THE 150th HUNGER GAMES

The Bloodbath (also Day 1)

Jayson McClare's (District 2) P.O.V:

The arena is a forest, a forest so thick I can barely see the Cornucopia from where I stand. There are trees everywhere, as far as the eye can see, but that isn't very far as there are so many.

I'm so prepared for this. I can do it, I can kill these other people. I smile as the countdown begins. 60..59..58..57.. See, Jennuh, I can do this. 46..45..44..43.. You just watch. I'll rock this Bloodbath. 32..31..30..29.. I'm going to win this whole thing. 18..17..16..15.. Can you imagine the future of riches we'll have? 4..3..2..1..

And to think that you didn't believe in me.

0. I spring off my pedestal and run to the Cornucopia, grab the first weapon I see, and chuck it at the rat dude from 6. Dilemma, Abe, and Mirabel join me, and we start killing off the tributes. I kill the guy from 11, and I see five other tributes fall, and then the chaos Hugo had described begins.

Nathan Honore's (District 10) P.O.V:

What are they doing?! Ranger, Morgan, and Ornithorinque are running to Hugo's pedestal instead of Kara's! That wasn't the plan! I don't understand. We were all going to group together at Kara's pedestal, but they are running the other direction! I watch tributes not in our alliance fall to the swords of the Careers. I am torn between which way to run, to Hugo, or to Kara?

And in my indecision, I doom myself.

Kara Vincent's (District 10) P.O.V:

"NATHAAAAAAN!" I scream. I jump off my pedestal and run toward him, dodging the trees in my path. I collapse on the ground next to him, cradling his head in my arms. Nathan can't be dead. Dilemma couldn't have killed him. We were supposed to lead this alliance together. "I can't do this without you," I sob. "Nathan, wake up."

The other tributes have gathered around me, even the ones who were going the wrong direction. I don't ask them for an explanation why. And then the cannons start to go off. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. "Eight," Morgan whispers. And we all know one of them is for Nathan. I can't lead these tributes alone. I'm not a leader.

But then I realize that even without him, Nathan would at least want me to try. I slowly rise, and wipe the tears from my eyes. "Did anyone happen to see which way the Careers went?" I sniffle.

Silvia pipes up. "They went that way." She points.

"Ok, then we go the opposite way," I tell them. "Everyone got some sort of supplies, right?" The group nods. "Let's go, then."

We stop and set up camp a good distance away from the Cornucopia. Our supplies are meager, but I try not to let it dishearten me. Nathan's death does, though. I should have died. He should have survived. He would have been able to do this. I make a tally of everyone. All the members of our alliance survived, except Nathan, and I don't see Hugo around anywhere. Then it clicks. Ranger, Morgan, and Ornithorinque were running toward his pedestal! He must have told them to! And now I don't see him anywhere! He must have tricked us!

So now we've settled in to our camp. Everyone's a bit bored.

I guess we'll just have to see what comes our way.

Ashlyn Jeksi's (District 7) P.O.V:

I climbed up into this tree to escape the Bloodbath. That's the good thing about this arena, there's lots of trees. But there's always a downside to climbing trees.

And that is getting down.

I'm having a bit of trouble. I slowly lower myself down from one branch to the next. I'm a good thirty feet high, so it's a life-or-death situation. I put my foot down another branch, and it snaps under my weight! Sh*t. Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t. I'm holding on with one hand, and I can feel my grip loosening. I try to get my other hand back up, but I end up swinging so much my other hand slips.

And I'm falling, falling towards the ground. My bones are going to crack and I'm going to die. This was not my plan. Far from it. I was not planning on falling out of a stupid tree.

Lindsey Zenn's (District 3) P.O.V:

The stars are bright tonight. Brad and I are watching for the fallen tributes from the base of this thick tree. They should be coming on soon. I am so glad that he will not be one of them. I am going to help him win, no matter what. I just feel this devotion to him. Is it love?

Suddenly, the Capitol Anthem begins to play throughout the arena. I hate the anthem. It sounds so cheesy. The photos with the Districts begin to flash by. Librarie and Devin from 5. Both tributes from 6. The girl from 7. The guy from 8 and the guy from 9. And the guy from 10. And the guy from 11. Wow, I'm surprised that no tributes from 1,2,3, or 4 died. Unusual. Brad stretches, and his arm lands wrapped around my waist. I close my eyes contentedly.

And right then, I forget we are in the Hunger Games.

All Day 1 Deaths:

Librarie Ann Seires, District 5

Devin Keep, District 5

Eryna Alabaster, District 6

Gordon Rogers, District 6

Ashlyn Jeksi, District 7

Cash Temper, District 8

Fettuccini Elfredo, District 9

Nathan Honore, District 10

Pablo Narval, District 11