I was a little excited to write this chapter hence why it's earlier than normal :)
District 2 male - Quintus Grimm, 18
Sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven, fifty-six, fifty-five, fifty-four, fifty-three, fifty-two, fifty-one…
We had a minute countdown right ahead of us, going down, down, right above the cornucopia. Another thing I noticed that was around the cornucopia was names. And one of those names…
Claudia Grimm. My mother. What was her name doing there? My first instinct was the run to it as soon as this timer finished, see if she was OK, and then try to get weapons. Maybe I was crazy and her name was just there to throw me off, but I couldn't risk it. I couldn't even stop looking at her name, I was just focused purely on her, and I didn't even look at the weapons or the arena or anything.
District 8 male - Patch Corvin, 18
Fifty, forty-nine, forty-eight, forty-seven, forty-six, forty-five, forty-four, forty-three, forty-two, forty-one…
The first thing I did was look behind and around me to observe the arena. From what I could see, there were four sections. One was grassy, with a river, and the closest to the sun. The one beside it was also grassy, full of flowers and trees. The next one was snowy, and the final one had tall trees with orange leaves that were blowing all through it. It was the four seasons.
I directed my attention to the cornucopia, where I noticed names all around the cornucopia, projections of them written down similar to the countdown. One of the names was Calico Seam, my best friend, which confused me. What was I supposed to do? What did that mean? Was she OK?
District 7 female - Asiza Sekewael, 15
Forty, thirty-nine, thirty-eight, thirty-seven, thirty-six, thirty-five, thirty-four, thirty-three, thirty-two, thirty-one…
The arena was the four seasons, and there were plenty of weapons in the cornucopia, but the thing that caught my attention was a projection of the words "Saoirse MacAllister". I did not understand why her name was there. But I did know that as soon as I'd made sure I was alive, I had to make sure she was OK.
I scanned the cornucopia for a backpack. My plan was just to grab one that would help me and then run for my life, hopefully, Cal would make it out too. I did notice an axe in there too, so perhaps if I could, I'd grab that. I just had to make it through the bloodbath, and I'd be fine.
District 11 male - Buster Melrose, 13
Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight, twenty-seven, twenty-six, twenty-five, twenty-four, twenty-three, twenty-two, twenty-one…
Seeing the full names of Duncan and Pearson floating above the cornucopia really turned me off. The plan my allies and I had made was to grab the closest thing to us and then make a run for it. But after seeing their names… I'd been through thick and thin with those two, and if their names being there meant something… I felt sick to my stomach.
What if it was just there to put me off, though? There were names all around the cornucopia, so it wasn't like the Game makers were just targeting me. I took in a deep breath. I couldn't just leave it. What if it meant they were inside the cornucopia? I'd save them, no matter what.
District 10 female - Fllora Hanzell, 17
Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven…
Four seasons. The arena was split into four seasons outside of the Cornucopia area. I did not do well in the cold, so I'd have to stay out of the winter section. I saw my brother, Jana's name floating above the cornucopia, but I didn't let that phase me. I was sure they wouldn't do anything to him, and even if they were, I cared about myself more, I had to survive, I had to win.
I saw knives in the middle of the cornucopia, but I knew trying to get them was suicide. Instead, I eyed off a bag only twenty metres from me. I would get that, then run and find my allies, hoping at least most of them managed to survive the bloodbath.
District 8 female - Gabrielle Buiton, 14
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two one.
During the final ten seconds of the countdown, a voice boomed throughout the arena, saying, "Welcome, tributes, to the first Quarter Quell. Are you ready for a game of Capture the flag? Find the tracker that aligns with the name/names above the cornucopia you want to save. These people are trapped throughout the arena, and if you do not find them, they will die."
Capture the flag? That meant I had to find the tracker that was in the cornucopia that would lead me to find Carly, Gonna, my parents, my brothers, and Cyrus. All their names were there, together, thankfully, meaning there'd probably be one tracker to find them all. I had to find them.
