Episode 6 - Honey I'm home

 Day 6

The Cornucopia:

Sonya: What a beautiful morning! *It's colder than yesterday but at least the sun is out and that ugly, grey, and rainy weather is gone!*

 

Sonya decided to leave early before any of the tributes show up. In her haste, she forgot the berries on the cornucopia floor.

The Lake:

Maple is standing on the lake's edge looking at the water and can't believe that it claimed a life! She's glad she wasn't near the lake when the area got flooded! She was so angry at Jürgen at that time that she didn't even notice how far she had run. She wondered how did Jürgen get into the water? He should've seen the water rising.

Oh well, she can't do anything about it now. What is done is done! She decided to go to the cornucopia. Let's see what is on the Capitol's agenda today!

Robert waits until Maple is gone before he also goes to see what the lake looks like. He did hear the screams for help last night but didn't intervene. He just had made himself comfortable on a branch in a tree and didn't feel like investigating. After the night had begun to settle, he had fallen into a restless sleep. His dreams were filled with nightmares. Mitchell turned into Hannah every time he killed him. Once he almost fell out of the tree. 

This morning he doesn't really know how he feels, shocked at what he did? Hell, yeah! He is not a murderer! But it was as if something came over him when he took the knife in his hand yesterday. It's as if Hannah's blood begged him for revenge. He couldn't help himself. He went into a trance and did everything automatically. Looking for a victim. Killing them. He just did that. It was as if he had no power over his own actions. It was scary as hell. The Capitol must have had something to do with this. It was definitely not him! 

Robert gives a big sigh and then turns around and walks into the woods.

The Swamp:

Gertie: Did you mean to tell me that Mick is dead, racci? *talks to the raccoon and still feeling sad about Mick's death*

Diana: I'm sure he wanted to. 

Gertie: Yeah, I think so too. Shall we go back to the cornucopia?

Diana: Yeah, we can't stay here forever! *starts walking*

Gertie: Aww, why not? It's really nice here. *but follows her*

The Forest:

Loki: Are you going to the cornucopia?

Rosco: Maybe...

Loki: Wait for me! *and then follows him*

Leif is checking the plants to see if there isn't anything to harvest. But nothing!

Leif: Oh well! Maybe there is something at the cornucopia! 

(Ella sitting on a fallen log in the forest) "Oh, Jürgen... I'm so sorry for doing that to you. (She sighs) "It doesn't really feel like enough. I feel like I've gotta... God, I don't know, make up for it somehow? I mean, I guess, but it feels like nothing I ever do is ever going to be enough...

Wait a minute. Is this how you felt all this time? You were always talking like this. I almost feel better that you're topside now - and let's be honest, you're definitely upstairs not downstairs. Huh." 

(she looks up at the sky) "Thanks, Jürgen."

(She wanders off, feeling significantly number. No better, not really, but she can't tell the difference.)

The Cornucopia:

Rosco is the first to arrive at the cornucopia and find a knife. He quickly grabs it and runs for the woods.

Gertie arrives a little later and finds a bag with dry food.

And she is also lucky (or unlucky) to find the berries Sonya left there.

Diana: What is that? *Diana is just behind Gertie and saw her picking something up*

Gertie: Berries... I found it here on the ground.

Gertie makes an attempt to eat it. It really looks nice and she is quite hungry.

Diana: No! Don't eat it! It's poisonous! *she immediately recognizes it*

Gertie: What?! *and just let it fall to the ground.*

Diana: I know that berries. It's night lock berries and you will be dead before it reaches your stomach! *she did her research all about the plants they could get here in the arena*

Gertie: Oh no! Really? You just saved my life! Thank you so much! (Gertie used her immunity)

Diana: Yeah, we need to get rid of it before someone else also may think it's edible. *picks it up and put it in her bag. She will throw it away later*

Leif just arrived at the cornucopia but couldn't find anything useful. 

Just as he wants to go around the corner he heard voices. He wonders what they are talking about. He recognizes Diana and Gertie's voices but can't make out what the conversation is about. He just caught some of the words. "Berries, poisonous." 

