The ride to arena seemed to only last two seconds. In reality it was twenty minutes and I hadn't even noticed someone had injected a tracker into my arm. I was that out of it that if someone asked me what my name is I'd probably say no fucking idea.
So here I am in a concrete corridor underneath the arena. Two peacekeepers flank my sides providing my ears with the heavy thuds of boots that resemble a death march. Until we stop. Until I face a door with District 7- tribute, female
At the end of the day that's how the Capitol would've seen me as. Only I'm not that title, I'm Victoria Mason. Famous, beautiful and most importantly memorable.
I take a deep breath and open the door to reveal a concrete room filled with outfits and a confused Clement next to a giant pod. My pod...
He gave me a small smile when I entered and indicated to the many outfits around us. "Ninety-Nine. Every single outfit from every arena. Apparently you have to choose".
I felt my head tip in confusion. "B-But how will I know if the arenas hot or cold?. I jus-".
He nodded cutting me off. "You just have to hope you make the right choice. I know as much as you do".
He indicated to an outfit consisting of a singlet with camouflage shorts and combat boots. It was placed front and centre compared to all the many other outfits in the room. "That's what your mother wore in the seventy-first games".
Oh. I stared at the outfit and frowned. My mother's arena was a desert. Not helpful if the arena is going to be cold. Nor could I stand the idea of wearing that outfit.
Clement coughed and I stared at him in slight annoyance. "What?".
He nodded to the tube. "You've got five minutes to decide and get changed."
Right, I have to choose one. One from ninety-nine were all lined up. From snow gear to wetsuits. I decided on basic mountain climbing outfit with a light jacket. Clement nodded. "Eighty third games not a bad choice. Although not helpful if your arena is aquatic".
I shrugged as I put on the jacket. "Too late to change now though".
He gave me a smile. "That's true. Less then a minute now. Into the pod".
I gave myself a determined nod and stepped in only to have the pod close itself behind me. Clement gave a wave and before I could process my thinking, my ears were attacked by humming and I was lifted up. Up out of the concrete room. Up and up until I was blinded by sunlight.
I squinted only to find myself in a small paddock. I scoffed looking around. That's it...only it's not. We're all in a paddock but everywhere you looked in the paddock were doors. Each numbered. From a glance it looks like a hundred random doors in a paddock. A white picket fenc-
"Ladies and Gentleman, Welcome to the one-hundredth Hungergames and may the odds be ever in your favour".
The voice of Caesar echoed around us only to be replaced by an electronic countdown.
"60...59...58..."
I felt my breathing increase. Focus! Look around, what do I see?. A force field as a white picket fence surrounding the small paddock. If I touch it I die...I can't run in these games because there's nowhere to run to!.
"45...44...43..."
Deep breath. What else?. All of us in the paddock are facing a small wooden table with only one object placed on top of it...a single dagger. I scoffed. That's it?. No backpacks!?...No axes!? No other weapons. No food...
"33...32...31..."
Okay where's Trent. I looked briefly to my left and right. I stared at the sky in frustration. I'm in between Satin and Fragrance. I heard Satin giggle in my direction and I made a point of not meeting her eye. Myself placed between the cousins?. Yeah, cause that's not deliberate at all.
"25..24..23..."
Focus!. Trent, where's Trent!?. My eyes scanned most of the tributes but over half were hidden due to the many doors that surrounded the paddock. Okay don't panic. Just go left!. Immediately I scoffed. Go left?. Great idea. I rolled my eyes at the fact that Trent and I may just be the worlds biggest idiots. The tributes always face a circle. In a circle Trent's left could be my goddamn right!.
"16..15..14.."
Fuck! Okay, so I just run two meters to the left side of the paddock?! And then what?. Hope whoever has the dagger doesn't throw it at me?! I thought Quell arenas were suppose to be big?. I sighed and looked at the nearest door that held the number 74. Are the doors only here to hide behind or is there something behind them?...
"7..6..5.."
Quick Victoria!. Go for the dagger?, run to the left and hope for the best? Or open door 74?.
"2...1...Bang!"
As soon as the cannon fired it was chaos. Whenever a door opened it sounded as loud as thunder. The sound alone caused kids to instantly close the door in panic. People used the doors as shields. My eyes swept to the front of the table...Fragrance with a dagger in his hand.
Oh shit! My eyes stared directly into his crystal blue ones. I'm frozen with fear, my brain is screaming run. But I can't...I haven't moved an inch from my pedestal. Fragrance gave me a pretty smirk and aimed the dagger at my forehead but paused mid air at-
BOOM.
