District 8
Linen Baird
I hear the door open, undoubtedly my mentor, Velvet, arriving to take me away to the arena. I bury my head in my pillow, pretending to sleep, even though I know that there's nothing I can do to resist being taken into the arena. I hear her walk over to me then feel her hand gently shaking me awake. I give up feigning sleep and turn to face her.
"It's time to head to the arena," she says softly. Her face reflects so much pity, it just makes me feel worse.
"Fine," I sigh, getting out of the comfortable bed. I wish I could stay there for the next few weeks. Velvet quickly removes some randomly assorted clothes from my dresser and passes them to me. "This is my arena outfit?" I ask, skeptically. Velvet shakes her head.
"You won't get changed into it until we're underneath the arena. For now, you should just wear that," she explains. I look down at her selected clothes; simply a dark t-shirt and sweatpants. She turns away while I reluctantly remove my nightgown and pull on each article of clothing. I don't want to get changed into them - as soon as I put them on, I agree to heading over to the arena, which is something I desperately don't want to do.
But I know I won't have a choice; if I refuse to get inside the hovercraft, the Peacekeepers will knock me out and drag me in there. And then I won't be able to keep a steady mind when I enter the arena. So it's best to comply with all rules, and be obedient, which I don't usually do.
"Are you ready to head up to the roof? The hovercraft will pick us up there," Velvet says.
"I guess," I shrug. We begin to exit my room when I stop. "Wait, my token!" I exclaim. I don't want to lose the piece of silk Magenta gave me when we were saying goodbye - it's my only piece of home.
"It's already with your arena outfit. Stylists are supposed to bring it for the tributes. It's been a rule for a few years, after tributes repeatedly kept forgetting to take their token with them," Velvet explains.
We head up to the rooftop, while Velvet gives me more information. We didn't talk much before now, since I was either training with my allies or too scared to have a conversation, so it seems as though Velvet is cramming in every bit of information she knows before I go into the arena. I have a hard time paying attention, since my thoughts keep wandering to other questions (like, does death hurt?) but I try my best to soak up all of the useful information.
We reach the roof, and the hovercraft is already waiting to carry us up. I feel my stomach clench as I stare up at the giant white machine hovering many feet above us. As I'm wondering how we'll get up, a ladder is released and drops down only a few feet away from me. I look hesitantly at Velvet, who nods.
"You go first," she tells me. I hesitantly grab onto the first rung, terrified of climbing up so high, but before I can climb, what feels like electricity runs over my body, and I freeze. Paralyzed, the ladder begins to retract, pulling me toward the open door of the hovercraft. I reach the top and unfreeze. I climb the last two rungs with the help of two Peacekeeper who roughly yank me up.
The ladder drops again for Velvet, and I get the chance to look around. The room doesn't look very comfy, and it definitely isn't large. It hold enough space for two rows of chairs (enough for eight people) that face each other. There's a table in the center, and a window on either side of the door. That's it.
There's a door where I'm assuming everything else is, but based on the Peacekeepers' reactions when I go over to see what's passed it, I figure that I'm stuck in this room.
Velvet reaches the top, and the Peacekeepers aren't polite with her, either. They yank her up and she stumbles as they pull her into the room. The hovercraft door slides closed and both of the Peacekeepers stand guard by the door they were so panicked I'd go through. Velvet sighs, brushes herself off, and takes a seat on one of the chairs. I take the chair next to her, which happens to be the window seat.
I watch as the hovercraft zooms up and begins flying over all of the Capitol buildings. We're too high for me to see people on the streets, but I'm sure they can see us.
As we head toward the arena, I rest my head in the heel of my hand and begin imagining the arena, as I have repeatedly the past few days. This time, it feels real. Now that I'm actually heading there, everything seems much more real and less like a bad dream. I'm so lost in thought, I barely notice when an avox approaches with two trays and a giant needle. I immediately cringe; I dislike needles, I've gotten accidentally pricked by them many times in District 8.
