So obviously this is a bit (or a lot) different from the original book/movie. Deaths are changed and the time when people die are changed. Tell me what you think, ARENA: DAY 1! (: I love your feedback. You guys don't know how much it brightens my day. Keep it coming! These chapters MIGHT be a little shorter, since one chapter = one day of Hunger Games. I promise tomorrow's chapter will be more interesting. I just had to introduce the Games. Enjoy!
Chloe DeBenedetto
Fastrada hugs me tight and kisses my cheek. Alexandrie pats me on the back and nods. Aubrena's shaking, ticking like a clock.
"Don't worry guys, your going to see me again," I smile apologetically. Evianna shakes her head.
"I just… I don't know, Chloe," she mutters.
"Oh, Eve, you worry wart!" Fastrada sings. "We'll see our favorite District 2 Tribute again. Think of it this way… she's just going on vacation!"
"Of course. Chloe can win! She has what it takes!" Alexandrie says and Aubrena nods in agreement. Fastrada motions for me to step on the launch pad.
"Don't step off the launch pad before the gong sounds or you'll be blown sky-high," I look into Aubrena's eyes and give her a knowing smirk.
"I've been training ever since I was seven. I know everything there is to know."
"I guess this is good-bye," Evianna wipes the tears away with a tissue.
"Shut up! You have no faith in me! I'll be back in a week or two!" I yell. Rage is boiling inside me - Evianna hasn't believed in me since the day we met.
"Here -" Evianna shoves my District token towards me: a necklace with a simple silver chain and a "C" charm. The charm is a diamond… not something you see a lot in 2, but Mom is close friends with a jeweler from District 1. "Wear it with honor. Wear it with pride. Chloe, forget everything I've said. You can win this. Stick with the Careers. Kill Glimmer when you get the chance , because she won't hesitate to kill you."
"Alright," I nod, clasping the necklace on. "Thanks for everything, guys. But this definitely isn't the last time I'll be seeing you," I try and pull of Cato's smirk, and I think it looks pretty sexy.
"Please step on your launch pads, Tributes," That's Seneca Crane, Head Gamemaker. I hug all of my stylists and step on the raising platform. It begins to rise, and the last thing I see is Fastrada hug Alexandrie, tears running down their faces, ruining their make-up.
60, 59, 58, 57, 56, 55, 54, 53, 52...
The arena for the 74th Hunger Games is your average field with patches of tall grass and a thick forest surrounding it. The Cornucopia lies in the center of it all, the color of onyx and shining in the sunlight. Killer Cornucopia is more like it - there's going to be a huge bloodbath here in a minute -
38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30...
Spotting Cato on the launch pad next to me, I grin, letting him know I'm ready to kill. He smirks back at me, nodding. He then turns to glare at Brett, the scrawny fourteen year old 'Career' from District 4.
"Cato!" I hiss. He turns, his reflexes sharp. "Let me kill him. Please," I beg.
"Fine," he sighs, "kill him however you want, just make it painful."
"I promise," I wink.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 -
The gong sounds and the we all race towards the Cornucopia, except the girl from 5 and the boy from 12. Oh, this is going to be good.
I pick up a pack of five throwing knives. Step one is to kill. Then supplies. Surprisingly, not one cannon shot has fired yet. Marvel said he would make sure Brett would be the first to go, and I'm going to make that happen. "Hey, Brett!"
The bony little boy has picked up a trident he can barely wield. I send a knife his way at a very high speed. Stop moving, you little runt! It hits him in the leg and he falls to the ground, dropping his weapon. "They won't miss you back home in 4," I take the knife that's stuck in his thigh and I jam it into his mouth. He coughs up blood for a second, and then he's silent.
"Your going to burn in hell, I can tell," I narrow my eyes at his dead body. His eyes are still open, paralyzed in fear. His cannon fired a long time ago, mixed with others, but I stab his heart over and over again. Satisfied with the bloody mess in front of me, I pick up the knife and stalk the next unlucky Tribute.
District 9 is about to kill Katniss Everdeen, fighting over a backpack. I'm too consumed with bloodlust, though. "Goodbye, District 9," at this point, the cannon is firing like crazy. Aiming for the middle of his back, I hurl another beautiful knife. It hit's the target head-on. Another cannon.
I run towards the little bitch known as Ms. Everdeen and try and knife her. She covers herself with the backpack she got from the boy from 9. Katniss dislodges the knife from the pack and runs into the woods. I shrug and continue the massacre started by the Careers.
"We're going to separate the supplies into food, weapons, and medicine. Get to work on that," Cato commands. The dark is coming, and our leader says that we're going to go hunting tonight to find some dumb Tributes.
I sneak away from Michelle, Glimmer, and Marvel who are sorting the supplies and I help Cato pitch the tents. "How many did you kill?"
"Only four," he scowls. "Do you believe that? What about you?"
"Two," I can tell he's a little disappointed by this. "We're sharing a tent," that's a statement, not a question.
"I wouldn't want it any other way," he flashes his teeth. "Chlo-bird, your mine," he says lustfully. I lean across the tent and my lips are just about to touch his and -
"We're done sorting the supplies, Cato," Glimmer says with a flirty smile. "How about we share a tent? Me and you, and Chloe and Marvel? Michelle can sleep on the ground outside!"
"Oh, yeah, that's a perfect idea!" Cato beams. "Except I would never want to share a tent with you."
Glimmer frowns. "Have it your way. I'll just share a tent with Marv -"
"Sorry, Glim. Michelle and I already decided to share a tent. And since the tents are barely big enough for two people…"
"No! I'm not sleeping outside of a tent!" Glimmer sobs. "I'd ruin my hair! I had it curled just for the Games!"
