Author's Note: I own nothing, etc. I wrote this a long time ago and thought I might as well publish it. I may add to it or rewrite it later.
I stood in the square, waiting patiently for this foolish Reaping to end so I could get back to work. The entire square buzzed with the anticipation of who people thought would volunteer this year, and whether or not the odds would be in their favour.
The crowd fell silent as Deena Evermay, the district's escort, cheerfully stepped up to one of the two giant glass balls filled with strips of paper. She finally pulled one out.
"The female representative for District 2 to the 51st annual Hunger Games will be," Deena slowly unfolded the paper, "Daisy Sload."
The crowd went wild as Daisy excitedly made her way up to the stage. She was expected to have volunteered even if her name hadn't been drawn. Daisy had trained her whole life for this.
But as I saw Daisy walk up to that stage, my thoughts suddenly turned to what had happened in this very place a year ago today.
It wad the Second Quarter Quell. Two tributes of each gender were selected from each district. The competition had been particularly fierce that year- and my best friend Cari had gotten caught up in it all.
Cari was a typical Career tribute. She had been raised to love the Capitol, as had we all, and had been training for the Games since she could walk.
She had been the first to volunteer in last year's Games. I was furious, but I knew I couldn't change her mind. I cried and pleaded for her to reconsider, but at that point it was too late for her to withdraw even if she wanted to. Cari had achieved her dream, and would bring her family glory in the process. I knew she would die.
I had been right. Cari put up a good fight during the Games. She even made it into the final eight. But she had gone mad and was eventually killed by some type of Capitol-altered tree. Its branches had snapped her to pieces. She hadn't even died with honour.
I saw it all happen to her on live television. I still can't get the image of her emaciated body being pulled up by a hovercraft out of my head.
I realised that day what the Capitol had been doing all along to the Districts. They had always been controlling us by taking our loved ones from us. There was no honour in that.
I've been plotting my revenge to the Capitol ever since my best friend's body came home in that ugly wooden box.
As Daisy walked up to meet Deena on that stage, it hit me. This would keep happening until the end of time. Hundreds of children had died already. How many more would it have to be?
All in an instant, rage took over my emotions. Rage that the Capitol would even do this to us.
"I volunteer!" I heard a voice say. That was typical. In District 2, the name drawn almost never turned out to be the Tribute in the end. I looked around the crowd to see what crazy honour-driven individual had volunteered this year.
And saw that everybody was staring at me with different degrees of confusion showing on their faces.
Me.
I had volunteered to be a Tribute in the Hunger Games. I looked up stupidly to see my arm still in the air.
Now I was not only furious at the Capitol, but I was angry at myself as well. How could I have done something so stupid?
The silence of the crowd reflected my own shock.
"Well," piped Deena, "First come, first serve. Come on up here, young lady!"
The crowd tittered at my plain clothes as I climbed the steps to the stage. I ignored them- it wasn't my fault I was the only person in the district without a family or a fortune. Though I had to admit their observations that I hadn't trained a day for this were painfully true. I was incredibly weak by their standards. What was I doing here?
"And what is your name?" asked Deena. Now that I was standing right next to her, her voice seemed much too loud.
"Cam." I answered shortly. I was still angry, but decided I might use this as my strategy. I couldn't believe I was already thinking of such things!
"Cam what?" Deena responded with the same cheer she had been showing all morning, though it was clear she was irritated that I didn't provide a last name.
I shrugged. I didn't even know if I had a last name. The crowd laughed and I glared at them.
"Fine," Deena said with a sigh and turned to face the cameras, all bubbliness returned to her demeanour. "Cam for District 2!"
The crowd gave an obligatory, though half-hearted, round of applause. They must have been disappointed such an urchin as myself had taken one of the only coveted spots in the Hunger Games.
I remained onstage as a boy's name was drawn. I didn't recognise the name, but it didn't matter. Starn Woodark almost instantly volunteered to take his place.
I stood onstage and shook his hand, squeezing hard. He was a typical Career as well- all 6-and-a-half feet and 300 pounds of muscle of him.
Starn beamed at the crowd once more before turning to meet my eye. The disgusted look he gave me made it all too clear that I was to be his first kill.
I didn't even flinch. A plan was already coming to my mind that would not only allow for the death of this evil boy, but would also mean the downfall of the Capitol- if I played my cards right.
Starn and I were escorted into the Justice Building to say goodbye to our loved ones. My hour came and went and I wasn't surprised that nobody had come to visit me. Good, I decided. Less people to mourn my inevitable death.
After our time was up, the two of us were taken out the back of the building to the waiting train. The few seconds we had out in the open gave the public one last time to see my now-permanent glare. I expected to stay angry for the remainder of my now-shortened life. At least my emotions couldn't be taken from me.
Once inside the train, Deena was there to inform us that we would be pulling into the Capitol within the hour, considering the district's close proximity with it.
I nodded to indicate I had heard her and found a room to disappear to until the train stopped, too short of a time later.
We emerged from the train again to a flood of people asking us questions and snapping our photographs.
"Cam! Do you think you can win these Games?"
