Chapter 7: The Beginning of the Games

Sage's POV

I sigh as I look up at the ceiling of my room, my hands behind my head and my legs stretched out in front of me. The moon is slowly rising outside my window and I can hear the hustle and bustle of the city outside. I feel the tremor of fear inside of me as I am reminded once again that tomorrow I will be in the arena. I could come out alive or dead, it's all a matter of luck.

I sit up and rub my temples, knowing I'll never get to sleep with the fear I feel in my gut. My hands are sweating already and my legs are shaking. I have to take a couple of deep breaths before I calm down somewhat.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand up, feeling the ache in my muscles and my heart, just wanting to go back to District 11. But, I don't want to go back to the District 11 who choose me, who voted my name to go into this, I want to go back to the District 11 who never choose my name. I just wish this never happened.

After pacing around in my room, I finally give up and head out into the hallway. It has a dark and eerie sense to it that makes me shiver. Or maybe it's the impending doom I feel? I don't know, but I move on anyways.

I go into the main room for District 11 where we usually eat and sit and watch the TV. The windows are large and are basically the walls for the room. I sit down in one of the sofas and turn it facing the window, looking out at the lights of the Capitol.

"Can't sleep?"

I jump at the voice and stand up, turning around to see Iris. Her long, dirty-blond hair is loose and she's in jeans and a sweatshirt right now. She walks over to me and sits down beside me as I sit down also.

"Not really," I answer, "I can't seem to get it out of my mind."

"I don't think any of us can," Iris murmurs, gazing out the window, "It's just that thought that we all may die, that only one of us will come out alive."

I nod, feeling that same quiver inside of me.

She turns to look at me, gray eyes boring into my dark blue, "Be careful."

"You too," I say, though it's a mere whisper.

Iris just shakes her head, her gaze returning to the outside. "I have a poor chance," She murmurs, "I have already accepted it. But I won't give up."

"You have a chance," I reassure her, resting my hand on her knee. She doesn't move away this time and neither do I. "You're tough," I continue, "you're brave, you're smart, and you're quick."

"I'm small, weak, and vulnerable," Iris shakes her head and turns to look at me again, anguish in her gray eyes, "I know I am."

"I highly doubt your weak, or vulnerable," I argue lightly, "But you can use your small size against us, who are bigger. You can get into small places and you're quicker, you can use that."

"Are you trying to help me?" Iris raises her eyebrows in speculation.

"I'm just trying to tell you that you have more of a chance than you think," I say carefully.

She blinks, thinking it over, before saying, "Thank you, Sage. I really wish we would have met earlier in life, because I have a feeling we would've been good friends."

I just nod, not sure why I feel such a lump in my throat.

"We should get back to our beds," I say. I'm starting to rise when she stops me.

"Don't," She says and smiles sheepishly, "I don't want to be alone tonight."

I just give her a light smile before nodding and sitting down beside her. And somehow, with Iris by my side, I am able to drift off to sleep and think about our great district, District 11.

I blink open my eyes to the dawn light coming into our room. I look down, surprised that I'm lying down on the sofa with Iris lying next to me. Her head rests on my chest and my arm is draped over her shoulders. I wish I could stay like this forever, but I know I can't, only one of us, or neither of us, will come out alive.

I lightly shake Iris awake and she jumps, her gray eyes wide with panic.

"It's alright," I say, sitting up, "it's just that it's time to get up."

The panic in her eyes dies to be replaced by fear and then her expression becomes unreadable. She looks at me before saying, "Thanks, Sage."

I just nod and stand up with her. We look at each other, knowing this is probably our last talk, our last goodbye. And for some odd reason, Iris steps forward and hugs me. Shocked, I stand there before putting my arms around her small body.

"Be careful," She whispers, her face against my shoulder.

"You too," I say as she leans back and we look into each others eyes.

Iris is the first one to pull away. She steps back, still looking at me, before saying, "Goodbye, Sage," And leaves the room.

I can't push away the horrible pain I feel when I think about her dying. And I'm still not sure why, I mean, I just met her. I shake it away, though, and walk over to my room. I see that Raphael is waiting.

"Here are your clothes," He says, handing them to me.

I take them and look them over. I have black pants that are water resistant and absorb heat. I also have black boots, a green t-shirt, and then a black jacket that is also water resistant and absorbs heat.

"Thanks, Raphael," I say before going into the bathroom and changing.

When I come out, he's still there.

"Be careful out there," He says, looking at me with green eyes, "I don't know what it will be like, but just do as Jake has told you. Get what you need and get out."

I nod and say, "Thanks," but my voice cracks a bit.

"Don't worry," he rests his hand on my shoulder as he continues, "you're strong, you can do this."

"I hope so," I whisper before he leads me out.

I force myself to walk steady and strong, all except my sweaty palms and shaking hands. We go into the elevator and head down before I'm in front of a large cone. This will take me to the arena.

When I step out of the elevator, Raphael says, "And remember, always be confident."

