Highway to hell

12. Let the Games Begin.

Mara's POV:

"There you go." Says Andy. We're getting ready for the games in a room that I've never seen before. "Off you go."

Enobaria takes me to a gigantic aircraft that will take us to the arena. "Okay, look. When you rise up in the platform, you'll see the cornucopia, you know that right?" She asks and I nod. "You want to get there first, grab your knives and kill everyone you see that isn't your ally." She declares. I nod again and she traps me in a big hug. "Try not to die, alright?" She says softly.

We go to the aircraft, and a ladder falls. Enobaria indicates me to grab it, I oblige and do as told. An unknown force makes me stay still, even if a wanted to, I couldn't move. The ladder took me inside the aircraft.

I take my spot and put my belt on. A woman with a syringe approaches. "Your arm." She says as she starts taking my arm.

"What's that for?" I ask, taking back my arm. She doesn't answer until she takes my arm and inserts something in it.

"It's your tracker." She says and moves on to the next person. I find Cato in between the District 12 boy and the 11 female.

He looks back at me and mouths. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." I mouth back.

"Allies?"

"Allies." I mouth with a nod.

________________________

We're under the launching platform, Andy and I. She's preparing me the arena outfit: black cargo pants, a white tank top under a gray long sleeve shirt with buttons on the upper chest part, a dark jacket, military boots and last but not least a black vest and belt to wear all my knives.

"So, the jacket is packed with bandanas if you need to make pressure on anything, the vest has twenty hidden pockets and..." she stops talking when she realizes the collar Clove gave me. "What's this?" She asks.

"My friend gave it to me." I respond.

"The one you wanted to talk to?" She asks. I nod and she takes a closer look at the token, examining it profoundly. "If someone finds this out, you're screwed. Don't use it." She warns. "It's for your safety."

"Okay." I say.

"Five minutes till launch." A robotic voice says over the loudspeaker. Andy gives me a hug.

"I can't bet, but if I could, I'd bet on you Mara." She says. Caressing my nicely done boxer braids, it's the only thing they've let me chose since I got here. I want people back home to recognize me, since this is the hairstyle that I usually wear back in Two.

"One minute till launch." Says the robot voice.

"Take these." Says Andy, handing me a pair of dark fingerless gloves. "They protect the knuckles if you have to punch."

"Thank you so much, for everything." I say stepping inside the launcher. "Goodbye." The door closes Andy is waving me goodbye. And I'm lifted into the arena.

The light of the sun hits my eyes, compared to the dark room I was in earlier this place is very bright. I look around and I see all the other tributes, some determined others terrified, but they are there.

In the middle of the large land field we're in I see the golden cornucopia, filled with all kinds of weapons, survival tools and food. And most importantly I see a box, filled with every kind of knife that exists. And an axe, a silver axe with a wooden handle. I remember my training under the tribute building, how it turned out I was quite handy with an axe too and decide I will take it too. You never know, right?