The Games: 60 Seconds
Lenea stood on her plate and breathed in the air. It was freezing, she shivered, the fleece jacket that she wore was not keeping her warm enough
Sixty Seconds.
She was stationed between two boys, one was from twelve, the other was from eight or ten or something, she couldn't remember.
Fifty nine seconds.
Stelz was too far away from Lenea, she was at least eight tributes to his left. But he had never been good at counting, so he couldn't be sure.
Fifty eight seconds.
He had two weak girls to either side of him. He grinned, this was going to be fun.
Fifty seven seconds.
Sadie wished that she was at home, not here, not surrounded by twenty three other tributes. The whole week she was at the Capital, she kept wishing that it was a dream, that she would wake up at home in her own bed. But her imagination had never been that avid before.
Fifty six seconds.
She caught eyes with the Careers in her alliance. The deal was to pick off as many of the others as she could.
Fifty five seconds.
Dragan was standing between the sister from six and one of the weakling girls. He smiled evily. Perfect pickings. They would be the first to die.
Fifty four seconds.
He checked out the cornucopia. Everything was stacked together, wrapped like presents. On the very top was a lit star ornament. Just like a Christmas tree.
Fifty three seconds.
Skylar was between two boys. She glanced around, it was a pattern. Boy, girl, boy, girl. Everyone was standing on the opposite half of their district partner, but not directly across.
Fifty two seconds.
She looked around for her ally. Belle was only two tributes away. Perfect.
Fifty one seconds.
Jermey was between two exquisite females. He felt even uglier than ever.
Fifty seconds.
He cursed his stepfather for the scar and his mother for not sticking up for her son. He hoped to see neither of them ever again.
Forty nine seconds.
Anya looked up, but instead of a bright blue sky, all she could see were dark ominous looking clouds.
Forty eight seconds.
She mouthed three small words. She knew that her brothers were watching the show, paying close attention to their older sister.
Forty seven seconds.
Nemo had missed the sea while he was at the Capital. He had hoped for an arena with an ocean or a lake, or even a river. There was nothing. Not a single source of water to be seen.
Forty six seconds.
He was surrounded by big hills with sharp peaks. Mountains. He had never seen a real one before. Only photographs of them at school. He hadn't liked them then, and he didn't like them now.
Forty five seconds.
Nan calculated her odds of living. They had been higher before she saw the arena.
Forty four seconds.
There was nowhere for her to hide. Her only option was to climb. In the cornucopia, climbing equipment was wrapped with pretty red bows.
Forty three seconds.
Reece wasn't sure if he wanted to fight. He didn't want to run, or climb, or hide. The female career to his right scared him.
Forty two seconds.
He hoped his death would be quick and painless. The forgotten tribute that no one remembered.
Forty one seconds.
Nat searched around widely for her brother. He was standing directly across from her. She was next to Dragan. She gulped, she was so dead.
Forty seconds.
Her plan had been to grab Colt and run. There was nowhere to go.
Thirty nine seconds.
Colten's first thought was about Casey. Was she safe? Who was she next to? His next concern was for his sister. His own well being was last on his mind.
Thirty eight seconds.
Both of the females in his life were next to careers. Casey was closest to him, but still, she was seven people away. Nat had better run faster than she ever had before, because he wouldn't be able to get to her in time.
Thirty seven seconds.
Autumn was ready to go. She was ready to have some fun. She met the eyes of several tributes. Some were scared, some were excited. The career next to her was rearing to go, she wasn't sure what was going through the head of the boy on her left, the one from twelve.
Thirty six seconds.
She knew that she was fast, maybe she could sprint to the offering of presents, grab one and then run off. It would be one hell of a adrenaline rush, that was for sure.
Thirty five seconds.
Hunter's jokes weren't going to save him now. He doubted that the career next to him would stop to listen to a knock-knock joke. And the other career, the mean one, was two plates away.
Thirty four seconds.
He studied the arena. The mountain peaks had caves, one per peak. At least fifty peaks. They surrounded them in a circle. The sky was dark and gray, it looked ready to explode, he couldn't see anything above the clouds.
Thirty three seconds.
Elysia had a bad feeling about this arena. It was too small, too closed in. They were trapped, trapped like rats. They would all be dead within hours.
Thirty two seconds.
But then something caught her eye, an irregularity in the base of one of the mountains. Her mom had often said that she was sometimes too observant. It had gotten her in trouble more than once at school. This time, it would come in handy.
Thirty one seconds.