"Cam! Had you trained prior to volunteering?"
"Cam! Why DID you volunteer?"
I ignored all the questions and followed Deena into the building a hundred yards away.
"This is the Remake Center. As District 2 is always the first to arrive, we will be spending the night here. I'm taking us to our rooms right now," Deena never seemed to stop talking, "Your mentors will be inside. Tomorrow the other tributes will arrive and the Opening Ceremonies will be held!"
I followed Deena into our rooms to be greeted by a woman who introduced herself as Shaina. I remembered her from the Games three years ago. She had killed more than half of the other Tributes by herself at only fifteen. This put her only a year older than me today.
Great, I thought, My mentor has almost no idea what she's doing, and is the same age as at least a handful of the other Tributes.
I disappeared to my room without even acknowledging Shaina. I flopped onto the grossly comfortable bed I had been provided and stayed there until Deena called me to dinner. I didn't go. I've gone longer without eating, and I couldn't stand to be surrounded by all of these people any longer than I had to be.
I lay in my bed thinking about Cari and wondering how she handled this day last year. I allowed myself to sleep before the grief crept up on me again. The last thought I had before I fell asleep was that Shaina must have known Cari, and I wondered if I should ever bring her up in conversation.
I dreamt of Cari's death and woke up screaming, but I was used to it. I had the same dream every night and tonight was no different.
I awoke to Deena knocking on my door. As was everything else she did, the knocking was incredibly loud.
"Up up up!" she trilled, "Breakfast! Don't make me come in there and get you! The Gamemakers would not be happy if you starved to death before even entering the arena!" Deena chuckled at this, as if she had just said something funny.
I had to admit I really was getting hungry, and I wouldn't dream of giving the Capitol the pleasure of killing me so fast. I crossed the room and opened the door to Deena, who was still knocking.
"Look at you!" She wrinkled her nose in disgust, "You haven't changed or bathed at all since arriving! Your prep team would have a fit if they saw you this way. And did you honestly wear THAT to the Reaping...?" Deena trailed off and shook her head at my ripped jeans and faded blouse, "Never mind that," she finally sighed, taking my hand, "Breakfast is getting cold!"
Deena led me into an enormous dining room with a table as large as some of the wealthier families' swimming pools were back home.
Starn was already eating, as were his mentor and Shaina. I didn't recognise Starn's mentor, but I didn't plan on associating with either of the two anyway.
I sat down to breakfast and ate a few pieces of toast and an egg, refusing to engage any of the others in conversation.
One of the servants came to take my empty plate and coughed into his sleeve.
"Honestly!" shouted Shaina, "Their manners get worse every year!" The other adults around the table nodded their agreement.
The servant bowed apologetically before hurrying from the room. I just stared in horror at where he had just been standing. For the brief moment his mouth had been open to cough-
Deena noticed my expression and chuckled.
"They're just criminals, Cam. Avoxes. The Capitol cuts out their tongues in exchange for a life of service. A bit too kind if you ask me..." She shrugged and returned to eating, muttering something about what kids do or don't learn in schools these days.
My appetite had quickly left me upon hearing this.
The worst part was that hearing of this atrocity didn't surprise me at all. It completely fit in with the policies of the Capitol I had grown to hate so much. I couldn't believe the others saw no problem with this!
I got up to leave the table, but was stopped by Deena.
"Where do you think you're going? Today is jam-packed with activities! We have to watch the recap of the Reapings now!" She pressed a button on the table and a large screen on the wall came to life.
We watched all the Reapings as more avoxes came to clear the table. My eyes never left the male avox who had coughed while clearing my plate. What could he have possibly done to earn this fate? Had he even committed what my eyes would have seen as a crime?
One question bothered me more than all- If I survived these games and did what I was planning to do, would they do this to me?
I was disturbed from my thoughts when I noticed all the others getting up to leave the table.
"What do you think?" Shaina asked me. I shrugged. I didn't want her to know I hadn't been paying attention to the Reapings or I might have to stay here longer and watch it again. I just wanted to get away.
Luckily, I seemed convincing enough to Shaina, because next I was taken down the hall into a room that held three of the oddest-looking Capitol people I had ever seen.
"Do what they say," Shaina said before leaving me completely alone with them.
The three freaks introduced themselves as my prep team. Erk, Zoca, and Werm. It wasn't hard for me to hate them. I found their names incredibly stupid, and their sense of fashion made me want to puke. Their skin was dyed all sorts of colours that clearly were not natural, and their faces were so caked with makeup and their clothes so oddly-fitting, I couldn't even guess at their genders.
Then there was the bath. It hurt as though my skin was being peeled off. The prep team's commentary didn't help either.
"Oh, you poor girl! What can possibly be done to make you presentable?"
"Are you sure you're from 2? This outfit is atrocious! I'll have it incinerated at once!"
"My word, child! Have you ever heard of food? Try eating some! You're all bones!"
"You look like you haven't bathed in your life! Here, this is called a 'bathtub'. You use it to get clean..."