I jumped in panic, it was all I need to running. My eyes catching a frying tribute on the white picket fence as I did so. Just as my hand latched onto door 74, I turned to make sure Fragrance wasn't running after me. He wasn't..I watched in slow motion as he threw the only weapon into the throat of the boy from District Three.
BOOM.
I swallowed down the bile and looked around me in panic for Trent. Having the time now to look for him when the only weapon available to us is trapped in a dead body. In doing so, my eyes connected with a pair of dangerous sea green ones. Another wave of panic surged through me as I turned back to the door and opened it, releasing a thunder like sound into the arena. I ran. Ran through the door way until I faltered as the door closed behind me...
I'm in District Seven. It's a forest, tall trees as if build for me!.
I giggled. In fact I cackled just like my mother does. After embracing the forest I'd magically entered I threw my shoes off and started running. Run just run. Johanna's voice entered my head.
Find water
Only way to find it is higher ground. After some deliberation I decided that this is most likely a random forest and not a secret passageway to my district. After all, this is the hungergames. They wouldn't just magically send me home. But alas a girl can dream.
BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM.
I swallowed but didn't slow down my run. Only four died in the bloodbath. Only four!?. I guess with only a dagger there's really not that much of a bloodbath. I think I'm the only one in this forest. Which makes me wonder what's behind the other hundred doors?.
I kept running though. Never not stopping. I felt bad because I have no idea where Trent is or if he's even still alive. But I couldn't risk going back. Not when Fragrance had made me a target. If it hadn't been for that kid running into the force field...
After two hours of running I hadn't found any signs of water. Nor had anyone entered the forest because I haven't heard any thunder. Meaning no ones opened door 74 but me. Maybe I can hide for the entire games in here. I smiled at the tall tree tops as I strolled leisurely. Wouldn't be the first night I've slept in a tree.
I frowned as the trees suddenly became more scarce to reveal a clearing. In the middle was a giant reminder that I'm not safe. A huge metal like hut stood before me. Underneath it lay five sets of bows and arrows and a single bowel of purple berries.
I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me. "Oh hello!".
This is ten times better then a single dagger. I nodded down in admiration of the archery sets and traced the rim of the glass bowel. I giggled in slight glee. Okay so I won't shoot tributes but I could surely use a bow and arrow for hunting animals.
I smirked and picked up a bow while I swung a bag of arrows onto my back. I turned away from this second cornucopia and aimed an arrow at the nearest tree. I've never picked up a bow before but honestly, how hard can it be?...
With a squint and deep breath I released an arrow only for it to land into the grass, like ten meters away from the tree. I tusked. "Fuck, I suck!".
And I really do. Obviously archery must take practice. I scoffed at the bow in my hand and glared at the other four in the cornucopia. "Just had to be bows".
Obviously I'm missing something here. I took a step back and tipped my head at the cornucopia. It looked almost...dare I say familiar. "This isn't right".
I don't know why I'm talking out loud. Maybe it has to do with my thought process. Years of living alone or the thought I'd be more relatable for sponsors. I dropped the bow and bag of arrows and hesitantly made my way back to the cornucopia.
What do I know?. Forest, bow, berries and door 74. Come on Victoria, think!.
Oh. Oh Shit!. I screamed. Whether shock, fright or the excitement of figuring it out.
I'm in their arena.
I quickly picked up a berry and squished it in my hand. A dark red juice instantly staining my fingers. I shuddered. "Night lock". I'd all but whispered it.
I quickly started rubbing my hand on the grass and I could feel panic entering my body. I'm not home or in a random forest. "I'm in the seventy-fourth arena". Oh god. I swallowed. "There all arenas..the doors are all the arenas."
Every games that's ever occurred has a door in that paddock that leads to its arena. Door seventy-four...the seventy-fourth arena. I could only piece it all together because when I was nine I'd watched Katniss and Peeta's games with Trent. I gasped and stared at the bows before me. "Katniss". I swallowed in dread. Bow and arrows that was how the Victors won. Peeta only killed with...my eyes stared at my stained fingers in dread. Two weapon choices to represent Katniss and Peeta. No wonder there was only a dagger at the cornucopia. The game makers want us to find our weapons.
I swallowed down my fear and sank to ground. To get an axe I'll have to enter Johanna's aren-
A sudden thunder like crash echoed around the forest, no the arena. I swallowed. I'm in the seventy-fourth arena.
And I'm no longer in here alone.
