Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. They belong to Suzanne Collins.

Note: Today is a historic day. For the first time ever, I'm writing a fanfiction that is not in the Total Drama fanbase! After really getting into The Hunger Games the past few months, I feel ready to write something about it. And so here we are, a story showing us what may have happened if just one thing had been different in the Bloodbath...what if Cato had been looking away when the District 4 Male ran from the Cornucopia? With him alive, and the story through his POV, how would the story we know change? Guess we're gonna find out! I hope you all enjoy the story. :)

Bright sunlight. Just like the sunrise by the sea back home, in District 4. The launch room had been silent, except for Finnick wishing me good luck and telling me to be fast and unseen, but here in the Arena...birds are chirping, some bugs are clicking and a boy the next launch plate down the line is muttering to himself, looking at the ground. Maybe he's planning on jumping for an early death?

I'm afraid...

How can a place so beautiful be a place of many deaths?

...Because this is the arena for the 74th Annual Hunger Games...and I am in them. Just 12 years old, and reaped to fight to the death against so many others. Nobody volunteered for me.

My chest tightens as I shiver. I might be dead in the next hour. Or the next few minutes.

I catch a gag in my throat and swallow, trying to keep focused. I can't be scared. Fear won't win sponsors. If I'd even get any that is. Maybe The Capitol could like an underdog? At only 12 years old, with my odds at 15-1...a 12 year old has never won. Never come close either.

60 seconds.

The sound effect! Almost made me fall for a moment there. It would be the last thing that I would ever do.

50 seconds.

I need to find water quickly. Find fish too if there are any, or any kind of food really. I'm small, and I won't last long without food and drink, not like that large male tribute from District 11.

40 seconds.

During the parade, was I noticed? During training, I guess I did ok. An 8, but I was overshadowed by several others. My interview was kinda fun...I guess the Capitol likes people who play up the cuteness?

30 seconds.

I can see the District 12 girl eyeing the bow. Maybe being small will make me harder for her to hit? What weapon should I have? Knives...knives could be useful. Much more than a sword too large for me. I did train with them as much as I could. That District 2 girl outmatches me at them though, I just know it.

20 seconds.

Allies. They'd protect me! ...And kill me easily when I am not needed anymore. Wait, that District 11 girl...she's 12 too! If I could catch up to her and then talk to her and use the right words...whatever those words are...would she let me speak before attacking? Would anybody?

10 seconds.

I wonder what my family think, as they surely watch me on TV right now. Are they covering their eyes, cheering for me...or are they not even watching, and are going to tune in later to try and miss the bloodbath. I know one thing they'd say though.

"We believe in you,"

BANG!

I leapt forth off the launch pad and run. I have to get to the Cornucopia quickly, before the serious bloodshed starts! My stance is streamlined, so I'm passing others. The district 12 boy has ran off into the woods, as has the district 11 girl. Maybe I should have too, but I need supplies.

Already, the bloodbath has begun. That district 1 boy is stabbing somebody with a sharp blade. A kukri? Ack! Oh, the screams! I can't stop. If I do, I'm dead. At least I can see that Marina has grabbed something and ran. She's a nice girl; she's four years my elder, but we've occasionally gone fishing before back home. If I'm to go home though, she can't. Hopefully somebody else gets her before I have to.

All the screaming and yelling...how does The Capitol enjoy this? How do the careers enjoy it?

I arrive at the Cornucopia; fights are approaching, and I'm inside. I need to hide, and fast. Behind the crates, it's the only place. Thankfully, being small and one of the youngest here means I can hide in the crevice among the crates without much issue. Now I just have to wait until the fights end, and hope nobody sees me.

People are coming and going, fighting and yelling. Back in District 4, it's pretty quiet. The loudest it gets is the sea sometimes becoming stormy, or people cheering when they bring in a bounty of fish. Nothing like this. As I watch the fights, I have to wonder to myself, how many people have died so far? The cannons will not sound until the Bloodbath is over. I'd guess a fair few though.