The avox sets each tray down on the table, one in front of each of us, then gestures for me to hold out my hand. Terrified, I keep it by my side. Velvet notices and leans over to whisper in my ear.
"They'll insert the needle into your arm either way. It's best to be compliant - it will hurt less."
Reluctantly, I sigh and hold out my arm. I squeeze my eyes shut and wince in anticipation. It definitely hurts, but not as much as I thought it would. My forearm feels kind of numb, so I assume the avox did something to numb it before inserting the tracker into my arm. When I feel her draw back, I open my eyes.
There's a shining blue bump under my skin that hurt when I press it. Velvet must know what I'm thinking.
"The pain will go away soon," she promises. "It still might be a little sensitive, but you'll barely notice it's there. Now, eat up. It's unlikely you'll get a full meal for two weeks or so."
If I survive, I add, but don't say it aloud. I look down at the tray; it's piled with different Capitol breakfast items, but for some reason, it no longer looks appealing. I don't see how anyone could eat before entering the arena. However, I know it's best to eat a lot now, so I begin shoving food into my queasy stomach.
Right before I finish eating, a dark screen automatically slides across the window, blocking my view of everything outside.
"What?" I automatically ask, looking to see if I pressed a button by accident.
"The Gamemakers always automatically cover the window when the tributes approach the arena, so they can't get an early glimpse. We must be close," Velvet tells me. She sounds nervous, and I'm one-hundred percent terrified. In only a few minutes, I'll be inside the arena.
My body tenses up when the hovercraft suddenly stops. The door slide back open, but I can't see the outdoors. All I can see is a small, dark tunnel leading directly downwards. The Peacekeepers come back over and demand I grab onto the ladder. I don't want to, but Velvet pushes me toward it. I bite my lip and grab onto it. Once again, I freeze up.
The ladder begins lowering, and I'm helpless as I watch the hovercraft get farther and farther away. I'm heading down, below the arena. I'm heading into the Hunger Games.
District 6
Axel Woodleigh
My feet hit the ground, and I'm no longer stuck to the ladder. I let go and step away, and watch as the ladder retracts to bring my mentor, Liber, down here.
The room is very small and simple; the only objects are a full-length mirror, a bench, which holds a pitcher of water and a stack of clothes, and in the corner, a tube. That tube is what will take me up into the arena; up into the nightmare. Liber is frozen to the ladder as it descends. When he finally reaches the ground, he regains his movement and walks over to me.
"How are you feeling, Axel?" Liber asks sympathetically. I shrug, but it's obvious that I'm terrified. Liber pats me on the back reassuringly. "You scored a nine. Just avoid danger as much as possible and you'll be okay." I shrug again, and Liber wraps me in a hug. When we part, we walk over to look at the outfit.
Liber holds it up, and his eyebrows immediately knit in confusion.
"What's with the hat?" he wonders aloud. I pick up the hat, which is a thin brown fedora.
"I don't know," Liber says, inspecting it. "It doesn't look like it provides any warmth. The best I can figure is that the Gamemakers are doing it for fashion, rather than actual use. So your clothes are more of a costume than an outfit."
I groan, trying the fedora on. I look in the full-length mirror. It does not look good on me. Why couldn't the Gamemakers have just given us the same outfits as last year, which were completely for practical use? I'd prefer that to the costume they're making us wear. On rare occasions, the Gamemakers give tributes outfits to fit the arena. For example, during the 100th Hunger Games, where the arena was Ancient Roman rubble, the tributes were dressed in really inconvenient togas and sandals.
At least my shoes are boots, I think, looking at the knee-high faded violet leather boots. I sigh one more time as I set the table on the bench and begin stripping off my clothes. Liber turns away to give me a bit of privacy, but I don't really care. I'm going to be filmed and broadcasted to the entire nation 24/7 - I can't really care about getting undressed in front of my mentor.
