Reaping day. It came like a bullet. I had to double up my name four times. I was in there 64 times. My name, scattered among the thousands of other innocent children, was called to participate in the Hunger Games.
Lovino Vargas.
The name plays in my head like a broken record, over and over again.
Lovino Vargas.
Nothing else mattered. My family didn't exist. I didn't exist. The bad-mouth, rebellious, sixteen year old itallian from District 12 didn't exist anymore.
Lovino Vargas.
I'm going to die today, I would tell myself.
I'm gonna be killed, or drown, or die from hunger.
Lovino Vargas.
As the hovercraft approached the arena, I stared at my fellow tribute. I never really knew her untill now. I'm not sure I even remember her name. She was pretty. It's a shame she and I were going to die today, and that we weren't going to be aquainted.
I had remembered seeing a few people during training that worked their way around an axe or a knife. The two siblings from Five, one weilding a knife and the other a bat. I wouldn't mind them killing me. The two donned gleaming, silver hair, almost like they were born in the Capitol. The boy nearly knocked a manniken head off with the iron bat. That would be a relatively painless death. Too bad the boy scares me. The girl cut off a mannikens arms with her large knife within a few attacks. She was attractive, but had almost an eerie aura about her. On second thought, maybe being killed by them wouldn't be the best... I'm afraid they would eat my corpse...
The hovercraft continued to move at a slow pace.
Hurry up, I wanna get this over with.
One group of tributes seemed to be already in an alliance. One boy had silver hair, and eyes that almost looked red in direct light. He didnt really use any weapons, but he didnt need to. He had a posse with him. One of the boys had long, blonde hair, and a stubble beard. He was often cracking up at some sort of perverted joke he made up that he thought was funny. He used a bow and arrow, hitting in vital spots on some occasions. He also had a thick, french accent too. The other boy stood out, however. He was tall, with olive skin and bright green eyes. His mop of brown hair fell over his forehead perfectly. I think I heard a glimpse of his name once. Antonio.
He had been training out of his group one day, and was fiddling around with his axe. Each time he hit the mannekin he hit dead on the forehead. But it wasn't the accuracy of his axe I was looking at. As he hit the mannekin, his muscles seemed to fluxuate, pulsing in and out like a beating heart. The rhythmic strikes almost put me in a trance, the dancing muscles hypnotised me.
I couldn't help but stare.
I would watch him every day. He would catch me occasionally, tell me to leave him alone, and continue his activites. How could I though? I was under a spell. He walked up to me one day and spoke. He had a lovely, spanish accent that rolled off his tounge. "Hey ese, save the staring for when you begging for your life." He turned around and tossed his axe into the forehead of the dummy and walked away.
He stole my heart that day.
The hovercraft was finally pulling to a stop, and we were rushed out into a hall. My design crew quickly put me into a black, zip-up hoodie, a pair of loose black pants, and running shoes. The girl from my district wore a similar outfit, only her jacket included a vest and her pants were tighter. I waved to her. She waved back. We both knew we were going to die.
Twenty seconds to launch.
Soon after our wardrobe change, we were shoved into pods and told to wait. I straighted up myself so I at least looked presentable.
Five seconds to launch.
I felt myself being pushed up by the floor, and I saw a large gate above me slide open.
10.
The sun was blinding. I looked around at the location of my grave. The cornucopia was in the center of a lush field, filled with flowers and bright green grass. In the distance, a large group of mountains, along with a few large waterfalls, sat beyond a forrest. In the other direction, a large lake with an island at the center.
9.
I looked at the tributes. Antonio was next to me. We exanged glances for a second, and then he returned to getting ready.
8.
A bag. I'll need supplies. My palms began to sweat and I let down a gulp and tried to keep calm.
7.
I could die right now. Step off this platform and get blown sky high.
6.
It was too late for that. I needed a bag. But I had to go fast.
5.
Fast...
4.
Fast...
3.
2.
1.
Lovino Vargas.
It was a blur. I dashed for anything I could get. I grabbed a bag and avoided the stench of death and anyone else I saw.
The woods. I have to get to the woods.
I ran. I ran even if my legs were about to give out. The scent of blood was still fresh in my nostrils. How many died just now? Did the two creepy siblings from Five escape? Did the girl from my district make it out alive? Did Antonio regroup with his alliance? I ran. I ran from my death. I'm alive.
Why am I alive?
I rested under a canopy of trees after I was certain I had escaped from the Bloodbath. I sat down and immediately unzipped my pack. A sleeping bag. A can of lamb soup. Some carrots. A hunting knife. A lighter. Bug Spray.
Jackpot.
I looked passed the canopy and noticed storm clouds slowly rolling toward the mountains.
Of course. Just my damn luck. I came up with a plan. If I moved towards the mountains and found a safe zone of some kind, I'd be protected from the storm and other tributes. If I was good at anything, it was running and hiding.
Then the cannons began.
The cannons blasted through the air signaling the death of a tribute. I counted each shot.
1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8...
Eight dead in just a few minutes.
I prayed to god Antonio wasn't one of them.