District 3 female - Thia Verneta, 15
As soon as I heard the gong to start the Games, I began running straight into the cornucopia, all thoughts of getting in and out as fast as possible abandoned as soon as I saw Dax's name in the air and heard about the capture of the flag. I had to find whatever it was that would help me track him. I picked up a small knife on my way, looking at the ground. There were a few small black square objects with names written on them, but I couldn't find one that said Dax's full name. I picked up the closest one and read 'Calico Seam' on it.
"CALICO!" someone screamed from behind me, and I turned around, seeing the boy from eight running toward me. Panicking, I dropped the tracker and threw my knife at him. It hit him right in his chest, but I also felt something sharp in my stomach. He'd thrown a knife at me as well. He dropped to the floor, and I was not far behind as my vision began to blur.
District 2 female - Dania Khatib, 18
I sprinted right into the cornucopia, my thoughts flooded with survival for myself, my allies, and also my parents if I could find the tracker to help me find them. I'd spotted some spears, my specialty, during the countdown, and made my way straight towards it. I made it to the cornucopia unharmed and gripped onto several spears as soon as I was there. I spun around and looked around. I spotted Quintus, who had grabbed a knife and was already stabbing someone - the girl from ten.
But I spotted someone behind Quintus - the boy from six was right there, holding a knife.
"QUINTUS TURN AROUND!" I screamed, but before he could react, the boy from six stabbed his back, and I watched as the blood poured out and he fell to the floor. I threw one of my spears at the boy from Six, but he dodged it, pulling his knife out of Quintus, and then running further into the Cornucopia to get more weapons.
District 3 male - Jonas Unix, 18
I wanted to find the tracker to save Fionna, and I ran into the cornucopia to try and find it, but then I spotted Fox, who was running around the cornucopia, weaponless, chased by both the girl from six and the boy from five, who both held knives.
I sprinted over to her, catching up to them and punching the boy from five, who got knocked out, but not killed thankfully. I gripped onto the girl from Six's arm, stopping her from moving, and as she stabbed me I watched Fox running into the autumn section of the arena, into the tall trees. And I knew, as I died, that she was safe, at least for now. She'd gotten out of the bloodbath.
Unlike me.
District 1 female - Phoenix Valentine, 18
I ran faster than I ever had. My allies and I had been separated due to where the pedestals all were, but I did see Janusz running towards the cornucopia from around a hundred metres to the left of me. Whether or not he wanted a tracker or a weapon, I didn't know. My biggest concern was getting a tracker to help me find Calliope, but I did know I needed weapons I could use to help me get through. I looked at the floor where trackers were scattered, and… I saw Calliope's name on one of them!
I picked it up, then grabbed a rapier, before turning around to see the redhead girl from nine charging at me. I held out my rapier, ready to strike, but before she got too close to me, a spear pierced her body. Dania ran over to me, pulling the spear out of the girl's body.
"D'you see one that says Omar and Lilah Khatib?" she asked me desperately. I looked down at them, but couldn't see them at all. But then I saw the girl from five running toward us.
"Dania, come on, we got to go, that girl's crazy," I muttered to her. She nodded, and we began to run. Even though we were both trained well, we knew we didn't stand a chance against that psycho girl from District Five.
District 9 male - Calvus Logg, 15
Maize, Maize, Maize. I couldn't let him die. Even if he'd rejected me, I had to save him. I looked through the trackers I could see scattered throughout the cornucopia, trying to tune out the sound of all the screaming coming from behind me, and then as soon as I saw one that said Maize's full name, I gripped onto it tightly.
"CAL! CAL HELP!" I heard coming from behind me, and I turned around to see Asiza in the arms of the girl from five, a knife to her throat. I stood up, staring at her. "CAL HELP ME!"
"I'm - I'm sorry," I said, before spinning away from her and making a run for it. I had Maize's tracker, that was all I cared about. I heard Asiza's screams as she was killed, but that didn't matter to me. I had to save myself and Maize, not her.
