New Era: A Hunger Games Story

Chapter Eleven

Dressed in black combat boots, black trousers and a dark grey short sleeved shirt, Cordy and Joel waited for the hovercraft to come. The air felt good on their faces as they stood beside Florian, Felix and Xanthe. Both Felix and Xanthe were crying, but Florian stayed composed as he held Cordy's hand tightly. He didn't want to let her go when the hovercraft came, but knew that he had to.

"I'll see you in a minute." He said.

They boarded the hovercraft, and both of them were injected with a tracker in their left arms. Six other tributes sat in seats around them, analysing one another. She spotted Chad, a boy from District 8 that she knew from college, who glared at her with fire in his eyes.

                                                        ---

When the hovercraft landed, Cordy and Joel hugged one last time before he was taken away from her. She was escorted to the same blue room she had been in when she first met Florian. The table was gone, replaced by a transparent glass tube that stood in the middle of the room with Florian standing beside it. He held up a black jacket and helped her put it on. She zipped it up, and reached under her shirt to touch her necklace. Florian watched her without saying a word, and she stepped into the tube. It closed, sealing her in, and he pressed his hand against the glass as she ascended.

The sun was blinding. She used the first few seconds to look around the arena. She was standing on a grey podium in a circle, with the boy from 9 on her left and the boy from 12 on her right. The Cornucopia, a large metal horn, stood in the middle of the circle, and she couldn't see Joel or Katie. She studied her surroundings carefully. They were in a grassy clearing, and behind the Cornucopia she saw trees. Looking slightly to the left, she saw a clear sky, and wondered what she would see if she survived the first day.

The countdown began.

Sixty seconds.

She looked at the assortment of weapons and resources spread out in front of her. Maybe she could grab a bag and a knife before being taken out...

Fifty seconds.

Still no sign of Joel, but she saw Tom. He wasn't watching the supplies, he was fixated on her.

Forty seconds.

Her thoughts drifted to her parents. They would be watching at home, hopefully surrounded by neighbours, maybe even Joel's family.

Thirty seconds.

She sent a silent prayer to anyone who was listening.

Twenty seconds.

Time was running out. Her blood pounded in her ears.

Ten seconds.

She prepared to run. She had promises to keep.

Five, four, three, two one.

The klaxon sounded, and the Hunger Games began.

Cordy dived forward, and was immediately tackled by the girl from 11. They grappled on the ground before Cordy punched her in the face and pushed her away. She scrambled to her feet and snatched the girl's rucksack before running towards the trees.

She watched Tom stab the girl from 3 and throw her aside before locking eyes with her. He charged at her, but was tackled by the boy from 10. Cordy spotted a knife on the grass and picked it up, feeling slightly better now she was armed. She looked around, searching desperately for Joel. Just as she turned her head, she felt something sharp strike her face, slicing across her left cheek. She was knocked back by the attack and looked around for the attacker, not wanting them to improve their aim.

She spotted Katie's district partner aiming at her again, but as he let the knife go the boy from 12 stumbled in front of her, blocking the blade. It embedded itself in his throat and he crumpled.

Bleeding and dazed, Cordy saw Katie with the Careers. Both tributes from all three Career districts were still alive, and the girl from 9 was standing with them. There were hardly any tributes left in the Cornucopia now; most had taken off as soon as they had grabbed some supplies. The rucksack on her back felt unnervingly light, so she knew she needed more supplies if she was going to protect Joel.

The Careers started sprinting towards her, but Katie hung back. She had a bloody nose, but other than that she looked unharmed. Jade had found a bow and raised it, letting an arrow fly. It scraped Cordy's right arm, and she gritted her teeth in pain. They were almost on top of her now, and Katie looked horrified as they prepared to close in for the kill.

"You should've joined us!" Jade taunted, preparing another arrow.

Cordy held her knife out in front of her; if this was it then the end was going to be memorable. Tom held a short sword and raised it, ready to deliver the killing blow. Just as his hand came down, he screamed. A throwing star had embedded itself in his forearm. He dropped the sword and Cordy moved back. From within the Cornucopia, another throwing star was thrown, and Lewis moved in to finish Cordy with an axe. The Careers seemed disorientated by the attack, and as the axe swung towards Cordy's body it was blocked by the shaft of a spear. Joel stepped out, covered in blood but not bleeding himself, ready to fight.

Stunned, Cordy could only watch as Tom pushed Lewis aside and attacked Joel with a vicious barrage of slashes. He was trying to protect her, and in the chaos she could hear him yelling.

"Run Cordy! Run!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Cordy yelled back.

She ran at the Careers, but an arrow stopped her. It embedded itself in the wall of the Cornucopia just millimetres from her nose. She looked up just as the girl from 9 swung her axe straight into Joel's stomach.

She screamed, and the Careers rounded on her. Joel had dropped his spear, and she picked it up, holding it in one hand while still clutching the knife she had first claimed. Tom laughed maniacally, and Cordy found herself ready to die. She expected them to attack her, and Grace pulled the axe from Joel's body and slashed at Cordy with it. It caught the edge of her neck, and she rolled onto the grass. She gagged and spluttered for a few seconds before lying still.

The Careers left, and Katie volunteered to go back and make sure they were dead. She knelt down beside Cordy and tapped her shoulder.

"Good plan," She said, "and good luck."