The careers are near. It's that District 1 girl … Glimmer, I think her name is? She's fighting somebody, the boy from District 6. Wait, he's got her on the ground...is a career going to die this early?

...No, no such luck, for the brutish boy of district 2, Cato I think he is called, just killed him. I move back a few inches. I can't let them notice me.

A bit of time passes, and I have stayed undiscovered. It seems the screams and fights are stopping, and right now nobody is in the Cornucopia but me. Now is my chance, and I better make it quick...if the Careers come back to start gathering everything, I'm dead. Ok, I need a weapon or two, food and water, something to keep me warm at night...and I have a few seconds to get it all.

The large yellow pack looks promising so I grab it and a pack of knives. Nobody behind me, so it's time to run into the woods and get out of here. I almost scream when I see Cato...

...But, he seems to be looking the other way, seeming satisfied as he gazes at all the corpses. My heart is pounding and I feel sick, but I can't stop. If I pause, he may kill me! His machete, it's covered in blood already…

I swallow bile and run. I run and run towards the forest as fast I can. I can hear yells behind me, they've noticed me! But, I'm not cornered in the Cornucopia. I'm gonna live!

"Marvel! Glimmer! Kill him!" barks Cato, sounding very gruff. "Clove and I will gather the supplies here."

I can hear two yells, one in a wild male voice and one sounding feminine and giggly. I don't need to look back to get an idea what their expressions might be like. What I do need to do is RUN!

I may be fast, but I'm not built for marathons. I need to shake them off! I can hear the clanking of weapons and yelling! How close are they? Look later, run now.

Pain enters my body. I just tripped over a root. But, as I get back up I see it could have been worse, as a spear has pinned into a tree ahead of me. If I'd not tripped, that would have been through my guts…

Should I take the spear? No, it'd take too long to free it and I didn't train with them. I can see some thick bushes ahead of me, so perhaps I can run through those and hide? No time to considerer another plan, as the careers sound very close.

"We're gonna get you!" teases Glimmer. Teasing about my death...I feel ill.

"Run ankle biter, run fast!" adds Marvel, sounding like this is a game...which to him, I guess it really is.

Through the bushes. OW! Down a hill, rolling and tumbling. OW! I grip my supplies and pray the knives will not come loose from the pack and get lost, or worse, stab me. After a fall, with shaky legs and bile ready to come out, I get up and keep running. I can see a burrow under a large tree; I could hide in there. But if I was found, I'd be slaughtered.

An idea occurs to me as I duck into it and lay still. I take one knife from the pack, and throw it a distance away. It's not a throwing knife, just a dagger, so it lands with a flop several meters back. Marvel and Glimmer run up, only slightly winded. I hold my breath. My heart feels close to bursting...these two will do just that if they see me.

"Think he went that way?" asks Marvel, pointing to the dagger and the bushes beyond it.

"Maybe. I wanted to kill him! Now he got away! ...Well, he's not gonna last long, and we've got another dagger. We'll see him in the fallen tonight, even if we do not find him again," decides Glimmer. If Cato had not been looking away when I ran out, she'd be happy to see my corpse, I bet. "We'll come back this way later, just in case."

"I hope he survives. I'd like some hunting practise," says Marvel, snickering as he picks up the dagger. "You hear me kid?! We're gonna get you! Ankle Biters don't last long! We're coming this later!"

"See ya soon Ankles!" calls Glimmer as she follows Marvel back to where the Cornucopia is located.

I don't move for several minutes, maybe even an hour. Eventually though, my breath back, I slowly crawl out from the den and gaze around. All is silent, except the chirping of birds. Animals? Mutts? Not sure which.

I then puke. I puke hard. Wheezing, I get back up, wiping my mouth.

The Bloodbath is over.

"...I just got really lucky," I say to myself as I walk onwards through the forest.

