The 64th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter Five

I slowly rise in the glass tube and I look up to see an open sky. I think about everything that has happened over the past couple days. I think of the careers, Ceffa, and Mags. I picture all of the Capitol citizens whatching, who are excited to have the event begin. Most of the districts are probably whatching in silence, terrified of seeing their children die. I think of my father, and worst of all I think of my mother who is probably crying right now and holding somebody for comfort. I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm going to try to win, for her.

The elevator has risen all the way and the sixty second timer starts to count down. The arena looks fairly large and has a diverse landscape. It feels moderately warm here, but in the distance i can see a mountain with snow on it. Right now we're all in a small field, surrounded by trees, with the cornucopia in the middle. I look behind me and I see a rabbit in the distance through the green. Thats the direction I'm going to run when I'm done at the cornucopia. Where there's animals, there's water. Getting one last look around the area it looks strangely normal, which makes me feel like it's hiding something deadly. I can't worry about that now though.

Thirty more seconds. I start to look at what I can see in the cornucopia. The first thing my eyes go to it a silver case, that no doubt contains throwing knives. I know what to grab. Ten seconds left and I start to look at the other tributes. Ceffa is turned and ready to run away from the action. I see Latch and he gives me a trusting nod. I'm about to betray the five people that think I'm going to help them.

The last second of peace disapears and everything seems like it's going in slow-motion. I see Ceffa run away, along with a few other tributes, but the majority is sprinting towards the center. I'm almost to the middle when I see that Lark already has her hands on a sword. Suddenly I'm tackled to the ground by a large tribute I don't recognize. He stares down at me and I close my eyes, expecting to die. I feel the weight release from my shoulders and I see that Skit has shot an arrow in his side, most likely killing him. Great, I think to myself, I already owe my life to them.

I roll back on to my feet and keep running towards the middle. The Careers are already there and so are a few other tributes. I see Roar slice a tributes throat with a strange whip-like weapon with a blade on the end. I swipe up a dark grey backpack that was sitting on the ground and I've finally made it to the middle. I havn't seen Key or Lark, but the case of knives is still there. I run there and on the way sling a pack of four spears around my shoulder. My hand reaches out and grabs the handle of the case, but when I try to pick it up I turn to see Lark behind me trying to claim the knives for his own. I tug the case back and then swing the heavy metal box in to the side of his head. The lock comes undone and the knives spill out in to the air. I panic, but see the Latch is on the ground holding his temples, most likely confused about why I hit my "team mate". He starts to get up so I quickly grab five knives off the ground, slipping four in to the case with the spears, and keep one in my hand.

I start to do a loop around the cornucopia and escape to where I saw the rabbit. I can hear Latch running behind me. I would assume that by now he realizes that I've betrrayed him, and all the careers. I'm almost around the corner when I know that he's only a few yards behind me. Without thinking I turn around and throw my equipped at him, aiming for his head. He sees it coming, and rolls to the side before the blade makes contact, but I hear a scream from farther back. He turns to see who screamed and then I notice Key behind him, falling to the ground with my knife in her side.

I have no time to react so I just keep running towards the trees. When I get there I take a second to look back to the fighting and am realeaved that Latch is no longer chassing me. I guess he had gone back to the fighting. I turn a bit to the right to change directions, then continue to run through the trees for what seems like an hour. I stop to look around when my feet feel like they're about to fall off. There are less trees here and the dirt has turned to sand. I don't see a sign that anyone has been here yet and I notice that I've been leaving footprints behind me. I take off my shoes and slip them in to my backpack. Trying to step as ligthly as possible, I slip in to the reeds ahead. They conceal me pretty well so I decide to rest here.

Looking through the backpack I picked up I find a pack of crackers, two bottles, one full of water and the other empty, a three square foot fabric that I will most likely use for sleep, and an extra knife. I eat two crackers, drink a small bit of water, and decide to sleep. I feel confident that I won't be found in the reeds, but just in case I place several twigs around the reeds to alert me of someone coming. I lean on my backpack, with the cloth over me like a blanket, and close my eyes for a big day tommorow.