The 75th Hunger Games

The Waiting Game

Dezzy's point of view

I find myself woken early by the pains of hunger which are ever present in my stomach. The few good supplies I have left are going to have to last until I am able to get more. I find myself silently praying for sponsors to gift me food- in my hear however I know I have no sponsors left.

I allow myself half of the jerky which remains and I don't even touch the nuts. I make sure I eat it slowly though to try and make it more filling. After checking tbe contents of my water bottles I realise I have enough for about two days so I start to head away from the lake.

I soon have to stop as the lack of sleep starts to take its toll on me. I sit against a tree and rest the sword on my knees. I find myself nodding off but then the fanfare of the capitol starts to play and I am instantly jerked awake by it. The voice of Claudius Templesmith booms around the arena.

"Tributes, it is my pleasure to announce the feast which will commence at sunrise on the morrow at the cournacopia. All tributes as invited and remember... may the odds be ever in yur favour"

The fanfare plays for the last time and instantly a dozen thoughts go through my mind. The first thing I do however is find a safe place to sit.

Once the initial shock of the announce is over I start to devise a strategy. The problem is its harder than it sounds. In the end, I tell myself that I shall just head towards the cournacopia before sunrise and will see what happens once I'm there. It's at this point I tell myself to sleep. It will not do well to be tired for the feast as it is certain there will be a fight. I settle under a nearby bush, using my bag to shield my eyes, and go to sleep.

I wake to the sound of the capitol anthem, but there are no faces in the sky tonight. I try to count how many of us remain, there's 11, and what districts they're all from. I give up though after it starts to make me feel ill. I eat the last of my supplies as I wait for the right time to move.

The loss of the supplies makes my bag slightly lighter as it is once again without food. I hear a murmur from my stomach which can only be a complaint, and feel myself imagining the different varieties of food I had before I was lumbered in to the arena. My favourite was the skewers my father used to make. We only ever had them if he got a large order. We would get a couple of cubes of meat each from the butchers and father would splurge on a lemon to drizzle on it. It was never much- but it always reminded me of success. If I win, that will be the first food I would like to eat.

I quickly push the thought from my mind as my stomach complains again and I know it's time for me to get going. The moon provides an eerie light and I have to find my way back to the cournacopia.

I tread lightly as my journey brings me closer to the other tributes. I feel the blood start to drain from my face and my heartbeat rise. The cannon sounds once before I even reach the outskirts of the houses and I silently hope it to be Henry; just so I don't have to kill him myself.

When I'm no more than five minutes from the houses I allow myself to have a short break. My guess is that there's still an hour till sunrise, but the sky is already becoming lighter and my range of vision is becoming wider. I sense no one currently close by but my guess is that there is already people waiting. After I have a quick drink I positing the sword properly in my hand and edge towards the clearing near the houses. If worse comes to worse I can take shelter in one.

The sword clangs to the floor when I see it. A vast emptiness spans in front of me. Am area which was once built upon looks as if it has never been disturbed by the hands of workers. Each of the houses have dissapearred and a solid concrete ring has taken there place around the edge of the arena. The cournacopia but a speck in the center. I silently curse myself for dropping the sword and retreat behind the nearest group of trees. The explosion a few days back must have been the cause of this.

I retreat back about 5 meters so I can have a relatively hidden spot, but to also still have a big enough space to see the cournacopia.

I see the sun beginning to rise in the distance. I brace myself as the fanfare begins and Claudius Templesmith announces

'Let the feast begin!'

Peeta's point of view

When I wake I find the bed empty and the sunlight streaming in through the open curtains. It takes me a minute or two to adjust to the unexpected light but as I do, I get out of bed and change out of my pyjamas.

Katniss is in the dining room as I get there and she's dunking her roll in to her hot chocolate - just as I did on my first ever train ride to the capitol.

I grab a bowl of porridge and a couple of sachets of sugar and take a seat at the table. I switch the tv to news channel and watch Ceaser discussing predictions for the games. Both Dezzy and Henry are current favourites, but no one is too sure yet. They predict there's not too long left now and we're informed there's going to be a big announcement in about half an hour so to not be busy when it comes. Katniss and I share an apprehensive look as Ceaser closes the broadcast and make our way upstairs to the others.

Finnick's already pacing the floor as we get there but there's no sign of Annie. "Where Annie?" Asks Katniss as she takes a seat on the sofa. I automatically perch myself on the arm and watch Finnick pace.

"Asleep." Is all Finnick says

"Asleep?" I say questionably sensing a brief look of confusion flashing access my face.

'Yeah, I could face waking her for the announcement. Expecially if it means she'll get up early or stay up late. I'll let her get her sleep."

Neither Katniss or I reply to that, but we both nod our head in agreement. We both know it will be a long night.

Haymitch turns up about 15 minutes after the announcement of the feast. Annie's still asleep but Finnick is no longer pacing. Haymitch is cleanly shaven, but the smell of liquor is sill present on his clothes. He throws himself in one of the armchairs and just stares at us all for a bit. When he finally speaks he shocks us a but, mainly because he's actually sober. "All of you, get some sleep." He wearily says.

"But... Haymitch..." I manage to stutter in my confusion.

"I know what I'm doing." He snaps in a way doesn't quite seem offensive "Trust me. Not much will happen today. Let me handle it and you 3 can be up for the feast."

"Ok" I hear Finnick saying, not even attempting to argue with Haymitch. "Thanks." He hesitates before he starts to walk away. Putting hus hand in my arm and leading me away with him. Katniss follows instantly.

"He gets bad at this point of the games." Finnick wipers to Katniss and I. "It was around this point his ally was killed and he can't exactly cope. If you just agree with him you might survive. Just trust me on this."

The statement leaves me a bit speechless so I don't reply, I find myself doing this more often now a days, instead I head back to my room to try and get more sleep.

I find myself being awoken by an avox later that evening. When he realises I'm definitely awake I allow him to leave and I wake Katniss myself. She wakes up surprisingly quickly but it takes her a while to get dressed.

Haymitch sits alone upstairs. A glass of whiskey remains untouched in his hand as he stares blankly at the screen. As soon as he spots us he gets up to leave, patting Katniss clumsily on the shoulder and mumbling that Dezzy knows about the houses. Finnick and Annie join us not too much later and we prepare for what's expected to be the biggest bloodshed of the games.

When Claudius starts to talk, the camera cuts to each of the tributes in turn. The second fanfare is heard as the ground splits open to allow for the table of food to rise.