - Against all Odds

 Day 4

Loki decides it's time to leave the cornucopia while Mick and Sonya are still discussing the deaths of the previous day. Other tributes will start to show up soon to get new stuff for the day. Then he wants to be on the other side of the arena where it's safer.

The forest:

Rosco: Did you guys decide what you will do if you get a weapon?

Leif: I know I don't want to kill people, hopefully, I don't have to do it, and can survive without doing so!

Mitchell: Yeah, and I don't want to die too! There is so much outside of this arena that I want to go back to. I wish this nightmare comes to an end!

The Tree House

As Diana walks to the Cornucopia, her thoughts are killing her about last night's incident. She still can't believe that she has killed Mirrari too. What did she do at the tree house? She shouldn't be there!

The Shack:

Robert still can't believe that Hannah is gone. That she died last night. How did that happen? How is he going to live without her? He doesn't want to live without her!

Jürgen: Robert, you will be fine... Just believe!

Robert: Belief in what? That I will be next? Awesome!

Jürgen: You will be okay, trust me!

Robert: Yeah, sure...

 

Jürgen: Just hang in there, friend! You will make it! But for now, I need to go!

The Lake:

Maple hides behind the tree when Gertie leaves the lake area. She doesn't want her to see her. She doesn't want anyone to see her. She's happy on her own.

The Cornucopia:

Leif couldn't find anything useful yet and is annoyed with the capital and this game! He doesn't know if the conversation this morning triggered the feelings that he has now or if he is just bored? Something fast must happen now! 

He takes his frustration out on the mysterious gnome as he kicks it. 

Leif: Oh, my... What is this? *looks at the gun* So you hide it from us? Did you? *talks to the gnome*

Takes the gun and then puts the gnome up straight again.

 Leif: Thank you, Mr. Gnome! *And quickly runs away before anyone sees him.*

Not long after Leif left the area, Rosco arrives at the cornucopia and is happy when he finds a bag with  Immunity! "Yay! Just what I need to survive the day!"

Sonya wants to meet with Mitchell to see if he is still okay. She hides behind some trees and bushes until she sees him coming from the forest.

Sonya: Are you okay? Do you have enough food to eat?

Mitchell: Yeah, I just came from the forest and had something to eat there. It's just a pity I couldn't take more that can last me for a few more days...

Sonya: Yeah, it's a sad rule.

Mitchell: Do you have enough?

Sonya: I'm heading to the lake now. So I will be okay for the day!

And after Sonya left Mitchell decides to look around and finds a bag with dry food! 

On the way to the Cave:

Jürgen is on his way to the cave when he sees Ella.

He finds her sitting on the ground, curled up in a ball, staring blankly into the distance.

"Ella?" *rushes over* "Ella, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

Ella's still staring as she says in a perfectly flat, robotic voice: "Last night. Heard a noise. Shot a bear.

...Wasn't a bear."

Jürgen: "W-what do you mean, it wasn't a bear...?"

Ella: "...It's my fault. It's my fault Hannah died. Jürgen, I didn't... I didn't check, I didn't do anything, I should have done something-!"

Jürgen: "Ella. Look at me. Look at me. It was an accident, correct?"

Ella: "Y-yes, of course."

Jürgen: "And what did you do, immediately after you found her?"

Ella: "Made her comfortable. Checked for a pulse. Nothing. Too late."

Jürgen: "Exactly."

*He drags her up from the ground and gives her a long, gentle hug as she finally remembers how to cry.* "It wasn't your fault, Ella. You're a good person. Don't let this incident convince you otherwise."

On the way to the Swamp:

Mick meets up with Gertie on his way to the Swamp. 

Gertie: How are you doing?

Mick: I'm fine and you? Did you see any other tributes?

Gertie: I'm good, thank you. And no, I didn't see anyone but I think there was someone with me at the lake last night. I heard some shuffling noises up the hill from my sleeping place next to the lake.

Mick: Are you sure it was human? Maybe it was a wolf or a fox. You must be careful when you are alone.

Gertie: I will! 

The Cornucopia:

Diana arrives at the cornucopia for her daily container.

And then she sees it! 

Another rifle! For the third day in a row! What are the odds that it could happen? And why her? Is she cursed?

She immediately turns around and wants to go back in the direction where she came from. She's not going to take it! Ever! Not this time!

But she walks into some kind of force that keeps her there! She can't go forward! 

She also can't go sideways either. What the heck? The force is keeping her near the rifle.

And there is a voice in her head that tells her to pick up the rifle.

Diana: Nooo!!!

But the voice keeps on talking to her in her head. It gets more persuasive! She can't take it anymore. She covered her ears with her hands but the voice is still there! Pick up the rifle!!! Now!!!

Diana: Okay!!! *She almost screams when she finally gives in.*

She turns around and walks back to the rifle.

She picks it up and then runs for the woods!

Not long after that, Ella arrives at the cornucopia. She finds a bag with dry food.

The Swamp:

The sun is almost going down when Mick arrives at the swamp.

He sees the dry leaves coloring the swamp floor. There's also a chilly bite in the air. Winter is coming and it's going to be harder in the arena. Food will be scarce.

Mick: Oooh, I got some company tonight... 

