Chapter 8
Arena
I wake with a start and realize why I'm so jumpy today. I'm going into the arena. It's depressing to even think about how today's events could unfold. I have to make it through the day, I have to help Katniss.
That's my overarching plan for the arena, it breaks off into several smaller ideas when I consider all the steps that must lead up to aiding Katniss. I know that I have to get something from the cornucopia, and I have to find water. From there, the only thing set in stone is that I have to keep tabs on the Careers. I know that Katniss will see information on the Careers as valuable, and that could be helpful in us becoming allies in the near future.
I know that though some tributes would find my knowledge of food valuable, Katniss will get by just fine without my help. She's a whiz with snares and if I know her whatever talent she showed the Gamemakers is useful for getting food in the arena, or in 12. I think that is why she looks so much better fed then the other tributes from 12, she can catch food on her own.
No wonder she has that glint of fire in her eyes, she needs it to survive-and in turn keep her sister alive. Thinking of Primrose makes me think of Prine, and that sends my thoughts spiraling out of control.
I'm fearing the worst, but I know that's irrational, Prine is strong and so is Flux. At the worst they will support the family on their own for a while, until my parents accept my death, and then things will settle down into the old pattern of life.
I know that Prine will follow my instructions, and keep my Mockingjay friends close. She will sing to them as I used to, and hopefully use them to signal the end of our working hours. I smile widely when I think of just how well Prine will replace me. My little sister is so like me.
Savera meets me in my room before I can head out of my room. She gives me a simple change of clothes and leads me to roof of the building. I take a moment to relish the sunrise, which I can see so clearly from the roof. I have no indication of what to expect in the arena-for all I know this could be the last time I see sunlight.
All of the sudden a hovercraft appears above me, and a ladder drops down. I hop onto it, grasping the bars tightly, only to find my caution was unnecessary-I am a statue. I'm frozen in place, completely unable to move.
The ladder moves, pulling me into the hovercraft. It's large, and metal though for something so large it is remarkably steady. A Capitol nurse comes up to me brandishing a needle.
"This is your tracker. The current is holding you in place so you don't move while I place it."
The only things I can move are my eyes, so I just look at her calmly. I take a deep breath, preparing for the sting that I know will come. This is just the beginning of the pain, I presume.
I find it odd that in an arena full of cameras they have to track the tributes individually, as though one could just disappear. I want to laugh at the idea.
The ladder releases me when the tracker is imbedded deeply in my arm. Savera is brought up on a similar ladder to my own, and an avox leads us to a section of the hovercraft where our breakfast has been spread out.
I watch the view out the windows, thinking that this is as close as I will ever be to flying-to being with the Mockingjays, to being a Mockingjay. I smile in content, as I pick at my food, not really hungry.
About half an hour later the windows black out, and my stomach tenses in anxiety, because I know that this means we will arrive soon. Savera directs me to the shower, and I clean up-knowing full well this may be my last opportunity. I take time washing out my hair, because I have no knowledge of procedure when it comes to returning a dead tribute, and I think my hair should look semi-clean if this is what I will look like when my casket returns to 11. I want to look like the Rue they remember, and there will simply be no helping the fatal wound-washing out my hair now is all I can do.
Savera puts a small section of my hair in a braid, and rubber bands it in place. She smiles as she works, content with our silence. When my clothes arrive she looks them over, and hands them to me.
Light green top, beige pants, sturdy running boots, that honestly are not suited for climbing trees, a belt, and a long hooded black jacket.
They are simple, and the same for each tribute. Another way for the Capitol to make us little more than animals, we all look the same, with nothing to make us individuals; these procedures are designed to distance us from the terrible truth of the Hunger Games. The children we see are real people-real human children who had beating hearts, and working lungs. Right up until the Capitol took away their most guaranteed right: their right to live.
Savera considers my jacket for a moment, and addresses it in a detached voice.
"This is going to reflect your body heat. That's beneficial in cool weather, but if it's warm take it off as quickly as possible to avoid dehydration." I nod at her instructions.
"And you have your district token?" She knows this is a futile question, I haven't taken my necklace off since I arrived in the Capitol. It's waterproof, and it was easily displayed by both my costumes in the Capitol. I wanted them to see it. I wanted them to see I had them with me.
"Yes." I confirm.
"It all fits well?"
