Day One: Counting Down

WARNING: contains coarse language

Enlai Li, 18, District 3 - The Orphan

Well.

We made it through the first day. The girls've done some exploring. We're all quite sure that this is some sort of wheat field. With her spear, Sue took down a crow for us. Its meat is stringy and disgusting, but we're all so hungry we eat all of it.

They collected the bodies from the blood bath this morning. Peacekeepers hoisted the limp forms of the children they killed into a hovercraft and they were gone. Nicole tried to kill one of them with her slingshot. I stopped her. It sounds very strange to say this, but the arena is almost boring now.

We trek through the fields, a piece of the wheat in each of our mouths. My uniform consists of shorts and a sleeveless top, and know I see why. It's horribly hot. The sweat pours down my cheeks in buckets.

'Pass the water bottle,' I gasp to Nicole. I hold out my hand hopefully. She pulls back.

'No, Enlai. We have to save it, at least until we reach a pond. Or if we're dehydrated. We've already drunk too much of it.' She tosses her head and begins to speed up.

'Well, wait!' I call. 'Don't run!'

'I'm not running, smart one.'

I hurry to catch up with her, a peaky-looking Sue at my heels. We walk on in silence for a while until Sue blurts out, 'What are we going to do? If it comes down to just us.'

I freeze. Nicole stumbles to a stop. It's unwelcome news that's been lurking over our shoulders this whole time.

As usual, it's Nicole who takes hold of the situation. You mean if we make it through today? And the entire fucking thing?'

'We're going to try, aren't we?' Sue defends herself. 'I have a sister to go home to. A sister who needs me. We all have family to win for. To kill for. And I'm going to try.'

Nicole pauses, considering. 'Well. I guess we just...wait for them to choose.' She cocks her head to the side. There is a prolonged silence before she finishes: 'We wait for them to decide which two of us they hate the most.'

Molly Grasses, 13, District 2 - The Determined

I knew I'd have to do it eventually. I knew I couldn't go on in here forever without doing it. But I didn't think it'd be Hugh. I killed him. I killed him.

He asked me to. But I killed him anyway. I lean my back against the tree, one of the on;y trees in this arena. I've set up a camp here. It's a decent place. The tree offers merciful shade from the rays of the white-hot sun, and it isn't very far from the pond.

I got a fair stash at the Cornucopia, too. A large backpack full of supplies, a filled water skin, and a sleeping bag. And there's my sword.

It lies next to me now, dusty from my journey but still usable. And stained in his blood. Stained in Hugh's blood. I didn't have to hunt yesterday. My backpack has a loaf of bread, cheese, and even stripes of ham.

Not that I actually ate yesterday. I didn't exactly feel up to it, if you know what I mean.

But I'll have to kill more of them later. Who knows who I'll be forced to kill? Probably the girl from Four, Autumn. She's my only threat right now. Which is why I ran in the opposite direction she did at the Cornucopia.

Right after I killed Hugh.

Phineas 'Phin' Reed, 18, District 6 - The Soldier

Earlier today, I ran into Ava and Low. I gave them half of some bird I killed. Ava was very shy, but you can tell she's a bright kid.

Now, I sit, with my feet in the pond, eating what's left of my bird. The little girl from Two is camping on the other side of this pond, but it's the only water source in the entire arena, and I need to stay by it. Water. That's another thing I gave my sort-of allies.

One thing that girl from Two has that I don't is shade. She has the tree, and I don't. But she doesn't know I'm here, or at least I don't think she does.

I polish off my bird, smack my lips. It was something Meg always used to do, smack her lips whenever she ate something good...

Glint Jewels, 16, District 1 - The Reluctant

I hate myself right now.I really do. I don't know how many tributes I killed. The boy from Five, I think. And the ones from Eight and Ten too.

I don't know who else I killed. The boy from Eleven died last night, too. Did I kill him? I think it was Autumn from Four...or maybe was it...

It frightens me, this memory loss. Am I going mad?

Kiara 'Kiri' Ivan, 14, District 8 - The Logician

I've been putting a lot of though into it. What the arena is, I mean. What is it modelled after? I originally thought it may be designed to look like the wheat fields of District Nine, but then I remembered that District Nine is also abundant in trees. This arena is not.

After escaping the blood bath at the Cornucopia, I scouted the entire arena. I finished by nightfall. This arena is much smaller than it looks.

There are only two sources of water. One, a large pond in the north end. The second source is east of there, and much more hidden. I think I'm the only one who knows about it.

Just beyond a great rock pile is a fresh, cool spring. The water is safe to drink as far as I can tell, but luckily, my backpack has a small water filter in it, just in case.

The very best thing about this place is that, not only am I safe from the arena's killers, it is shadier here. Other than my hiding place, the entire arena is boiling hot. Here, it is a comfortable 23ยบ Celcius. Not only that, but it's so well hidden, I can light a fire to cook my food at night.

It's silly, but I think that maybe if I stay here, I'll win.

Acacia 'Casey' 'Cacia' Marks, 13, District 11 - The Loyal

Dear James,

I'm sorry. You shouldn't have spent so long in there. You should have got out fast. Then you'd still be here.

Regretfully, Casey

I am writing letters to all of them in my head. Those who matter to me. I wonder if James hears mine.

Dear Saige,

I made it through the first day, and I'll make it longer. Hang in there!

Love, Casey

Night has fallen. I pause. Now is as good a time as any to light my fire. I caught some mice earlier today, but I couldn't cook them, not in the heat. I'm willing to take this risk.

I strike my match and begin to light my fire. On one of the wooden sticks in my backpack, I begin to roast my mice. They'll fill me up nicely tonight.

I'm singing to myself softly, when a rustling cuts me off short.

Voices.

Rustle, rustle.

Somebody's here.

Ava Warren, 12, District 9 - The Curious

'Stay back, Ava,' Low orders me, and I stay put as she moves forward.

My heart is pounding, and I'm trembling slightly. I bend down low in the wheat, but I'm peering out. The fire of this tribute, whoever they are, offers me little light, but it's enough.

And nothing, nothing, can block out the high-pitched scream.

'Low!' I shout. Her orders are forgotten as I pounce forwards.

Here in the clearing, where the fire crackles away in cheerful oblivion, I can see much better. I can see Low, on her knees. I can see the tribute we came across. It's the young girl from Eleven. Casey, I think I heard her district partner call her.

Casey has stumbled backwards and is stuck in a hole she mustn't have noticed. She's crying and whimpering. Low reaches out a hand and helps her up. Casey looks at her, wide eyed.

'Are you all right?' Low's words are gentle. 'I'm sorry if we scared you. I'm Low from Six.'

Casey manages to stutter, 'W-we?'

Low turns to me, but I'm already coming forward. I introduce myself, 'I'm Ava. District Nine.'

'Oh. I-I'm Casey. Eleven.'

A nod is all it takes, and then I'm putting out her fire. When she scowls at me, I explain to her, 'The fire's how we found you. We don't want more tributes coming this way.'

Casey shudders. 'I have supplies, if you want them.'

Low grins. I can barely make it out in the dark. 'Supplies will do us well if we're allies.'

'Allies?'

'Do you want to be?' Low asks.

A pause, and then Casey's small voice cuts nto the blackness: 'Yes please.'