Corbin was next to the sister, and next to a career. His district partner nine tributes from his right, she was also next to a career.
Thirty seconds.
He met her eyes, she was trying to tell him something. But they were too far away for him to read her lips.
Twenty nine seconds.
Sares felt at home. Well, except for the twenty three kids intent on her death. But that was besides the point.
Twenty eight seconds.
She felt at home because of the coldness on her cheeks. She smiled softly. She thought that she would die having never seen snow again. But it was truly snowing. The boy from District three was to her left, she could tell that he had never seen snow before. It was too her advantage.
Twenty seven seconds.
Fret checked out the presents laid out in front of him. Most of them were wrapped so the inside contents weren't known. He wanted a knife, there had to be one in there somewhere.
Twenty six seconds.
He needed a knife to end the life of the district two girl next to him. The careers needed to be the first to go. They posed the greatest threat to him. Tadia's face filled his mind. He tried to wipe her away, he wouldn't be able to kill anyone with her still on his conscience.
Twenty five seconds.
Corinne tried to clear her mind of all the negative things in her life. Like the fact that she was next to Dragan, and the fact that she was going to die in less than thirty seconds.
Twenty four seconds.
She really hoped that reincarnation existed. 'Please let me come back as a turtle,' she whispered to whoever was listening. She was only twelve, she still had a whole life ahead of her that she wouldn't be able to live.
Twenty three seconds.
Ethen tried to keep his head in the games like his father had told him too. But he couldn't concentrate. There were too many mean faces looking at him. And it didn't help that he was standing next to the girl from two.
Twenty two seconds.
He shivered. He wasn't sure if it was from fear or cold, probably both. It was snowing harder now, the flakes were coming down fast and hard. Good thing he knew how to run in the snow.
Twenty one seconds.
Casey searched around for Colt, she found him to the right of her, standing between Nan and Skylar. At least he wasn't next to a career like she was.
Twenty seconds.
She still wanted to kill a career, but she also wanted to live at least one more day with Colten. She wanted Stelz but he was five tributes away, Nemo was right there, he would satisfy her need for revenge.
Nineteen seconds.
Richard didn't want to be standing on a plate that would explode if he stepped off too soon. He didn't want to be standing in an arena with twenty three dangerous teenagers.
Eighteen seconds.
He caught Casey's eyes, she was trying to reassure him. It wasn't working. The cold was getting to him, he just wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep.
Seventeen seconds.
Belle found Skylar straight away, her only friend in the whole wide world.
Sixteen seconds.
She made eye contact with Skylar and they silently made plans. Belle would run to the cornucopia, she was the fastest after all, and she would grab as many supplies as she could. Skylar would protect Belle back and keep them both safe.
Fifteen seconds.
Mark was between Lenea and Autumn, the mountains were behind him, the snow was picking up.
Fourteen seconds.
He had to get his hand on a weapon, that was the only way to defend himself, he had never been good at hand to hand combat.
Thirteen seconds.
The twenty four tributes stood there, calculating their movies, trying to figure out what everyone else was going to do.
Twelve seconds.
Time was going too slowly for them, they just wanted the countdown to end so they could have at it.
Eleven seconds.
Flamiken couldn't wait, it was almost time for the games to start, she was ready.
Ten seconds.
Her fingers were just inches away from the buttons in front of her. She was in control of the arena, of their lives, of the monsters.
Nine seconds.
Tilly was bursting with excitement. She had chosen the tribute she was going to sponsor, her father had given her a wad of cash, and there was more for when she ran out of what he had given her.
Eight seconds.
She was able to name all of the tributes in the circle, she felt bad for the ones standing next to careers.
Seven seconds.
All of Panem was gathered around the screens as the countdown almost ended.
Six seconds.
The parents of the reaped children were holding their breaths, hoping, praying, wishing for the safety of their loved one.
Five seconds.
Shyla and Delaney held hands tightly as their brother and sister stood in a circle, getting ready to be released into a bloodbath.
Four seconds.
Leo and Myrrah watched their sister carefully. That was all they could do, watch and pray. They felt helpless.
Three seconds.
Andy and Pip were trying to calm down their ill mother. Mrs. O'dell was getting worse with each passing day, and now their sister was about to embark in a dangerous game.
Two Seconds.
Jael was rooting for her sister. Sadie could do it, she would follow in her older sister's footseteps.
One Second.
On your mark, get set, go.
Zero seconds.
The whole world let out their breath as the countdown ended and the blood bath began.