The 89th Hunger Games "#TheWattys2016

The Games - Day Two

I wake up and it feel like all the moisture has been sucked out of my body.
I look down, everyone in the alliance is up.
I slide down the tree,
" Good Morning " I say.
They all nod and smile. I open my bag and pass everyone an apple and some crackers. We eat out breakfast and set out to find water and food. We walk in silence for a while.
The birds are chirping, the wind whistling, it's quite peaceful. After about 2 hours of walking we hear a stream. We all about our in joy and run over. Cecilia is about to drink the water when I shout,
" Wait! We need to purify it! We don't know what the game makers or tributes put in it. "
" good point." She says and backs away.
I spot some mint leaves and say,
" Here, chew on these." I say as I hand each tribute a handful of mint.
Rye and I fill the canteens with water and the purifying drops, we wait a hour and then we rehydrate ourselves.
Drinking the fresh water, chewing on mint leaves and eating the last of our crackers. It's been a good day, no deaths, no pain, just peace.
I wonder if my mom is watching from the Capitol, I think about my siblings and how they must've felt.
If I were in 5 I'd still be in school, I think. I wonder if the kids in my class are watching.
My thoughts are interrupted by a rustle.
We all whip our heads around. I put my hand on my knife belt. Rye has her mace in hand. Nathan has his sword at his belt and flint and steel in hand.
We wait a few minutes.
Silence.
Even the birds stopped singing.

" We have to get out of here." Rye says.
We nod and fill up the canteens one last time, adding the purification drops and fastening them to our bags.
Cecilia leads the way, axe in hand. Rye swings her mace menacingly. We are walk through the lush forest.
I look up in the trees, the branches rustle ever so slightly.
I stop walking and as if it was on cue,
A figure launches out of the tree, a sharp rock in hand. I notice the knives strapped on her belt.
The figure lands on Bridget, and then all hell breaks loose.
Tributes launch out of the trees.
The only one I recognize is the one on Bridget, Esther Zhao.
I knocked off of my feet, a tribute jumps on me.
They pin my arms up above my head with one hand, the other holds a dagger. I try not to show any fear. I look into his eyes.
He's from 4.
The careers attacked us. They found us. My heart sinks to my feet. Marvel Man must be here. I scream out and thrash my legs, kicking him in his groin.
" Fuck!" He cries out.
I stand up and pull a knife out, I jump on top of him and stab him in the arm. He cries out in pain. He punches me in the jaw, and slices my cheek with his knuckles.  I scream out in pain.
You've gotta fight.
I pull out the scariest looking knife on my belt and scream out, stabbing him in the face.
Boom!
A cannon signals his death. I wipe my bloody hands on my pants.
I haven't even been paying attention to my surroundings. Bridget is still pinned down by Esther, she's teasing her with a dainty dagger. Bridget's nose is swollen and bloody. I see the rock that Esther held.
I run full force into Esther, immediately knocking her off of Bridget. We wrestle on the ground. Kicking, scratching, biting, punching. Blind stabs into the air.
Just as she is about to stab me I move out of the way. She falls to the ground, swearing.
" Bridget! " I call out.
I pick Esther up by her ponytail and slam her to the ground. I pin her.
" You little bitch." I say through my teeth.
I hear screams behind me. I can. See a bloody fight in the corner of my eyes.
Rye and Marvel.
Bridget and Nathan are fighting the district 2 female.
I want to help them.
No, I need to do this.
Esther kicks me in my stomach and knocks me down. Punching me in the pace. Kicking my sides.
The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth.
I grab her leg and pull her down. Then, I grab her hair and pull her up and push her onto a tree. I spit my blood into her face. She scratches me in the face.
I slam her head into the tree. She screams out.
I feel a sudden pain in my arm.
I look at my arm, the knife is lodged in my bicep.
She stabbed me.
My vision swirls.
Kill her.
In my last moments I scream out and stab her in the throat. The slick blood coats my hands as my vision goes black. Esther and I both fall the the ground.
I use my last bit of strength to turn myself to look at the bloody battle that unfolds before my eyes.
Bridget wraps the whip around the girl as Nathan lights her up in flames.
I look at Rye and Marvel, they're beaten so badly I can hardly recognize them.
Rye lets out a scream as Marvel kicks her stomach. As she falls she swings her mace and the spiked ends impale his face. She falls to the ground.
Boom!
Who's cannon was that? The girl lies, still burning.
The smell of rotting flesh fills the air.
I look at Nathan, he's covered in blood.
Who's blood?
Rye lays on the ground in a pool of blood.
Boom!
Was it Ryes cannon?
" Rye!" I scream out
Nathan and Bridget look at me, fear in their eyes.
Nathan sprints to me, Bridget to Rye.
" M-Melanie, are you okay?!" He asks, shaking.
I try to talk but nothing comes out. I try to move but I can't.
My Vision swirls, and then goes black.
Boom!
Boom!
I feel myself being lifted from the ground. But not by a hovercraft.
It's Nathan.
I hear Bridget and Cecilia, carrying Rye.
5 minutes pass.
I feel myself being gently put on the ground.
Then my eyes snap open.
Pain. It's all I can feel. It consumes my body.
" W-What happened?" I ask.
They gasp out in surprise.
" The careers, they-  they attacked us from the trees."
Says Bridget.
Suddenly 3 parachutes land on the ground.
We all lurch forward and rip them open.
We get a can of ointment, bandages and a stitching set.
Suddenly I hear Rye.
" What the fuck just happened?"
" The careers." Says Nathan.
" Let's get cleaned up." Says Bridget.
We all limp to the stream.
We take off our jackets and slip into the water.
The cool water cools my tender skin, I clean my wounds and rinse off my clothing and weapons.
The sun is still shining bright. The desert element is a 10 minute walk away. We walk over there and let our clothing dry. When we arrive back to the lake we set up camp a few minutes away.
The sun has been up for an unusually long time.
There has been enough excitement for today.
I say in my head.
Then I being to tend to my wounds. I look at my reflection in the tin pot of ointment. Swollen, red and black and blue. The blood has been washed away.
I look at my arm. I need stitches.
" Does anyone know how to stitch wounds?"
Rye raises her and and walks over.
She cleans the wound again.
" Ready?" Asks Rye.
I nod my head. The needle enters my skin. I bite my lip. 10 painful minutes later all my major wounds are stitched up.
I apply ointment to my bruises and cuts and hope for the best. Then I bandage them.
Once everyone is stitched up we walk around, we find a small cave.
We've run out of food.
" Tomorrow we hunt." Says Rye.
We all nod in agreement. We unzip the sleeping bag and lay it on the floor. The sun has set and the temperature has plummeted.
I'm glad we aren't in the wind element ( snow ).
We huddle together and Cecilia gives us each a glove and hat. We put the winter coat on and go to sleep to the sound of the Capitol anthem.
I don't want to think of the horrors that went down today.
We drift off into a dreamless sleep.