Greater Games [A 72nd Hunger Games Fanfic]

Chapter 12

I wake up stiff from cold, the blankets around me only up to my waist. The ground around me is completely frozen, and a light snow has begun to fall. I turn on the heater and pull the covers up to me, and I realize that these pillows and blankets are more comfortable than the ones at home. Felix is next ot me, his sweater still on, snoring again.

The sun hasn't gone up yet. Even though it's a projection of the Gamemakers, the moon in the arena still rises and goes down just like a real one would. I can still see it in the air, so I assume it is still only 1:30 in the morning. I try to get as cozy as possible and pile a bunch of blankets on top of myself, making sure not to take any off of Felix.

Who's left again? Let's see... Kaden, Avery from 4, girl from 9, boy from 11, and the boy from 12. Then Felix, but I don't count him as another tribute. I count him as a companion in the Hunger Games.

I drift off to sleep again, and dream about back home. I dream that me and my family turned District 5 into a place of luxuries, and that all the people I was friends with, including Shade, Lilly, and Felix, moved into our now mansion home. Then the Gamemakers from the private training marched into the house and started howling like a pack of wolves.

Wait, no. That wasn't a dream. I snap awake, already up on one elbow. The howling. It was real.

I spot their gleaming fur before I can process the situation - a pack of wolves, just outside the Cornucopia, more than ten of them. I can even see their great eyes in the dark, looking this way and that, howling at the projection moon. These aren't muttations. These are real wolves, put in the arena, with just the same, natural characteristics of the ones back in the real wild. Deadly, even more deadly since we don't have a rescue party coming to save us.

I shake Felix awake, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Felix grunts loudly as he wakes and I wince. Why do you have to make things worse? I think. Because a pair of wolf eyes have set on me and Felix and is starting to snarl.

I grope for a weapon, but I can't see anything at all. If only I had a flashlight with me... but I can't find that either. I trip over something - a spear, I think - and I fall into that pile of swords and axes, making clattering sounds very much loud enough for the wolves to hear. I scramble out of the pile, to avoid anymore sound. I can't use them anyway in the dark. But where is that spear I tripped over? Can't see that either. Great luck.

I turn around to see the wolves advancing on us. "Run!" I scream to Felix. He obeys me and we dash out the far end of the mouth of the horn. I guess I didn't think, though, because us running causes the wovles to chase after us, and they're much faster. I skid to a stop as the first wolf jumps in front of us, snarling. The rest circle around us. We're easy meat on legs for them.

I can feel their hot breath, the snapping of their theeth as they nip at us. Every time I turn, another wolf starts to snap at the back of my legs, and I keep repeating this for a while. I guess I'll have to fight them off without weapons, although I'll certainly be very badly hurt afterwards.

Felix starts to kick some wolves away, and that's when the mayhem starts. One wolf leaps onto me, and I cover my head and neck. It sinks it's teeth into my arm and I shove it away harshly. Two more come after me at the same time, and I start throwing my hands around, not allowing anything past my arm length. My hand hits fur many times, but I don't have any time to stop and watch the wolf fall to the ground. The chaos slops to a stop, but the wolves stay surrounding us, their ears layed flat ,their teeth bared, panting. My mouth is dry, longing for water, but there is no way I can get some now.

"What will we do?" I whisper to Felix, panic rising in my voice as I speak.

"We have to get back to the Cornucopia for weapons," he says.