For Survival's Sake

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters. The character of Wiress intrigued me… it made me wonder as to the circumstances under which she survived her first Hunger Games. All characters, except for Wiress, were invented by me. (Note: Aurelius Flickerman is meant to be Cesar Flickerman's father.)

Pain stabbed her eyes as she rose from the tube, and she raised her hand to try to shield herself from the blinding light of the arena. Her heart pounded furiously, so much more rapidly than the clock that was counting down the seconds until the start of the Games. Knees trembling, she wondered how she would manage to stand, let alone run.

Would her shaking legs give out, causing her to fall? Would she land on one of the mines, and come to her end before the games even began?

… Would that be such a bad way to go?

She shook her head, willing that dark thought out of her mind. Think clearly! Your only hope of surviving is to think clearly!

Now that her eyes had adjusted to the light, they started darting around furiously. Arid, rocky landscape. Loose rocks … potential tripping hazard. No shrubbery nearby, no place for concealment besides the Cornucopia. Not an option. To the north… rocky hills. Potential sources of concealment - clumps of shrubbery, large cacti (likely painful, but better than dying), many rocky nooks and crevices.

Her heartbeat quickened as the last 15 seconds were counted down. Behind me, to the south-east, trees. An oasis in the desert. She let out a short, derisive snort. No natural desert would have had an oasis that large, but then again, the Gamemakers did have to make everything larger than life for this spectacle.

In favour of oasis - obviously more places for concealment. Potentially more resources, especially water. Safer to access … to go North would mean running past the Cornucopia. Very dangerous.

Against oasis - it will be a prime target, more tributes will be heading that way. Increases odds of deadly encounters. Also, more places for concealment means that ambush (by tributes or Muttations) is a greater probability. Probably full of traps.

… Potential negative factors become irrelevant if I die in the bloodbath.

"One."

Twenty-four bodies moved, almost in unison, and all with the same purpose. Survival. For some, that meant running away. For others, that meant fighting. Killing.

Since the wiry, young girl was very obviously not a fighter, she turned and ran to the south-east.

How odd, and how fortunate for her, that she had always actually enjoyed running. Not for sport, not for training, but for feel of the air rushing past her face and through her short, brown hair, the rush of endorphins. She had always found it relaxing.

Now she was thankful, as her running was saving her life. Never before had she run with such ferocity and such desperate purpose, with her mind still whirling and her eyes still darting around for signs of danger.

Don't look back, don't look back. It became a mantra. The boy from twelve… young but fast. The girl from… oh, I don't remember. She's tired… fading. Will she make it?

It doesn't matter. I will make it!

Cannons sounded in the distance, so many of them. And still she ran. As she reached the oasis, with its dense trees, leaves and branches slapped at her face and arms. Tree roots posed a new tripping hazard. Her eyes darted downwards more… her pace slowed slightly.

And still she ran.

Back in the Capitol

"And they're off!" Aurelius Flickerman clapped his hands in excitement. "And there's the rush to the Cornucopia, and that's no surprise. District 1 - Sateen and Splendor are making their way… Athens and Dusk from District 2 are doing the same. The lower-ranking tributes are running away… smart move! But, wait… what is this?"

His deeply-tanned brow furrowed in confusion. He leaned in. "District 7's … what is she doing? She's picking up… rocks? From around her pedestal. What is she doing? Aspen Collins from District 7... has she gone mad?"

The world watched as the 17-year-old quickly scooped up a handful of stones, and started running to the Cornucopia.

"She's… throwing them!" Aurelius' eyes widened! "She's hit Sateen in the head… Sateen's fallen and… ooh! And now Corral from District 4 has tripped over her. Not fun! And Dusk from District 2 has taken a rock to the back… ouch! She's stumbling… ladies and gentlemen, she's surprised! I think we all are. Ooh, look, Aspen's hit a few of the other tributes… running and throwing rocks as she goes. Look at her! Aspen from District 7. How does she do it? She doesn't miss! How is she doing it? She's actually ahead of the pack, now. She's slowed everybody down! Look at them, everyone's looking around, wondering what's happening! But Number 7 isn't looking around… now she's making STRAIGHT for the Cornucopia! WOW!"

Back in the Arena

Hatchets, knives, axes… good. Good thing I know how to throw more than rocks. And someone's right on my heels…

Aspen grabbed a hatchet, whirled around… lashed out her right hand and embedded her hatchet in Splendor's skull. One cannon. The male tribute from 4 was inside the Cornucopia… he reached for a sword. Too slow.

The hatchet chopped into his arm. As he howled in pain, Aspen grabbed the sword he had been reaching for, and finished him off. Another cannon.

She grasped her hatchet, threw it at another tribute. Another cannon. She quickly grabbed different weapons, and then readied herself to defend her territory.

Back in the Capitol

"Look at this! An axe in one hand! A sword in another! Oh, and ladies and gentlemen, she knows how to use them! Look at this! District 7's Aspen Collins has complete control of the Cornucopia. And I don't see any alliances here! She is not letting anyone else near those supplies! Look at this… she's cut through another tribute like a tree! And now they're realising this is a lost battle… some are abandoning the fight with this tributeand are starting to fight each other. And now they're grabbing whatever backpacks they can before they run away. Wait… not all of them. Sateen from District 1 isn't running? Oh… she's trying but… can't. What's happened? Is that a broken leg? Ooh… tough break! No pun intended! And now Aspen has her in view. Ladies and gentlemen, I think District 1 is out of the running this year! Who would have thought it?! And there's the cannon!"

Back in the Arena

Cold, grey eyes surveyed the carnage… some of which was her own handiwork. Nothing moved now… all tributes in the immediate vicinity were decidedly dead. The girl from District 1 had been dispatched with a sword to the chest. True, she no longer posed a threat, but there was also no way to help her. Not that Aspen had any inclination to help a career. Best to put her out of her misery.

Eleven bodies lie in this clearing… eleven down. Twelve to go.