𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 / Finnick Odair

7

"Like the Capitol is once again mocking me"
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It's the morning of the 68th hunger games and i can feel the tension as soon as i wake up.
The fear of the unknown arena as Marble ushers me into my allocated room with my stylists, leaving no time to waste or take a minute to catch my breath.

As i enter an empty room, i'm handed a long sleeved top and matching pants which i slip on over my body.
They're not warm but rather just acting as a second skin, not providing much warmth or security from external elements that are likely in the arena.

My hair is then tied back into a slick ponytail in an attempt to prevent it blocking my vision within the arena.

The next hour is like this, my stylist Gamora fussing over my appearance and how 'ugly' the arena uniform is this year.

Eventually a loud static is heard from a speaker before a sentence is formulated, indicating that I only have 5 minutes left before being shut in a glass tube across the room, the pedi stool for the games.

Some final touches of makeup is quickly put on my face, appeasing the Capitol even within the games. Like even if i am going to be killed, they want me to look pretty, dead.
She must notice the slight frown in my expression or the crease in my forehead as my eyebrows are pulled together and without a word from her, Gamora wraps her arms around me tightly pressing a kiss to my cheek softly.
I hadn't expected that in the slightest.

I enter the clear tube reluctantly, before the glass door is shut after me, locking me in the small confined space. The clear glass keeps me away from my stylist, away from the world. Reminding me once again how much more different and lesser i am.
Oh, how i would love to be loved.

I press a palm to the glass, putting pressure on the material but it doesn't budge, as expected.

I take deepbreaths to try and ease my nerves as i see my Gamora looking at me and giving me small smiles while in her aloof Capitol outfit, waving and blowing kisses to me.
The girl though is disheartened as she's though her mentor would have wished her good bye, or even good luck, alas he did not.

Before I know she waves at me and the dome starts rising, light shining through it as it ascends, covering the girl in an eternal brightness as she shields her eyes, ascending into the arena.

My head finally lifts over the edge and i can see a circle of pedi stools like the one i'm on with all the other 23 tributes standing on them, and the vast span of the arena surrounding.

On my right is the male career from district 1 whereas my left is the girl from 8, Willow.

"60 seconds" i hear in the same monotone voice, as a timer around the metallic cornocopia starts counting down, seconds of my life ticking away for everyone to witness on the large screens of their penthouses eating large volumes of food, and betting amongst the tributes.

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I look at my surrounds, and i've never seen such a thing before in reality. A long river spans on the opposite side of the arena with large dirt rock hills piled towards each other with lots of acacia trees spanning across.
Other than that, the arena seems to go on forever, with flat land, a golden dirt sand covering the floor with similar acacia trees covering and shrubbery in some areas.
Golden strands of grass covering the more shrubby and plant filled areas. A Savannah.

Many of the stronger tributes start moving into a position to run into the Cornucopia, with just as many putting on a front to appear stronger while looking around at weapons and the equipment in the center of the arena.

I assume my district parter is on the opposite side of me as my vision is blocked upon the other half of the tributes due to the large center cornucopia and distance separating us all. Not that i should care, he had made it clear that he wants nothing to do with me.

I turn back around as the seconds slowly tick away, and see a sharp scythe stood up beside a sickle and bow and arrow towards the left of the cornocopia inside the metal space exposed to us all with no coverage.

I see a few littered items on the ground.
A bottle of water just to the left of my placement, hidden slightly by thick grass and a small knife further away more towards the district 1 male on my left side.

I wipe sweat from my forehead, how perfect would a life of sanctuary and idealism be if i make it out of the games.
Yet the most certainty is that my life will go to waste and that 23 children will die.

I'm completely alone in this game, no allies, no sponsors, and no odds in my favour.

"Let the Hunger Games begin"

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I immediately sprint off my position on the circular dome once the siren goes off, blaring through the arena.

I run towards the cornucopia seeing quick flashes of people running in all different directions around me.

I see the career male next to me run into the cornucopia  simultaneously, as i rush into the space, heart pounding with adrenaline and fear, cannons firing off like clockwork as i see few tributes drop and unmoving. Dead.

Grabbing the singular item i risked my life for a wrap my hand on the handle of the scythe before turning and running without a second thought.

I don't get far, maybe a few dozen yards, before pain shoots through my body and a horrific, pain filled scream leaves my mouth.

Blood oozes from my shoulder and i can see a knife have pieces the skin of my shoulder exiting to where i can see the end of the blade.
Flicking my head to the side i see the female career from 2 charging at me, to which i stumble back, clutching my aching as my own blood coats my hands as she raises a knife.

I raise my own weapon slicing through the air in front of me as a threat but the girl just laughs before she charges forward at me as a shut my eyes, stunned in fear, unable to move.

Another cannon rings through the air.

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Is this what heaven feels like? i wonder as i peel my eyes open. But no, i haven't succumbed to my death.

It's like i'm in tunnel vision as i open my eyes, a horrible déjà vū. Standing in front of me is no longer the girl from 2 who is collapsed on the grass.

Willow.

Willow, the girl my age, terrified of the games, blood dripping down her arms but it's not from her injury but the blood of the girl she killed, a bloody dagger in hand as she rushes to my grabbing my uninjured arm.

"Get up Ali, hurry! Run!" she yells to which i see the rest of the career pack setting eyes on us and charging at us as they are now down a member.

I follow the girl who saves me, the pair of us rushing through the plains weaving through some acacia trees making way to more shrubbery.

It's not long before my chest is pounding, heavy breaths leaving my mouth as the two of us sprint up a lone, rocky hill, eventually loosing the sound of the career pack, assuming they have left, unable to catch us. Or not worth their time at the moment.

Willow drops the floor slumping against a tree, like myself following as we are out of breath, leaning forward as we inhale as much oxygen as we can get.

Looking past my lashes i see Willows tired expression. "Thank you" i say softly to my ally. To my friend.

"Don't thank me yet" she says standing from her spot across from me and pulling out a bottle of water and bandage.

"This is going to hurt" she adds moving beside my injured arm.

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