Welcome back! Last we left off our heroes were just about to start the hunger games but I left with a cliff hanger?! Anyway reviews are greatly accepted! Enjoy the next chapter.

Chapter 12

The Hunger Games Begin

Gunner's POV

As the final seconds of the countdown end, I sprint off my pedestal and head for the middle. I feel the wind in my face and the sound of grunts and smacks around me but surprisingly enough nobody touched me. When I reached the middle I grabbed two swords two bows some arrows 3 backpacks and before I could grab anymore somebody grabbed my shoulder and turned me around but before he could I grabbed a knife from the backpack, turned and swung at him. When I turned and saw his face I saw that it was Rick from district 4 holding his neck from where my knife had sliced through. I turned back towards the weapons and grabbed an axe for Jerome and another backpack. I turn my head just in time to see Mitch fighting a boy from 10 so I go over to help him by putting a sword through him. Mitch silently thanks me as I give him a sword and we go to find the others. We find Rob standing over a girl from 4 and I hand him a bow and a quiver along with a knife. We find Preston being beaten by two girls from 3 and 6. Rob and I take out our bows and take them out while Mitch helps him up. "We need to find Jerome!" Mitch yells. I nod and we run off searching for our bacca, After awhile we find him in a tree just outside of the cornucopia. After we meet up we walk for awhile until we feel safe enough to look at what we got. I handed a backpack to everyone but Mitch so he can be our lookout, the bag I opened had some food, a couple knifes one (being a machete) and some sort of multitool. Preston's bag had some rope a lighter and some pecans. Jerome's had a full canteen of water, more rope and some medicine. Rob's had a pot (which I guessed was for boiling river water), another canteen and a baseball cap which he tossed however Preston picked it up and put it on. After we split up the earnings we started walking, Me with a bow and a machete, Rob with a bow and a sword, Preston with a spear that he had picked up near someones body and some throwing knifes, Mitch with a sword in hand and a dagger in his back pocket, then there is Jerome who is never complete without his trusted axe that he's been flaunting the whole time. After about 15 mins of walking we found a small cave next to a stream and we decided to camp there for the night since it was getting dark already, Jerome was chopping down firewood and Preston had already gotten a fire started in the cave. As Mitch comes in after refiling our water we hear 6 loud cannons that signify that 6 people had died in their efforts in the cornucopia. I breath a sigh of relief when I don't see Lindsey but Jordan's name comes up instead along with Rick Smith(4), Ryan Quinn(10), Candace Meadows(3), Meranda Sorian(6), Blake Bates(9), and Mille Flynn(4). I sit around the fire eat a couple of pecans and tell them to wake me when it's my time to stand guard. The others nod in agreement and I lay down for the first time today. I slept for two hours before Jerome woke me for my night shift. I sat with my bow at the ready hearing some movement here and there that was from animals or the wind. After my two hours were up I went over and kicked Robs foot and told him it was his turn, he grunted and groaned but got up nonetheless. I told him Mitch was next and then Preston, he nodded and I went back to sleep. I dreamt of Lindsey and if she is with anyone or if she is out there alone. I try and push it out of my head and fall deeper into sleep.

Mitch's POV

"It's ok" I told myself "Just survive and protect Gunner while he gets stuff from the middle... It will be ok" 3...2...1..Go I sprint toward the middle where Gunner already was and I fought the tribute from 10, he was a tough one, I'll tell you that but I was able to keep him subdued until a sword went through his stomach and almost poked mine. I looked up as Ryan fell to the ground and see Gunner loaded with weapons and backpacks, he hands me a sword and I nod and we head to help the others when we find Rob standing over a girl he killed as Gunner gave him a bow when we see Preston getting beaten by the girls from 3 and 6 Gunner and Rob take the two of them out and I help Preston up and I noticed that Jerome was nowhere to be found and I tell the others that we need to find him. We spent 5-ish minutes looking until I spot him hiding in a tree, just like him, a bacca in a tree. I smile and hug him as Gunner gives him an axe and I heard Jerome chuckle and say "he knows". Nothing much happened after the cornucopia other then the others divvying up what was in the backpacks that Gunner had grabbed "he did a great job" I thought "I may have died if he hadn't saved me." Soon we found a cave just as it was getting dark and Jerome had the first shift then Gunner, Rob, me then Preston. I slept for a couple hours then was woken by Rob telling me it was my shift and to not be too worried if the leaves shake because it was a really windy night. I acknowledge what he said and stood up and sat on a rock by the cave entrance with my sword and Gunner's bow at the ready. The night was uneventful but I was ready for anything. After my two hour shift was up I went and woke up Preston and told him what Rob told me about the windy night, he reluctantly agreed and got up and sat in the same place as I with his knifes and a sword. I slowly drifted to sleep and dreamt about Jerome among other things and waited until daytime.

