„Don't worry about it. I never wasted a thought on winning anyway", I enlightened my mentor Seeder.
She looked at me sympathetically. "Don't say that. You never know what happens inside the arena. No one expected me to survive either", she encouraged me.
"I don't have any useful skills."
"Every district has their own advantages. District 11 isn't an exception. Maybe we are not great fighters or physically strong, but we are endurable. And you know a lot about different plants. You should improve your survival skills during training instead of your fighting skills. Use your talents", she advised me before leaving me for the night.
The next days were nerve-racking. Though every day back home had been. Stealing food under the eyes of the peacekeepers had not been relaxed and easy at all. And not always without consequences. Therefore, I was used to staying calm, when it mattered.
At skill demonstration I only got a 6, but it did not matter anyway. I would not get any sponsors. I was sure about that. District 11 tributes were not exactly popular as we have been malnourished for our whole life. Considering that I was pretty tall but still too skinny even after the Capitol's feasts.
"I believe in you, (f/n)! You can make it out of there!", Seeder emboldened me as I was standing in front of the hovercraft which would lead me to hell.
"Thank you, Seeder", I forced myself to give her a small smile. "Maybe I will be lucky", I considered holding the pendant of my necklace tightly.
Rue had given me the necklace as a present two years ago. It was showing a tree, resembling our district and our time together. She had said to me that we would be connected through the roots. As long as I wore it, she would send me new strength and luck. I clung onto that thought now.
Soon I was standing on the platform that would move me up to the arena.
Anxiety filled me. The environment of the arena would decide over my future, or rather if I would have a future at all.
Heat surrounded me as soon as I got to the surface. At first it was like moving through a portal into another world after being in the air-conditioned rooms of the Capitol. But after a few seconds I got used to it. It felt like summer at home.
Unfamiliar trees were gathered over the whole area around us.
My gaze wandered over the tributes surrounding the cornucopia. I knew that I would not stand a chance against them in a fight.
So as soon as the countdown was over, I ran toward the forest. I did not dare to turn around.
Behind me the annual bloodbath had started. The cannon sounds erupted one after another.
When I was out of breath I climbed onto a tree to rest.
How many had died already? I had not been able to count all of the cannon sounds as the adrenaline had taken over. Never mind! There were more important things right now. What did I need to survive? Water. Water was definitely first priority.
I jumped from tree to tree until I had found one that was tall enough. At the top I could see the whole arena. No water in sight.
I climbed down again and inspected the ground. It was completely dry. But there had to be water. Otherwise we would die too fast. That would not be entertaining enough.
Quickly I climbed back onto the tree to hide. The faint screams had stopped by now along with the cannon sounds, meaning the bloodbath was over. Silence had settled over the forest.
Just now I noticed that the silence was unnatural. Back home there were always some kinds of sounds. What about the insects, birds and other animals? Now that I thought about it, I had not perceived one animal. Neither had I seen any familiar plants. Was the only available food at the cornucopia? If that was the case it would settle my death.
I jumped from branch to branch hoping to find water or possible food, fruitlessly.
When the darkness clouded my sight I decided to call it a day and climbed as high as possible. No one would be able to spot me here, not even during daylight.
I was so used to sleeping on trees that I did not worry about falling.
The hymn started and with it the pictures of the deceased tributes. One of district 3, both of 5, one of 6 to 10 and both of 12. Ten deaths on the first day. Thirteen opponents still out there, willing to kill me.
I was not sure if Jack would kill me without hesitation. He was fifteen, two years younger than me. We had never interacted at home, but he was still out of district 11. I wanted to believe that he would not frivolously kill me. The other people of district 11 would not approve that either.
On the next day I did not have any success either. No water. No food. But also no encounter with another tribute. I had seen the two careers of district one, but they had not noticed me up in the tree.
