The 53rd Hunger Games- Two Words

18. The Cornucopia

The first thing I see is light. Blinding white light, refracted off everything. I can't make anything out, and I feel disoriented. The plate has stopped rising, and is firm metal beneath my feet. It isn't the only thing I stand on.

The light makes it hard to see until my eyes adjust, so I use my ears. And what I hear terrifies me. The gentle sloshing of water.

My shoes are soaked. I lift one of my feet up.

No. I'm hallucinating.

Water washes over my feet. The light reflects off the water, as well as the Cornucopia. I no longer have to worry about being the fastest sprinter.

Because the Cornucopia is in the lake.

I want to cry. I can't swim. Hadrian can, Marina can. Some of the other tributes might have a vague knowledge.

I can't swim.

It's a fifty metre stretch of water to the platform the Cornucopia is suspended on. Some packs and other supplies are floating in the water. The weapons are all in the mouth of the golden horn or scattered around it.

I can see an axe. It's exactly the same model as the one I threw in the Training Centre. I have no idea how long it'll take me to reach it.

The unitard makes sense now. The material is designed to keep the tribute afloat. There's no fun in watching a tribute drown.

I look around. My heart sinks. We're not in the middle of the lake. I can hardly see the other end. The hills are dark, jagged silhouettes. Behind me, there is a strip of stony beach and then forest. The forest would be ideal for me to hide in. Assuming that I can reach the Cornucopia, grab supplies, and swim what looks like at least five hundred metres to shore.

I could make it. Like I promised myself, I'm going to keep trying. However, it half-dissolves now that I'm actually in the arena. How long will I last? From watching past Games, I know that you have to be very skilled to survive just the first day.

The other tributes have oriented themselves, but look nervous. Even Arabella doesn't look so sure of herself now.

The metal plates are in a circle around the Cornucopia. Hadrian is a third of the circumference away from me. He is positioning his feet, ready to dive in. Of course. He must feel at home in this arena, knowing that he has even more of an upper hand than he did before. He was already strong, fast and skilled. Now he's on home turf. The water must be his second home.

I try to place my feet like Hadrian's. When I've got the same stance, I realise why he's standing like this. It's easy to push off. Without realising it, Hadrian has done me another favour; he's shown me how to get a head start.

The only problem is swimming. I know to kick, but that's it. Hadrian will be far too experienced and graceful to try and replicate.

We've got another half minute. The other tributes are trying to figure out what to do. I take another look at the arena. We are in a bay of sorts. The landscape seems to be the massive lake, with who-knows-how-many miles of forest. I touch the water with my finger, and then taste it. It's fresh. It might not be untainted, but if I manage to get my hands on iodine or another chemical that purifies water, it should be drinkable. Even if I don't, I'll drink it anyways.

The waves are heading towards the shore behind me. I want to reach the Cornucopia, grab the silver axe and a pack, then swim for shore. The water is rolling in the right direction to help me get to cover faster.

When I reach the water's edge, I'll sprint up into the forest. I'll have to run far enough to put distance between myself and the other tributes, which could turn out to be a fair distance. I'm pumped full of adrenaline, though.