Rob's POV

I was ready when the countdown stopped and we were released I ran to do what my job had told me to do, protect Gunner. I ran toward where Gunner had been sprinting and waited incase anybody wanted to tussle. Soon a girl who was from 4 and I actually took her down somewhat easily by choking her in a headlock. Right after Gunner and Mitch found me and Gunner gave me a bow and arrows, he knows what I want. Soon we found Preston getting whooped by two girls, one from 3 the other from 6 and I quickly pulled back my bow to save my buddy and Gunner had the same idea, I shot the girl from 6 and he shot the one from 3. Mitch helped Preston up and immediately wanted to know where his bacca was, of course we found the bacca where they always are, in a tree. Later on we found our way a good distance from the middle and we looked in the backpacks Gunner picked up as Mitch stood guard. I didn't get much in mine other than a cooking pot, a canteen of water and a baseball hat that I just tossed but saw the little cactus pick it up. Later we made our way to a cave when it was getting dark. I was already tired but when I was told that I didn't have the first shift I just fell asleep next to the fire. Later I was woken by Gunner who told me to get moving that it was my shift, I sat on a rock and just listened to the crickets chirping and the leaves rustling when I heard a very distinct sound... It was a footstep! I pulled my bow at the ready and waited silently, I waited and waited until I heard a soft voice call, "Please don't hurt me" I asked who it was and she replied "Lindsey... Lindsey Fang from district 8" I remembered that Gunner was also from district 8 and I was sure that he liked her so I replied "I'm not gonna hurt you but you can't stay here, we already have people with us including Gunner" I wasn't sure how she would reply but she soon answered back "Gunner's in there?, I-Is he ok?" She asked "he's fine" I reply "how long are you gonna stay here because my shift is almost over and the next guy doesn't necessarily like others" Lindsey replied with "ok I'll go but please keep an eye on Gunner... I want to see him later" I wanted to say more but I needed to wake Mitch for his shift and I told Lindsey "I'll keep my eye on him you just worry about yourself" she said her thanks and I heard her stomp off into the woods.

Preston's POV

I watched the countdown tick second by second until 3...2...1..Go! I knew the mission was to protect Gunner as he gets stuff from the building in the middle so I ran where he was to my left and was ready to stop anyone after him. When I turned around to face anyone who may be coming I was kicked in an unfair area I fell like a rock and they started kicking me over and over and over until for some reason they stopped and I looked up to see a hand then saw Mitch reaching to help me up. I take his hand and see an arrow in each of the girls that were kicking me, then I see Rob and Gunner trot over when Mitch basically shouted that we needed to find Jerome. After a couple minutes Mitch finds him in no other place than in a tree. Later after we left the middle we split the gear that Gunner got from the cornucopia. I was handed a backpack and when I opened it I found a rope, a lighter and some freakin' nuts. We wondered off for awhile sharing water and some of the food from the four backpacks that Gunner grabbed, just when it was getting dark we found a cave and decided to stay there for the night. I started a small fire with some firewood that Jerome gathered with an axe that Gunner picked up for him. Soon after I heard the guys talking about shifts and how Jerome was first and I nodded off and slept for about 8 hours when I found out that I was the last one to have a shift and heard Mitch's story that probably the others were told about the windy night and to keep my guard up. I sat on a rock and heard the soft snoring of the others by the fire. It was a quiet night when I started to see the sun coming up and I went to wake the others.

Jerome's POV

3...2...1...Go! The game started before I could even think about my plan, I ran around looking so confused when I saw a big guy pick up a knife from the cornucopia and I just turned and ran to the closest climbable tree and hurried up it. I saw the guy walk past the tree, he looked like he was searching for me. I looked toward the middle and saw Gunner slit a guys throat then stab a dude who was fighting Mitch then find Rob then Preston who was getting the crap kicked out of him. I knew that they were looking for me but I was afraid that the guy with the knife was still there. Just after they got Preston up I heard Mitch shout at me and I smiled and climbed down from the tree and hugged Mitch. Soon after Gunner, Rob and Preston came over and Gunner handed me an axe and I said "he knows." I took the axe and we wandered off into the woods and started opening the backpacks Gunner grabbed. The one he handed me had some water, rope and some medicine. We grabbed the gear and started off, almost the whole way I was waving around my axe like it was sacred and it kinda was to me, my axe is my baby. Eventually when it started to get dark we found a cave to stay in for the night. I was told to chop trees for firewood while the others set up camp. I chopped a couple trees nearby and got a decent amount and called it a night when I was told to have the first lookout shift. "ugh" I thought to myself "two extra hours I have to stay up before I can sleep." I ended up accepting the fact and sat on a rock just outside the cave to watch the sunset because it my be my last one. Thankfully the night was uneventful so I could wake Gunner and finally catch some sleep. I kicked him in his hip to wake him and tell him that his shift was now and I wanted to sleep. I laid down and put my backpack behind my head to use as a pillow and took off my jacket revealing my tee-shirt that had the number 12 on it and used my jacket as a blanket. Just as soon as I got comfortable I was out like a light.

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