The night before the games was a long one, and I couldn't will myself to fall asleep either, it seemed as if everything was moving in slow motion leading up to the last few hours until the 87th Hunger Games were to begin. I pretended to go to sleep after dinner, so I lay in my bed for a good two hours just staring up at the tall vaulted ceiling. All that time I was trying to plan out my strategy for the Cornucopia. I knew that the Career's would dive in and try to eliminate as much of the competition as possible in that first few moments, so I thought it would be better to stay back and let the Careers do their business. After the initial attacks maybe I could rush in and get as many things as I could, given that the good supplies would be gone, I'd try to get the best I could.
Soon, I got bored of lying still so I swung my legs around and – as quietly as possible – made my way to the big window on the opposite side of the room. Behind the curtains I saw that the window wasn't just a window, it also contained a balcony. After a minute or so of trying to open the door I stepped outside into the night air of the Capitol. The night air swept throughout the corridors of the city and was pushed upward to lightly brush against my cheek. It felt like the world was trying to reassure me it would be alright, but I knew it wouldn't be. Only one tribute could win these games and I couldn't make myself believe that it would be me. So many other tributes had so much more skill than me and so many of them were older, the Careers could kill easily and the girl from District 12 who could camouflage herself into any terrain. But then there was me, even though I got a generally high training score that didn't mean that I was likely to even get past the Cornucopia. The breeze felt as cold as deaths kiss as it brushed lightly against me, and it continued to wrap itself around me until the first light broke through the clouds on the horizon.
Along with the sunbeams came the quiet songs and chirps from the Mockingjays. But nothing else came until two hours later, and that small noise was Lorelei knocking on my door to tell me it was almost time to go.
"I'll be right out Lorelei, don't worry," I call out to her then take in a deep breath. I was ready to get this whole thing over with but I knew that if I went in with that sort of attitude I'd be the lucky tribute that made it through but died a horribly slow death from the Career's torture.
"Take your time sweetie; I know it's a hard day. Well it is for Joshua at least."
I walk over and open the door for her finally and look her straight in the eye, "you have no idea how hard it is Lorelei. Just knowing that you could die in the next few hours is the worst thing you could probably imagine but you're just another Capitol person who has no worries and I bet you actually have fun watching the games. Watching twenty-four children die and you just forget them the next day."
Lorelei looked a bit taken aback at my revelation but then nods, "I'm sorry Blair. I didn't mean to offend you."
"Don't be sorry for what you don't care about, it's useless." I state firmly then push past her to get some breakfast before leaving to enter the games.
…
All twenty-four of us stood in a large ring around the cornucopia, which was placed on a large, ornate, mosaic with brilliant colors. Around us stood what looked like the ruins of an old city, it could possibly be crafted after District 13 after the uprising that brought it to ruins. Further off in the distance I could see rolling hills covered with lavender flowers and large trees. But to my right there was a huge river which looked almost black as it swirled around in what seemed like whirlpools wanting to swallow each one of us alive.
Standing across from me I saw a small brown haired girl that was from District 4, a Career. She didn't look too harmful, but I had to believe that she was. Next, I saw the girl from District 3, Rocky I believe, she was so confident looking at the moment. Even standing beside some of the Careers she looked even more terrifying than them. I had to make a note not to go anywhere near her, ever. The girl from District 2 looked pretty confident as well, I could almost see her glowing green eyes from across the whole length between us. But the only boy I found not to be looking determined as the others was Dominic, the boy who was trying to flirt with me during the training sessions. His spiky black hair was windblown and he was looking down at the ground, maybe contemplating on whether to run or to go for a few weapons and be killed right then and there. If I were him, I would take off and run. Too bad I wasn't him, because I just knew I had to get something to comfort me during my short time in the arena.
Time ticked down and each time the countdown went to a lower and lower number, time went by so much slower. Those thirty seconds were like a horrible nightmare. Everyone was staring straight forward at the cornucopia, no one looked like they were aware of anything else going on or that everyone else in the arena was planning on doing the same thing.
Apparently the time was too much for the girl from District 8. She stepped off her block too early and she was shot sky-high and the explosion set off the ones next to her. So there went two people right off the bat. Then, I just noticed how close that it was. The District 8 girl was right beside Joshua, and he had been knocked backward from the explosion. But he wasn't dead yet.
That single event set off a chain reaction because straight across the circle, the boy from District 6 jumped off of his circle, killing himself and his partner in that explosion. But during that time, the loud clanging of a bell sent everyone sprinting toward the center of the cornucopia. The games have started, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Joshua was still lying motionlessly near the back of the ring, no one bothered at striking the final blow because he would die anyway.
Of course the Careers got the good stuff too; District 1 partners got to the inside first and came out with a load of swords and small throwing knives. But what surprised me as I dived down low and grabbed a small backpack, then headed around to the back, was that the girl and boy from District 3 ran up behind the District 1 tributes and murdered them right there. Too bad for their lifelong training, I guess it do them any good since they were killed the first hour of the games.
As I ran I could see the lifeless faces of a few more tributes staring back up at me. They would never be able to go back and see their families again but; who's to say that I won't see my family either, only the Capitol can decide that. Screams echoed out behind me and I pushed myself to run faster and eventually I made it to the edge of the city ruins surrounding the cornucopia and I watched more of the madness be unleashed upon the arena.
A/N: okay, I'm sincerely sorry for the long wait guys, I just totally lost my inspiration for it. But I promise to update sooner this time! Soo yeah and just to clear everything up, there are eleven Tributes dead.
District 1: Shine and Parker
District 4: Brenna
District 5: Aspen
District 6: Anastasia and Zeb
District 8: Honora and Ignacio
District 9: Lark
District 11: Gypsy
District 12: Clayton
And all who is left are:
District 2: Katerina and Gregorio
District 3: Rockella and Herring
District 4: Axel
District 5: Creed
District 7: Blair and Joshua
District 9: Elizabeth
District 10: Kat and Dominic
District 11: River
District 12: Vanadium