On and on it went. The only thing that kept me from running from the lot of them was the realisation that it would serve me best to cooperate until I entered the arena. Then I would be on live television, and the Capitol wouldn't be able to stop me from doing anything.
The three of them pulled and poked at every inch of my body before they were through with me, hours later.
"Hmm... It'll have to do..." Werm said finally, "I wish there were time for surgery, but-"
"That is enough, thank you. You three may go now." I heard a deep voice say behind me.
My prep team scurried from the room and I heard footsteps walking toward me. I turned to see a large man sauntering toward me. He looked a lot more normal than anyone else I had seen here in the Capitol so far, but he still looked hideous to me. His roundness and green wig only made me more convinced that he would make a better frog than a man.
"Well, first things first," He boomed in that deep voice, "Let's eat!"
Somehow, this didn't surprise me at all.
The man introduced himself as Quinn, and he had me sit with him at a small table while he ate. He offered me some slightly overcooked-looking purple stew, but I declined. I wouldn't eat with this man.
Only when Quinn finished eating did he talk to me again.
"Your look," he said, "will be fabulous!"
I sat there and didn't answer.
"What is District 2 known for?" Quinn asked, though he clearly didn't care if I answered his question or not. So I didn't.
After a slightly awkward pause, Quinn answered his own question,
"Peacekeepers!" He exclaimed and tossed me a bag of clothes.
His answer surprised me. Technically, it was true. There weren't nearly enough Peacekeepers in the other districts for them to rely on their own forces, so they sent for most of their Peacekeepers to be supplied by the heavily populated and always loyal District 2. But for whatever reason, this was all done fairly quietly without many people being made aware of it.
I wondered what the Capitol would think of such an obvious display of where the Peacekeepers came from. Then again, I wouldn't at all mind if it attracted negative attention. It wasn't my fault I would be dressed this way.
"Go get changed," Quinn prompted, "We still have to do your hair and makeup!" He shooed me into a changing room.
Inside the changing room, I looked at the contents of the bag. It held a simplified Peacekeeper's uniform. I tried it on and was disappointed at how tight-fitting Quinn had made it to be. I shouldn't have expected anything less- most stylists went for the sexy angle.
I looked in the mirror to see if I pulled the look off. I was greeted with the image of an impossibly skinny girl in a too-small uniform. The low neckline and cut-off bottom of the shirt only added to the appearance that I was a young girl playing in women's clothing.
I walked back out of the room to meet Quinn and his reaction matched mine.
"This won't work," he rumbled with a frown, "Goodness, don't they feed you in District 2?"
I didn't bother answering that I've scavenged for food my whole life and was lucky to be the only kid who had the will and power to survive to her teens. I didn't tell him that I was used to starving and didn't need to eat for strength. Instead I just shrugged.
Quinn seemed to think for a minute, then pressed a button. My prep team soon returned to the room and I could barely hold in the groan threatening to escape my lips.
"Beauty base zero won't cut it," he told them. I had no idea what Quinn was talking about. "Try three instead." With that Quinn turned and left the room, leaving me once again at the mercy of my prep team.
It wasn't so bad this time around. Most of what they altered was the clothing.
The mindless chatter was still there though.
"You just might actually look gorgeous!"
"Oh, this is much better!"
"You'll get all the sponsors for sure!"
Sponsors were absolutely the last thing I wanted. I would figure out how to lose those later, I decided.
Finally, the prep team finished again. I looked into the mirror they held up for me and I saw a complete stranger.
Where the Peacekeeper uniform had before rested on bone, it now ran around the perfect curves I knew I did not have. The padding did look convincing, though. I decided to hate it.
My long auburn hair ran in an immaculate braid down my back, entwined with a white ribbon to match the uniform.
The make-up covering my face highlighted my brow and cheekbones, accentuating my leanness, but also making me look fierce. The Capitol had already made me into a killer, if only by looks. But it matched my mood.
My prep team stood there fawning over me for several more minutes until I was finally sent down to meet my chariot.
I found my way to the one marked with a large '2'. I didn't allow myself to look at any of the other tributes. They would only be dead soon, and me with them. I wouldn't let myself get to know them.
Starn was already standing at the front of the chariot when I got in. His outfit, simply white pants, had clearly been made to complement my own. It seemed much too basic to dazzle a crowd, and I wondered what our stylists could possibly be planning.
I slowly became aware of twenty-two pairs of eyes watching me. It was a skill I had learned over years of fending for myself, detecting somebody watching me.
The first place I looked was around the room at the other tributes. They were all staring at the two of us and I wondered why. We certainly weren't the best-dressed of them all. The emotions I did see on most of their faces seemed to be confusion, and even shock, at our outfits. I realised they must have never made the Peacekeeper connection with our district and had only now put it together.
I could now see Quinn's plan and instantly wondered if he was crazy. We would definitely be noticed, but I didn't know what they would do to Quinn for blowing our district's mysterious secret.
I looked up at Starn.
"They're staring at us," I whispered.
