Day One

Cairn Rochester, 16

District Twelve Male

His legs felt like lead, heavy and slow, but they were still lighter than his heart.

His heart was pounding, pounding against his sweaty chest, his rough breathing escaping through his arid throat as he ran, ran and ran, with no sense of where he was running, of where he was going or of where he wanted to reach. Cupid's bloodied form swam in front of his eyes and no matter how much he tried, or how often he glanced at the sun to make himself uncomfortable just to have a distraction, he couldn't get rid of it. His arms were like rock, refusing to move at all, and his muscles were screaming at him to stop, stop, STOP!

Needless to say, he did not stop.

He did not know how far away they had come, or whether they had covered any distance at all. Large buildings loomed everywhere, their shining neon names, eccentric colours that blinded his senses, and the perfectly angled roads that disgusted him beyond anything else… other than the Games, of course. He was glad when they finally stopped, and fell down dramatically on the pavement, his head slightly dizzy now. however, the reason of their halt was not that Josephine felt that this was a good distance, it was that Avni was throwing up in bin now, and the Career was rubbing her back gently even as Rook held her. Cairn himself felt like doing it, but he just felt nauseous at the time, and he was glad to have any kind of rest for his aching legs that he could have. He simply lied down on the footpath, his arms folded under his head like a pillow, and he forced himself to inhale deeply. Beside him, Lyanna threw herself on the ground too, panting hard.

"How far… do you think… we are?"

"No idea… damn it… hurts."

"I hope we're… safe… for today."

"Let's first… catch our breath… talking is… hard."

And it honestly was. Cairn didn't know why his breaths were so difficult to take. Maybe he was just exhausted of everything, he didn't know, or maybe they really had run for a long time, making him so utterly breathless. He shut his eyes, trying to relax his aching body, but all he saw were Careers advancing, advancing like hounds thirsty for blood, pouncing on him and…

His eyes flew open.

Thankfully, he was met with the view of the sky, the bluest sky there could be, small white clouds floating serenely against it, and he almost felt at peace even as his panting reduced from earlier. Beside him, Lyanna had stopped it completely.

"What the *** was that?!" Avni screamed, having regained herself now, slumped against the wall of a posh glass building, her eyes full of disgust.

"The Hunger Games," Rook replied nonchalantly, sitting down beside her, massaging his brows with his thumb.

"Was there any need to be so- so- so- bloodthirsty?!"

"Jupiter did cross the limits of even the Careers," Josephine agreed, "Most of us train for the Games for the honour. There's no honour in torture."

Avni looked up at Josephine as if she was insane, her mouth agape, and Cairn was surprised at the reaction. Did she not know about the Games? Her reaction was the same that his had been when he had discovered that Careers trained to kill, from a young age at that, and that was why they won more frequently. Avni's behaviour seemed odd to him, and she didn't even try to hide her disbelief… and disgust.

"Most people see us as villains," Josephine said, sitting down in front of the other girl, smiling kindly, "But honestly, we're just better prepared. Since the Games had been something that were there and had to happen, volunteering saved everyone who did not want to compete, who were more confident about their deaths than their victories. Thus, it became a thing of honour over time.

"What Jupiter did, however, was not honourable. We fight for our District's pride… and one can even say to play the hero for our homes, but torture doesn't really lead to either of them."

"Well, now that I think of it… it does make sense," Avni replied thoughtfully, "So you guys have trained fighters going in and that is a better method to save lives, given the scenario."

"Yes."

Cairn sat up now and slowly got to his feet, they still aching and feeling sort of numb at the same time, and ambled up to his three allies even as Lyanna stayed behind, resting herself. Cairn sat down beside Jospehine, but his eyes were fixed at Avni, who looked just as sick as she had been earlier.

"Avni… why did you volunteer?"

The girl looked up at him, surprised, as if she had not expected being asked such a question.

"Why, I was asked to volunteer and die or be tortured for ages till I died."

"What the ***?!" Lyanna exclaimed, she too finally joining them on hearing her words. Cairn was shocked too, but not only because it happened to her but also because of her tone of indifference to her own ordeal, a tone he couldn't have had mustered had he been forced to choose.

"Why did this happen?"

