Chapter 7
I woke up stiff but well rested the next morning. This was a very good thing. I stretched a bit and got my blood pumping as I heard Beryl coming to my room to lead me out into the transports that would take us to the arena. My heart would not stop thumping but I managed to appear calm as we were strapped into our seats and our trackers were implanted.
Jasper was sitting opposite me and stared as they lined up the thin, silver machine that would insert my tracker. I felt that this was some sort of test. I refused to even jump as it went into me. He smiled again and I returned it with twice the sweetness.
Then, before I knew it, we were separated and taken to our individual rooms. I looked over my shoulder and saw out of the corner of my eye that everyone was being led in a way that those from the same districts were being split up. That would make it harder for our career pack to get together. This was frustrating.
I was led into a stark, silver room with a clear tube in the centre. So this was how the tributes had just appeared when I had been watching.
I quickly got dressed into the clothing laid out for me. I took a look. It was fairly lightweight so that meant the arena was likely to be hot, although there was a thin jacket. Ergh, I thought, heat never made things fun.
There was a pair of gloves and a strange pair of shoes, both seemed to have some sort of grip on them. Would there be climbing? Remembering my abysmal climbing skills I really hoped not.
"Prepare to enter the arena. Departure in thirty seconds." A clinical female voice said over a speaker.
I breathed in slowly and made my way to the tube. I was feeling lightheaded. Lightheaded is not a good way to feel when entering the arena. What if I died in the first ten minutes? That would be so embarrassing for a District One tribute. I pushed the thought aside. I wasn't going to die, I was going to win.
I got into the tube and in closed around me. Lucky I wasn't too claustrophobic.
"Ten seconds." Said the voice. I tried to relax. Being jittery was not going to help anyone.
"Five seconds." There was a deafening silence. No one was around. No one could see me. Then the tube started lifting me up and I got a slight wave of vertigo.
Bright sunlight burst in through the top. I felt a soft breeze. I let me eyes readjust and then I saw the arena and gasped.
The entire arena was one huge cement bowl with the cornucopia in the middle. The bowl was huge, but there was nowhere to hide.
I started to panic.
There was nowhere to hide.
The huge clock started counting down. I looked around frantically and saw in the cement walls had grips, things to hold onto. I looked up higher; there were little caverns in the side of the bowl. They would provide safety but it would be next to impossible not to be seen.
I looked to the cornucopia. Anyone with anything long-ranging could just sit up the top and pick people off.
I saw the bow.
I had to get that bow. If I didn't, I was dead.
The clock was counting down the last ten seconds. A little away from me I saw Jasper, poised to run. I caught his eye and nodded to him. He nodded back. Excellent, we were on the same side.
"3…2…1."
I ran.
I sprinted across the concrete, passing some of the lesser districts. One thing you had to say about District One, at least we were fit enough for this. I made it to the cornucopia just after Jasper and Slade.
Slade threw a sword to Jasper in a show of solidarity. It seemed that our career pack was still tight. I ran straight for the bow, which was hidden quite deep inside the cornucopia and slung it over my shoulder.
I kept low, letting Jasper, Slade, Acacia and the boy from District 4 do all of the dirty work. I really had to learn that boy's name. I saw some small knives and, when no one was looking, stashed them inside my uniform. If they didn't know how armed I was, that would be a good thing.
I proceeded to look through the rest of the stuff. Food, good. Water, excellent. Some sort of medical gel, I hid that in my clothing. Some shelter-type thing. This would be all there was.
I looked up quickly at the other tributes and my breath caught. There were seven people lying dead on the ground, mostly young and all from the outer districts. All of the rest must have run, I could see the last of them now. One looked injured. Slade and Jasper were cleaning their swords and Acacia was returning from chasing away the others. The two District Four people were standing awkwardly. The girl in particular didn't look like she was a career, she kept avoiding people's eyes.
"I found food, water and shelter materials in here." I reported to Jasper, pushing a spare bottle of water under a pile of swords as I did so. It wouldn't hurt if I had a little more than the rest of them. He nodded, thinking.
"We should keep it with us all the time." He said. "That way no one can destroy it." I nodded and started sorting it into piles.
"I don't want to carry that around!" Slade said angrily. "We wont be able to hunt, we should just keep it in a safe place." Jasper looked like he was going to throttle him and I noticed that they both took a step forward subconsciously.
"It's ok." I said, brightly. "I can carry it, I'm not that amazing with hunting anyway." I smiled at them both, acting as though I was just trying to stop the argument.
They nodded, believing me. Idiots. I wanted the supplies with me so that I could make a clean run when the time comes. No one is going to come after me, I'm the girl.
I strapped a big bag of supplies onto my back and the six of us walked out of the cornucopia. We looked around. Yes, it was definitely just a large concrete bowl. Not the most interesting of arenas.
Up the sides of the bowl, the other tributes were scrambling away from us, trying to find safe places. It didn't matter, we could see them all. Slade laughed.
"This is almost too easy." He said and sat down on the body of one of the dead tributes.
We all watched as the injured boy made his way up last, trying to haul a mutilated arm up behind him. I felt sorry for him. Inevitably, he slipped and, screaming, he fell down the concrete bowl. There was a sickening splat as his body shattered across the cement.
The District 4 girl started whimpering. Jasper laughed at her.
"Don't laugh." The District 4 boy said quietly. Jasper turned his attention to him.
"What did you say to me?" He asked. Oh no, I thought and stepped away slowly. Jasper was starting to get angry. "What did you say to me?" He yelled and I was sure that the entire arena could hear him. The District 4 boy stood his ground.
"I told you not to laugh at her. Not everyone has been bred for blood lust like you monsters." He said. This was too much for both Jasper and Slade.
Almost in sync they swung their swords and sliced through the neck of the District 4 boy. He fell down lifeless.
This was going to be a fast games.
The District 4 girl started screaming blue murder. She wouldn't stop. I threw my hands over my ears to stop the terrible screaming, but still it came through. I'd had enough.
I ran towards the cement wall. The other careers could do what they wanted. I was getting away from the screams. I reached the wall and scuttled up, one hand above the other. I wasn't even really looking where I was going.
I reached up to the first cave and saw two tributes, probably from nine or ten, shy away from me. I ignored them. I kept on climbing. I was going to reach the top. I didn't dare look down for fear of the vertigo that I knew would come.
I climbed until the backs of my legs ached and my fingers groaned. The gloves and shoes did little to help me at all. Finally, breathing hard, I reached the top of the bowl and the highest cave. No one else had made it this high.
I shoved my huge pack in first and then swung myself in afterwards. It was a nicely sided cave, enough room for maybe two people to sleep comfortably. There was even a lip at the end so that I wouldn't roll out.
It was then, and only then, that I dared to look out over the edge of the cave and back at my fellow careers. Slade, Jasper and Acacia were huddled near the cornucopia. The District Four girl was nowhere to be seen. Had she escaped? I hadn't heard a canon, but then again, I doubt I would have noticed if one had gone off.
I lay back down into the cave and rested for a moment. Soon it would be nightfall, and I would know how many were left. I could deal with it then.