"What were they thinking, dressing us as Peacekeepers?" He responded angrily, still glaring back at the others, "It will only-" Starn's voice broke off as he turned to look at me. The look in his eyes clearly showed his opinion of my costume and I knew that the original effect I had expected Quinn was going for was certainly working. Starn certainly seemed to be enjoying it too much for my comfort...
The look I returned him told Starn that I was not interested, and his greedy stare returned to the menacing glare I was used to receiving from him.
Good, I thought, I'll just let him think he'll have the satisfaction of killing me.
I focused my gaze on the chariot in front of us as it began to move.
The cheers on the other side of the tunnel indicated the support that District 1 almost always received was still there this year.
As our chariot came out of the tunnel behind 1, the cheers were equally as loud. Starn started waving and smiling, but I didn't even move. These Capitol people didn't deserve for me to play along with their games.
I heard shouts of my name here and there, but not very many. Good. Maybe I wouldn't receive any sponsors after all.
The chariots approached the plaza in front of the President's mansion and the cheers grew louder.
Finally the President stepped out onto his balcony. I wasn't too familiar with him- he was relatively new and too young for me to even take seriously. He was called Winter or Snow or something. I didn't know, nor did I care. He gave a short speech and I reluctantly joined in singing Panem's anthem.
The chariots began moving again for the short remainder of the journey to the Training Center, where we would be housed for the next several days before dying in the arena. I couldn't wait to get inside.
When I finally thought it was all over, I let myself look up. The Training Center wasn't more than a quarter of a mile in front of us. I was almost safe again.
The cheers for District 2 had gotten even louder and I saw Starn enjoying it even more. He certainly seemed excited. They loved him.
I heard someone in the crowd shout something to Starn that I couldn't quite hear. Suddenly, he grabbed my face. Before I knew what was happening, Starn was kissing me. Hard. The crowd was now roaring so loudly that I could hardly think. I instinctively reached up and slapped Starn hard across the face. I couldn't believe he had the nerve to kiss me like that, and for an audience!
The slap had thankfully made Starn let go of me, but had caused the crowd to go even crazier. I was confused. Had they wanted me to do that? Were they angry with me that I had done that, or were they simply reacting to how unexpected that was?
Our chariot had by now reached the Training Center and we were quickly escorted inside. As soon as the doors closed behind us, Starn- now clearly enraged- reached out to hit me, but was stopped by a second pair of hands.
I was relieved that I had been saved from the violence of the Games before I even got to the arena, but when I looked up to see who those hands belonged to I froze again.
I was looking straight into the face of a Peacekeeper. A real one. And he wasn't alone.
"I'm sorry I hit him!" I said too quickly. I had forgotten that one of the rules of the Hunger Games was that you couldn't injure another Tribute before entering the arena. Now that I thought about it though, I don't remember anyone ever being punished for breaking that rule.
"What?" the Peacekeeper nearest me sounded confused. 'Nearest' was a loose term seeing as how Starn and I were now tightly encircled by six of them.
At least they had scared the overconfidence out of Starn though. I couldn't complain about that.
Between two of the Peacekeepers I could see the lobby of the Training Center emptying out. The other tributes were at least smart enough not to hang around a lobby full of cops.
"What is going on here?" I heard a shrill voice cry out. Soon Deena had broken through to us, demanding an answer.
"This is none of your concern, ma'am," one of the Peacekeepers answered, "Routine questioning."
Now it was my turn to be confused. Why did they need to question us? They saw what happened...
"About what?" It clearly didn't make sense to Deena either. Then again, almost nothing ever made sense to her.
"The costumes," one of the Peacekeepers explained. Oh, "The stylists have been taken into custody, but they insisted dressing the tributes as Peacekeepers wasn't their own idea."
Is that what this was all about? A small part of me worried for Quinn, until I remembered he was just like the rest of these Capitol people. Still, I couldn't help but picture him as an avox. My stomach immediately wanted to empty itself on the nearest Peacekeeper but that would be the worst idea yet. I held it in and wondered about my prep team. Surely they would be safe...? I didn't know.
"That's ridiculous!" Protested Deena, "Do you think a couple of kids from 2 would think of that? The designs were drawn up months before the Reaping anyway! Now run along, you've thrown us off schedule!"
Deena's reasoning apparently made enough sense because the Peacekeepers decided to let us leave.
Once we were in the elevator, Deena seemed to have forgotten all about the gravity of the situation we had just escaped.
"Honestly!" she complained as she pressed the button for the second floor, "They shouldn't be given free reign of the Training Center! Walking all over us like that... The nerve!"
The elevator stopped and we emerged on our floor. I wondered why we didn't just take the stairs since we were only a floor above where we started.
I looked over at Starn to see if he was still thinking about hitting me back, but he still seemed shaken up over our encounter with the Peacekeepers. Good. Maybe that would keep him away from me enough for the rest of our time here.
Shaina was already waiting for me in the hallway outside my room. I had hoped to slip away without seeing her, but she was already gushing at how the crowd loved my reaction to Starn's kissing me. She said it completely supported the tough girl persona I had had going for me.
"But won't I get in trouble for hurting him?" I asked.
