Jaded ||| Johanna Mason

five

Every single victor in the viewing room was looking at the career's. The career's themselves looked at the screen in shock at what had just transpired at the cornucopia. Nothing like this had ever happened.

"What the fucking hell was that?!" Gloss asked as he looked to the district two viewing station.

Odius was fuming as he watched his prized protege cry on the ground, slowly bleeding out.

"She was a wild card from day one. As I told Odius, we should have been more careful. We couldn't control her, she's got one hell of a reason to be there," Domitia said as the screen showed Jade venturing into the open arena. "And she's one hell of an actress."

They heard clapping coming from the district four station. Finnick was clapping sarcastically. "Well done, guys. Not even to you, well done to Jade. She played all of you," Finnick said as he walked away from his station.

Mags shrugged and followed Finnick, relieved she was already off the hook.

"So... what do we do?" Lenna asked. She was proud of Jade. She hid that, but she was proud of her tribute.

Odius stood and flipped over his station in anger. He walked away without another word as the other victors watched.

"Now, we help our girl. She has single handedly given herself the best chance of winning. I think we can say she's earned it, no matter what Odius says," Domitia said as she lined up her sponsors.

***

"We have to talk about that bloodbath, Caesar. I mean, that has to be one of the best in hunger games history!" Claudius Templesmith said to his co-host as the screen replayed what happened at the cornucopia.

"Oh, of course. I don't think anybody expected all of our favourites to be taken out on the first day! And Jade, our sweet Jade, had so much flare!" Caesar commented as they watched Jade arrange intestines into a heart.

"And betting odds after the bloodbath have changed dramatically. Jade is the top favourite to win this hunger games and Claudius, I know we aren't allowed to bet but..." Caesar said, giving his co-host a look. They both laughed.

***

Jade was very shocked to walk out of the visitor centre. Down the road was a very large fence and a gate. And the gate was opened.

There was another path behind Jade but that didn't seem to go as far and it was quite flat, there weren't any hiding places. Most tributes would want somewhere to hide.

With a look onward, Jade walked toward the main gate and into the open field. She took note of the electric fence signs and kept them in mind as she journeyed inside.

She saw that this area of the arena was quite open as well, though in the distance there seemed to be mountain ranges. Some ballsy tributes may have made the move to hide there.

So Jade walked forward, ready to kill the remaining tributes and get home to her mother.

***

Jade spent a few hours walking. The other tributes had a head start over her but they had hardly any supplies to work with.

It was then that she saw them. The dinosaurs.