District Eleven Female

Lynette Bloom

Day Four, 11:56 AM

4 Days, 1 Hour, 56 Minutes since Game Commencement

I'm scared.

The world feels too still. I'm the only one moving around, as far as I can see. And the only sounds I hear are my footsteps, and the wind whistling through the streets and buildings.

I hate this arena. I wish it were something more familiar, such as a forest, or even an orchard. Terrain I know.

But this ruined city is scary because I don't know anything about it. Something could be hiding in any one of the buildings I pass and I'd never know. All these buildings, tall and sturdy and so urban, feel so alien to me. We don't have anything like this back home in Eleven.

I'm pacing around in a sunbathed spot in an alleyway. I'd spent the past few days hiding with my district partner, Dion, in what I'm pretty sure was some kind of market, before Dion got attacked by these horrible bird mutts that managed to get in, somehow. I left, of course, but that was a few hours ago and I'm not sure what to do now.

Common sense tells me that I should find someplace else to hide, but the fact that those mutts were still able to get in tells me that being inside doesn't mean I'll be safe anymore. But I know that I can't stay out in the open, otherwise I'll be found, and not just by the mutts…

Oh, what to do? What to do?

Wait…

What's that?

I press myself against the brick wall of the building I'm standing by as the sounds of multiple pairs of footsteps approach me, accompanied by chatting and laughing.

That must be the Careers!

Immediately, my heart begins to race. They're probably going to find me! And kill me! They might even torture me before they do so!

My mentor, Roland, told me that I should stay as calm as possible, and that panicking does no one any good. I try to take his words to heart, but it's beating too frantically to take any note.

Before I even realise what I'm doing, I'm already running away, back down the alley and out the other side. As I run into the next street over I hear those footsteps coming after me, giving chase. They're yelling too, taunting me, saying things like "We're gonna get you!" in a sing-sing kind of voice.

It all just makes me run faster.

I can feel tears pooling in my eyes. I don't want to die!

I run into another alley and immediately dart round the corner of the building at the other end. Without even thinking about it, I zoom into the building and duck out of sight behind a rusted car inside.

Then, I hold my breath as the footsteps approach.

And I let it out when I hear them recede in the distance. Good! They hadn't seen me enter. I'm safe.

For now, at least.

As I catch my breath, I look around. I seem to be in one of those places that fixes up cars. I've never seen a place like this before. It smells funny too, like a musty scent and also what has to be oil or gas or something like that. I don't know what it is, I don't know anything about cars.

I get to my feet and peek out the entranceway. The coast seems to be clear, but you never know. Anything could be lurking out there, just out of sight.

I decide it couldn't hurt to stay here for a few more minutes, just to make sure I'm really safe. This place does appear to be empty though, so I'm sure I'll be fine.

I wander over to a nearby workbench. It's littered with tools, most of which I can't identify, as well as old food wrappings and dusty sheets of paper. My mind starts to wander as I imagine the people who worked here, using these very rooms to fix up cars in all sorts of shapes and colours. Eating food and leaving the rubbish here, intending to throw it away later. Using the paper for… something, I guess.

Then I catch sight of something unusual.

The entire workbench is very dusty, however there's a spot where there's no dust at all. It's in the shape of what I assume to be a tool of some kind.

But I can't see a tool of that shape anywhere else around me.

Where did it go?

The realization hits me - someone else is here - and I spin around to leave, not wanting to stick around any longer.

I don't even make it halfway before footprints run up behind me and then suddenly I'm on my knees clutching the back of my head.

I scream as I start to cry in pain. My hands come away bloody and I feel like I'm going to throw up.

I'm knocked to the ground and I scream even louder as I feel something repeatedly come down on my head, over and over and over again. I can barely think, because oh god it hurts so much!

I don't want it to die! Please don't let me die like this!

I can hear my own voice growing more garbled by the second. Bloody tears obscure my vision and I just want this whole nightmare to end, please!

And end it does.