I pull on the beige button-up shirt and khaki cargo pants. The socks are thankfully thick and comfortable, as are the boots. I slide into the jacket, which matches the boots - like the boots, it is faded violet leather.
Lastly, the hat. I pull it onto my head and look in the mirror. I look stupid. It would be funny in any other situation, but going into a life-or-death situation, I have bigger problems than a dumb hat.
"How quickly can I ditch this?" I ask Liber, pointing to the hat.
"As soon as you're in the arena. But don't drop it before the countdown ends - if it hits the ground, it will blow you up. And don't worry about taking your hat off in the Bloodbath, although if it falls it shouldn't be a problem. Don't worry about removing your hat until you get out of danger. Well, out of immediate danger," Liber adds.
"Five more minutes," a voice over the intercom says. Suddenly realizing how close I am to entering the arena, my heart begins to rapidly speed up. I take a seat on the bench while Liber pours me a glass of water.
I take small sips of the water, my mind running with worse-case scenarios. When the glass is half-full I set it down. My hands slip into the pockets of my jacket, and my right hand hits something hard and cold. I pull it out. It's my father's medallion. My token is in my jacket pocket, just like Liber said it would be. I squeeze it, and it instills some hope into my heart. I'm still terrified, but feel a little braver now that I have a piece of my family with me.
"Tributes, enter the tubes," the voice says. My head jerks up in surprise. How have five minutes already passed? Liber sighs and wraps me in another hug.
"Good luck," Liber whispers to me. I try to thank him, but all that comes out is a strangled cry. I can't seem to form words right now.
I slip my medallion back into my pocket and turn to look at the tube. It looks very menacing, for some reason.
"Tributes, enter the tubes," the voice repeats. I obey and step into the glass tube. The door immediately slides shut, trapping me inside. This freaks me out, because not only can I not escape, but this is a tight space and I'm pretty claustrophobic. My breathing speeds up, and it doesn't help that the floor begins to rise, bringing me closer to the blocked top.
As the tube slowly rises, I feel tears begin to run down my face. This is where the nightmare truly begins...
District 5
Dennis Fielder
The tube rises up, threatening to crush me against the blocked ceiling. However, right before my head is about to hit the top, it slides open, allowing me to pass through. After the darkness of the underground room, the light blinds me momentarily, but it quickly fades. The sun isn't shining very brightly, so it isn't difficult to adjust.
The ground continues to rise, until it stops suddenly. The jolt causes my legs to shake, but I have good balance so I easily remain standing. However, I see some of the tributes next to me (specifically the girl from District 9, who is to my left) shake more violently and come close to falling.
When everyone has regained their balance, we hear Leandros Winthrop's voice booming throughout the arena, coming from an invisible source.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let the 248th Hunger Games begin!"
With that, Leandros begins counting down and I have only a minute left until I finally get to kill a human. I've killed animals, but I've never seen a human life fade before my eyes. Needless to say, I'm thrilled.
I begin looking around at the arena. Not much of it is visible from the clearing we're in, which means I have no idea how large it is. The Cornucopia and all of our pedestals are placed in a small, round clearing with only dewy blades of grass covering the ground. Surrounding us is an incredibly dense forest, although it'd probably be better described as a jungle.
The air is very humid and hot, to the point where I already feel my skin becoming sweaty. The sun is barely visible, though, so I don't think I need to worry about getting a sunburn yet. The only rays from the sun come peeking through a few cracks in the forest's trees, shining enough to illuminate the Cornucopia and the rest of us. I suspect by noon it will be much more of an issue.
The only things I can see over the tops of these trees are the tops of more trees in all directions, suggesting the trees either get higher or go up a hill. The number of trees is kind of unsettling - it might make it harder to hunt down tributes, which I definitely want to do. Hopefully, the arena isn't very large.