District 4 male - Luderick Bellamy, 14
I ran off my pedestal when the gong went off. I wanted to save my friends, and I wanted to save myself. I sprinted out towards the cornucopia, looking around me. I watched the boy from seven, who'd been on the pedestal beside me, make a run for it away from the cornucopia. I also saw Bulga getting killed by the girl from two and Buster getting killed by the boy from ten. That was both my allies gone…
I got to the cornucopia, scanning the floor for trackers. I couldn't see any with the names of my friends on them, which made me panic a little, although I did spot fishing bait and a rod, which I grasped onto desperately, before looking around and then running for it until I was in the summer section of the arena, away from the chaos.
District 12 male - Zevran Karras, 18
I had no intention of hunting anyone down and killing them in the bloodbath, they'd do that to each other like the fools they were. I didn't run, I walked to the cornucopia, slowly, and calmly, and no one even looked over in my direction. Except for the boy from ten, Janusz. As he killed the boy from eleven, he stared directly at me as I picked up a knife. I wondered if he wanted to kill me, but something odd had happened between us just the night before.
Anyway, I walked away with a backpack full of stuff I'd need for survival and several blades in there. Both tributes from districts five and six ran past me, and I slipped back inside the cornucopia, hidden from them in the shadows. I watched as the four of them, all carrying more weapons than they needed, ran out of the bloodbath and into the spring section of the arena. Once they were gone, I made my way out and to the winter section.
District 10 małe - Janusz Kurczak, 18
After I killed the boy from eleven with my knife, I ran back to the cornucopia to try and find the tracker that would lead me to find Sabre. I'd lost Jowita already because of my own stupidity, and now I felt like Sabre's life was too on my hands. If I couldn't save her…
I heard laughing coming from behind me and spun around quickly, holding my knife which was already covered in blood. But I lowered it when I saw that it was Phoenix, Mark, and Dania.
"We're the only ones left here, we get the cornucopia," Dania grinned.
"Where's Quintus?" I asked, and Dania's grin suddenly disappeared and I knew what that meant. Then, I spotted someone, looking through the trackers further inside the cornucopia. The girl from eight. I made eye contact with Phoenix, who spun around to look at her. Mark turned around too, and then, grinning, charged at the girl with his spear, stabbing her right in the stomach.
"Now we properly own the cornucopia," Mark grinned as the girl fell to the floor.
District 4 female - Hazel Mayfly, 17
I'd already seen half my allies get killed in the bloodbath - Fllora and Gabrielle, so my main focus after grabbing the nearest backpack was to try and find May, as I hadn't seen her yet. She was probably trying to find her tracker. My name for mine was Alex, but… I'd save him if I could, but I wasn't going to risk my life for him. Not after what he'd done to me. I'd likely end up dead either way so what did it matter.
I spotted May in the cornucopia, looking through the trackers. But I also saw the Careers not too far from her, and they had just killed Gabrielle. I knew if they saw May they would kill her. Same if they saw me, even if I had already made it outside of the bloodbath area, having run away as soon as I'd gotten my backpack. Everyone else had either left or died.
What was I supposed to do? I couldn't go into this with no allies, and May was all I had left. So, I began to walk back toward the cornucopia, slowly so the Careers couldn't hear my footsteps. But then, all of a sudden, someone grabbed me. I let out an uncontrollable scream, which caught May's attention, and I moved my elbow backwards to hit whoever was gripping me in the face. While they were weakened for a split second, I turned around and faced them - the boy from twelve. He held his blade to my throat but I lifted my knee quickly to his groin, and he lost his grip. I made a run for it and heard footsteps not so far behind me which I prayed was May.
I ran into the spring section, May right behind me, astonished we hadn't been heard by the Careers. And then I heard…
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
I didn't know what the sounds of those cannons meant, but I did know I had survived the bloodbath.
Well. Nine tributes down, fifteen to go. I am sorry if your tribute(s) died in the bloodbath, but it's just the way it is. I'm open to any suggestions for mutts or crazy things the gamemakers could throw into the arena, just PM me or leave it in the reviews if you want!