"I'm not originally from Panem. Apparently, the Five didn't want foreigners here, so District Ten mayor started executing everyone, including my whole family, and told me to volunteer."

Her story was surprising, sending a shiver down Cairn's spine, and yet what stood out to him was how indifferent she sounded. She had appeared to be sweeter, more tensed earlier but now… there was just a melancholic look in her eyes and nothing else.

"You looked afraid earlier. I mean, don't take it the wrong way, you took plenty of stands but…"

"That's because I was scared," Avni replied, her voice barely concealing her fury, "I was taken aback and I was frightened and I wondered what they would do to me. Now that I've seen Cupid die? I don't think hiding all this about myself is going to work. Even if the Five don't touch me, the Careers will finish me off. Events might change but my fate remains *** same."

And Cairn, the ever-shy Cairn, extended a hand gingerly to her and patted her gently on the shoulder. He felt that it was pretty awkward for Avni as well, and that maybe he should pull his hand back, but she smiled at him instead and reached for his hand with her own, her touch soft on his skin. Cairn blushed slightly, because he was feeling shy and awkward and good all at once, and the others simply chuckled lightly, their sounds slightly awkward too, but not ill-intentioned.

"Very well," Rook said, smiling lightly at the group, "Now that we have rested up, I think we should try to become more aware of the arena… and find a place to camp at."

"Well, let's take a look around."

Kai Jung, 18

District Nine Male

Kai was in a state of mind that he had never been in before.

This was the first time he had wanted to know someone, wanted to understand them and be good to them for reasons he couldn't explain to even himself… And that someone was simply gone.

Kai was also, to his own surprise, not dealing with death as calmly as he had thought he would. He was disgusted and, goodness, terrified. Of course, what with his reputation of being the most sought after eligible bachelor and heartthrob back home, he had to look strong. Well, he was strong, undoubtedly, but nobody, nobody should feel otherwise.

So he just sat down on a pink bench that he'd seen on the pavement, under a nice shed that had fairies painted on it, and he was met with strong cool winds from above. He was thankful for it, for he was sweating and panting hard, and there was absolutely nothing better than cool wind, almost as if conditioned, right now.

Dakota too sat down beside him, sweeping her hair to the front and pulling the collar of her shirt back, exposing her neck to the cool air. Kai honestly thought she looked very pretty right now. And then he chided himself, for what were these thoughts in a time of crisis? He could get whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He needn't worry about those worldly affairs in the arena.

"We don't have many supplies between the two of us. Just a packet of wafers and a rope and a water bottle."

"We?"

Kai was honestly baffled. Yes, they had escaped together. Yes, they had grabbed one bag between the two of them. But an alliance? That was simply outrageous. She had not even consulted with him, not bothered to ask him for his invaluable input, and that was rude. How could she suggest an alliance without asking him first?! Such humiliation!

"Yeah, we escaped together."

"That doesn't mean we're allies!"

Dakota frowned at that, her soft eyes looking quizzically at him, and Kai felt like smirking. Ha! Now she had to be regretting not asking him first! Well, well, that would be a scene. And since he was such a sweetheart, the charmer, the noblest man in all of Panem, he would forgive her and tell her it was alright with a dramatic wave of his hand and chuckle lightly like the elite man he was.

What came next, however, was not what he had expected.

"So you don't want to ally?"

And, like the oblivious and free spirited girl she was, Dakota simply loaded the bag on her back and stood up to leave, waving dramatically at him. Well, things had certainly backfired.

"Well, I never said I don't want to ally!"

"Then what's the issue? Why are you bringing up a non existent one?"

Wait… What? This wasn't supposed to happen! How could she talk to him this way? He was bringing up a non existent issue? He? How could he bring up anything insignificant? Every word he uttered was of utmost significance to this world, whether it be a "Hey!" or a "Ooh!" They were all important, more important than the utter filth that the proletariat, or worse, the kids spewed out! Looking at Dakota, he scrunched his nose, for surely she must be empathising with folks like those! That's why she couldn't appreciate the gem that he was!

"Well Kai, since I was the one to grab the bag, I'm taking it with me. Take care."

"Wait!"