To my left is the girl from District 9, who looks terrified. I watch her eyes dart around, probably searching for her alliance members. She would be fun to kill, but I have other people on top of my kill-list. I hope she survives the Bloodbath, even if it's only so I can track her down afterward and have her die at my hand (not after torturing her, of course).
To my right is the girl from District 2, Glitter, who would also be fun to kill. However, killing her might take up too much time during the Bloodbath. By the time I defeat and torture and murder her, the rest of the tributes might be gone. I'm hoping to get at least three kills during the Bloodbath, but I guess I could settle for two. The Bloodbath isn't ideal for killing tributes, since it doesn't give me enough time to torture them.
But it will do.
The Bloodbath will be some fun, but the real fun comes later.
District 7
Vincent Elm
"60… 59… 58…"
On my left is the girl from District 8. She looks very nervous, and her eyes are darting around the clearing, trying to soak in every detail.
"55… 54… 53…"
On my right is the girl from District 3. She doesn't look nervous; she looks determined. She is turned away from the Cornucopia, and is instead facing the dense forest. She must be running away from the Bloodbath.
"50… 49… 48…"
I'm facing the opening on the Cornucopia. I need to run inside, since I'm with the Careers. Even if I wasn't, I'd need to get supplies and a weapon.
"45… 44… 43…"
There is not a lot of stuff in the Cornucopia. There are actually very few supplies inside, so I know people will go mad trying to get it.
"40… 39… 38…"
If people go mad trying to get the survival items, I know they will go insane attempting to get one of the three weapons placed directly outside of the Cornucopia's rim. There is a small wicker table, so everyone can see the weapons. Perched on the wicker table are three guns.
"35… 34… 33…"
Guns are extremely rare in the Hunger Games, to the point where they show up less often than Quarter Quells. They're very powerful compared to the other weapons, so whoever manages to snag one automatically gets a great deal of power. I would love to have a gun, but everyone will try to get it. It's probably safer to get another weapon.
"30… 29… 28…"
I look at the girl on my left again, but she's no longer terrified. She now looks very determined, and is standing in the stating position for running.
"25… 24… 23…"
There aren't any axes in the Cornucopia. It takes me a moment to realize this, but when I do I automatically feel dismayed. I suppose I could just use a sword, but it looks like there aren't many of those, either. In fact, only four swords are currently visible.
"20… 19… 18…"
I make the mistake of looking at Glitter. She smiles and winks at me before going back to staring at the center of the Cornucopia. Of course, she's going to try to grab a gun.
"15… 14… 13…"
Less than fifteen seconds left. I gulp. The Hunger Games will start any minute, and I definitely don't feel prepared. It should be about 10 AM right now. I was Reaped at 10 AM yesterday. I've only known this was going to happen to me for 24 hours.
"10… 9… 8…"
I face the Cornucopia again and lean forward so I can jump at the moment the gong rings. I want to be one of the first people to the Cornucopia.
"5… 4… 3…"
The sun glints off the golden Cornucopia, making it shine brightly.
"2… 1… BOOM!"
The 248th Hunger Games has begun.
Gosh, I'm so excited! Honestly, Gemma's chapter will probably only be like 100 words long.
If you haven't read Flames, you might be confused to why the mentors go with the tributes instead of the stylists. I think it makes more sense for mentors to go, so they can give last-minute advice. Stylists can only give suggestions to what the arena might hold based on the outfit, but it doesn't really matter since the tributes will find out in a few minutes anyway. Plus, I already have personalities and backstories for most mentors (even if they don't show up a lot) and I don't want to create a whole new stylist.
ALLIANCES:
Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius/Kade?
Cecelia/Noelani
Macey/Tracey (obviously)
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel
Axel/Linen/Savanna/Hadley
Zaira/Felix/Quentin
SOLO:
Lennox
Nikola
Dennis
Ruce
Buck
Bloodbath Countdown: 1 Chapter!
- Lilah