Leif: Mmmm... Did someone get poisoned? *He wonders but decides to leave them alone and go look for other stuff. Maybe he didn't look hard enough.*

The Cave:

Sonya just arrive at the cave when she saw something near the entrance.

Sonya: What is this? *looking at the quiver with arrows* Wow! Where did this come from? Isn't it suppose to be at the cornucopia for the tributes to find?

She also found a letter in the quiver that reads: "You may shoot one bird for supper. Love from District 6"

Sonya: Ahh wow! I got a present from my district! Thank you, District 6. You're the best!

She also finds a bow in the cave and goes out into the woods near the cave to hunt for a bird. 

The Forest:

It's midday when Maple arrives at the forest.

She checks the plants but there aren't any to harvest.

On her way to the firepit, she notices something on the edge of the forest. Can it bee? ;)

She gets more excited the nearer she gets to the edge.

Maple: Yes! It's beehives! Honey, I'm home! *clapping her hands* Thank you, Capitol!

Maple: I just hope the bees don't get angry and sting me! *thinking of something* Wait? Does the Capitol hope that we get stung by bees and die? Is this a kind of disaster? *and purposely opens the beehive* You are fooled, Capitol! *screams in the air* I'm not allergic to bees!! Haha!!

Maple: Yummy! *harvests the honey*

And she can't wait to taste it either!

Maple: Delicious! *wiping her mouth with her sleeve*

The Swamp:

Robert arrives at the swamp and decided to get the fire going. It's getting cold early.

He gathers some more wood.

And finally, light it!

Just then Rosco also arrives.

Rosco: Aww nice... It looks like you are a handyman just like Loki? Just in time to warm me up!

Robert: What? I didn't do it for you! I'm not your servant! *immediately getting annoyed with Rosco* But if you have some food to share with me, you can stay?! *He doesn't know where the anger he feels toward Rosco comes from. Is he still under the spell of the knife? He did get rid of it after he killed Mitchell last night*

Rosco: Hey, calm down, dude! I don't want to take your fire away from you! I just want to warm myself. *tries to calm down Robert. This arena does strange things to everyone and he doesn't even want to think of the knife in his pocket. What is he going to do with it?*

Loki: What is going on here? *just arrives and wonders about the commotion*

Rosco: Ask him, I'm leaving! *and then walks away in the direction he came from*

Loki: So tell me all about it?

Robert: ...

Just then Ella also arrives at the Swamp.

   

Ella: What are you guys talking about?

Loki: Your guess is as good as mine. *concentrates on the fire in front of him*

Ella: What do you mean by that? *annoyed with Loki. Can't he be serious for once?* What kind of answer is that?

Loki: How the hell must I know? You chipped in before Robert could tell me! *Loki left the fire to talk to Ella.* "What is wrong with these people?" *thinking*

Ella: I didn't chip in! I just arrived here! How could I? *gets angry now. Also feels the hunger pains gnawing on her stomach*

Robert: Guys...?

Ella: You keep out of it! *snaps at Robert* It's between me and Loki!

Loki: I didn't do anything... *Ella reaches for his pockets* Hey, watch it! 

Ella: You need to watch out! Just give me some food!

Loki: What food? What are you talking about? I don't have any!

Robert: Guys, can you two please calm down?

Ella: Calm down? How can I do that if he doesn't give me food! Can't you hear my stomach grumbling with hunger? I didn't eat for days now!

Robert: All of us are out of food for days now. It's fall in the arena and food is scarce. 

Ella: Aww okay... *she calms down just as quickly as she got angry. Turn around and walks away* Let me go check where Rosco went. Maybe he has something to eat!

Loki still looks annoyed.

Robert: It's okay, dude. She left!

The Cornucopia:

At the cornucopia, the girls decided to get the fire going.

And Leif can't decide if he wants to join them or not. It looks so inviting!

The Forest:

Maple is starting a fire...

She enjoys the quiet night and having the forest all by herself.

Another day in the arena...

She thought she could turn off her emotions in the situation she is in, these gnarly games fate had in store for her to 'play' in... She believed that she just needed to keep one mantra in her mind to deal with the brutality of the games:

"Everyone else who lost their life means I got better odds to survive."

