By nature, this chapter contains violence, it's nothing I would call excessive, the T rating still holds true. If you could read the original Hunger Games, you'll be fine :)
I know I should be excited, since I volunteered to do this, but in actuality I'm very, very afraid. It's my fear, not my fight with Dredd that keeps me in my room for the morning. It's only when my stylist knocks on my door that I finally leave.
"Dredd asked me to take you to the hovercrafts, he took Kristen this morning. He said that you'd probably expect him to do that and just wanted to say that he's rooting for you," he says, melancholically.
Even if I did feel like answering, I'm not sure if I'd be able to. I'm in such a daze that I can't even recall enough of the past few days to be sure this is the same stylist I had before.
I ride in the same hovercraft as Jason, Trawl, and Preston; thankfully none of them seem to feel like talking. Marie Lynn is on this flight too, but refuses to make eye contact or give any recognition of me. Out of all of us, she seems the most calm, picking at her hair, staring across the room, and admiring her fingernails for the duration of the ride.
As for the other kids, a few of them cry quietly, but most have slipped into the same undead stupor of the ultimate suspense.
Another hallway, another Capitol person waiting for me, a couple more minutes, and what I thought was torture elevates itself to a whole new level of agony; it's time for us to step into the launch tubes. There comes a pause before the platform rises, just long enough to give me the hope that it won't rise at all.
Alas, the Capitol was never known for playing towards hope. As I rise, I have to remind myself that I chose this, I've prepared for this, and I am ready. Eight of the tributes out there have sworn their allegiance to me, I'm in one of the best situations out of any tribute to have ever stepped foot in the Games.
I had expected it to be bright when I emerged, but instead I rise up into a ring of shade.
This is wrong; this is not what the Arena's supposed to look like.
Instead of the open field that normally hosts the start of the Games, I find myself surrounded by thick, dense forest. Small plants and young trees combine into undergrowth thick enough that I can't see two meters in front of me, let alone to the Cornucopia. For all I know, I could even be facing away from the promised bounty. There's no way of knowing where the supplies or any other tributes are.
I start to panic. I know I can't leave before the first minute is up and I can hear James Catroll counting down a lot faster than I'd like. I can't prepare for when he gets to the end, because I have no idea what way I should go to get towards the Cornucopia and my allies. They probably don't know where to go either, the viewers must be buzzing.
This is not an Arena suited to my conditions, this is an Arena that's suited towards those tributes who just want to get away from everyone else as quick as they can. We're all separated; after you've left your platform, if you see a person you don't want anything to do with, it's easy enough to just turn around and disappear into the foliage. Unfortunately for me, I'm not in the business of disappearing; I've got a place that I need to be.
Could sound carry through this forest? I suspect not. There's no way I could yell to get someone's attention.
Thirty seconds left, the only way I'm going to get anywhere is just by picking a direction and walking straight until I either find the Cornucopia, or don't. I know how far the tributes usually are from the supplies, so if I don't see any positive signs after a little while, I can turn around and try the other direction.
Just as the number seventeen slips from James' mouth, a vibration rocks the forest floor and nearly knocks me off my platform. The sound comes immediately after, topping my shock with a high-pitched ring in my ears.
One of the tributes, not immediately, but somewhere on my left, jumped off their platform.
Five seconds left.
In a forest of no directions, this sound beacon is the only thing that can tell me anything about where the other tributes are. Regrettably it doesn't do too much for me because it only identifies that there are in fact tributes on my left, which I had already reasoned was likely. It was too close to have been from someone completely on the other side of the circle, but if it had been from across the ring, it would tell me exactly where the Cornucopia is. Not even now can I catch a break.
"Two," The grand voice booms from above.
Two already?!
"One. Let the eighth annual Hunger Games begin!"
Uhh… okay, pick a direction and go.
I leap off the platform and land unsteadily in the mess of plants. So much for the years when everyone's running towards the Cornucopia.
I make my way slowly, weaving through the small trees and listening for the sounds of other kids. The breeze rustling the brush camouflages the sounds of any footsteps, but other than that, the arena is in complete silence. Someone could be five feet on either side of me and I would have no idea.
Eventually, the wildflowers growing around my feet start to thin, and before I know it I can jog between the trees. The continuous tinning of the bush seems to be a good sign, so I keep true to my direction.