I step into the cone and look at him and nod, "I will. And hopefully, we'll see each other again."

Then glass shoots down from above, trapping me into the cone. Raphael is still standing there, watching me with unreadable green eyes. I take a deep shaky breath before I'm lifted up into darkness.

I'm in darkness for about 20 seconds before light blinds me. I blink a couple of times to adjust my eyes and I feel a soft breeze caress my skin. I hear the lapping of water around me.

I look around and realize that all of the tributes are on their platforms just above water. The Cornucopia is ahead, in the middle of all of us. I gasp when I realize it's on a small island. In fact, there are tons of small little islands and then a great, very wide river that's the water. On either side of the river, there's forest with large hills. The only flat land is on the small, little islands.

Then, I hear Claudius Templesmith's voice surround the air: "Ladies and gentlemen, let the Twenty-fifth Hunger Games begin!"

My legs are shaking now as I stand there on the platform. We have to wait sixty seconds or else we're blown up to pieces. I wait and wait, feeling as if this is the longest sixty seconds in my lifetime. Finally the gong sounds.

I stand there, though, unsure of what to do. Others hesitate before finally jumping in. I look around for Iris, hoping to see her. I find her in the water, struggling to get to the Cornucopia quickly. So, I take a deep breath before diving in.

The river is pretty deep as it is wide and I struggle to the surface. Once I break the surface, I look around for the island. I spot it quickly, the large Cornucopia still sitting there as others are climbing up on to the land.

I struggle through the water, repeating what others are doing around me. I have never swum before, but I just follow the same strokes and movements others are doing. Thankfully, I get to the island.

Right as I scramble up, I hear a shout. Something shoots past me and I gasp, realizing it's an arrow. I have to get a bow and arrow! I have to, to survive!

I race through the thin line of bushes and trees before I come into the open clearing. It's mass chaos and blood is already being spilled. I run with all my might to get the Cornucopia, dodging knives, arrows, anything that people use as a weapon.

I stop, though, when I see the person with the bow and arrow. It's Megan from District Nine. I have to get it from her, I know I do. I look at the Cornucopia, trying to find a good weapon, better than an arrow. I see a knife, a small but very sharp knife. I grab it quickly and fling it towards her.

She screams in agony as it pierces her back, but she drops the bow on the ground as she falls also. I run over, grabbing the bow before yanking the arrows off her back. I sling the bag of arrows around my own back and take the knife out of Megan's back, hearing her canon fire.

I run then, I just run. But how am I supposed to get to the other land? I stare at the water, horrified and knowing I'll surely die today. Then I hear footsteps and shouts. I whip around to see one of the Careers, Kellie. She pulls out a long blade, her eyes hungry for the weapons I have.

She swings it towards me and I dive away, but she caught me. Her blade slices my arm and I scream in agony, feeling the pain pierce through me like a bullet. It starts bleeding heavily as I'm on the ground and I know I have to get away fast before she decides to kill me. And right as Kellie raises her blade, ready to pierce my chest, something happens.

Kellie screams in pure rage and pain as a knife slices open her own leg. She falls to the ground, her leg useless now, as I see Sky jump down from a tree. He grabs the knife that was still sticking in her leg before turning to me.

"Come on!" He shouts, grabbing my good arm and hauling me into the river. I gasp as I feel the cold water again, and I'm loosing too much blood, I know it. But Sky drags me through it, swimming himself while half-carrying and half-dragging me. I try to help out as much as I can by moving my legs.

And though it feels like eternity, finally we get onto the other side of the river, away from the island and the Cornucopia. You can still see the people on it, and see Kellie on the ground, howling in pain at her sliced open leg. But I ignore this as I push myself up onto the grass and collapse.

"You alright?" Sky asks, eyeing my bleeding arm.

"I need…to stop the bleeding," I say between gritted teeth.

"Alright, take off your jacket," Sky directs me, leaning down beside me.

I grunt as I try to slip it off, ignoring the pain that stabs in my arm. But finally it's off and I see the full extent of the wound. It's cut right on a vein and though it's not especially deep, it'll make me loose too much blood. Sky grabs my jacket before tying the arms of it around my wound.

"It feels tight," I murmur, my voice also tight.

"It's supposed to be," He says as he helps me up, "it'll help stop the bleeding."

"Thanks," I manage to say as he leads me into the trees. The land is starting to incline, but we stay just inside the trees where it's still slightly flat. I lean against the tree, falling to the ground and hoping that this will help.

"I'm guessing we're allies now?" Sky says, settling down in front of me.

I just look at him and say, "Well, you basically saved my life back there, so I guess so."

I reach out my good arm as I shake his hand, thankful I have an ally in the beginning. But I still wonder how Iris is and I just hope I won't see her face in the sky tonight. And then it finally hits me as I'm reminded of Megan from District Nine. I had killed her. I had killed a human being on the first day. What would her family think?

I shiver as I sink down lower to the ground, hoping that it won't get any worse than this. But I know it will be.