The MCYT Hunger Games

Chapter 6

Pov: Cub

The horn sounds.

I'm one of the first running forwards, lucky to snatch up a bow and some arrows. A scream rings out. I catch sight of Scar running, safe, into the forest. Etho's off the other way. I aim an arrow. Chaos surround me, yelling, weapons clashing, I think I see someone hit the floor. Others are running away. I need a better short distance weapon, scanning the ground for anything missed... there. I grab a short sword, catching someone in my periphery and turning, ready to stab- It's Tango. I let him back off and sprint away with his bag of something, calling for Jimmy to follow. I barely hear over Joel yelling something incoherent about 'KILL THE PUNY MORTALS'. He's attacking madly, already bleeding as he holds two bags and a sword. I grab another pack for myself. It's heavy, and I pray it's got some kind of food or water in it as I back out of the seething mess of people...

Suddenly I hit something and trip backwards, crashing to the ground. Bile rises in my throat as I realise it a body.

Jimmy.

Scrambling to my feet, I aim my arrow again. Joel's going for everyone. I catch another person running off, but don't recognise fast enough. The careers have surrounded the cornucopia. Doc's on top, chasing off... Bdubs? He runs for the forest, before tripping. False is on him in seconds. I close my eyes, but can't block out his scream. They're not the only fight... Martyn and who I think is Keralis, who's blended in with his 6 in training and lack of huge alliance, fight over a bag. Martyn wins and Keralis backs away, bleeding, and stumbles off, empty-handed.

He'll be dead before tomorrow.

An arrow at my face. I try to dodge but it still cuts across my cheek. I wince with pain, backing away further. Another person falls. I think it's Grian's ally BigB. I'm out of the target area, safe.

But I have to go back through to head in the same direction as Scar, and the careers are too greedy for their own good. Joel's finally given up, but he's not the last. I wait, biding my time as I sling the bag over one shoulder, the bow and arrows over the other, sword in my hand as...

Fwhip, who's been almost as unmentioned as Keralis, tries to escape. I take my chance and dart forwards, into the mess, and snatch up another bag.

A weapon slashes for me and a yell of warning rises from False. I hit the ground again, coming face to face with BigB's body. I shoot blindly for one of the careers and then fall back, letting me get to my feet again.

I crash into someone behind. We both turn and I'm about to stab as recognition tells me not to. It's Grian, empty-handed, bleeding, stubborn. I could finish him off right now. BigB's dead, so no one will want revenge.

But then I think.

'Go. But when I'm dead you keep Scar alive.' Before I can regret it, I hand him the bag I just got.

He nods, thanking me over and over before half-stumbling half-running away.

I turn and slash at whoever to give him more time. There's a yelp, and I look to see who I think is Cleo barrel into the white haired district 4 tribute. A snap and I realise she's broken his leg... I back away again while they're distracted with her, and run.

I'm remarkably unscathed from my resource gathering, except the cut on my cheek. I think some mud got into it... I need something to heal it before it becomes infected... hopefully that's in the bag I have. Scar's always been best with a bow, so I'll keep the sword, and we can share what's in the bag... Another cannon sounds. I could ignore them with everything else going on but now... I can't. Who is it? Who's already dead? I told Scar to run and keep running... what if Etho found him. But... they went a different way, didn't they? Did Grian instantly betray me and kill him? Panic drives me forwards even faster, despite my aching limbs. It was this direction I told Scar to run until he's safe or finds water, right? He saw me pointing. I'm sure it's this way I did point. Hopefully he's just been following that command... and he continued on further to be safer... or have I gone the wrong way? Is he dead? Is he hurt, hiding, lost somewhere I won't be able to find-

A rock hits the ground next to me and I look up.

Relief washes through me at the sight of Scar. He's sitting rather comfortably halfway up a tree, eyes wide. I wipe blood and mud from my face, and start to climb after.

'Throw up the stuff first.' Scar recommends. I consider, but realise he'd let go of the tree and might fall. Sword still in one hand, I climb with the other and soon reach high enough for him to grab it and help me join him sitting on the branch.

'I don't know what's in it.' I hand over the bag and he rifles through.

'Food... Water... A... Lot of rope.'

'That's good... Can I have a bit of it?'

'Sure.' He passes it over and I cut off a long enough section to tie around my waist as a belt. I decide against sheathing my sword there at risk of cutting my leg on the unsheathed blade, then hand Scar the bow and arrows.

'Are you sure? You're better with it than me...'

'You're better with a bow than with a sword.' I refuse his excuses, which stop at my logic.

'I heard... Several cannon shots.' He admits suddenly. 'I didn't know... who died.'

'BigB. Jimmy.' I recall. He falls silent. I sense how serious we've both been forced to become. Already. We can't just cause chaos any more. 'Bdubs. Keralis ran off hurt with nothing. He'll die. Cleo was chased by the careers... the cannonshot I heard on the way over might've been her, or Grian. He was hurt, but I gave him something so he might've survived.' I don't explain the deal we made for it. 'That's all I saw, but there are probably more. Joel was going mad. One of the career's legs was broken, so I hope that means he's... going to die.' But even as I say it a jolt of guilt fills me. I just said I wanted someone dead. And I believed it. I was going to kill people. We're all going to have to find each other to the death...

I hate the hunger games.

'Is your cheek ok?' Scar asks.

'It's fine.' He's brought out the water again, clearly hoping he can clean out the wound with it. 'We need to save the water for when it's necessary.'

'It's necessary now... come on, Cub. I'm not letting it get infected.' He grabs some moss and only a couple of drops of water. 'Just... let me clean it up and cover it with something.'

I pause, and then accept, staring at the ground and trying not to wince as my mind runs through what I saw again and accept that, for the moment, I'm safe.