Mick: Are you hungry too? *talking to the raccoons* Alas, I don't have anything to eat for days now myself! *rubbing over his tummy and hearing the rumbling sounds it makes. If he doesn't get food soon he may die of hunger*

Mick: Ouch! That's my finger, you twart! *He wants to pet the raccoon but gets a bite instead*

Mick: Don't be so vicious! Go get your own food!

Mick: And don't look at me like that! I'm starving too!

The Lake:

Loki: I guess it's going to be a cold night! *looking at the brown-red leaves falling from the trees and also feeling the chill in the air.* 

Loki decides to make some kind of shelter for the night and gather wood and leaves.

After an hour or two he has enough to make the shelter.

And he gathers enough wood to make a fire for heat too.

As he lits the fire, Rosco arrives at the lake too.

Rosco: Oooh, nice! *warming themselves at the fire*

The Forest:

Gertie is starving and immediately harvests the apple tree when she arrives at the forest. With the fall in the air, she doesn't know for how long there will be food available. It's going to be tough in the arena. 

Maple is harvesting the potato vine when she catches a glimpse of someone coming in her direction.

She quickly gets up...

And hides next to the tall grass. She recognizes Diana and sees her carrying a rifle. She wonders who she wants to take out this time!

When Diana is next to her she tries to grab the rifle from her.

Diana: What the hell are you doing? *pulls back the rifle, and a shot goes off in the air*

Diana lets the rifle fall to the ground. She doesn't know if she must be angry or relieved that the only shot she has, has missed its target! She didn't kill anyone! (Maple used her immunity)

Just as Diana walks away from Maple, Robert arrives at the forest.

Robert: I heard a shot! *then sees the rifle on the ground* Was this the weapon I heard? Who had it? And did someone get hurt?

Maple: Diana had it, but luckily no one got hurt. I prevented it!

Robert: Aww, that's good to hear. *looking around and shivering* I think we must get a fire going. It's going to be cold tonight and we don't want to freeze to death!

He immediately starts to gather some wood for the fire...

And not long after that, he can light it!

Gertie: Thanks so much for the fire! *everyone is warming themselves. Maple also decides to stay in the group near the fire. She doesn't want to freeze to death tonight.*

Diana knows that the other tributes don't want her near them after the incident and decided to make her own fire far from them. She starts to gather wood for the fire.

And not long after that, she got her own fire roaring and can she keep herself warm too. Dang Capitol with their stupid games! Nobody wants to trust her anymore after this incident. She can't blame them. She can't even trust herself! Who would think that she could get a rifle three days in a row? Is it even possible?

The Lake:

It's now a while since Leif is watching the two tributes next to the fire. How he wished to be there next to the fire himself and not here in the cold. Who is he going to kill? He has to kill someone. He got a gun! That is the rule of the game. But just last night he had a nice cozy time with Rosco and Mitchell. How can he kill anyone of them? He guesses the Capitol isn't happy with all the tributes. They're making friends and not enemies! All the kills so far, except for the first four, were accidents. The tributes don't want to kill each other. He doesn't want to kill anyone either! 

But he has to... He hasn't got a choice. It's the rule! He lifts his arms to aim at the two next to the fire. Who will it be? Rosco or Loki? His hands began to shake. He feels how his stomach is turning. 

Rosco: Don't move! *whispers in a low voice*

Loki: Why? *whispering too*

Rosco: There's someone above us, up the hill next to the willow tree.

Loki: Are they armed? Do they want to kill us?

Rosco: I bet they are! If I say duck, then you duck, okay? *Loki just nods, too scared to say anything*

Rosco: Duck! *and the moment they duck they hear the shot echoing through the arena*

Leif lowers the gun. Damn! He missed! (Rosco used his immunity)

He turns around and runs into the woods. And he knows, he won't be able to talk to anyone ever again. From now on, he is on his own! It's going to be harder and harder in the arena with every passing day. And with fall here and winter coming in a week, it will be almost impossible to survive in the arena. Food will be scarce and they will have to fight each other for their food just to survive! And then the cold days and nights, how are they going to keep themselves warm and doesn't freeze to death?

Not long after the shooting incident Sonya arrives at the lake. 

Sonya: Did I imagine that I heard a gunshot?

Rosco: In fact, you did hear one. *and telling her all about it*

Sonya: Could you see who it was?

Loki: Nah, it was too dark already.

The Cave:

It's already dark outside when Jürgen decides to make a fire. He first didn't want to make one because he didn't want to reveal his location but after seeing all the fires jumping up everywhere he decided to make himself one too. It's really getting cold now and he doesn't want to freeze to death.

Mitchell also decides it's better to have a fire going to warm himself. 

The Shack:

Ella is just in time to see how the shack goes up in flames.

She tries her best to extinguish the flames.

But in vain. The fire is overwhelming and she has to give up and look at how the shack burns down to the ground.

The Tree House:

And if that isn't enough, another disaster hits the tree house too when it also goes up in flames and burned down to the ground. Now the tributes won't be able to go to both of these locations ever again. 

These locations were the only ones that have some kind of shelter against the coming cold of the fall and the winter days. But now it's nonexistent!

And with that, I'm going to end the episode just here!

What will tomorrow behold? Will the tributes keep on making friends or will they start to develop trust issues? And then, food will become scarce with fall and winter coming. 

Will they fight each other to keep their tummies full?

Stay tuned until the next episode!