The Arena

Chapter 5

The past 48 hours had been a blur for me. I hadn't seen much of Laim and so had started to prepare with my teammate Darius. He had become obsessed with watching the games, trying to glean everything he could from them. Trying to decipher if maybe there was something they were trying to communicate through them. 

We had had a meeting and decided that for the beginning there would be four of us that would team up together Darius and myself, and Talea and a man from the southern region named Max. There was a general understanding that until there were 12 we would work together then we would split up. Darius suggested to me last night that then there are 14 we kill them as they sleep. I couldn't even bring myself to acknowledge his suggestion. For now he was guiding our little team. 

"Mellark, where are you? You ready for this," Darius yells at me over the cheering crowd of the Republic. "Listen you need to grab a weapon as soon as possible, but if you don't have one in 30 seconds run okay. I don't need you getting killed."

I nod to him acknowledging that I understood what he was saying. I couldn't believe that in a few short minutes this would start up again. Why had I suggested this? Why did everyone go along with it? Why did I team up with Darius? My train of self destructed thought was interrupted by Laim's face as he came in to view. I was worried about him, this was probably the last time that I would ever see him and it was sad. I missed our talks, our long looks, his hugs. 

"Nicole," he says as he reaches me. "I just want you to know that I plan on seeing you at the end of all this. I may not be there by your side but you can do this. I don't know what you have planned with Darius, but be careful. I know it sounds silly but don't go anywhere near the weapons pile. It is going to be a blood bath, what you should do is go hide out and look for a place to hunt and for some water." He stops talking as the horn blows letting us know that we need to get to our platforms. 

"Nicole," he says looking at me. "Please be careful."

With that he give me a quick hugs and heads off to his platform. The games are about to begin. It is explained to us that we should not leave the platforms again until we heard the horn for the start of the games, each tribute had a pack and should not loose it, whenever a person would die there would be about 30 seconds before a craft would come to claim the body. Then before I knew it we were being transported. All of the sudden I was in a lush green forest, like the ones I was used to back at home. Even the smells and sounds reminded me of home. Suddenly I got a burst of confidence. In front of us about 30 feet away stood a pile of weapons and supplies. Darius was eying it, calculating what he wanted to take. 

"Mellark, remember 30 seconds," he shouts to me. 

Laim's gaze meets mine, and for reason I know his plan is the better one, sure I wont have a weapon but I would be able to get one from Darius if he wasn't killed first. I nod to Laim, a sort of last goodbye, he just smiles at me. When the horn blazes everyone is off in a dead sprint to pile. I head in the other direction running as fast as I can. Suddenly I am hit by the sounds of screaming, the killing had already begun. All of the camaraderie that we had had at the compound is gone. When I feel that I am at a safe distance I slow my pace. 

What was it the Laim had said? Look for water and food. This meant that I would need a place where I could hunker down for a night or two. Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me. I climbed up in a tree, the more I looked around at the dense forest the more I felt at home. I looked below me and saw Darius with Talea and Max. 

"Where could she be?" Talea asked. 

"I told her 30 seconds, that was it I hope she didn't get stupid and try for more," Darius said sounding a bit annoyed. It was in that moment that I decided that I would not stay with him when it got to the final 12.