The Seventieth Hunger Games chapter 4

Hey guys! So, this is Chapter 4. I know it took me a long time to get this chapter out, but I hope it's a good chapter at least. By the way, you guys may have noticed that I changed my username. Well, I just didn't really like my old username anymore and so I changed it. I thought I would say something about that before we get started with the chapter. Anyway, let's get this chapter started already.

Lily's POV:

Immediately when the buzzer went off, most of the tributes ran into the Cornucopia. The Careers already started killing. I stepped off the metal circle, but didn't run for a minute. I couldn't see Ethan anymore. I didn't know where he was, I didn't even know if he was still alive. I saw a messenger bag about ten feet away from me. I ran toward it and grabbed it before the other girl running towards it could. I kept my distance from the Cornucopia, but I noticed a jug of water nearby and ran for it. Another boy almost ran into me, but I twisted out of the way and he tripped and went flying. I grabbed the water and bolted for the woods. A dart flew past my head and embedded itself in a nearby tree. I looked back and saw a boy holding a dart gun. I saw him reload and ran faster straight into the woods.

I clutched my stuff close as I ran. It was eighty degrees now, but it wouldn't stay that way. Tigris said it would get hotter, so I decided to find somewhere with some shade. I stopped running and leaned against a tree to catch my breath. There were cannons going off everywhere. The Bloodbath certainly hasn't ended. I looked around. I was in a small clearing. The woods weren't dense at all. Open woods were good for running, but bad for concealment. I could still see the ocean in the distance. I decided to make my way to the ocean. I took a breath and started walking, careful not to make much noise.

By sunset, I was getting close to the beach. I leaned against a tree at the edge of the sand. I sat down and decided to look through my bag. It contained a small relatively thin blanket, a box of matches, some iodine, a hunting knife, and a few bags of dried cherries.

"Okay, this will work for the time being, but I'm going to need more water and food eventually," I said quietly to myself.

As the sun went down, the anthem started and I looked up to watch the fallen. Both from nine, the boy from five, the girl from seven, the boy from ten, and both from eight.

"That's seven," I whispered.

The night was only slightly cooler than the day. It had gone down to seventy now. I didn't need my blanket, so I packed up my messenger bag and held it close to me as I lay down at the edge of the sand.

I woke with the sunrise and thankfully, no one had found me in the night. I sat up and looked around. At first, I saw nothing, but then I saw a small group of people at the edge of the beach. They were far away and they didn't see me. I jumped up and hid behind the tree that I was leaning against. I recognized the boy with the dart gun and there was a girl holding a backpack and another boy holding a set of knifes. I opened my bag and took out my hunting knife. I knew there were too many of them. They started to turn my way and I hid back behind the tree again. I couldn't see them, but I could hear them now.

"Look, we need to move faster!" One of the boys snapped.

"If the Careers find us, we're as good as dead!" The girl retorted.

"You don't think we know that, Evelyn?" the other boy demanded.

Oh, so the girl is Evelyn from three. This wasn't the Career group, but that doesn't make this any less bad. I could hear them getting closer. I turned and ran into the woods.

"There!" Evelyn yelled.

"Damn it," I muttered.

I could hear them behind me. I ran faster and zig-zagged around, taking turn after turn, trying to lose them. Several darts flew past my head and hit trees.

"You're really bad at aiming that thing, Cole!" the other boy yelled.

"Shut it!" Cole yelled back."It's not like you have anything to throw at her, Toby!"

"Just run faster!" Evelyn interrupted.

I heard them speed up behind me. I saw a low-hanging branch and jumped, swinging up onto the branch. The group ran right past me, and when they looked back, I was hiding in the thick leaves.

"Where is she?" Cole asked.

"She can't have just disappeared," Evelyn stated.

I stayed completely still. Eventually, they took off running in the direction they guessed I went. I climbed out onto the large branch and looked around. There was no one else around, but all the yelling would have attracted other people. I jumped down from the branch and ran back towards the beach. It seemed safer than wondering around the woods. I walked to the opposite end of the beach from where I was.

"Okay, already almost died once…. About twelve-hundred more times to go," I muttered.

I ate a handful of dried cherries and ended up taking off my jacket. It was probably ninety degrees now and around noon. I heard a branch snap behind me and whirled around. Cole from 6 stood there, still holding his bunch of knives. I got a grip on my backpack and prepared to run.

"Hold on," Cole said. "I wanna make an alliance."

I eyed him suspiciously. "You already have an alliance."

"Yeah, but you saw them. They were idiots. I want you."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

I stood up. I then noticed the crazy look in Cole's eyes. I started to back up, getting ready to run.

"You shouldn't have said no to me, Lily," Cole warned.

He raised his knife and stabbed down at me. I didn't have time to run and he would've stabbed me if the arrow hadn't gone through his head. He fell to the ground, dead. I saw Mal from 6 standing behind him, holding a bow and arrow. I grabbed my bag and turned to run.

"Wait!" Mal said.

I slowly turned back to her. "What?"

"I remember you from training. Allies?"

I eyed her. I did remember her as well. She seemed like an okay person.

"Sure," I finally agreed.

"Okay. Let's go," Mal said.

I followed her back into the woods.

We kind of walked around, trying to avoid people for a while.

"He was your district partner, right? Cole," I asked.

Mal nodded. "Yeah. He's completely nuts. Did you see his eyes? I wouldn't be surprised if he went cannibal. It was a blessing to the world to kill him."

"Oh, I forgot to thank you for saving me back there. He was too close for me to run in time to dodge his knife."

Mal smiled. "It was nothing. Don't mention it."

We walked a little while longer, searching for a viable water source, like a pond or lake.

"There has to be some water source in this arena," I said.

"Yeah and the Careers probably have it," Mal agreed.

"Would it kill the Gamemakers to put in two water sources?"

"Probably would. They wouldn't get as many Tributes killing each other for the water."

"So, just like all the other Tributes through the years, we have to come up with a plan to get water from the Careers."

"Yep. Got any ideas for a plan?"

"I don't know yet. But we'll think of something."

Alright guys, that's it for Chapter 4. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you thought. I'll try to get Chapter 6 out faster this time. Bye guys, - Lily