THE 150th HUNGER GAMES

The Bloodbath (also Day 1)

I sit in the tree, slightly bored, awaiting whatever obstacle the Gamemakers will throw at the tributes next or for someone to pass under my tree. All of the things I've been trying not to focus on seem to intensify when I'm not focused on anything. How uncomfortably hot the temperature is in the jungle. How fast my heart is beating from exerting myself. That I'm so parched I'd kill for some water.

I guess that's the point, right? That's the whole goal, that's exactly what the Capitol wants me to do. Kill the other tributes. I have Mollie's-now my- throwing knives; theoretically I could just go try to go find someone who managed to get some water from the Bloodbath, or maybe take on the Careers. That's wishful thinking, though; there's no way I could take the three of them on by myself. Maybe I could steal some water from the Cornucopia?

But do I really want to? Is it worth it, to risk dying in the process? If I just stay up in this tree I probably have a better chance of making it to the end. And I'm really quite tired right now; I need to rest before I do anything. But going without water is just going to exhaust me even more. Right? I don't even know how long I can survive without it. The time I have left has probably been significantly shortened because I've been breathing through my mouth this whole time because I've been trying to catch my breath from running so far so fast, drying it up entirely. I guess that to survive, I'm going to have to try. And besides, I'd rather die fighting than of natural causes. That's pathetic.

Before I can change my mind, I climb down the tree, armed with the knives, and begin walking.

Rosa Snow's (District 9) P.O.V:

Half of our alliance was killed in the Bloodbath. I am not happy about that.

Now it's just myself and Annie from 3. She seemed nice and everything I was looking for in an ally when we were training and on camera, but now... Now this girl's just plain vicious. I know she's, what, three years older than me, but she's being a little bossy, in my opinion. Honestly, I don't care for it, at all. Annie only cares about herself. She's been telling me her entire life story since we got away from the Bloodbath. Her little sister, blah, blah, her boyfriend is dead, blah, blah, blah, her wonderful mother, blah, blah, her last year in the Reaping, blah, blah, oh she's so sorry for herself, blah, nope not even going to inquire about me, blah, blah, blah, I have reasons that I want to win this thing too, Annie, did that ever occur to you, blah, blah, would you do me a favor, blah, could you please shut up, Annie, blah, blah, blah, "Okay I'm sorry, this might sound a little rude," I interrupt my ally mid-sentence as she rambles along about...about something I certainly didn't need to hear. I wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention. "But did I ask for your life story? Who said I gave a f*ck?"

She abruptly stops walking and gives me a shocked look. At least she stopped talking. "Woah, Rosie. If you want this alliance to work you've definitely got to stop sassing me!" She gives an exaggerated sigh and flips her teal-colored hair. "I am so tired. Can you get me something to eat?" She sinks against the nearest tree and places her hand against her eyes. "I don't want to sound like a complainer, but it's so hot..." Annie groans.

At this point I am on the verge of saying a couple things. For one, I wish to tell her she's being a stupid little b*tch and maybe I don't want this alliance to work. I get this girl is like, a future model, and that she's cute and sweet and innocent when she's not 'tired' and 'hungry' and 'miserable', but how can the rest of us stay good-natured in the arena when we're all facing similar issues and she can't? And get away with it? I don't think that she should be able to take advantage of me just because I'm partners with her. I want to tell her all that. Oh, and that my name is Rosa, not Rosie, get it damn right next time.

Instead, words I never thought I'd hear myself say come out. "Okay. Sure. I'll find you some berries or something."

To be honest, I have no idea what kind of plants grow in the jungle, or if there even are berries. I just hope that I can find something poisonous. I've seen different kinds of poison in the training center when I was using the types on my daggers. They had one for almost every environment, and I think I'll be able to find one leaf here.