Without thinking of anything, not his reputation and not the audience who would be drooling over him, he grabbed Dakota's wrist gently, stopping her from leaving. In his mind, he could see that it had turned into a very filmy scene, and a cringey one too at that, but he did not care.

"Dakota…" he started as she turned to face him, her expressions depicting her own confusion. He was right, she was just painfully oblivious.

"Of course we can ally, haha! I was messing around with you!"

And with that, he slapped her on the shoulder, chuckling.

The younger girl just continued to look at him, now more so with amusement than anything else, and she slowly followed him back to the bench, for which Kai was grateful because he felt hot.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you."

Kai glanced at her, taking stock of her behaviour properly for the first time. She looked tensed and edgy, nothing like the girl who had told him he was handsome as a skeleton as well. There was a gloom to her that he couldn't quite place. Whatever it was though, he didn't like it.

"Ah, it's alright. I've a big enough heart to forgive that particular incident."

And then he chuckled, waving his hand dramatically, just as he had wanted to earlier. To his surprise, even Dakota giggled at that and she smiled, a smile he had not seen in a long while. Kai was not someone who would smile back at others, but right now, he returned it confidently, for she must obviously be smiling like this because she enjoyed his supremely pleasant company.

"Why, thank you for such kindness, sir!"

And then she laughed again, laughed in a carefree way, as if unafraid of being judged, unafraid of showing the world who she was… Kai's smile faltered at that, for it was painful to think about his own childhood, his own 'friends', the horrible paupers who used him for his wealth and never cared for him…

Kai swallowed a lump at that. It was so long ago, and yet he clearly remembered all of it as it had happened, the backstabs, the betrayals, the gossips. Kai had seen the reality of the poor at that time, the reality that children, by their natural instinct, were just horrible pieces of creation and yes, these two groups deserved to be despised and excluded, for they consisted of nothing but opportunists. They were nothing like the urban Cupid- beautiful and kind. Nor were they like the rich but rural Dakota, graceful and liberated.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, tender like the softest of silks, gentle like the loveliest of fairies. He was awoken from his trip down the lane of insignificant musings, and he grinned at Dakota like the charmer he was, who laughed out again.

"I'm honestly feeling terrible after the Bloodbath. There was so much death and blood and- and pain and terror!"

Kai bit his lip at that, for this was something he could relate to. He felt horrible after witnessing all that carnage, and he couldn't get the image of it out of his head now that the topic had been raised. He forced himself to push it away though, and faced Dakota.

"Things are pretty bad," he replied wisely, "But there can be two victors. Together, we can make it out of this hell hole."

"I sure hope so Kai, I do."

Akira Tuktuk, 16

District Six Female

I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive!

Where's this road leading to? Are we going down the right path? Does he really know what he's doing?

Akira was glad that she had not been slaughtered yet, that was how she put it to herself, and that she had managed to get supplies. Well, technically it had been Aron who'd gotten them, those tiny blue bags, but she was the one who'd figured out how to get out so maybe that squared off the whole thing.

"These buildings are so beautiful!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly, earning a sideways look from Aron, who later just rolled his eyes. She noticed that he was tense, his body seemed to be in attack-mode, eyes darting everywhere as he tried to keep his sound to the minimum. Well, he needn't be. They were far away from the cornucopia now, at least that's what she judged from her severely aching legs, and since the Five were new to the whole thing, they might not even have designed mutts!

Okay, maybe that had gone too far. They must have had done their homework well, and she chided herself for thinking otherwise, even for a second. She was going to be the death of them, she thought wisely, but the thought was so terrifying that she hastily tried to push it away altogether. She shuddered visibly, startling Aron, and she got startled at his sudden motion. It was funny, and that made her laugh aloud, and Aron hastily clasped her mouth with his hand, shushing her urgently.

"What's wrong with you?!" he whispered in exasperation.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing."

He grabbed her wrist and started pulling her quickly down the street, and her legs were protesting hard. She needed to rest, her calves and shins hurt and she was running out of breath. Aron, on the other hand, was unaffected, and pulling her along fast, faster than her body could carry her. She pulled back her arm, making him halt as well, staggering a few steps back, and he turned to her in annoyance.

"You're too fast!"

"Well, you need to keep up."

