Keaton Jarvis, District 5 boy

Feeling the cool air on my face is a relief. It's not too hot, meaning we aren't situated in a desert. But that relief is soon overtaken by another fear. These next few hours will be the deadliest in the games. The Cornucopia Bloodbath always takes at least five lives. Sometimes it can go all the way up to fourteen.

Here we are, in what appears to be the nicest manicured grass in any arena I could recollect. The blades are all the same length, so beautifully crafted.

Surrounding the entire circular area of grass are hedges of rosebushes. It looks like we're closed in. But upon further inspection, I notice there are four small openings at each quadrant. Four ways to go. And I can just see the maze inside. A maze of hedges. A place to get lost in. A place where you can get caught in dead ends, which won't be good if you're being chased. What better way to immerse the audience into the show? The Capitol citizens, with their silly wigs and wonderful parties, will definitely love this arena.

Just ahead in the shining golden horn. Around fifty yards away is the mouth, equipped with supplies. But there don't appear to be too many tents, matches, or even blankets. No. Just backpacks, first-aid kits, and weapons. All kinds of blades ranging from swords to sickles to the most fundamental knives that can do a number of things. I just need a pack.

Will some psychopath killer notice me? Probably, due to my extremely red hair that falls to my shoulders. To my left is the girl from District 1. She's kneeling on her plate, ready to jump off like a jaguar. On my right is the boy from District 7. He looks as if he will throw up.

Then the gong rings.

At once, the boy from 7 runs off into the nearest maze entrance. I am left in the dust by the girl from District 1. She makes it to the horn first, then she engages in a fight with Jane Yellow, the willowy blonde from my district.

I think this is the end of Jane. But she cuts the girl from 1's stomach open with an ax. I don't believe it. This innocent girl, so nice, innocent, and would never hurt a fly back in the solar plants where she goes to school, actually just killed a human being!

I run to grab a backpack and she approaches me. I arm myself with the heavy pack, not sure what to think of this new image I've conjured up.

"Come on! Let's go!" she shouts.

"Huh?" I ask.

"Look out!"

To my right, the boy from 6 is running towards me with a very intimidating sword. Luckily, I have the sense to duck just as Jane throws an ax into his face. It sticks in there as blood spurts out. Gushing and all like a little fountain.

Jane and I sprint off, passing by numerous clashing tributes. I have no time to see who they are. All I know is that Jane just killed the first two tributes. She only got a three in training. How could this be possible? I got a seven! And I would never kill anyone.

Later

Hours later, eleven cannons fire. I suppose the battle has finally ended. The last kid, probably some straggler who thought they could sneak back, was killed. The Careers, or some other huge alliance, will have definitely claimed territory on the surplus of supplies back at the Cornucopia. Most likely, they've gone out hunting for prey while one stays at the camp to guard.

We've been trekking through endless hallways of rosebushes. Occasionally, there will be a fruit bush with food that hasn't caused us any upset stomach or high fevers. But water? None so far.

"Does this thing ever end?" I ask her as the sun begins to set, creating an orange tint in a sky with a horizon I've yet to see.

"I have no idea. But we've been going north. Just keep walking and we'll get there," she says.

"You never told me you were going to fight," I say.

"I didn't want the Careers to target me," she says.

"But you killed two tributes at the bloodbath," I say.

"Everything happens so fast for the Careers when they fight," she says, "They were pumped on adrenaline and I was no more than a swirl of light to them."

"Good point," I say.

Just then, we approach another opening. A lot like the Cornucopia's grassy lawn but smaller. Probably only twenty yards in diameter. Laying before us is a circular pool of water. Nightfall, which has just arrived, is reflected in the water with its white moon and sparkling stars.

"I hope I have iodine," she says, opening her backpack. She grunts, "Check yours."

My backpack is navy blue and larger than hers, and iodine there is. We take out our canteens. Mine actually has water, while hers does not. Good thing we have each other. Just as we treat the water, the anthem of Panem plays as the death recaps begin to be projected into the sky. The Capitol seal, tinged blue, floats in midair. It disappears, and for a brief moment there's nothing. All eleven fallen tributes are broadcast into the sky for the tributes to see.

The girl from District 1, obviously.

The boy from District 3.

Both tributes from 6. Yep, there's the boy who nearly jabbed me with a sword.

The girl from District 7. Terrified Boy survived.

Both tributes from 8, 9, and 12.

That's it. Several are still out there, either hunting or being hunted.

"What are we to the other tributes?" I ask Jane.

"We're enemies. But we're not hunters," she says, "I just hope those five Careers are in some other quadrant of the arena. Tomorrow, when we wake up, we'll continue to the end." She lies on the hedge just next to the pool, and instantly falls asleep. Should I keep watch? I think she'd expect me too.

Snarl.

What happened? Did I fall asleep? I snap awake to find myself in an awkward position next to Jane, who is still asleep in her same sitting position. It appears to be very early in the morning, too early to even see any ray of sunlight.

What was that animal sound?

Growl.

To my left is some wild animal. I swallow nervously, knowing that I may be challenged with a mutt. I shake my head, thinking it can't be true. When I nudge Jane, she sticks her ax out and says, "What?!"

"Shh!" I hush to her.

We look in the opening of the maze where the growling sound came from. This was no doubt a mammal of some sort. A tiger? Wolf? Perhaps it is some nightmarish mixture of both? When it appears in our view, I am disgusted.

It's black in color and has a mutilated face to the point where I can't even see its eyes. But its snout is very much visible. Teeth where teeth shouldn't even be, like in its cheeks and on the top of its head, are sticking out in various directions like spikes. Most of its body is scaly with a few patches of fur. And there are holes in the side of its body oozing out yellow goo.

"Back up slowly," I say.

Jane touches her ax, and the bear goes berserk. It roars and jumps towards her. I jump in the way and it grabs me by my sweatshirt with its opposable thumbs. I don't scream, instead I decide I'm going to let it devour me. This is it. I guess the Capitol got me. But it doesn't eat me or even claw me. Instead, it walks on two legs and drags me up the maze by my legs.

I can't help it. I'm breathing very heavily. My train of thought is swirling in hundreds of different directions. I can't grasp what's happening, and I even think I'm even fainting in and out. Jane keeps up with the bear. Finally, I think she manages to yank my shoe off and I'm left on the ground.

The bear gets back down on her fours, and roars again. This time she grabs Jane by her hood, leading to her screaming uncontrollably. We've caught the attention of any tributes who are near, if any. But maybe they will be scared away at the sound of this bear.

I walk next to the bear as she continues going around corners, Jane crying and freaking out like I've never seen her do before. She was so docile back home. But then, the bear takes her down another path, one I've never been down, and throws her into a pit of snakes.

"No!" I shout, waiting for them to bite her as she screams this unearthly wail.

They don't bite her. Instead, they slither around hissing. She crawls out and begins crying into my chest. I hold her tightly, knowing the trauma she went through. The bear has disappeared, probably going off to find other tributes to psychologically torment.