"You didn't draw any blood," she shrugged, "But I'd be more worried about your stylist. I don't think he'll be coming back... But those outfits will have everyone talking for days!" Shaina was obviously proud of me, but I still felt sick at the thought of the fat avox who I hoped I would never meet.
I went to bed without even saying goodnight to Shaina. She was still chatting in the hallway when I went to sleep.
The next day was training. I didn't want to go, but I figured I'd have to pick up at least some skills before I entered the arena if I hoped to survive the first day. I still would much rather have been working out a strategy.
I dressed and went downstairs after an intentionally quick breakfast.
I spent time at every station that morning and was dismayed but not surprised that I showed no promise in any particular area. I could shoot an arrow straight enough, but only with several minutes setting up my aim. I could throw a knife far, but never hit a target. All of these things would be useless to me in the arena.
I was just glad that the other Careers thought failing every station was my strategy. Maybe they thought I was stronger than I actually was. Maybe they wouldn't kill me first. After several hours of a gymnasium full of intentionally failing tributes, it was time to eat lunch.
I got my food first and sat down at a table by myself. It wasn't long before the other Careers came to join me.
"You're going to be in our alliance, right?" asked the girl from District 4.
"Of course she is," sneered the boy from 1, "Don't be stupid."
I couldn't tell if it was me or 4 that he was telling not to be stupid. Either way, I ignored him. The other Careers spent the rest of lunch discussing strategy and the order in which the other Tributes should be killed. I spent the time plotting my own strategy.
I decided it would be best to let them think I was in on their group and leave after the initial skirmish at the Cornucopia. To keep up this illusion, I allowed myself to act interested in their conversation, nodding my head here and there.
Once we had finished our meal, the others stood up to return to training. I lingered a while longer and noticed Starn was still staring daggers at me from across the table. I smiled at him before standing up. Let him figure out what that means.
I split up my afternoon between the edible plants station and the knot-tying station. These were the only two skills I showed the slightest bit of promise at. I was left alone for most of the time- the other Careers were still out-failing each other over at archery.
At one point when I was learning about poisonous berries, the boy from 9 came over to sit by me. He seemed to be only a year or so younger than I was, but also nearly as hopelessly skinny. The slightest breeze could have knocked him over.
He watched me for a few minutes and I knew enough to figure that he had come over to offer an alliance. I had no idea what he would want with me, but the look I gave him sent him away quick enough. It told him I wasn't interested in an alliance. I knew he wouldn't even make it past the Cornucopia, anyway.
I didn't go to training the next day. I couldn't possibly improve at anything down there, and it was better to leave the others wondering about me. I stayed in my room all morning, thinking yet again about Cari. Wondering how much better than the other Careers she had been at training. I hadn't paid attention to last year's training scores- there had been too many Tributes for the numbers to mean anything to me- but I was sure she was able to at least hit a target with a knife. She had trained her whole life for this and still ended up dying. What hope was there for me? What had I possibly gotten myself into? I wouldn't avenge Cari's death from here; I would die as just another Tribute in just another Games.
Shaina made me come out of my room that afternoon to discuss different aspects of my strategy to win the Games. She said that since I was letting the other Tributes wonder why I didn't find it necessary to train, I may as well accomplish two things at once by spending my time wisely up here.
"Well," Shaina began once I was sitting on a couch facing hers in the living room, "I'm sure you have what skills you will demonstrate for your private session all planned out, so let's talk about your interview!"
I nodded to keep her talking but I honestly hadn't even thought about what I would show the gamemakers yet. I had been so focused on what I would do when I got in the arena.
"Well it should be easy enough," Shaina continued, "You already excel at acting like you're above all the others. Just keep the serious tone and tell Caesar how much you want to kill everybody else. It will be perfectly honest, and the audience will eat it up!"
I didn't know what Shaina thought about me. Did I really come across as so arrogant? Did I really act like I wanted to kill everybody? If these things were true, then I was in more danger of the other tributes than I thought. I was a threat.
I would just have to show everyone those things weren't true about me. I'd show the Capitol and the Tributes.
When my turn came to appear before the gamemakers, I knew exactly what I would do for them. They wanted me to show them a skill? Fine.
I was the fourth Tribute to enter the room, but the others had obviously already left.
The eyes of a dozen Capitol gamemakers were on me from the moment I entered. I calmly crossed to the centre of the floor and sat down. The gamemakers stared at me, expecting me to do something, so I stared back. I didn't move a muscle.
I stayed that way for what I was sure was an hour, but the gamemakers only watched me, occasionally whispering to one another. Finally I was dismissed to leave.
When I reached my floor upstairs Shaina and Deena were waiting for me right outside the elevator doors.
"Well?" asked Deena, "You were gone an awful long time."
They both waited for me to tell them what I did or how it went, but I just nodded,
"An hour, I think."
I left the two women alone as I returned once again to my room.
I only came out to see my training score that evening. Starn got a 9- very good, but still completely expected. I was furious to see that I had received a 5.
Shaina was distraught,
"What did you do? How could this happen to me?" she asked over and over again.