BANG!

"One."

BANG!

"Two."

BANG!

"Three."

The cannons keep firing as I stand there, quietly counting them to myself. After a time, they stop and once again birds are the only things I can hear.

Ten. Ten cannons. Ten kids have been killed already. I was almost the eleventh.

"One in fourteen chance of going home...may the odds be ever in my favour," I say to myself, before running onwards.

I'll find a safer location, and plan the next move.

(A while later…)

I'm alone. But, alive. And hungry. Mostly hungry. I drank like a dog from the river, so I'm not thirsty right now.

The area around me is on higher ground, the wonderful river flowing by. I saw birds drink from it, which let me know it was safe to drink from. Bushes and rocks are around, and the gravel is muddy towards the water, but surprisingly sun-baked in the areas beyond. This seems like a good place to set up camp, at least for now.

A wind rustles. It's cold, but I know a fire is a red flag to lure people over to kill me. I'll have to make do without one. The sun is lowering, but I think I have time to, well, make something before it gets dark.

"Ok, let's see what I managed to get," I say, sitting down on the cliff overlooking the river and setting out all the things I have got. I seriously hope I have something good.

I am not disappointed with my supplies.

Three knives, one of which is for throwing.

A thick sleeping bag.

A container half filled with water.

Two packs of dried meat.

A length of wire.

I tear into the meat. All that running...my young body feels awful! But the meat, so good, so good. Maybe it's only good because I'm so hungry, but anything to fill me up. I don't know much about plants away from the sea, so I can't risk foraging for berries in case they kill me. Apparently Nightlock grows in forests, but I have no idea what it looks like. Better avoid the berries. Never did like fruit much anyway.

It's getting dark quick, so I work fast to make some kind of a camp for the night. As I'd fall out of a tree, I try to make something on the ground. But in the end, all I have is my sleeping bag with leaves over it to try and make me blend in. I shiver and try to get myself more comfortable.

I've been spoiled by District 4. I'm not prepared, but I better learn fast. Back home some say sink or swim...here though it's learn or die.

I haven't heard any cannons go off since the Bloodbath. That means the careers are all alive, and so are the District 11 female and the District 12 male. I didn't look at the bodies due to how bloody they all looked, so I have no idea who else is still alive right now. Is Marina alive?

I briefly think of Marina laying in a pool of blood, a knife in her neck and shudder, closing my eyes. The reality is really hitting me now. People are dying, and I could easily die before I turn thirteen. I'm scared and huddle in the sleeping bag, trying to be as hard to spot as possible. It's getting dark, so I feel colder, but better hidden.

"Crap, what's that?!" I yelp, until I realise it's just the anthem playing. I groan, wondering how many Capitol citizens just laughed at that. Do people sponsor comic relief in these Games?

I settle down, trying to relax as I look up at the sky. The Capitol logo shows up, as if we could ever forget what it looks like, and then The Fallen begin to appear.

The District 3 female. She seemed so...depressed, in the training centre. I wonder if she died crying. I then wish I'd not thought of that.

The District 5 male. Marina is ok! She might watch out for me if I find her! Then I remember this boy being stabbed by Glimmer, and gulp at how I nearly met that fate.

The District 6 male. Cato got mad at him in the training centre, though that small girl from 11 took the knife. I guess Cato kept his word on going for him first…

The District 6 female. That's one district out already…

The District 7 male. I think I saw that massive boy from District 11 end his life. One swing and he was dead. I shiver, feeling smaller than normal.

The District 7 female. Another district out, and another tribute I knew nothing about, nor ever will.

The District 8 male. I think he was the first to fall, but I'll probably never be sure. Poor guy.

The District 9 female. I wonder who got her; her body looked pretty damaged. I feel sick at the thought.

The District 9 Male. I think that short Career, Clove, managed to get him. At this point I grab the closest knife and hold it tightly.

