The First Annual Hunger Games (Book 1)

10. Day One

No one moves, not even me in my running stance. The arena is silent. I count ten seconds and then I book it to the Cornucopia. No one follows, everyone watches. I grab a belt and load a few knives on it then I grab a backpack, water, and an axe. I open the bag and see rope, a bottle, sunscreen, some food, and fabric that's probably more clothes. I put the water in it and sling it over my shoulder.

There's footsteps behind me. I spin around and see, Ovid, the boy from 3. I put my axe in swinging position seeing he has no weapons.

He throws up his hands. "I-" but he doesn't finish his head snaps into an unnatural angle and he falls to the ground revealing Juniper from 7. A cannon goes off.

I hold my axe higher and begin backing away. When I'm far enough away I turn and run downhill. Most the tributes are still on their stands, watching the scene play out. I steer clear of everyone and threaten anyone who nears me. Soon I'm out of the circle sprinting through the canyon.

I don't slow down until I round a corner. It's the same except there's no cornucopia. I slow to a run and listen for footsteps behind me, but I don't hear any. I keep going for ten minutes, taking whatever turn leads downhill. I hear five more cannons, they must sound when someone dies. Finally I take a break, out of breath.

I sit back against the wall of the canyon and slow my breathing. I tilt my head back trying to relax my muscles and that's when I see it. There's an opening in the wall not too far up. I have enough water so I decide shelter in my next priority. Once my breathing is calmer I take the rope out of the backpack and tie it around me. I've never climbed rock like this, but I've climbed taller trees.

Putting my axe in my belt, I tie the rope to one of my knives and then another. I start climbing and when I'm a few feet up I shove a knife into the wall. I climb about ten more feet and shove the other knife into a crack. I pull the first one free and then repeat this until I reach the opening. I'm just pulling in the last of the rope when someone rounds the corner. Actually several someone's, a whole pack of tributes. They must have an alliance.

"Are you sure she went this way?" Galahad, from 1, asks.

"Water runs downhill, that's where she would go if she's smart," Delphi, from 4, answers.

I sink farther into the cave as I watch them. The group consists of Galahad, Delphi, Laurel from 1, Martial from 2, and the girl from 2. They continue through the canyon and their voices fade away.

I sit on the ground, thankful for the hiding spot. They were probably trying to kill me. I shouldn't have been the first person to move, now I'm seen as a threat. I take my axe off the belt and the bag off my back. I untie the rope from the knives and set them aside. I start emptying the backpack. The water bottle is empty, but I grabbed a few other ones so that's okay. The food is all snack food, things like protein bars, I set it next to the waters. The fabric is an extra pair of clothes, a blanket, and also a small tent that I didn't notice before. There's enough sunscreen to last for weeks.

I look around at the rest of the cave. It isn't very deep, but it is several yards wider than the opening. I stand and see it's tall enough to do so. I grab all the clothes and the tent and make a makeshift bed. I'm not sure what else to do so I sit on the bed. I listen for passerbys, but no one comes.

Another cannon goes off. That's eight. Eight tributes have died and it hasn't even been an hour. There's sixteen left. I wonder if Roxen is one of them. I hope so he doesn't deserve to die. But none of us do.

We didn't ask for this, we didn't want this. We were just unlucky. No not unlucky. These games aren't about luck, they're about the Capitol. Whatever happens it's their doing. It's their fault, they wanted this.

I sigh and lay down. There's nothing I can do about the Capitol right now. Maybe if I win I can do something. I'll start by rescuing Talon.

If I win.

I push that thought aside. I can stay in this cave for a while, maybe I can just wait out the games. It's unlikely anyone will find me. And if they do I can defend this place easily.

I watch from the edge of the cave as the sun moves across the sky. One person comes by and I watch as the do. It would be so easy to kill them from up here with the element of surprise. But I don't. I recognize her as Charm from 3. She's twelve and she only got a two in the private sessions. Soon she's out of sight.

I lean against the wall of the cave, taking my eyes off the outside for a moment. I look at my bed/tent and that's when it comes to me, a brilliant idea. I stand and get to work.

Hi guys! So what do you think? Can Aldera survive the games? Will she be able to bring herself to kill someone? Can she hide in the cave forever? And what could this plan be that she's forming? Let me know your predictions in the comments and please vote if you liked this chapter.