"Nothing," I finally answered before returning to my room. I didn't even stay to see the rest of the scores.
I was shocked. How could I have gotten such a high score for sitting on the ground for an hour? Was that a skill I didn't know about?
I would have to nail this interview tomorrow if I was going to dissuade all allies and sponsors. These Games were something I had to do by myself.
I woke up in the morning with Shaina facing me from the chair next to my bed. I gave an involuntary jump.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded.
"We need to talk," she responded, "The Hunger Games are serious, and if you don't realise that then you'll be killed and bring dishonour upon me and the whole District."
"There's still Starn," I pointed out.
"Just me then."
"It's all about you!" I shouted at her, "You're supposed to be my mentor and you just want to look good!"
"Yes," agreed Shaina, "But you still have to win this. You aren't even trying!"
"You're right, I'm not. Now get out of my room."
Shaina stood up quickly,
"You just lost yourself a mentor."
"I never had one," I shot back.
"Good luck dying, you ungrateful child. So many others would have gladly taken your spot at the Reaping. For honour."
Shaina slammed the door behind her. I didn't even care that she was gone.
I walked onto the stage with the other Tributes and sat down in the third chair to wait for my interview. The two Tributes from District 1 in front of me had their own quick chats with an orange Caesar Flickerman before I was called up to the podium.
"Ladies and gentlemen, from District 2, please welcome Cam... Uh, please welcome Cam!" said an offstage announcer. There was applause as I sat down in the interview chair.
Honest and boring, I told myself. I had to be boring.
"So, Cam, what do you think of your fellow tributes?" Caesar asked first.
I looked out at the crowd and noticed the conspicuously empty stylist's chair where Quinn was meant to be sitting. He had yet to make a reappearance since the night of the Opening Ceremony.
This is what the Capitol does, I reminded myself.
"I don't think it matters," I answered Caesar, "We'll all be dead soon anyway."
The crowd chuckled nervously. Good. It meant something then to have them reassess their motives.
"I guess that's true," responded Caesar with a tight smile. He decided to change the subject, "So you're going this alone. No stylist, no mentor. Are you nervous?"
Boring, I reminded myself.
"Not really," I answered with a shrug.
"You think you can win these games then?"
I shrugged again.
Caesar tried to coax more out of me with his remaining questions, but I answered most of those with simple "yes" or "no" answers.
When I sat back down in my chair I was pleased that the clapping was at a minimum. Perhaps I had managed to convince them I wasn't worth sponsoring after all.
Starn was next onstage. He quickly sat down and was given his first question.
"Now Starn," Caesar began, "We've all met your district partner. What do you think of her?"
"She told you so herself," Starn answered with a sinister smile, "It doesn't matter. She'll be dead very soon."
I stood in the catacombs under the arena, waiting to be lifted up on my metal platform into the Games. I felt it start to move.
When I was in the open again, I gasped. I had never seen terrain like this before. Rock formations were everywhere, jutting up out of the ground in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In the distance I could see the glimmer of what could only have been a river. Beyond that I noticed the stone walls that rose up to surround us on all sides. The arena was a large canyon, and I didn't see any mentionable vegetation anywhere. Something told me these Games would end quickly.
I noticed the other Tributes had begun running to the Cornucopia in the centre of the ring of metal circles that had raised us into the arena. I had missed the starting signal.
All around me people had already begun fighting for supplies. I decided to get away from the action as soon as possible. I slipped away without notice and walked to the far side of a pillar-shaped rock formation that seemed to have a cave on the top. This would be perfect.
I slowly climbed to the cave at the top of the rock, but there was no rush. The initial bloodbath wouldn't end for several more hours. I sat inside and waited it out.
I could easily see the Cornucopia from where I was positioned, but I chose not to look.
Finally the cannons sounded. Thirteen tributes had already died. There were already only eleven of us left.
I looked down from my cave to see the Careers poking through the remaining supplies at the Cornucopia, hurrying to bring what they needed away so the bodies of the dead could be removed.
All five of them soon were loaded down with several bags full of whatever they thought they needed most. I could have easily killed them from here if I had a weapon, but my entire plan was to get as far as I could without harming a fly.
It turned out I didn't need to do anything anyway; I saw the boy from District 1 quietly put down his bags as they all walked together. He drew a knife from his belt and plunged it into Starn's back. Another cannon went off and the other Careers laughed. They must have been planning this.
I wasn't sad to see Starn go.
I crept slowly down to the Cornucopia to retrieve the bags Starn had dropped when he fell dead to the ground. The Careers had stupidly hurried away to clear out for the hovercraft, without even considering bringing the supplies.
Their stupidity was a stroke of luck on my part. I scooped up and shouldered all three of the dropped packs and was soon on my way back to my cave.
I had almost reached it when I saw an arrow bounce off the ground only inches to my left. I whirled around to see the girl from District 7 standing only about a hundred feet away from me. She must have been waiting around the Cornucopia for others to return.
I had considered this possibility- it certainly was an easy way to make a kill, but I assumed that most tributes would have preferred to clear the area.
