Sunshine And City Lights (A Hunger Games Story: Book 1) ✔

Chapter six: The Hunger Games Begins

After a week of training in the center, it is almost time for the games. The other day were interviews. God, I felt really bad for Scarlet and William. Since they can't talk, they couldn't answer a thing! I remember them coming off the stage, blushing.

It's the day of the Hunger Games and Skylar woke everyone screaming and crying in the middle of the night. I sighed and Finnick mumbled as we woke up. He throws his pillow at me. It hits my in the head and it forces me to fall down. My head hit the edge of the crappy bed that is laying next to my and I yell.

My hand raises to the back of my head feeling it. I could feel blood and I slap my leg twice, to turn the lights on. The lights flashed on brightly and I looked at the bed. The edge of the bed had wet blood dripping down the side. I curse and look at Finnick, right hand still holding the back of my head. His eyes were wide but his expression was faint.

"You get Skylar and I will find Sienna." Finnick's voice was shaky and he stumbled out of bed, rushing out of our room. I sigh as I bring myself to my knees, right hand still holding the back of my head. As I shuffle to the door, i can feel my knees shake and sweat pour from my forehead and down my neck. Slowly but steadily, I ease my way towards Skylar's bedroom. I quickly grab the handle as me knees start to lock in place. I slide the door open and I see Skylar sit up. Everything starts to get blurry and fade in and out when suddenly, my knees give way.

I can hear Skylar scream faintly in the distance as I lay on the floor. I can hear the faint patter of running feet in the distance and Sienna and Finnick yelling to me before everything turns pitch black.

• • •

"Kris. Kris wake up." I wake up to the doctor shaking me and Finnick sitting in a chair against the wall at the edge of my hospital bed. I look at Finnick as he sleeps but then back at the doctors face. He removes his blue latex gloves before acknowledging. "Your head need ten stitches," the doctor looks at me, "I don't know how the hell you busted your head open on a bed, but all you need to know is be careful in the games today." I sit up and smile. He smiles back.

"Thanks, doc." He nods.

"You are free to go." I get up and slap Finnick across the face to awaken him. He jumps awake and looks at me.

"What time is it?" He mumbles sleepily. I look up at the clock that stands above his head.

"11:02." He jumps out of the chair as if he just sat on a cactus and he now looks wide awake.

"We need to go. We have to be at the arena at noon." Finnick grips my arm tightly and rushes me out of the hospital to meet up with everyone.

• • •

"Come on, now! Come on! Everyone out of the car!" Sienna yells once we arrive at where the training center was. Finnick takes William and I while Sienna takes Skylar and Scarlet. Finnick leads us to a room that has a sign on it reading, "District Four: Boys." I look up at Finnick. He sighs heavily and opens the door. As William and I walk in, Finnick closes the door behind us as we look at the light turquoise colored tiles. On the left wall, our snow jackets sit waiting for us on hangers. William and I head towards them and takes them off their hangers. On the right sleeves, the jackets have patches with the number four on them.

"One minute."

A loud voice booms through the room. I look up, my head searching. Finnick walks up in front of us and grabs my left shoulder and William's right shoulder. He looks us both straight in the eye. I stare at him, eyes starting to burn from hot tears building up in my eyes. He bights his lip and swallows hard before speaking.

"I know you boys can do this. I have seen both of your skills. You will win. Trust me."

"Thirty seconds."

Finnick nods and turns us around, lightly nudging us towards the clear, glass tubes. William and I both let out deep sighs. "Hold your head up high." I say quietly, turn my head to William. William looks at me, expression hard, and nods. Together, we take a step into the tubes.

"Ten seconds."

I turn around as soon as I hear my tube door close. My eyes wander to Finnick, hot salty tears now streaming down his face. Finnick gives us a nod and a thumbs up. I look at William and he lifts a light smile.

"Five seconds."

I can feel a scream building up in my throat. A terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach starts to form as if I had just been punched in the gut. The tube starts raising us up and I put my face and hands to the glass watching Finnick's figure disappear as I am lifted up into the arena. Oh my god. As I am lifted into the arena I look around as I stand on my pedestal. My head starts pounding and the only sound I can hear is my heavy breathing and the beat of my heart.

I whip my head around. The cornucopia is in the woods. You can see it through some trees. The ground is covered in snow. Everything is. Thank god for the jackets. We are fighting in a giant white sheet of snow!

I look to see the the other tributes have raised up with William and I. I meet eyes with Skylar. She bites her lip and turns to the cornucopia. I look for Kilian and Julian. They are ready to run for the cornucopia. Twenty seconds before the games start.

Masha stands up straight and holds up a peace sign. "YOLO, BITCHES!" She takes one step on the snow. Ticking starts to echo from where she stepped and she looks up, worried. Next thing you know she is blown to pieces. A cannon goes off. Ten seconds.

"Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two..."

"One..." I whisper. A louder cannon goes off signalling that the games has started. I look around before I start running towards the cornucopia. Skylar has taken Scarlet and William and they are running away from the cornucopia, into the woods. I keep my eyes on Kilian as he slices tributes' heads off their shoulders. I decide to run through the mess and grab a sword. Kilian and Julian cover me as I run back out.

We notice Nick, from District Twelve, still standing on his pedestal. Kilian and Julian smirk at each other. They order me to find safe shelter in the woods and they would find me later. I head to the woods watching them. They get behind Nick. Kilian shoots him in the back of the knees with his crossbow. As he collapses, Julian decapitates him...