I consider the nature of this question for a moment. If I were to say no would they have a smaller or larger size prepared? Or would they simply say 'too bad', in an overly apologetic way? "I'm sorry but at this time there is nothing we can do to help you with your particular predicament." Then thrust me into the arena.
I test out the clothes, moving in all the ways I usually do, and they fit fine. When I tell her so she only nods.
"I guess that's it." I say simply, not sad, just resolved.
"Don't say that. You will do good things." She sounds like Prine.
"Ok." She hugs me close when she hears my disbelieving tone.
"Thank you Savera. For everything, you really are a good person." I am not lying to her.
"Thanks. I only wanted to help make this all easy for you." I almost laugh-how to sugarcoat a death sentence, I can honestly say I've never considered the idea.
"You did." This might be a lie, I really can't make sense of my thoughts, and nerves are closing in on me.
"Don't worry too much." Again with the senselessness, does she not hear what she's saying?
"Ok." I sigh, and my fear twists in my stomach again. I am completely terrified now.
For some time we sit silently. I only get up when an announcer says we must prepare for launch. I step toward the circular metal plate, but Savera catches my arm and pulls me into a tight hug.
Her face close to my ear she breathes, "You deserve better than this, don't let them forget you."
I'm touched by her words, and I know she means them. I smile at her and nod. Then I step onto the plate fully, processing my body's response to life threatening danger. My heart is racing and it's pounding so hard I feel every beat. My breathing is deep, but only because I've forced it to be that way. My entire figure is shaking, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
A glass barrier slides down around me-and; just like that I'm prey. No more human than the animals in the woods. No laws apply here. It's kill or be killed. I've never disapproved of humans as a whole species more than in these moments, as I rise into the arena. The very place I'm sure I will breathe my final breath.
The metal plate it very sturdy as it raises me closer and closer to the sunlight. When my head pokes out into the open air my eyes have to readjust to the brightness. The air has a fresh scent that encourages me to take heed of Seeder's instructions and figure out where I am.
The plate has just clicked into position, when I hear Claudius Templesmith, and his ever-jovial voice boom into the arena, "Ladies and Gentlemen, let the Seventy-fourth Annual Hunger Games begin!"
I know I have sixty seconds. That leaves fifteen seconds for each thing Seeder has left for me to do. I have to figure out where I am. Directly in front of me is the mouth of the Cornucopia. It's gold metal is reflecting brightly into the clearing. The supplies there could keep a tribute going for months. There's a wide spread of weapons, food, and other various supplies.
To my back there's a steep cliff, which no one will go towards. To my left there's a lake, and to my right there's a field of tall grasses-grasses from home. I instantly long to go there, though I know my sort-of-ally, Katniss, has other plans. I watch Katniss for a moment, and see where she's headed. The tall woods directly behind her at a diagonal to her left. It will be a long run in the open for me, but I know that's where I must go.
Supplies. The only supplies close to me are the ones that I will go for. I scan the area around me in a ten-foot radius. I'm surprised to see a slingshot within my reach, not five feet from my metal circle. I will take that for sure. I also see a small backpack, which looks promising, in between the tribute closest to my right and I. Going for that could be risky. I decide to settle for a water skin and a small mound of something that looks like it could provide warmth if need be.
I move on to assailants. The tribute to my right is the small girl from 5, and she's preparing to bolt at the sound of the gong, not attack. The tribute to my left is the boy from 2, and he's only concerned with getting to the weapons, not taking out a wispy 12 year old like myself-not that he would catch me. The tributes on the other sides of them are too far to be able to reach a weapon and kill me before I am gone, at least halfway across this clearing, heading to the forest.
Finally, allies. I spot mine-though she doesn't know we're allies… not yet. Her gaze is fixed on something at the mouth of the Cornucopia: a bow and sheath of arrows. My sort-of-ally is a hunter. I smile, but that quickly fades, replaced with horror. She can't go for it. No! She'll be killed as soon as the first Careers reach the Cornucopia! She has sense! What is she thinking? She isn't thinking, I quickly realize, she's scared.
I'm scrambling-trying to find a way to get her attention before she runs to her death-when Peeta bails me out. With a slight shake of his head I see him dismiss her idea of going for the bow. For a second this gives me pause-he knows her talent-but I recover instantly because the gong sounds. My sixty seconds are up.
Hey! Hope you all love this new chapter. I liked writing it... but not as much as I liked writing chapter 9... ;). Let me know what you think please.
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