At the end of the day three people had died. Left were all careers, the boy of district 7, the girl of district 9, Jack, me and who else again? Not like it would make a difference. I could not kill anyone anyway. And if I did not find any water soon I would die of dehydration. Honestly I had already achieved more than I had expected.
I woke up when I heard a scream. It was a familiar voice, followed by a cannon sound. Jack.
I saluted to send him off to a better place. At least he would not suffer anymore, unlike me.
The sun was rising again. Panic filled me for a moment as I realized how close Jack's voice had sounded.
I concentrated on my surrounding and made out several voices. Luckily they faded slowly.
When I felt safe enough I moved on to search for water. I felt dizzy, but ignored it.
After a while I sank to my knees, frustration filling me. Intuitively my hand moved to my necklace. Rue. I had to return to her. She was watching me right now. Probably her whole family was watching me, my family.
"Don't move", I heard Rue whisper.
I complied and saw a tribute wandering around, only a few feet away from me.
"He will guide you the way to the water", she encouraged me.
Silently I followed him, still on my trees. And he indeed led me to the life saving liquid.
I waited until he had left before drinking eagerly.
Confusion hit me. Had I just talked to Rue? The dehydration really had had me in a strong grip to make me imagine things like that.
Skillfully, I got back onto the nearest tree and searched for a good one as a base. It took me a while but I found a great one. I could overlook the whole area near the water from here. So, I could safely make it to the water, when no one was around. Though I was still worried about getting food.
Days passed with only two more casualties. The boy of 4 and the girl of 9.
When I woke up one morning the earth began to shake underneath me. An earthquake?! The water vanished into the ground and the trees fell one after another.
I quickly jumped onto falling trees hoping that I would not get crashed underneath one of them. The falling trees were forcing me into a specific direction until I arrived at the open area surrounding the cornucopia.
An arrow hit my leg making me crumble. I had been driven directly into the arms of the careers.
The girl of 1 approached me with her sword, ready to finish me off but the boy of 2 stopped her by calling out for her. The other careers surrounded me.
"That's the girl of district 11", the boy of 2 recognized me.
"Yeah. And?", the girl of 4 replied.
"She might be of use", the girl of 1 suddenly realized. "With the seeds", she added.
Seeds? What were they talking about?
The boy of 1 pulled me onto my feet earning a hiss of pain from me.
"You must have noticed yourself that there isn't any food inside the arena, haven't you?", he questioned.
I stayed silent.
The girl from 2 sighed. "We didn't get any food either. Just damn seeds! But whatever we try, they aren't growing. Eating them raw isn't an option either. We tried that", she informed me.
"So, bothering to help us out? At least as long as you supply us with food we won't kill you", the boy of 2 tried persuading me.
"How many water springs do you know? The one I have used got destructed. Without water, no plants", I clarified.
"Sure. We will get you some water", the girl of 1 assured and walked off with the boy of her district.
The heat here out in the open was exhausting. The careers were obviously struggling, sweat running down their bodies. And you could clearly see that they were not used to starving for several days either, unlike me.
"Can I see the seeds, please? So, I know how to treat them", I requested.
The boy of 2 nodded toward the girl. She handed me a small bag.
Their education on the different districts obviously had not been the best. I had no knowledge about such seeds. We had vegetable fields in district 11, but these seeds looked like grain, district 9's specialty.
"I need some special leaves to make them grow in this area. They are not too far away from here. I can show you", I offered.
The girl from 2 held her knife at my cheek, cutting it in the process. "Don't try anything", she threatened me.
"You guard the cornucopia", the boy from district 2 instructed the two girls.
Then he moved his hand intending me to show him the way to the leaves.
That they had believed my lie showed once again their lack of knowledge.
The boy took the bag from me.
I stopped at a random tree.
The boy eyed me suspiciously. "Why do you know that you need exactly these leaves?"
"Because I know the seeds", I explained.
I started climbing up the tree. That was my chance to escape. I could easily climb up to a spot where the branches would break under his weight.
