The Hunger Games ~ Peeta's POV

Chapter 12

Ch. 12

I have sixty seconds. A minute to take in our surroundings before the bloodbath begins. If you move off your metal circle before the minute's up, you're dead, in two seconds flat by a land mine. I glance around me at the other tributes, taking a shaky breath. They're all spread out in an even circle around the Cornucopia, the giant gold horn smack dab in the middle of us all. It overflows with all kinds of resources to help is survive, like weapons, or food, or maybe a tent, or some plastic. Any of these things could be the difference between my life or death. And, more importantly, Katniss's.

I look around, scouring the surrounding area for her, and I notice her, eyeing the Cornucopia greedily. I catch her eye and shake my head no; that's not what Haymitch told us to do. He told us to run, and find water immediately. I can see a lake nearby, but it's too close for protection. I'll bet that the Careers will claim it anyways, having such a large group. There's a forest to the East of the lake, thick and lush, probably teeming with wildlife. It's the perfect place to stay covert. I'll collect Katniss and we'll run to the forest, hidden from danger. But then the gong sounds, and I leap off my plate, defensively.

Then the chaos starts. Determined tributes, several of the braver ones and the Careers, make a mad dash for the Cornucopia. As soon as the first tribute reaches a weapon, blood begins to fly. Shielding my face with my hand, I look around for Katniss, but she's already camouflaged into the sea of bloody, struggling children. Oh no. She went to the Cornucopia; I can see her now, fending off an attack from a girl with a knife. I rush forward and grab what I can from the Cornucopia to try and save her, and yank a knife out of a pack that I randomly pick up. A boy with a spear lunges for mr, but I defend myself simply; by killing him.

I slash at his face, and then stab him in the chest with the knife I grabbed. He desperately clutches his wound, trying to save himself, but I'm sure that he knows it's too late. He crumples over into a pitiful heap at my feet.

I know that I should feel guilty, or maybe sad or angry that the Capitol is making me lose myself, but I don't. Not yet, anyways. Myself/Katniss's survival first, humanity second. But it appears that she's already gone, escaped into someplace safer, unharmed. Either that, or she's dead. But I know that if she's alive, then she'll have had to have gone into the forest. Katniss is a smart girl. She knows what she's doing.

I'm just turning towards the woods when a hand reaches out and yanks the back of my sweater, jerking me backwards. I turn around to see a girl, one of the Careers, grinning at me. I draw my knife, ready to strike, when she says, "Hey, hey, hold your fire. We're not going to hurt you."

I don't hold back when I say, "How do I know I can believe you?" I squint at her and the rest of the Careers behind her. They easily outnumber me, so I can only hope that they'll leave me alone if I do as they say.

She shrugs. "You don't. I guess you'll just have to take our word on it. But we wanted to ask you if you wanted to be allies."

I'm taken aback. Me? Allies with the Careers? The Careers basically train for these games; most of us tributes play to live, but the Careers live to play.

They make me sick.

"Um..." I think about it for a second. These are the Careers we're talking about. How am I supposed to trust them if they have the power to put a knife in my back in my sleep? No, I don't think they'll do that. If they wanted to kill me, they could do it fairly easily right now. They outnumber me greatly.

This could benefit Katniss, though. If I manage to keep them away from her and steer them in the wrong direction, then she just might stand a chance. In this scenario, the good ways out the bad. Besides, if I end up being betrayed and having one of the Career's knives at my throat, I was going to die, anyways. So why not go for it?