A bird hooting makes me jump anxiously, before my gaze returns to the sky.

The District 10 Female. She was so quiet...was her death just as silent? If I do die...I want it to mean something. I hold my knife tighter still.

The Fallen ends and so does the anthem. All is quiet, save for the wind rustling the trees.

Ten. That's ten kids dead in one day, and all in just a few minutes of each other. My odds have gone up a good deal...and now ten families are gonna be crying. If I hadn't gotten away, I wonder what my family would do, seeing my body. The thought is making me ill, so I close my eyes and try to find it in me to sleep.

After a few minutes though, I know sleep is not going to come easy. So, I reach into the pocket of the jacket the game-makers gave me to wear and take out my tribute token. It's a starfish, or it was. It's been dried a lot over time; I'm not sure what kind it is, but it's rare, smells like sea and some unknown things that get my imagination going, and...it reminds me of home. Mum, dad, little Ula...wonder what they are doing now...

As I gently feel the starfish and begin to relax, I can see a camera near me on the ground. It focuses its gaze onto me. The Capitol must be watching. I give the camera a very slow wave for a moment.

"My name is Urchin Hook. I'm the male Tribute from District 4 in the 74th Annual Hunger games," I begin, talking slowly. "And...the odds may not be in my favour, but I'm gonna win. You'll see, this year a 12 year old is gonna win and go home!"

I hope I looked good for the cameras. Inside, I feel close to puking my brains out, if it were even possible. Still holding my knife and my token, I close my eyes and start to drift off.

Seventy three times this has happened...now it's the seventy fourth time. I wonder what this game will be remembered for, what the game-makers are going to have in store for myself and the rest. I can remember watching a few previous games in District 4 growing up. I didn't want to, but given what happens if I do not watch...it was the better option. One year there were Tracker-Jacker nests all over the place with mass screaming and hallucinations. Another time the arena was a cave that was completely pitch black; several tributes walked right into traps and then...great, now I'm feeling even sicker…

But, I've made it through day one. Thirteen others left, it's not impossible. Just because a 12 year old has never won before, doesn't mean one never will...right?

I can't help but shudder though, wondering what would have happened if Cato hadn't been looking away from me when I ran from the Cornucopia…

I'm in hot water now.

END OF DAY 1...

REMAINING TRIBUTES

Marvel (District 1 Male)

Glimmer (District 1 Female)

Cato (District 2 Male)

Clove (District 2 Female)

Weldar (District 3 Male)

Urchin (District 4 Male)

Marina (District 4 Female)

Cinder / 'Foxface' (District 5 Female)

Lacey (District 8 Female)

Rammy (District 10 Male)

Thresh (District 11 Male)

Rue (District 11 Female)

Peeta (District 12 Male)

Katniss (District 12 Female)

THE FALLEN

15th- Jason (District 6 Male) – Tripped and slashed to death with a scythe by Cato.

16th- Nettle (District 7 Female) - Speared in the heart with a spear by Marvel

17th- Sparky (District 5 Male) - Pinned to a crate and stabbed in the abdomen with a knife by Glimmer.

18th- Sickle (District 9 Female) – Knife to the lung by Clove.

19th- Wood (District 7 Male) – Slashed in the throat with a crescent sword by Thresh

20th- Miller (District 9 Male) – Knife thrown into back by Clove

21st- Tamora (District 6 Female) – Stabbed with a knife by Glimmer

22nd- Gadget (District 3 Female) – Slashed in the forehead with a sickle by Sparky.

23rd- Sable (District 10 Female) – Skull hit with an axe by Cato.

24th- Callico (District 8 Male) - Stabbed with a kukri by Marvel.

All names above, except Jason, are not official and just my own ideas. No matter how minor, all people of Panem have a name. According to her actress, the name of the District 4 Female is indeed Marina. Apparently the District 6 girl is known as Tamora. Some deaths are also unknown, so I made some up. :)