"Shut up! Your sleeping outside and that's final!" Cato sneers. We can barely see each other's silhouettes now, so Cato declares a hunt.
"Look!" Michelle points to the sky - smoke! Obviously a stupid Tribute who didn't listen in the survival skills station: burn dead leaves, not green ones.
"What are you waiting for? An invitation? Grab your weapons and let's go!" Cato barks. He's doing a pretty good job at leading us. I grab a couple of knives - it's a pretty common weapon so they're were tons of packs in the Cornucopia… all my shiny knives…
Cato leaves the District 3 boy in charge of the supplies. His name is Carter, and I kind of feel bad for him. If anything happens, Cato'll kill him. No mercy.
Marvel grabs his spear, Glimmer her bow and arrows, Cato his sword, Michelle her dagger. And of course, me and my knives. We follow the smoke in the sky until we reach the center of the woods.
I recognize her! It's that girl from District 8 that I 'got acquainted with' during training when she wanted my knives and I threatened to slit her throat. "Cato! Let me kill this tramp!"
She tries to run, but Michelle has her in a headlock. "Why should you have the honor of killing her?" Cato taunts. "I already let you kill that kid from 4. Give me a good reason and I'll let you."
Carlie Johansson District 8 Female Tribute
MY BLOOD FREEZES AS I'M FORCED TO LISTEN TO THE CAREERS ARGUE OVER WHO'S GOING TO KILL ME.
The girl from District 4 holds me in a headlock, letting just enough circulation into my head so I can live for just a bit longer. I really don't want to die… I'm fifteen - I thought I would live to be old and wrinkly and die of natural causes, peacefully. My wish will not be granted. Why?
Why did I, of all the young women in District 8, had to be picked to compete in these Games? It just isn't fair! I'm trying to cry, but no tears will escape my eyes.
"Because, Cato," a perfect little voice with perfect long blonde hair frames her perfect little face - why couldn't I be perfect? Come to think of it, I don't really care about being perfect anymore. I just want to live. "I met this dainty little redhead during training. She tried to steal my knives!"
"No! I was asking for one!" I shriek. Then it hits me. The perfect voice belongs to the girl from 2. Chloe.
"Shut up!" she glowers. "Please let me kill her, Cato, baby," her voice melts back into perfect again. She sounds lush, sexy. I can't move - I'm paralyzed. I can't even fight back against the District 4 girl.
"Well…" the leader of this sick alliance ponders. 4 lets go of me. Is this redemption? Please, I pray. Please.
The leader from 2 and the boy from 1 take both of my arms before I can flee. They stretch me out, pulling me in the opposite directions. "I guess you can, Chlo," I can tell he's smiling. This is just so messed up. "The target is her heart. Step back and fire away!"
The girl from 1 - I can tell by her silhouette that she's shaking her head and maybe even rolling her eyes as if to say, "This is bull."
The other female silhouette takes a couple steps back. She reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls something out - it's shiny and it glints in the moonlight. She's powering up her arm and ready to throw -
No more hugging Mother, feeling her love. No more trying obnoxious, funny jokes from Father. No more long walks at dusk with Jeffrey, my best friend and crush.
The blade! It's coming faster and faster. It's going to hit my heart…
It does. My cannon fires. My life is gone.
Chloe DeBenedetto
"Your so strong, Cato," I giggle, laying against his chest in our cozy little tent.
"Can I at least have a blanket?" Glimmer calls from outside. Her voice is shaky - she's cold.
"No," Cato responds. "Go on, Chloe," that smirk again.
"You killed so many Tributes today…" I kiss his cheek, my lips lingering there for a moment.
"Shut up!" Marvel yells from the tent next to ours. Chloe exhales, sighing. "Some people actually like to sleep!"
"Your so annoying Marvel," I scowl jokingly.
"Me and Michelle are moving our tent to the other side of the supply pile," he states from outside the tent.
"Bye," he dismisses Marvel. "Get a good night's sleep… we have to kill more of them tomorrow."
I snuggle next to Cato and fall asleep, using his arm as a pillow. I survived day one of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, as anticipated. I can only imagine what tomorrow will bring.
DEATH REPORTS
DISTRICT 4 MALE [BRETT LEPORE]
Stabbed with knife multiple times by Chloe DeBenedetto
DISTRICT 3 FEMALE
Punched in the throat then stabbed by Michelle Marina's dagger
DISTRICT 5 MALE
Shot with an arrow in the throat by Glimmer Glowspark
DISTRICT 6: MALE AND FEMALE
Both killed in bloodbath: male killed by Chloe DeBenedetto with knife to the throat, female killed by Marvel Limeston with spear through stomach
DISTRICT 7: MALE AND FEMALE
Both killed in bloodbath: decapitated by Cato Vindisi
DISTRICT 8: MALE AND FEMALE [CARLIE JOHANSSON]
Male killed in bloodbath by Michelle Marina's dagger, female killed with knife to heart by Chloe DeBenedetto
DISTRICT 9: MALE AND FEMALE
Both killed in bloodbath: pierced by Cato Vindisi's sword
DISTRICT 10 FEMALE
Hit in the head with mace by District 5 male
3 KILLS FOR CHLOE DEBENEDETTO, 4 KILLS FOR CATO VINDISI, 2 KILLS FOR MICHELLE MARINA, 1 KILL FOR GLIMMER GLOWSPARK, 1 KILL FOR MARVEL LIMESTON, 1 KILL FOR DISTRICT 5 MALE [NOW DECEASED],
Death toll: 12 (12 Tributes left in the Games by end of first day)
A/N - lol, it was a bad day for the Careers. More blood shed tomorrow, i promise. I hope you enjoyed it!