Chapter 8: He Likes Me, He Likes Me Not

The moment that buzzer beeped out loud and clear, I was off the podium and running. My two braids flew out and my bangs swished in my eyes. I brushed them away and closed the distance between me and my prize with more speed than I'd ever thought I could muster. In seconds I was there and had the spear and backpack in hand, gripped tightly. Spinning around, I found a clear path to avoid any other tributes and bolted for it. The first scream pierced the air behind me and I wished that I could close my ears. Instead, I whipped my head around to the left and tried to catch sight of Andrew.

Suddenly I crashed into another person and we tumbled over each other and onto the grass. Obviously, they hadn't been paying attention to their direction either. I lost my grip on my spear and scrambled back to get it and distance myself from the other tribute. When I grabbed the weapon, I finally looked up at the person I had collided with.

''Lemongrass,'' I gasped, and put down the spear tip.

Her eyes were wild and she snapped at the sound of my saying her name. Upon seeing my spear, a shadow of fear crossed her face and she tried to get up and run.

''No!,'' I said, ''wait, I won't hurt you. Come with me!''

She stopped and I could see that she was distrustful of me and my weapon, so I shoved it toward her to take. For a moment, she was startled and confused, but then she took it and helped me up.

''Come on!,'' she said in her husky accent.

I slung the pack over my shoulder and sprinted after Lemongrass. She was taller than me and fleet as a deer.

From behind me I heard pounding footsteps and turned my head back to see if it was Andrew following us. It was not. It was Onyx, chasing me with a gleaming broadsword and gaining fast. Seriously?! , I thought. Does he like me or want me dead?

''Go!,'' I screamed at Lemongrass, willing her to reach the treelike. She turned her head and saw Onyx. Somehow, we both put on a burst of speed, but it wasn't enough. However fast we were running, our hunter ran faster. Right before I reached the forest, he shoved me from behind and I hit the ground for the second time that day. The backpack spun away and I jerked my head up, screaming at Lemongrass to run before Onyx slammed his knee down on my back. His 200 pound weight kept me pressed to the dirt despite my writhing and kicking and scratching.

''Let me go!,'' I said, trying to shove him off.

Onyx snatched the fallen backpack and slit it open with his sword. A pile of items fell out and he took a wreath of rope from it and unwound it. He dropped his weapon and somehow managed to grab both of my wrists and twist them very painfully behind my back, tying them at the same time. I spat out dirt and cursed him with combinations of the worst words I could think of. Onyx ignored my kicks and curses and dragged me up to my feet with some impressive strength. Then he took me over to a tree, cut some rope, and looped it around my neck and the trunk. Enraged, I kept thrashing and yelling until suddenly my air was cut off. I began gasping and twisting my neck, trying to breath.

''There!,'' he said, shaking a finger at me. ''Now, stop it, okay?'' I stopped and glared at him, my lungs on fire. ''Good.'' Onyx leaned around me and adjusted the tie. I gasped and took in air like a grounded fish. My breaths came heavily from running and fighting, and I wished that I could slump to the ground.

''We can get along, just stay here,'' he said, and ran back to the cornucopia.

The moment he was gone, I tried to free myself. I quickly stopped, however, when I realized that the more I pulled, the tighter my noose became. So I stood there, my wrists burning and my mouth dry. I had a clear view of the ensuing bloodbath, tributes dashing into the woods, others trying to get supplies or weapons, some on a quest for death. I didn't see Andrew, and I hoped that he had gotten away. Far, far away from this nightmare that I was witnessing.

Suddenly, I saw Mira at the edges of the fray. She was bending down to retrieve something, a pack, maybe. When she stood up, she caught sight of me and paused before turning to run away. She had gone barely a yard when she crumpled to the ground and I saw the arrow sticking out of her back. Hawk swaggered over to the body and took out the shaft with a jerk. My throat let out a strangled moan and I sobbed, not just from her sudden death, but from a whole array of suppressed emotions. Being chosen, Andrew volunteering, leaving my family, the stress of the training and the interviews, the countdown, and then this. I didn't care if Panem saw my tears or heard my cries, let them.

Through my blurred vision, I saw the careers kill off the people near the cornucopia who where stupid enough to not have run away. Mira wasn't stupid though, I thought.

The career boy from District 2 attacked the boy from 9 with a mace. He swung it and the other boy ducked and lashed out at 2's belly with a pair of previously hidden knuckle claws. 2's yelp of surprise was cut off as he collapsed in a heap, clutching his stomach that I knew was slashed open. Without finishing the job, 9 ran into the forest as he saw the other careers noticed what had happened and start walking over.

With that, the cornucopia bloodbath was over. The surviving tributes, Amber, Onyx, Hawk, and the District 2 girl, had banded together and were now dividing up the bounty. I wished now that I had not cried and wasted my bodily water, because my lips were dry and my throat hoarse.

After thinking that maybe Onyx had forgotten about me, he finally came over and undid the tie holding me captive. He led me back to the camp, with one arm curled around my neck and holding a knife tip to it, and the other holding my arm. The others jeered at him saying things like, ''The only was Onyx can get girls is at knife tip!,'' and, ''See what she does if you let her go!'' Amber didn't say anything and only glared at Onyx. I avoided her looking at her at all.

He set me down in front of a young pine tree and retied my hands and arms, this time firmly around the trunk instead of my neck, thankfully. I could hardly move my upper body at up, but since my mouth was free, the language rained down. Ignoring my words, he got up and went away. I noticed a gash on his upper right arm and thought, good!