Eventually I can see gaps between trees and in a few seconds, the corner of my eye catches the glint of my saving grace, the Cornucopia. It turns out that my direction was almost right. I was at an angle from the clearing, I could see it through the trees, but tunnel vision would prove disastrous.
It's a full sprint from here, thirty yards to salvation. I can make out the crates of food rations and water bottles surrounding the more precious items found directly inside the massive golden horn. I recognise Jason's blonde hair next to Ayler, picking through the things deep inside.
It's then that I remember I'm not alone in this forest. I turn my head to see who's around me. Thankfully, the only person other than my two allies is Dai Lao, who's just finding his way out of the trees.
Relaxed, I jog up to Jason. "Hey-"
He holds a finger up to his lips, motioning for me to be quiet. He points towards the weapons and I pick up a sword that I'm comfortable with. He holds a sword as well, while Ayler fawns over some knives and spears. Eventually he picks up one of each.
Dai Lao has made it to us now. "Yeaaaaah brothers!"
We all glare at him, then repeat the silent routine. Once he's taken a weapon, I motion to the ring of trees and everyone nods in unison. We make our way out of the Cornucopia and split up to jog towards the bush.
On the TV it looks so easily. During the bloodbath it seems so obvious where everyone should go that often it brings me to the point of yelling in frustration at the tributes. Now however, when I'm a part of this careful dance, I see that it's a lot more complicated than it seems. I don't know where anyone is and therefore I have no idea which way would be best. My mind's racing too fast to make any rational decisions and the energy my electric blood is pumping through my veins makes it nearly impossible to stop running. I feel like a train with stalled breaks, only a matter of time until I plow into a mountain.
I don't really understand the expression 'out of the corner of my eye' but for the second time today, I'm glad that my eyes have corners, because I just make out a flash of what can only be blonde hair to my right. Jason, who I know is behind the Cornucopia, is one of the pair of the only blonde tributes. It means I must be seeing Marie Lynn, she's certainly keeping a distance from the Cornucopia. Honouring what I promised her, I simply pretend I didn't see her and keep running. It's only a few more steps into the forest before more movement catches my eye.
I raise my sword and hold my ground. Whoever it is is running really quickly and it will only be a second before they're right on top of me. They won't have a weapon, this is my shot to prove what I've learned.
A skinny male runs ungracefully through the trees. I start to bring my sword down when they stop suddenly, startled.
"Everett!" The boy jumps back.
I lower my sword. "Trawl?"
"Is this the right way?" He asks frantically, checking over his shoulder.
"Uh, um- yeah."
"Okay thanks," he runs past me towards the Cornucopia, tapping my shoulder as he goes.
I don't have time to react to the surprise of seeing Trawl - and almost killing him accidentally – before the bushes are rumbling again. A second figure crashes through, bigger than the last. I quickly make it out as Jarratt, Marie Lynn's District partner, and raise my weapon assuredly.
I only get a change to knick him in the forearm before his momentum crashes into me, his reflexes a lot slower than Trawl's. I sprawl into the bushes, picking myself up as quickly as possible and holding on to my sword with extreme worry that he'll try to take it from me.
By the time I get myself standing, I'm alone again. I check behind me for reassurance, but sure enough, Jarratt is sprinting away towards the Cornucopia. Trawl is already there, picking through the weapons hurriedly. Jarratt is massive, based only by the fact that he bowled me over completely accidentally; Trawl is probably the only one who could take him.
I wish my ally luck before turning back to the forest for the third time. It feels wrong to wade into the weave of plants and trees, but I push forward anyways, letting the screams behind me fade.
It takes about thirty seconds before I come across him. Facing away from me, struggling intensely, buried to his shoulders in weeds, is a scrawny boy with a large twelve embroidered on his back. He turns his head and opens his mouth in a silent scream. I instantly recognise him as one of Tsoma's partners. I see now why he was struggling, the patch of plants he was caught in has thorns on it, long enough to snag his clothing and rip into his skin.
With the sight of me of course, his struggling increases until his thorn wounds start dripping blood. For a moment I can't even move, I just stand there watching him, until I realize that all of his self-mutilation is getting him somewhere, he's almost free. In the blink of an eye he's stumbling away, tearing away from me.
There's a second of reclusiveness on my part. With all he's done, this small boy deserves to get away from me. I could trip; make it look like I fell so that I don't scare away sponsors.
