Sirens Of The Arena

Chapter 5: The Game

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1"

As soon as 1 is said, a boy from District 8 jumps off of the podium and starts running. He's shot on the spot by a Peacekeeper.

"Ugh, so stupid," Dior groans and says under her breath

Announcement: "Tributes, you will get an additional 5-second start."

"5...4...3...2...1"

The Cannon Blows

The Hunger Games starts, and most Tributes begin running to the Cornucopia.

Dylan starts sprinting to the Cornucopia, and Carmen starts sprinting also.

Mairah runs straight to the snowfield, and the thick blanket of snow muffles her footsteps. She knew that hiding in a snowy area would only excuse her from the immediate danger for a little while. She hid in the snow-covered trees behind the bushes.

Dylan attempts to get a trident, then he sees Carmen. As much as he wants to acknowledge that she's there, this moment is either life or death so he becomes focused on trying to live.

Carmen attempts to get a spear and medicine, and a girl from District 7 tries to do a sneak attack on her.

"CARMEN WATCH OUT!" Dylan shouts.

As soon as Carmen turns around, her reflexes use the spear to block the ax right away. Carmen uses all of her strength to push her to the floor, then she stabs her in the abdomen.

Carmen then runs for her life in the snowy area cautiously looking back to see if there's anybody running after her.

Dylan sees where Carmen is headed and runs after her.

Once Carmen senses that somebody is following behind her she quickly turns around and whips out her spear, Dylan puts his hands up.

Dylan: "Woah, easy it's me."

Carmen: "Sorry I'm just trying to be alert at all times."

Dylan: "What the hell happened back there? I told you to run and hide, not fight in the Cornucopia. What if you died?"

Carmen: "And how were you so certain that you would've lived huh? You're not my father you know."

Dylan: "Ok, ok. Let's just drop this and focus on surviving this. Hopefully, Javon and Mairah will show up soon."

Carmen: "Yeah me too but we can't just stand here. We need to find shelter."

The two of them carefully walked through the snowy terrain, the cold biting at their exposed skin. Dylan led the way, eyes sharp for any sign of danger or potential hiding spots. After a few minutes, they came upon a dense thicket of pine trees.

"This looks like a good place to hide for now," Dylan suggested. "The trees will give us some cover from the wind and anyone passing by."

Carmen nodded in agreement, and they made their way into the thicket. As they pushed through the branches, they suddenly froze. A rustling noise came from deeper within the trees. Dylan held up a hand, signaling for Carmen to stay quiet.

They crept forward cautiously until they saw a familiar figure huddled under a blanket of branches and snow.

"Mairah!" Carmen whispered urgently.

Mairah looked up, her eyes wide with relief. "Carmen! Dylan! I thought I was the only one who made it."

"Have you seen Javon?" Carmen asked.

Mairah shook her head. "Not since the Cornucopia. I ran as soon as the countdown ended and found this spot. I was hoping someone would find me."

Dylan knelt down beside them. "It's good you're safe. We need to stay hidden and make a plan. Have you found anything useful?"

Mairah pulled out a small knife and some berries she had gathered. "Not much, but it's something."

"Alright," Dylan said, taking charge. "We have a few supplies from the Cornucopia too. Let's see what we've got."

He laid out their meager collection: a small knife, a canteen of water, some dried food, and a packet of matches.

"Not much, but it'll do for now," Carmen said, echoing Mairah's earlier sentiment.

Dylan nodded. "We need to stay warm and keep an eye out for Javon. We'll set some traps around here for protection and try to gather more supplies."

They spent the next hour working together, setting up a few rudimentary traps around their hiding spot. As they worked, they talked in hushed tones, sharing their thoughts.

Just as they finished setting the last trap, they heard a rustling sound nearby. All three of them tensed, ready for anything. The bushes parted, and to their immense relief, Javon stumbled into the thicket, looking exhausted but alive.

"Javon!" Carmen whispered urgently, waving him over. "Over here!"

The four tributes huddled together, grateful to be reunited. They quickly shared what little they had and began to come up with a plan for the days ahead, knowing that their survival depended on their ability to work together.

As they strategized, they heard faint voices nearby. The group tensed, immediately on high alert. Dylan motioned for silence and slowly crept toward the edge of the thicket, peering through the branches. He saw four tributes cautiously making their way through the snow.

"There's more tributes coming this way," Dylan whispered. "They don't look like they're from the Career packs."

Carmen glanced at Mairah and Javon, then back to Dylan. "What do we do?"

"We need to see if they're a threat," Dylan replied. "But if they're not Careers, maybe we can form an alliance."

Carefully, the four of them moved to the edge of the thicket, ready to defend themselves if necessary. As the new group approached, Dylan called out, "Who's there?"

The group froze, clearly startled. A girl from District 8 by the name of Dior stepped forward cautiously, her dark eyes were wide with fear. "We're not here to fight. We just want to survive."

"Who's with you?" Dylan asked, still wary.

Dior gestured to her companions. "This is Noor from District 5, Brandon from District 3, and Naomi from District 10. We're all just looking for shelter."

Noor, a lanky girl with quick, intelligent eyes, nodded. "We don't want any trouble. We're just trying to stay alive."

Brandon, a stocky boy with a sharp gaze, added, "We saw the Careers heading the other way. We thought we might have a chance here."

Naomi, a strong-looking girl with a calm demeanor, spoke up last. "If you let us join you, we can share our supplies. We have some tools and knowledge that could help."

Dylan glanced at Carmen, Mairah, and Javon. They exchanged a silent look before Carmen stepped forward. "Alright, but if any of you try anything, you'll regret it."

Dior nodded quickly. "We won't. Thank you."

Everyone sat together in the thicket. They quickly exchanged the resources they had: Brandon had a small toolkit, Noor had some medical supplies, Dior had a blanket and extra food, and Naomi had a small hatchet.

As they shared their stories and supplies, the air between them began to thaw, and a sense of camaraderie started to form. Despite the circumstances, they found solace in their shared goal: survival.

Dylan took charge once again. "Alright, let's set up a watch schedule. We need to keep an eye out for the Careers and anyone else who might come this way. We'll take turns so everyone gets some rest."

Javon volunteered for the first watch, his sharp eyes scanning the snowy landscape. The others settled in, trying to get as comfortable as possible in their cold, makeshift shelter.

As they drifted off to sleep, the alliance solidified, and a fragile hope began to grow among them. They knew the real battle was yet to come, but for now, they had each other.