I decided to take things slow the first day to give everyone time to see the Arena. Until the first Career hunt after nightfall, the first day in any Games is probably pretty quiet as the Tributes scatter in all directions.

Quiola Cassidy

Sky said I shouldn't risk running in, so I didn't grab anything at the Cornucopia. The Careers must have figured out what happened with my score, because they didn't target me as I fled. I kept running until the cannons started.

After I stopped, I realized my troubles were just starting. My mouth was slimy with thick spit from running so hard, and I didn't have anything to drink. I wasn't dehydrated yet, but I was already really thirsty. There was no water anywhere on the parched ground or the barren rocks around me. It was obvious the Hunger Games would be centered around water this year.

Only six cannons went off. The Bloodbaths had been smaller lately. Either the Careers were taking fewer risks or the Gamemakers set things up so the Games would last longer. Which was especially dangerous this year.

I swiped some sweat off my forehead and licked my finger. I wasn't sure if the salty moisture would keep me hydrated, but it felt nice to have something wet on my tongue. It was hot enough to make me want to wait until dark to look for water, but I didn't know how weak I would be then. In the Arena, everything was life-and-death. If I messed up anything, like how to find water, I'd die just like that. Just like someone else.

I had one consolation. All the other Tributes would be looking for water as well. They wouldn't be looking for me. The Careers probably had plenty and could come for us whenever they wanted, but they were the only enemy for the time being. And they were a long way away. I had to hope that water was further into the Arena and not closer to them.

Granja Valdez

"I can't believe you got all this stuff," Peach said as we went through our supplies. I had a bunch of bananas, a bag of tin cans, a sheet of brown canvas, a pocketknife, a collapsible pail, a lighter, and a mirror. Peach's bag had iodine tablets, a bag of salt, a packet of milk powder, and best of all, one bottle of water.

"I wanted to be a good ally," I said. I'd been afraid Peach would stick with me through the Bloodbath and then run away. After it was done, I felt guilty at my lack of faith. She wasn't like that.

"I'm already thirsty, but we should save our water," Peach said.

"Let's open one of the cans and drink that water," I said. All of the cans were pull-top, so it was easy to open one. We picked the fish since it looked the grossest. The water inside had bits of fish in it and tasted salty and slimy, but it was better than nothing.

"If we're careful, we can make these last a long time," Peach said. "Maybe long enough for some of the others to die." I knew most of the Tributes would be looking for water. If we could hole up or keep a distance from any water holes, we'd be out of their sights.

We ventured further into the Arena and examined the cliffs around us. Most of them were sloped gently enough to climb, and some of them were taller than buildings. There were crags and holes in some of them, maybe deep enough to make into a shelter. There was no sign of wildlife or the other Tributes. Just rocks everywhere, and not even a trickle of water.

Demarcus

I picked up a rock and threw it as hard as I could. It cracked and split into two pieces as it hit one of the cliffs around me. I wanted to yell, but it wasn't safe.

Screw that! Screw it not being safe! It should have been safe for him! Trust my shitty life. I made a friend for the first time in years and I watched him die. Blaise was a great guy. He thought I was cool and I didn't show it as much, but I thought the same of him. We were going to be partners. He was gone, just like that. There weren't enough rocks to throw to stop the pain.

It was Theo who killed him. I was too far away when he attacked. I was trying to gather supplies for us. I was trying to help him stay alive. I almost ran at him right then, but I knew it would be stupid. I retreated, but it wasn't over. I couldn't attack him with all his allies there, but I could wait. They wouldn't all live forever, and they didn't know survival like I did. The Arena wasn't like the nice, neat Academy. It was a brutal, unforgiving world out here, just like the streets. Here, surviving came before killing. Once they'd run out of little kids to kill, they'd start turning on each other, and the Arena would take care of any that made mistakes. When they were weak enough, then I could attack. I didn't care about the others. Only Theo.

I wasn't going to kid myself. I had a snowball's chance in Hell, and first I had to keep myself alive and in good condition. In the Bloodbath, I grabbed one of the bigger backpacks. When I dumped it out, I found a hunting knife, a half-full canteen, water purification tablets, and some weird gels that were apparently food. It was enough to keep me going as long as I needed.

It was hot, but I never wanted the sun to set. There was one face I was dreading, and another I wasn't looking forward to either. Everyone who deserved to win was already dead. The best I could do was remove the one who deserved it least.

Hoban Tam

Everyone in our alliance was alive, and we all had various supplies from the Bloodbath. Ventrix was the most cautious, which made sense. All she took was a pocketknife with about a dozen assorted blades and tools. I was a little bolder and ran a few feet in to grab a first aid kit I noticed. Kerry, naturally, ran straight to the heart of the fight and scooped up everything he could carry. He added an empty canteen, three weird gel pads, two pairs of socks, a firestarting tool, a bottle of sunscreen, and a super thin sleeping bag to our supplies.

"What even is this?" Kerry asked as he looked at one of the gel pads. I picked up another and read the label.

"You twist it and the chemicals mix. It heats up and provides heat for four hours," I said.

"Cool! We'll be warm even if we only have one bag," Kerry said.

"We have everything we need but water. We should find some as soon as we can," I said. But as it turned out, it found us. We didn't expect to get sponsors so early, or really at all, since Eleven was so poor, but there the parachutes were. The first held two pairs of sunglasses, which would be very nice with all the glare and were probably cheap to send, since they were more for comfort than for killing. It also had two wool caps, which led me to believe the Arena got chilly at night. The second held four bottle of water and a machete.

"Awesome!" Kerry said when he saw the water.

"Great, now we can defend ourselves," I said when I saw the machete. I noticed Ventrix didn't say anything. We all knew the machete was for her, and I think it made her nervous. Not about using it- that would be easy for her. Nervous because it would be easy for her.

"It's a good thing someone knows how to fight around here," I said when she finally picked it up. It wasn't her fault she was trying to live. She wasn't the guilty one.