"I can't!"

"So you stay here. I'm leaving."

"What?! You can't!"

Akira was shocked. Just the previous night, he had talked to her so sweetly, supported her and wanted to work with her towards their victory. And now he was suggesting that he would leave her?! How dare he!

"I can, Akira."

"Why?!"

"Because you're annoying me, Akira. You need to keep up, otherwise you will just be a liability to me and, sorry to say this, but I'm not getting killed because of you."

Akira blinked twice as Aron looked right into her eyes, a frown on his face, a look of irritation on his face, and she lowered her head slightly.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, "You go ahead."

Aron stared at her for a few more seconds, brows high, the look of annoyance intensifying even further. It was almost as if he was telling her to cut the drama, perhaps that's what he had wanted to tell her she thought, but this was no drama. Akira never did any drama, ever, and she was visibly hurt by the mere thought that he thought of her this way.

"Fine we'll go slow! Come along now."

"I'm not coming," she reiterated, and crossed her arms across her chest, turning her face away from him in a swift motion. Aron's hands just turned around in the universal 'what on earth are you doing' sign, but she paid him no heed. She did not leave either, for he must apologise for his wrong thoughts regarding her, that she was causing drama. Scandalous!

"You honestly want to do this right now?" he asked finally, mimicking her own posture, a deep frown on his face. Akira did not reply, she wanted an apology, and thus she turned away even further from him.

"Fine, as you wish. I can not really force you to come along anyway."

And with that, Aron turned on his heels and started walking away from her, slowly picking up speed. He also had the bag with him, from which he had just left a single bottle of water at her feet, before departing. Akira released her arms and looked at his retreating form, unable to believe that he was actually leaving her behind. He was walking fast, and had covered some distance already, and Akira yelped. Whatever happened, she did not really want him to leave her alone! How was she supposed to fend for herself? Why was nobody ever considerate towards her?!

Picking up the water bottle in a swift motion, she started running after him, yelling his name.

"Aron, wait for me!"

He either did not hear her or did not want to hear her, for he did not stop, and Akira, in fear of being left alone, ran faster than she had run earlier, and then leapt on him like a fenile on a prey, and she hit his back so hard that they both went crashing down onto the road.

"What the ***!" Aron exclaimed painfully.

"Oops, sorry."

And with that, Akira simply sat up on his back.

"Will you get off?!"

"Not until you promise to take me along."

"I'd already told you to come along! Now get off!"

"Say please!"

Akira had probably pushed him a little too far with that request, for he simply threw her off his back and stood up slowly, groaning. Akira fell on her backside and cried out in surprise.

"What is this Aron?! Is this the way to behave with a lady?!"

"You are no 'lady'."

"Oh come on pal, you take things too seriously."

And with that, she slapped his back hard, earning another pokefaced glare from him. She giggled again before he reprimanded her for being 'too loud' but even as she quietened down and they started walking down the road wordlessly, not even giving a closure to what had just happened, Akira saw the most beautiful thing she had seen in a long, long time.

It was a dazzling red sports car, a real beauty at that, beckoning to her lovingly, and Akira was almost drooling. She had always, always dreamed of having a fancy car, driving it and flaunting it, and she started running towards it almost as if she was bewitched. Aron's voice fell on her deaf ears, and she was there, running her finger on the smooth door, mouth slightly agape as she drank in the sight of it. And that was when she saw it, the thing that could make her dream come true, a beautiful key.

"Aron let's go!"

"I don't think we should, Akira. Let's leave."

"Come on!"

"Akira… don't."

She ignored him now, for he was obviously a stupid boy having no knowledge or desire of beautiful things and dreams, but she was certainly going for a ride. She started walking around it and on reaching the other side, she cried out.

"Aron! There's a note here! It says that we can drive it to move around! It's not a mutt!"

"Yeah, right."

"Don't be a spoilsport! Come, get in!"

And with that, Akira got into the driver's seat, gesturing to Aron even as she started the car, the engine kicking into life.

"No Akira, let's not-"

Before Aron could complete his sentence, however, she had pulled him in forcefully, and with a hearty laugh, she placed her foot on the accelerator.

And there they went, driving down the road in a fancy red car.