He was waiting on the ground for me. Probably he was not even able to climb up a tree properly.
I could just disappear. But that would not change anything. Sooner or later I would die. The possibility was high that the careers would figure out how to treat the seeds. Then they would wait until I had starved to death, along with the two other tributes left. Another bloodbath between the careers and the games would be over.
But I did not want to die. I had made it so far. Now I wanted to return to my family. My original family had died years ago out of starvation, but I had gotten a second chance with Rue and her family. They had supported me when everyone else had ignored me. No one wanted to look out for an orphan as everyone could barely effort their own family's survival. I had survived by stealing and taken the consequences by the peacekeepers for that. When I had met Rue while picking apples we had immediately come along. Since that day her family and I had helped each other out and grown close. Now they were not just Rue's family anymore. They were mine too. I did not want them to have to grieve over me. If I won the games they would not have to worry about hunger anymore. I could improve their lives significantly. My decision was made.
Secretly I pulled the arrow out of my leg and jumped off of the tree, right onto the boy of district 2.
He did not have any chance to dodge the arrow that hit his head. A cannon sound erupted.
My hands were shaking badly as my hands were soaked in his blood. I had killed someone. He must have been more or less my age and I had killed him, without even knowing his name.
I took a deep breath. I could not afford standing around.
Quickly I grabbed the bag with the seeds and climbed back onto the tree, trying to ignore the blood streaming out of my leg.
When I was up as high as possible, I rested on a branch.
I had to take care of my bleeding before moving on. Otherwise, I would definitely die.
I slipped out of my thin jacket that was supposed to protect me from the burning sunlight and used it to bandage my leg. Fortunately the wound was not too big, though it was pretty deep.
I heard a voice under the tree, but the sound was muffled.
Dizziness threatened to overpower me, but I did not dare to give up.
I recognized the voice as the one of the district 2 girl. To my relief instead of searching for me she returned to the cornucopia.
A few minutes later I heard two cannon sounds. Four other tributes than me left. I had turned this into an endurance game. I would have to find water though.
Reluctantly I forced myself to get up. A few feet away I could see familiar herbs. Disinfectant herbs.
I dragged myself over there and used them on my leg. As long as I had not lost too much blood and was able to find water I would be fine for the next days.
The nightly hymn presaged the fallen tributes of the day: the girl of district 1and both tributes of district 2.
I managed to find a new water source by following the girl of district 4.
Luckily my bleeding had stopped and thanks to the herbs I had not gotten an infection.
The days passed by and I felt myself getting weaker.
Battle cries resounded followed by two cannon sounds. Probably the two careers had fought against each other in their malnourished state.
From time to time I saw Rue again. Maybe my mind imagined her to be here to keep me sane.
Another cannon sound.
At night I found out that indeed the two careers and the boy of district 7 had died. Seriously? I was up against the unknown person now? Though I did not plan to face them anyway.
But my plans did not matter as the rulers of this shitty game seemed to get bored and decided to send a freezing cold wave over the entire forest, enveloping it in ice. The only warm spot was the open area of the cornucopia. They wanted a showdown. And I had to comply as I would not survive such cold.
I got off of my tree nearly slipping on the frozen ground.
When I arrived at the cornucopia I was alone.
I searched the area to find at least a weapon, though I knew it was fruitless. I did not even have any fighting skills in the first place.
Relief filled me when I spotted a sword.
As I grabbed it I heard someone move behind me and quickly turned around. It was the boy from district 10. He had tried hitting me with a thick branch, but out of reflex I had parried his attack with my sword, killing him in the process. His blood tainted my body and the urge to throw up overcame me. Though I had not eaten anything in over a week. So there should not be anything left inside of me to do so.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The victor of the 72nd Hunger Games is (f/n) (l/n) of district 11!"
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Hey! I hope you like the first chapter. Sorry, but Johanna will not appear in the first two chapters, because I need some time to build up the story. But I hope you like it anyway. Please let me know!