Hello, my readers it's me again, I have had a lot to do with school lately. It sucks, so forgive me here's another chapter. ~Jaylynn

60 seconds. The amount of time the tributes are required to stand on our metal cylinders, move before then you're dead; blown sky high by the Gamemakers. I've seen it happen before, it's terrifying.

My eyes adjust to the bright sunshine. I look around. The outdoors are beautiful of course, but I don't have time to marvel. We on a flat plain, green grass spread out before us, field growing taller and taller as they go back further. The horizon is crowded with mountains, the kind that people dream of; snow capped and rocky. Set up before the mountains are thick wooded areas. I need to head to the safety of the wooded area if I am to survive.

Something glints over the green grass; I follow the light to the golden cornucopia the Hunger Games is famous for. Its intimidating, because everything is real, I'm in this game now.

Supplies are overflowing the horn; a bounty waits to those who are brave enough to seek them out. I need some if I want to survive, I mean I'm resourceful but I can't rely on just my basic knowledge, there's so much I don't know. I can't bear leaving without anything. I try to analyze what I want to grab; my breathing hitches when I see the oddly misplaced color out of the stack.

A large baby yellow backpack sticks out at the bottom of the supplies. Against all of the neutral colors around, the baby yellow pops. But that's not why my breath is stuck; I recognize the color, it's unmistakable. The first time I ever heard my baby's heartbeat, the color of the censor on my stomach stuck in my mind as odd in the monotone hospital. The baby yellow censor hooked up the machine is the exact same color as the yellow backpack.

My mind clicks together instantly; the bag is meant for me, nobody else would think anything of it except me. It must have something personalized for me, Gamemakers made sure I would find it.

I have to get it; it could very well keep me alive. I can practically hear everyone on my team cursing at me when I drop my posture and pose my feet to run. I just can't let it go.

The gong rings out and I snap my feet off the metal plate. I run with all my strength. It's a difficult journey since it feels like a ten pound bad of sand if strapped to my hips. I'm fast, but the Careers are faster. We meet the Cornucopia at the same time. I lose my thoughts and go into instinct mode. I see the girl from District 4 go for my bag, the one so desperately need. An unexpected growl tears from my lips. I launch myself at my unsuspecting victim.

She's at least three times bigger; but I'm faster, I have her pinned to the ground in just under a minute. She squirming around but it's futile, she won't get away. My ears react to the hiss of a weapon coming my way. I roll off the girl just in time to hear the thud of the spear hit her body, she won't live. I hit my head on a wooden box sprawled out on the ground in front of the golden horn. My head is throbbing but I can't lose focus.

The boy that threw the spear is not letting his original target get away that easily. Before I have time to get up he has another spear in his hand. An eerie smile forms on his face.

"I can't wait to get kill you, and your little baby too." His laughter finds its way to my ears. He lets the weapon fly at me. My body takes a second to react but I roll to the left just in time to avoid a fatal blow to the abdomen. The sharp tip grazes the skin just above my right hip. It opens deep gash about five inches long.

I'm off the ground in no time. Ready to fight, he's turned getting another spear from the stack of supplies. I take the chance and do the only thing I know best. I tackle him to the ground from behind. He's shocked for a moment but recovers quickly. He's not as easy as the girl before, but I manage to subdue him in a comfortable position. My knees and legs pin down his arms, leaving me on top of him with my hands free. I find his throat and wrap my hands around his neck, cutting of his air supply. He struggles but soon enough his body goes limp.

Suddenly I become aware of the scene going on around me, the bloodbath has taken over. The sounds of helpless screams and thuds of weapons hitting their marks ring around the still air. It's sick. My stomach twists into uncomfortable knots and I pull my hands away. I can't be responsible for ending a life. I heave myself off the boy. I see the bag I need resting about five yards away. I creep over to it and snatch it off the ground. I also grab a much smaller green pack sitting next to it. I sling both over my shoulder.

I look around at the puddles of blood staining the earth. I see the young boy of District 12 get his throat slit, by a Career. Everything is blurry; my eyes are glued of the area before me. Lifeless bodies laying everywhere, pale faces of children drained of blood, shrieks and begging lost by sharp weapons. I look at the woods in the distance, I have to get there. I just have to get as far away as I can from here.

I take off into the long green grass before me. I don't dare run though; being reckless will leave a trail to follow. I creep through the grass as quiet as a snake. I can still hear the battle taking place at the Cornucopia, not matter how hard I try to tune it out. To make matters worse I have to hold my side to prevent blood drops.

Hours of later, the sun hangs low in the sky. The grass is thinning and I've come to the end. I see the dense trees laid out before me. Finally, now just a place to sleep. The woods are better I can run if I want to now. I decide against it, I'm too tired now. About a mile in I spy a clump if pines. I need to rest after all that's gone on today.

I spy large bushes about ten feet tall, centered in three pine trees. They have large green leaves that conceal the inside perfectly. I dive in, it difficult but I eventually find a small opening between the bushes, its very well hidden and camouflaged. The dirty ground is covered with a thick layer of pine needles. Not comfortable but better than the cold earth.

I have four foot perimeter around me that, spacious considering where I'm hiding. The opening is about five feet tall, enough for me to sit and crouch. This will be my bed for tonight at least.

I pull the bags off my shoulder, and stretch my sore muscle. I sit with my head on my knees and catch my breath; soon the anthem will play and ill see every face of everyone whose life was taken today. I sigh and decide to tend to the bleeding wound that I haven't had time to examine.

The blade made a clean gash, I'll have to clean it to prevent infection them some bandages should make it better. It's still bleeding heavily after hours. I doubt there's anything I can do with my throbbing head. Now's a good time to go through my bags.