Either way, I was pretty far ahead of her and my hideout was so close.
But I was weighed down with supplies and her arrows were already getting much closer to their mark. One had found its way to the bag over my left shoulder and now stuck out from it a good twelve inches.
I made it to my rock formation, ran to the other side to keep from being shot at, and began climbing. I knew I didn't stand a chance escaping the archer bent on killing me, but if I could only reach the the top in time...
When I was about twenty feet above the ground, the girl rounded the corner and I froze. But she just kept running straight- she must have thought I meant to outrun her to the river.
The girl disappeared behind another rock formation and I almost instantly heard a cannon go off. I was certain it was for her, and could only wonder at what or who had finished her off.
I made quick time climbing the rest of the way to my cave in the waning daylight, where I emptied the packs I had brought.
I was pleased with my haul. I had three large water bottles, a pack full of dried fruits and meats, matches, a sleeping bag, and hooks that I assumed were meant to help for rock climbing.
I drank a small amount of water and a piece of what was labeled as venison. My hunger sated and my thirst quenched, I organised my few supplies on a rock shelf toward the back of the cave and set up my sleeping bag underneath it.
As soon as I finished I heard the anthem begin playing and I looked up to the sky to see the faces of those who had been killed today. I sat in silence as fifteen faces appeared. Starn's was first, followed by both tributes from 3, the boy from 6, both tributes from 7, all from districts 8 and 9, the girl from 10, and the four tributes from 11 and 12.
There were only nine of us left and we were one day into these Games. How quick the Capitol was to waste human life.
The next day I remained in my cave. I knew the audience had been entertained enough by the action of the previous day to know I'd be left alone.
I wondered about the other surviving tributes. The four careers from Districts 1 and 4 were left. Then there were the lucky survivors. Those were the tributes from 5, the girl from 6, and the boy from 10. And, of course, there was me. I didn't know what category I fit under.
Where were they? What were they doing? Would they kill each other off? When would they come looking for me?
Two more uneventul days passed. On the morning of the fifth day, I awoke to a scream that I heard from a much too close distance. I looked out of my cave and couldn't see anyone. I sat there for the next few minutes wondering what had happened, who had attacked whom. Soon I heard the cannon go off and saw a hovercraft pass over my head to stop only two hundred feet away from me, behind the next rock formation over. I saw the body of the District 5 girl being lifted up in the air, pulled back into the hovercraft. I noticed the skin all over her entire body was swollen and greenish. I reminded myself again to watch out for the Capitol's muttations and whatever nastiness they bestowed upon their victims.
That night, as the anthem played and the girl's face shone in the sky back to its normal colour, I realised there was only myself and seven other tributes remaining. I had made it into the final eight.
I couldn't help but wonder what the Capitol would do to make me seem interesting. After all, I had no friends or family at home for them to interview.
I was pleased to be giving the Capitol a hard time, even when I wasn't trying.
Anything I could do to make them scramble.
Another week passed that only saw the deaths of the boy from 10 and both of the Career boys. I would have bet anything the 10 boy had died of starvation. The Careers had obviously split up days before, and I wondered if these two killed each other. I hoped they did.
There were five of us left and there hadn't been any bloodshed in at least two days. I expected something eventful to happen today, most likely caused by the gamemakers.
I was also running dangerously low on water and noticed I had to break my silent protest of immobility if I wanted to avoid a slow death. I left my cave early in the morning and began a purposely slow trek to the river I had seen earlier. I took my time not only to be sure not to accidentally run into anyone looking to kill me, but also with the hope that I would bore the Capitol audience. I was still trying to throw their games back into their own faces.
I eventually made it to the river and sat down at the rushing water's edge. Keeping a careful watch for the other tributes, I ate a few berries from the small amount of food I had brought with me, then filled up the two water bottles I brought after taking a big drink to wash down the vile-tasting fruit I had just consumed. I was by now convinced fruit wasn't made to be dried.
I had stood up to head back to my cave before dark when I heard a deafening cracking noise. My ears couldn't place which direction the sound had come from and I looked around to see if I could tell that way what had happened.
My eyes widened at the sight of every single rock formation in view coming crashing down to the ground. Clouds of dust billowed from the settling rubble and I coughed. I heard a cannon sound- someone must have been crushed by the falling debris.
I looked around through the dust. This was definitely the work of the gamemakers. I suddenly realised that I had just lost my shelter and supplies in the same moment. I saw what was happening.
The Capitol was forcing me to fight, to come out of hiding. I should have expected this to happen, but at the moment I felt cheated. How could I have been so stupid? And now I was out in the open. Vulnerable.
At least the dust in the air was keeping the others away from me for now. I coughed again before submerging my head in the river.
The next day was sunny and all the dust had settled. All who were left were the girls from districts 1 and 4, the boy from 5, and myself. I hadn't seen the others yet, but I didn't want to risk facing them, so I set forth with my full water bottles and the bag of food I had been fortunate enough to bring with me the previous morning. I intended to put as much distance as possible between myself and the Cornucopia, while at the same time heading for the nearest canyon wall. That way I would never have my back to the enemy. At least not once I got there.
