The First Annual Hunger Games

by Callidora Medea

Following the Dark Days, the President of Panem announces the beginning of the Hunger Games. District 4 girl, Cass, District 1 girl, Silver, and District 7 girl, Oak, are all thrown into the turmoil that is the first Hunger Games, and must choose their alliances; decisions that can mean life or death in the arena. All intend to win. But there can be only one victor.

36. Chapter 36- The Girl from 8

Chapter 36- Oak Peacewood

Two cannons, just minutes apart. And another one just a few minutes earlier. Three tributes dead already? It's barely the middle of the morning- I think. Thirteen dead. Eleven left to play. I'm still making my way down the mountain so I can find water. Every once in a while I throw a rock into the trees; it makes me feel better. But I'm so scared that those fire mutts are going to come back; I'm hesitant to leave my mountain. I don't think I have any choice, though.

I'm sure the District 8 girl is still close at hand, unless she's one of the ones who died. I wonder who they are. Or were, really.

I jump down off of one large boulder and head into the trees again. It's calming to be in the trees again. It reminds me of home. The only thing that would make it okay would be if Aldar was here. But he's not, and I don't know where he is, or even if he's alive. Please let my best friend be alive!

Orange hair whips around a tree. I duck behind another. I don't have a weapon, why don't I have a weapon? My boot nudges one of those rocks I was throwing into the trees earlier. It's the size of my hand; at least I have something now, no matter how crude.

I'm scared.

All I can think about is how the girl from 8 was a master with a bow and arrow in the training center. Why am I thinking about that now? I didn't even know I noticed her. Everything is quiet. I grip my rock tighter, ready to spring into action. But nothing happens. I can't hear anything. So I peer around the tree.

She's right there, holding a bow and arrow to my head. I duck just as she lets the string go and the arrow plants in a tree fifteen feet behind me. I roll to the side and get up, breathing heavily. She whips another arrow onto the bow and aims at me, moving with me. I throw my rock as hard as I can at her, but she moves out of the way; my stone hits a tree and bounces off harmlessly. Now I'm unarmed.

"Don't hurt me! Let me go!" "I'm going home!" she shouts back, moving her bow with me again. I dodge another arrow, but I slam into a tree in the meantime. Stars fill my vision and the world gets loopy. She's a good shot, but I'm quick. I drop to the ground and the next arrow hits the tree again, right where my head was. My vision clears and I scramble to my feet, backing away, until I start to run.

The next arrow whistles over my head, almost getting me. How many arrows does she have? I'm going to die, I'm going to die. That's all I can think. I trip over a root and go down, twisting my knee. Dragging myself behind the nearest tree I wait for the girl to find me and kill me.

She doesn't though. I wait, and I wait, and she doesn't come. My knee is swelling up; I can see it through my pant leg even. And I wait for the District 8 girl to find me. I don't hear an arrow whistling at me though; I hear a scream, a sickening crack, and a cannon. Is she dead? Who killed her? Are the mutts back? I rock back and forth, smothering a scream. She's dead. I'm going to die.

Then a leaf or a branch crunches behind me. This is it. This is where it ends. I cover my eyes with my hands and rock back and forth. I can't help the tears now. This is it.

"Oak?" And then it's not the end.

"Aldar?"