Chapter Eleven
I look around me, there's a vast expanse of woods behind me, which stretch for miles. There's what looks like a cliff drop in front of me, but I see tufts of grass beyond it, indicating that it must just be a deep slope. There's a huge lake lying to my far right. "find a source of water." Haymitch's last words play in my head. Judging from the previous years the careers will stay around the Cornucopia, meaning that my water source has been found. I hope for Katniss's sake that the lake isn't the only water source.
We have to stand on the podiums for sixty seconds otherwise mines go off, but that time must be nearly up, I turn to look at the mouth of the Cornucopia, and that's when I see it. Glinting in the soft sunlight, a silver sheath of arrows and a bow lies innocently on a mound of blankets. I look wildly around, trying to find Katniss, she can't run in for it, she can't get herself killed. I see her about five tributes to my left, my heart sinks as she's poised to run. She suddenly turns her head and looks in my direction. I subtly shake my head at her, trying to silently say, "Don't get drawn in, head for the woods."
The gong rings out, and we're off. The games have officially begun. I run towards the Cornucopia and reach it at the same as Cato the boy from 2. He picks up a vicious spear and throws it, immediately impaling it in the stomach of the girl from District 3. The adrenaline pumping through my body cushions the initial shock. I have to remember that I'm a career now so I pick up a lethal looking sword, and turn to Cato. He's got a horribly satisfied look on his face, and he picks up another spear from the mouth of the Cornucopia.
The events can't have taken more than thirty seconds or so, and I see a dark braid which I know belongs to Katniss resting on top of a bright orange backpack. It disappears safely in to the woods, and I breathe a slight sigh of relief.
I pick up a knife and a sword, ready to fight my corner. The boy from 6 lunges at me with a knife, grazing arm, causing blood to leak out of the wound he caused. But before he can repeat the attack he's taken out by one of Clove's swords. The fighting goes on for hours, and I get worse injuries than the one on my arm. I can feel my face becoming bruised and swollen, my lower calf sustaining a gash making me limp. The one's who got drawn in to the blood bath never really stood a chance, and the tributes with any wits about them disappeared either in to the woods, or down in to the slope, long ago.
Bodies are strewn everywhere, the careers group up at the mouth of the Cornucopia. I'm surprised to see that the boy from District 3 is with them, clearly he had some skill thats worth keeping him alive.
I dart back through the carnage as quickly as my leg will allow, to re-join the careers, when something grabs my leg. It's the girl from 10, she's an absolute mess. Her left hand has been severed and lies a few feet away from her body, the stump flowing blood. There's a huge gash, high up on her right leg. I can tell that she's a goner. Through the bubbles of blood at her mouth she's trying to say something. "Please, please." I know what she wants me to do. I look at the sword I'm still clutching.
"I'm so sorry," I whisper before I kneel down, and slit her throat. She convulses for a few moments, and then lies quite still.
I get to the other tributes in another few seconds. I notice Cato looking at me, did he see what I just did? Would he see it for what it was? An act of mercy, or for what a career would do. To eliminate the competition. He's just seen me participate in the bloodbath, surely I've proved my allegiance?
"We're going to get all of these supplies down by the lake, and then we're going to hunt." I can tell by his tone that he doesn't mean animals.
We all start to lug the packages from the Cornucopia down to the spot I found by the lake. The canons go off when we've moved about half of the items. This indicates to the other tributes that the initial bloodbath is over. Each canon represents a dead tribute, I count eleven in all. I'll have to wait until tonight to find out exactly who has fallen.
By the time we have all of our stuff assembled it must be the early evening. I bandage my arm and leg as best I can, and then stop to look at exactly who is in our group. There's both from District 1, Glimmer and Marvel, then both from 2, Clove and Cato. There's only the girl, Navicula, from 4, and the boy from 3.
"Right we're going to go in to the woods and see what we can find." Cato says. Might as well say who you can find Cato, I think. He points at the boy from 3 and girl from 4.
"You two stay and guard the stuff." He says before pointing at the boy. "Tomorrow you can do your thing." He grabs another sword from the pile, and heads off towards the woods. The rest of us grab more weapons, and torches from the mound and follow him.
We scour the forest for hours, until night properly falls, flashing our torches in to the trees for signs of life. A few hours in to the search, the seal of Panem plays, and the faces of the fallen tributes are reflected in the sky. The first to appear is the girl from 3, the one that I saw Cato impale. Then the boy from 4, I thought it was odd that he wasn't with us, I guess he just got caught up in the bloodbath like the ten others. The boy from 5, both from 6 and 7, the boy from 8, both from 9. Then finally the girl from 10. The one that I killed. I allow myself to breathe a silent sigh of relief. Katniss is alive and out there somewhere. I only hope that I can do enough with the careers to direct them away from her.
I feel very uneasy, walking through the dense layer of trees in the dark. The other careers all ate together during training, so they're familiar with each other. I can see that they're wondering why I'm even bothering to stay with them. I need to prove myself. We must be deep in to the night by now, it's starting to get very cold as well, I wonder why there aren't tributes starting fires. As if in answer to my question, I see a flickering up ahead. The others see it too, and start to get exited.
"Look!" hisses Glimmer, pointing. They break in to a run, and I follow suit. We break in the clearing with the fire, where the girl snaps awake instantly. It's too late though, and she knows it. I see her pupils dilate in fear, her breath starts coming up short. She starts pleading but it's no use, Cato's got a menacing smile stretched across his face.
He raises his sword, there's a glint of metal in the firelight, she lets out an agonized scream, and then the girls lying with a huge gash in her stomach, oozing crimson blood.
The group starts laughing, patting Cato on the back and congratulating him. I join in, purely for appearances sake. Clove shouts out, "Twelve down and eleven to go!" The rest start hooting appreciatively.
Glimmer and Marvel move forwards and start to check the girls pack.
"Nothing useful in there." Marvel says dismissively throwing her small backpack down.
"Yeah, nothing we haven't already got." Glimmer adds with a smile.
"Better clear out so they can get the body before it starts stinking." Says Cato. We all murmur in agreement and start heading forwards. We don't get very far though.
"Shouldn't we have heard a cannon by now?" Says Clove.
"I'd say yes. Nothing to prevent them from going in immediately." Glimmer replies.
"Unless she isn't dead." Marvel adds.
"She's dead. I stuck her myself." Cato says angrily.
"Then where's the cannon?" says Clove.
"Someone should go back. Make sure the job's done." Says Glimmer nodding.
"Yeah, we don't want to have to track her down twice." Marvel adds.
"I said she's dead!" exclaims Cato.
They all start bickering, and I'm anxious to move on as I'm sure I heard something in the trees nearby. It's time to prove myself to the careers.
"We're wasting time! I'll go finish her and let's move on!" I say quickly, heading back off towards the dying embers of the girls fire.