ButI forgot my own plan. Kills at the Cornucopia count towards points to determine who in our group gets to pick weapons first when we split up. I can't afford to lose what might be by only Cornucopia kill.
I leap towards the thorns, ignoring how they rip at my clothes. The boy has stumbled a lot, he's not that far away from me. I extend my arm so that the sword pierces his lower back.
The only sensation I can relate stabbing to is forcing a stake into the ground, except this time, the ground is screaming. He falls forward on his face, tripping me too. My weight collides into the smaller boy, pushing the blade of my sword further into his back and the hilt into my gut. It knocks the wind out of me and I catch the side of my thumb on the blade.
The short spike of pain is enough to bring me to my senses and get me on my feet. The boy has stopped struggling and is now motionless. I hold still for a second check for movement in his chest. Sure enough, he's still breathing, but the fact that he's not crying is enough to confirm that he must have been knocked out from the pain.
I'm no doctor, but I know this wound has to be fatal. The sword leans lazily from his back; it's buried fairly well in, but not all the way through. In his unconscious state, he'll bleed to death eventually if I leave him here.
I could keep going, though. I could use my sword and make some more cuts in terminal places, end it faster.
No, this is respectful. He's not in pain; I've simply done what I need to do. Anything more would be sadistic and I'd lose more sponsors for that than I'd gain.
I still need my sword, just in case I come across anyone else. Looking away from the gore, I grab hold of the sword and lift it out an away, just like a garden comes out easily.
With the added weight in my hand, my muscles flex again and alert me to the dampness of my shirt. It feels like water, but I know enough that it's not. I don't look down and head back towards the Cornucopia.
Most of the boys in my alliance are here now and huddled by the mouth of the giant gold horn. From my position at the edge of the forest I can see Jason and Ayler talking and a crouching William addressing something just around the edge of what I can see. I start walking quickly to Jason and Ayler, but am interrupted by screaming from the other edge of the clearing.
I girl runs through the trees, limping heavily due to a knife sticking out of her thigh. I stop immediately when, to my horror, she trips over a body. From behind her rips Preston, enraged like an animal. He too has blood covering him.
The girl tires to scamper away on hands and knees, but Preston's on top of her, stabbing her repeatedly. Her screams echo through the air making my hair stand on end. Eventually it's over, she's stopped screaming and I can finally breathe again.
Ayler and Jason start moving towards the crouched over boy that is Preston, so I do as well. I don't look at the face of the girl, but I can see on her back that she's from District Two. That's Ayler's District partner, I can't help but wonder what he thinks of all of this.
"Hey man, didn't know you had it in you!" Ayler yells, arms raised as he walks towards Preston.
Preston turns his head up and smiles, hands still on his knees and hunched over. His face is pale and his chest is rising and falling quickly. Ayler's walking towards him, smiling, when all of a sudden Preston's smile vanishes and he lurches forward to vomit.
Ayler jumps out of the way just in time to miss the mess. "Woah, didn't know you had that in you either, but then again I didn't really want to, eh?"
I have to turn around to prevent myself from gagging too. I find Jason standing patiently on the other side of me.
He gestures to the wetness on my clothes. "You get someone?"
"The boy from Twelve," I nod. "I didn't finish him off, but he's knocked out and he'll bleed to death soon."
"I believe you," he scoffs. "You look like you went swimming in a pool of it."
Stupidly, I look down. Very quickly I realize that the 'it' he's talking about is blood. From elbow to knee, I'm drenched in a sticky, quickly cooling mess. Preston's finished gagging now, but I almost take the baton from him at the sight of myself.
Jason puts his hand on my shoulder. "I already found a spare set of clothes in the supplies."
"Did you get anybody?" I ask him.
"The boy from Eleven and Tsoma."
"Tsoma? Really? Wow, that's great," I had completely forgotten about her. "I got the boy from Twelve, I think he was with her. Did you get anyone, Ayler?"
"Girl from Eleven."
Preston, still gasping, laughs. "Wow, you actually killed a girl? Didn't try to flirt with her first?"
"Where did your sense of humor come from, Prince Puke?" Ayler teases.
"Adrenaline works wonders."
From far away a voice calls. "Guys, you should come over here. Now," I recognise it as William.
I look at the boys around me. Preston seems just as confused as I am, but Ayler and Jason both pale severely.
Jason breaks the silence. "Come on, we should go."