It was late morning. The sun was almost directly overhead in the sky and the air was definitely heating up. The canyon wall didn't seem to be getting any closer in front of me, and I had no idea where I was relative to the river.
I sat down to rest shortly before the trumpets began sounding. I was confused, but then I heard Caesar Flickerman's voice.
"Attention, remaining four tributes!" he boomed from somewhere I could not see, "Tonight a feast will be held at the Cornucopia! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour!"
I was confused. A feast? This had only happened twice before in any Hunger Games I remember ever seeing on television.
Both times, the tributes in the arena had been near starvation. They would all go to the Cornucopia to eat, but most only ended up being killed by a stronger opponent.
I processed this information. The other tributes must be hungry, making them weak. They would all meet at the Cornucopia and at least one of them would die. Leaving three of us. Or less.
I certainly wasn't hungry enough to even consider attending such a feast. But the others would surely be there. Shouldn't I at least watch, to keep an eye on where they would be? I didn't want anybody sneaking up on me and killing me in my sleep...
I decided to remain a short distance from the Cornucopia, but get close enough to observe what was happening.
When hours later I found a suitable hiding place, ironically behind the pile of rubble that had once held my cave, I sat and waited.
I saw a table come up out of the ground, Stocked with all sorts of foods. This would indeed be a feast. If anyone survived it.
The girl from District 1 soon came running full speed from behind another rubble pile, grabbing a leg of some type of bird before running off toward the side of the arena opposite where she came from.
Before she could get far, the boy from 5 had run out in front of her, brandishing a large knife. The girl knocked it aside with the drumstick she had only just picked up and dove for it.
She came up holding the knife the boy had so loosely held just seconds before and stabbed him in the chest before he knew what hit him.
The girl turned around and took a big bite of her now-halved drumstick before she too fell to the ground, a trident protruding from her back.
I raised an eyebrow. I had to give that District 4 girl credit...
Two cannons went off and I saw my one remaining opponent step out from behind the Cornucopia and remove her weapon from 1's back. She began examining her surroundings, clearly searching for me, and I ducked down.
Now what? It was just me and her now. I would have to kill her or she would kill me. Right here, right now. There was no time to run.
The Capitol had once again beaten me at what I had begun to think of as my own game.
I knew the girl had spotted me. I was frozen in place. I knew she'd kill me just as easily if I ran, and at least this way I would die memorably. I hoped. Meeting it head-on.
She had almost reached me now. She had only to run another ten feet before she would be directly across from me in front of my rubble pile.
I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping for a quick end.
When it didn't come, I opened my eyes to see the girl had tripped over something in the ground right before she threw her trident at me. It was stuck in the rubble pile less than three fee in front of me. I was lucky her aim was thrown off.
I was still confused as to why she had tripped though.
I looked down at where the girl had been running, and was surprised to see a large snake crawling toward the girl.
It had a dent in the large knob at the end of its tail. She must have tripped over it, because the snake looked angry. She noticed too.
The girl from District 4 scrambled to get up before the wildly hissing snake could strike, but it lashed out and bit her in the wrist before she had the chance.
Our eyes locked for several seconds, the girl and I. We both wondered the same thing- was the snake venomous? I didn't recognise it as one of the Capitol's muttations, but it could have been new.
About 30 seconds after she was bitten, the girl began to convulse wildly. It continued for several minutes before she lay still and the cannon sounded.
I ignored the trumpets that sounded with the announcement of my victory.
I just stared at the girl's lifeless body, then at the snake, then back at the body. This snake had just saved my life, and my goal. I hadn't killed a single person, and I just won the Hunger Games.
I sat on the interview stage with Caesar Flickerman one last time. We had just watched the recap of the Games. Now I would be interviewed about my experience. This was my chance to make the Capitol's ultimate plan fall apart.
"Cam, it's good to see you again," Caesar said with a smile, then paused for me to respond. When I didn't, he smoothly transitioned into his next question.
"You are the first Victor in the history of the Hunger Games without laying your hands on a single weapon. Furthermore, you made it through the whole Games without sustaining any injuries. Tell me, how much of this was planned?"
"Well I didn't think I would win," I answered. The crowd chuckled. This interview was already going horribly.
"No, I mean it!" I yelled, "I never wanted any part in this!"
The crowd fell silent.
"But you volunteered," Caesar corrected, "Of course you meant to be in the Games!"
"All I wanted was for you people to realise your mistake!" I insisted.
"And what mistake was that?"
"Holding these Games!"
The crowd roared with laughter. I had no idea what they found so funny. This had all gone so much better in my head.
As the interview came to a close, I knew I had missed my chance. I couldn't make these people see. I had put my own life on the line to ruin the Capitol, but now I realised that they weren't even willing to acknowledge it. Panem wasn't ready for a change.
My whole plan had been for nothing. These people saw me as just another Victor in their games. I wasn't any better than any of the others in history. The Capitol had been controlling me this whole time. The whole time I thought I was making them play my game, I was just another Tribute in their own Games.