I pull the small green pack on my lap first. I open it and discover a small length of rope, thick black gloves, a small supply of crackers, and a small knife. The knife wouldn't do much damage to a human but it would cut animal meat and plants. I return the items to the green pack.

My special yellow pack is next. It's much bigger and won't fit on my lap. I sit it next to me and pull out the first item. A box of medical supplies reveals itself. I open the box to find the basics, bandages, gauze, medical tape, needle and thread, small tweezers, pills to settle a stomach, and pills to bring down fever.

I find a strange bottle of pills that I've never seen before. I hold it up to shine some light on the label. I'm puzzled over it. I catch a ray of light and find a specific set of words, Stop premature labor. Of course! Gamemakers don't want me going into labor; it would violate a whole bunch of rules and morals.

I return the valuable medical supplies to the box, and set it aside. I find a large canteen, and slightly bigger portion of crackers. I feel my throat itch for liquid. I'll look for water and food tomorrow, when ill have plenty of time.

I reveal a bottle of iodine, and a thick brown sleeping bag. I praise my decision to get these bags. I'll need the sleeping bad. I pack everything back into the yellow bag. I keep the sleeping bag and medical box out though.

My attention goes back to the gash. It's hard to work around my stomach but I sort around it. Blood has drenched the surrounding fabric. I really wish I had water to wash away the dried blood, and the fresh blood still streaming bright crimson as it drips down my hip. I pluck a few leaves off the bushes around me. I wipe the mess away as much as I can with the green foliage. Now my wound is throbbing and bleeding more. I rummage through the medical supplies. I eye the needle and thread, it's the only way to staunch the bleeding. I sew all the time with my mother so a basic stitch will work. I find a white bandage a bite down, no noise. I thread the needle, and pull it through the right side of the wound. My cries are lost in the bandage. Its agony but I manage to pull of six stitches before it's too much to stand. My tears carved dirt trails on my face. My throat is swollen form crying.

I look down at my work. The stitches are jagged and uneven but they work, the bleeding is already becoming less. I remove the bandage from my mouth and use the tape from the kit to fasten it over my wound. I return the items to the box, and the box to the green backpack.

I nearly jump out into the open when I hear the bang. The canons are being fired, signaling the end of the bloodbath. I count them slowly asses how many are dead, and how many are still competing. One… two… three… four. It goes all the way to nine. Fourteen tributes left to play. Nine dead. Not a high account but descent. Soon I'll know how died.

I decide to settle into bed, I spread out the sleeping bag and curl up into it. My head hurts and my side is throbbing but maneuver into a relatively comfortable position. I watch as the sun slowly disappears through the leaves until bright stars fill the dark night.

Suddenly the sky lights up through the thick green brush and the capital anthem plays. The simple head shots of the dead tributes skitter over the dark night. First the boy from District 2, a career, an unexpected player fallen. Next up is the young girl from three, then the girl from four that took the spear when I rolled off of her, both from District six, the boy from seven, the red-haired girl from eight, the boy from district ten and lastly the little boy from twelve who I witnessed die.

I don't see the boy that attacked me, I am silently glad that he only passed out under my grip instead of died. I don't have any blood on my hands yet but I have a feeling it won't stay that way for long, because no matter what if my baby's safety is threatened I will do almost anything.

My hands move to the bump on my abdomen. I can't feel it through the thick fabric of my second shirt, so I resolve to hitch it up the feel the thin fabric stretching from my tank-top.

My eyes are heavy and I can feel my brain shutting down. I hold on tight to the only precious thing I have and I don't let it go.

The winds howling wakes me up, its sounds like screaming. I work my way out of the sleeping bag immediately; something is wrong. My senses are shouting something bad is happening.

It's hard to see in the pale moonlight, its dark everywhere. I push the brush out of the way and find my way out of my small den. I can barely see five feet in front of myself; the wind is so fierce it drowns out sound. I whip my head back and forth trying to figure out what's going on.

That's when a tree limb as big as a dining table smashes into a large rock to my left. My mind snaps all the pieces together instantly. It's a twister. My bushes aren't going to stand up well to a full blown twister. I dive back in and shove the sleeping bag into my yellow pact, and throw everything on my back. I have to get out of here. I take off running deeper into the forest.

Shelter is my main concern at this point. I'm running as fast as my body will let me. My breath comes in pants and uneven intervals, my heart is pounding in my ears, and my legs are begging to stop running.

I trip on a rock and sprawl out onto the muddy ground. I look behind me and see the huge black mass howling and making its way towards me. A loud crack echoes through the through the thick air, and right after a child's scream. I tear my eyes off the twister.

I see the origins of the scream. A young girl is trapped between a large rock and a tree branch. I pull myself off the ground, that child will not die if I can help it.

Her body is limp when I get to her, and is pinned under the branch. She's clawed at the limb with little result. I use all the strength I can find a wedge the limb up just enough to free her tiny body. I scoop her up and run again, the black mass at my heels.

I can so things whirling around me as I go. I feel a sharp pain on the back of my led and cry out, I keep pushing through the pain. I stop when I come to the end of the tree line. All there are are mountains in front of me now. I'm desperate I need to find cover now. A large crack in the mountain comes into my sight. I sprint as fast as I can to it and it turns out it leads to a small hidden chamber. I get my sense to together and set down the small girl. The hidden cave I found is perfect for now.

The wind is still screaming outside even though dawn has broken through the black night. My body is aching from lack of oxygen. I let my bags fall from my back. I feel my conscious slipping away as I give into the pain, fear and exhaustion.

Ehhh, not my best but were all entitled to off days. Oh well, I'm running low on ideas. Any suggestions will be welcomed? I've been thinking of starting another story about how Gale's parents came to be, is anybody interested in read that? As always Read. Review. Love. Love you lots XoXo review please. ~Jaylynn