Safe and Sound (The Hunger Games)

Chapter 13-Let The Games Begin

The ground below me is unbalanced. I try to focus my eyes. Around me is a little small room with few windows. I am careful not to fall off the platform, because if I do in the first minute, I will be blown up. An image appears before my eyes. The number sixty glows in front of me.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the Seventy-first Hunger Games begin!" Claudius Templesmith's voice announces. The number sixty starts to count down. A few seconds later, I hear a huge boom. It wasn't a cannon, but an explosion. One dead.

I examine, what I think is a small boat, with my eyes. In a small corner I see an opened box that has something with the number four on it. Only thirty more seconds until I can investigate.

Out of my right and left window, I see identical boats floating on the water. Each tribute has their own boat. How will we fight to the death?

The number in front of me glows a big ten, and I get prepared. Nine, eight seven... I get in a ready stance. Six, five, four... I take a deep breath. Three, two, one... And the game has begun.

I sprint over to the opened box to find a bag. I spill the items inside all over the floor. A few knives, a filled water bottle, and a jacket. I look at the closed windows and find the water rising. It's sinking! I carefully put everything back into the bag and sprint to the door. Locked. The water begins to fall in through the crack in the door. My knives can't break the door down, it would only make them duller. I look up to the ceiling where an escape door is. All boats in district four have one, so I found it easily.

On the roof of the boat, I see almost all twenty four boats surrounding an island. No one is in the water yet, or even made it out of their sinking boats yet. I take this as an advantage, and do a flawless dive into the water. When I am under the water completely, I feel like I am back home swimming.

I swim to the island fast, and when I reach the shore, all the boats have drowned. There are the tributes that know to swim and are making their way to the island, and the ones who can't and drowned or died learning. I sprint to the cornucopia, which is placed in the center of the island. Being the first one there, I spot my eyes on a few spears standing up against the golden horn. Quick and fast. I tell myself. I go in and out of the area collecting three spears and some dried fruit. I stuff the fruit in my waterproof bag, that I received from the boat, and run away the way I came from. I don't want to kill anyone, and I don't want anyone killing me.

In the midst of the jungle once again, I turn around in circles looking for a place to hide. The trees! Right next to me is an easy tree to climb. I sling my bag over my left shoulder, and hold my spears in my right hand. I have never climbed a tree before, so it is a bit of a struggle. After I pass about ten branches, I find a sturdy on to relax on. It may only be ten branches, but I pretty high up. I see the cornucopia clearly, and nothing is happening.

I close my eyes to just relax, just until it is safe for me to find Elliot and my career allies. A few moments later, I am dragged back to reality by the sound of a scream below me.

"Please don't kill me, I won't hurt you!" A girl begs. "Please, I-" and then her body falls to the ground. No cannon fires, because during the bloodbath, it is too hard to keep track who is dead and who isn't. I do see the predator walk away though. It's Toby, running to the cornucopia hungry for another victim. I trust him, right? I should, because he will protect me.

My eyes follow him, where he arrives at cornucopia. I see Toby beating a male tribute up without any weapon. Over to the left, Crystal met up with Mason, and they kill their way to the weapons. Brandi is in the cornucopia searching for a good weapon, while watching her surroundings. Looking over the bloodbath, I can't find Elliot anywhere. Is he dead on the ground with the other fallen tributes already, or hiding somewhere in the jungle?

I turn away from the action and cover my eyes, blinding me from reality. If I cry, the sponsors will think I am weak, and they won't help me. I pull my hands away from my face, and admire my bracelet. Brent is definitely watching back home, and must be thrilled that I have it on.

Judging by where the sun is, it is probably lunchtime. Since I had a strong meal this morning, I decide to save my food and water for when I really need it.

Boom! One. I hear a cannon fire. I think of the tribute that exploded on the boat. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Nine tributes are dead, and Elliot could be one of them.