The metal platform rises into to place with an eerie clink. My stark red hair blows in the wind as I survey the area around me. A grassy plane grows in the middle of the arena which is surrounded by a thick, piney forest to the right of me. To my left, a steep drop-off stretches down into the unknown. I look ahead, but I cannot see the bounty that is surely pilled high in the golden horn, as I face the back of it. However that is not a problem. I do not plan to fight for the supplies, just get away from the bloody scene and work from there.
The countdown is reaching its end, I estimate only about ten seconds remain. I shift myself to face the direction in which the forest is located, planning to sprint there once the countdown completes. The gong sounds across the arena and I'm off. The leather boots I was supplied with carry me easily across the hard ground as I speed past the tributes. I'm thinking I am going completely undetected by the tributes heading for the horn (as planned), until a sliver arrow soars by my head. I turn to see the girl from 1, Glimmer, re-load a sleek sliver bow, the tip of the arrow trained at my skull. She fires weapon and in that moment, everything seems to go in slow motion. The shinning arrow glides through the air, and I'm too terrified to do anything but keep running from the pointed projectile. I close my eyes as I hear the sliver feathers of the arrow whistling through the breezy air, closer to me, waiting for the impact to come. But it never does, and the sharp arrow only severs about three inches of my lush red hair, letting it fall to the ground.
I am now too far away now for her to try and shoot me again, and I know she will not chase me, as she will want to participate in the bloodbath along with the other five members of the Careers alliance. I reach the tree line and look back to survey the field. Pools of blood stain the earth, and, as if the scene is gruesome enough, many tributes still battle, and amongst them is my district partner, Hevax. Hevax is struggling with the boy from 8 over a supply case, but it seems the other boy has the upper hand. He is strangling Hevax, sitting on top of his chest. Hevax's hands claw at the boys back, but his efforts are futile, because only a moment later the boy from eight finishes him off, smashing his head against the metal case they were competing for only seconds ago.
I turn back to the trees and my feet awkwardly lurch through a cluster of roots and weeds boarding the forest, and after I untangle my feet from the growth, I fly off into the woods.
The sun plummets below the horizon, signaling the day's end. While most of the tributes are more than likely preparing for sleep, I need to find supplies if I want to survive another day. I plan my strategy as I make my way back to the field where the games started just hours ago. The Careers will prowl the woods for tributes tonight leaving there camp, hopefully un-attended. No doubt they have taken control of the majority of the supplies, and I only plan to pilfer small amounts of their stockpile to stay off their radar.
"Just be as unforgettable as possible." I whisper to myself.
I take a break on a downed tree trunk just as the sky illuminates with our nations seal. The faces of the dead quickly follow and I look the sky in deep concentration, wanting to know who I still have left to compete with in this terrible game. First is the girl from District 3 appears. The Careers from 1 and 2 have made it through, as they do almost every year. Than the boy from 4. I liked to say I'd be surprised, him being a Career and everything, but he looked very young during our time in the Capital. I question if the Careers even asked him to join their gang, with him being so young and small. Then comes Havax. I pang of sandiness hits me that I did not feel earlier this day; possibly the adrenaline pumping through me clouded any emotions at the time. He was the same age as me, 15, and went to school together back in District 5. He was somewhat shy, and didn't have many friends, just like me. We never really talked, only when we were forced to do partner work in school, but I think we would get along if we ever had became friends. The pair from 6 are the next to show. Followed by the pair from 7, than the boy from 8. Next comes both from 9, than finally the girl from 10. Normally, Districts 11 and 12 never make it through the first day, but this year, both pairs did. I expected the large boy from 11, Thresh to make it, and even Katniss, from 12, who was such a hit with the Capital Audience and her eleven and training. I bet they'll both have sponsors lined up to shower them with gifts; however that is not the case for me. My score of 5 in training will put me amongst the mediocre tributes that rarely get any gifts, and my stylist isn't anywhere as close to a genius twelve's was with their flaming costumes. But isn't that supposed to be my strategy? Stay unnoticed, wither it comes to my training score or how I handled my interview. Let the others forget about me. This strategy surely won't grant me any sponsors, but will it guarantee a spot for me in the final eight?
I shake my head clear as I stand up. I can't worry about that now, now I must worry about getting food and water. I take up a quite, quick prance through the woods as I make my way back to the Career's camp by the lake. I keep a steady pace for about a half an hour until I reach the boarder of the large clearing that holds the Careers plentiful stockpile. As I had expected, they are off hunting tributes deep in the woods. I stay back for about fifteen minutes, though, just to make sure nobody has stayed behind as guard. As I peer out into the darkened filed, searching for any sign of another tribute, I notice all of the supplies is piled into a sloppily made pyramid with holes dug up all around the structure. Is this their form of a booby trap? Hoping that if another tribute plans to steal their hard fought stockpile, their feet would trip up in the up heaved earth? Whatever the reason is, the step up seems questionable, so I take extra caution as I approach the bounty.