Perspectives

Their Rival Tribute

I always imagined the Hunger Games to be scary, bloody, painful even. From all my years spent as a viewer I was also aware that the arena could be scorching hot, or freezing cold, dry or flooded, but I was confident at my Reaping that somehow I would be able to handle all types of scenarios conjured by the Gamemakers. What I never predicted, however, was the fact that the Hunger Games could be so horribly and hauntingly lonely.

Keeping to myself has been my strategy from the start. Fly solo, don't make friends, contacts or allies. Survive and let the rest do the killing. My main aim has always been to go back home to District 5, to my family and to my friends. I wonder if they are following me, whether they still recognise me in the aloof, sly and crafty persona I have created for myself in the interview with Caesar Flickerman. In all honesty, I think all of my loved ones back home must be rather puzzled at what I seem to have become in the few weeks that I have been away from them. I am smart, have always been, but I'm also lively, funny and affectionate, diametrically opposed to what the District 5 Female Tribute has shown herself to be so far.

During our Training Days, I once heard Female 12, who I now know is called Katniss, murmuring "out of the way Foxface" when I had unintentionally stepped in her knife throwing trajectory. It was then that I realised that maybe I wasn't doing such a bad job in keeping everyone at arm's length. Foxface suits me fine as a name – no one wants to mix with a fox. Which works fine for me. I am definitely not at the Capitol to make friends.

Of course, the fact that all of us Tributes have been overshadowed by District 12's love-show certainly didn't make any of us very keen to be chummy with the two Tributes or even with each other. More than ever, this year's Hunger Games have been turned into a battle of backstabbing, and it does not take much to see that even the Career's alliance, forged during the first day of training is just about as strong as a frayed thread. What is perhaps different this year is that the 1s, 2s and the 4s are more than ever fixated on one main goal, Female 12, obviously fuelled by her unexpected display at the Presentation Ceremony, where with her flames she relegated us all to a pathetic show of fancy dress costumes.

Male 12, Peeta, I correct myself with a half smile that I do not hide, as I trudge along the muddy forest path, exhausted and hungry, had not caused such a negative reaction during training, but then again, how could he? He was the only Tribute who whispered good morning to everyone, and seemed actually hurt by the glares he received in return, as if he was really wondering why everyone was being so nasty to each other without reason. Compared to his sullen companion, he always seemed completely harmless, one of the first to probably end up slain at the Cornucopia, a mere accessory to his fellow Tribute. His declaration of love during the interview the night before the opening of the Games might have surprised the audience, and Female 12 herself, but it was no real shock to me. From what I suspect, it was no shock to the more perceptive of the other Tributes either. In fact, his declaration was just the final proof that the Careers had needed to categorise him as easy meat, a non-entity that had no chance to win.

Yet, Peeta Mellark is now in the final four, together with me, Cato and Katniss. I am glad he made it this far, but I hope that he is killed soon. I don't want to be the one to kill him.

I am so lonely though, so tired, hungry and desperately, excruciatingly lonely. I lost count of how many days I have spent in the arena, foraging and stealing food, keeping up my strategy of being a spectator in the shadows, and scavenging what the other tributes leave behind following their death. Ironically, the only time I actively sought to attack a Tribute was on the first day, just after escaping the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. It had been a stupid move, and it would have definitely cost me my life in the most humiliating of ways had the Tribute I attacked not been Peeta.