But seeing Jürgen drown in the clawing waves of the lake they once thought was a safe place, a provider for their own survival... The first death of another tribute she truly witnessed in person... And the fact it was Jürgen out of all people. A tribute from District 1, a Career tribute, who trained his entire life for these games to volunteer to win the thing. Maple cannot help but think back to the times she and his paths crossed.

First, after when Mirrari shot Jürgen in the chest and then Sonya saved his life... Why save a Career? If push really comes to shove they'd snap you in half like a twig!...

Then there was the fight she and Jürgen got into, less than 12 hours ago. Escalation. Because of the limited supplies all around the field. That scarceness is what pushed them into the confrontation, Maple recalls... Then, just hours later... 

The flood. Maple recalls running back, seeing what was going on. Witnessing her biggest rival getting swallowed by the flooding jaws of the swirling waters. First, she thought of her mantra again... 

"Everyone else who lost their life means I got better odds to survive."

But the vision of Jürgen's final moments distorted the mantra. It felt... wrong. Strong Jürgen... Who actually volunteered to enter the games himself. In a way only these twisted trials can, Maple realizes she grew a solid sense of respect for the Career from 1. And she realizes who murdered him. Who murdered Mick, who murdered Hanna, who murdered Mitchell, who even tried to murder Maple herself. And again this afternoon, if she was allergic to bees she would've been gone...

For it is not the tributes who did... It is the system...

The Cave:

Sonya is starting her fire.

 She can't wait to roast the bird she shot today thanks to her district!

Then she starts thinking about the passing days. About Mitchell's death. She didn't give it thought until now. Mitchell's death will definitely have the game feeling more real than ever for her. Seeing tributes from other districts meet their ends may have felt less real, but knowing that Mitchell, an innocent boy from her own district, who came into the games with her has lost his life will have her breathing harder and wondering if she could be next. Still, Sonya feels a renewed burst of determination to survive. For herself and for Mitchell.

The Swamp:

I am going to die.

The thought echoes clearly to Rosco as he gazes pensively into the grey waters. His own

reflection, dirtied, unkempt and undernourished stares back at him from the black depths,

rippling and distorting in the waves.

Upon his chin clings a tuft that somehow now seems so much smaller than it had been when it

was his livelihood. What was a beard, anyway? Just a sprouting of hair from the chin of the

unkempt. It seemed bizarre to him that it had carried so much weight… that it still might if he

were to make it out of this. If he even wanted to bear the consequences of what that would

entail.

Blood. He had never liked it much. And yet, somehow, blood was his only way out of it all.

A noise in the mulch. Someone is coming. Rosco doesn't know who. Maybe they are armed,

maybe they are just after his food. Does it matter? He grips the knife in his hand. Will today be

the day?

Mirrari had been happy to kill and had chosen to live. She had been willing to kill for her

freedom. And even enjoy it, in her own way. But her choices had got her no further than her

victims… If she had any at all.

Rosco smoothes his beard and turns around slowly, deliberately, to meet the eyes of Ella

making his way toward him. He tucks the knife carefully behind his back and says a quiet

prayer.

Ella: Rosco?

Rosco: Forgive me.

Kill or be killed. That was the deal.

Rosco steps towards Ella and raises his blade.

I am Rosco Reid. I am here. I am alive.

Ella: Nooo!!

Ella goes down before she can even finish her scream. Her body slumps and collapses with a sickening squelch, and fresh blood oozes out and congeals in the muck.

Rosco: I am sorry, Ella. But I am not going to die.

Rosco walks away, turning his back and leaving Ella's body behind to sink away into the bog, safe in the knowledge that he is alive for another day.

And then the music fills the air

And Ella's profile appears in the night sky. She was the last tribute of District 1 to survive the arena. Now, she is also gone...

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

What will tomorrow behold? And who will be next? Winter starts tomorrow and food will be more scarce. How long will the tributes be able to survive in this cruel, messy, and unfair arena?

Stay tuned until the next episode!