I was in a lift with Teutron, going down. We had flown out on a huge jet, and a lady had stuck a needle in my arm, placing a tracking chip inside me. I was going into the games, and you can bet your money I was scared.
"Now remember" Teutron was saying.
"Don't go into the middle, it's a death trap. Just get out of there quick, and find water and shelter. Don't step off the platform to early, or they will blow you sky high."
I nodded.
The lift doors opened and we both walked out. Sparkles was there waiting for us. He pulled a red and black jacket around my shoulders. As he zipped it up, I glanced down and saw the pin that Emily had given me. Your not supposed to have things like that in the games.
Sparkles pushed a finger to his lips and I smiled.
"Sixty seconds" a robotic voice echoed. My eyes widened. Only sixty seconds until it started.
"Your going to be all right, ok?" Sparkles said, trying to comfort me.
"Your going to win this thing."
I nodded, not to sure what to say.
"Forty seconds" the robot said. My eyes widened in fear and I gasped a little. Sparkles pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back with my quivering arms. I pulled back and hugged Teutron.
"You can do this sweetheart. I know you can" he whispered in my ear.
"Twenty seconds"
I pulled away, and turned, walking slowly an cautiously into the glass tube. I turned and the door closed as the voice was muffled. But I still heard it.
"Ten seconds"
I stared at Sparkles and Teutron, my eyes wide. The platform underneath me started to rise up. I saw their faces disappear underneath the concrete. I squinted as the platform underneath me stopped in a meadow.
I saw the other tributes on black platforms.
I saw a huge forest that spread for miles in every direction.
I saw the cornucopia in the middle. It was filled with all sorts of knives, swords, and weapons.
I saw a bow, and a quiver of arrows. But I remembered what Teutron had said.
I looked at Rythian.
He looked at me.
He knew what I was thinking, because he shook his head. I stared at him, then saw the countdown timer above the cornucopia.
10
9
8
I glanced at the other tributes as they prepared to run.
7
6
5
I saw Rythian look at me again, shaking his head.
4
3
2
A huge cannon fired, signalling the start of the games, and everyone leapt off their platforms. Most running into the middle, others running into the woods.
I stopped, unsure of what to do. I saw people in the middle, already swinging knives and swords. Blood was already spilt. I looked around and saw some run across the field, grabbing a black bag. I saw another one, close to me.
I ran for it, grabbing it the same time as another boy. He pushed me into the ground and I looked up, he opened his mouth and vomited blood, then fell to the ground. I snatched the bag and looked up, seeing the girl from district four, Minty, sneer and aim another knife. She threw it and I used my bag as a shield, catching the knife.
Thanks
I thought as I scrambled up and ran into the woods.
I was about five metres in when I crashed into someone, knocking us both off our feet. We both scrambled up and froze, looking at each other.
It was the girl from District 3, NanoSounds.
She was quite small, her eyes wide like a startled animal. We both ran in opposite directions, me running past trees that reached out and hit me with branches.
I used my arms to protect my face as I ran into the bush, trying to get as far away from the middle as possible. After fifteen minutes of running, I sat down on a fallen log and listened to the crash of thunder, each lightning bolt representing a fallen tribute.
Eight dead.
Sixteen left.
I then searched through the bag. I found some rope, thick woven stuff. I felt a metal water bottle around my hands and lifted it up, quickly unscrewing the lid to find it empty.
I grumbled, taking out the next item. A sleeping bag.
Perfect.
There were no more items, so I took the knife that Minty had thrown at me. I got started, making a basic trap.
I hunted some sort of bird and cooked it over a fire while it was still daylight and hard to see the light from the flame.
As soon as it was cooked, I battered out the embers and walked into the woods, wrapping the bird in leaves and placing it in my bag. I found a good spot to make camp and I climbed a tree, making sure to get high up.
I secured myself to the tree with the rope, so if I roll over in my sleep, I won't go crashing to the ground.
From the tree, I had a clear view of the sky. I nibbled on some of the wild bird, carefully thinking about food as I watched the sun set in the sky.
It was dark by the time the anthem started playing.
The dead tributes faces appeared in the sky, each one, never to be seen again.
I remembered most of the tributes. There was Turpster and Ravs, both from District 5.
Mexxy from District 6.
Gamechap and Bertie from District 7. HybridPanda for District 8, and Strippin and Benjizm from District 9.
When the anthem stopped, the forest was alive with insects and birds. I closed my eyes, but opening them slightly, I saw that someone had lit a fire not so far away.
Realising how close they were, and the fact that they would draw any tribute like moths to a flame, I was pretty vulnerable. So I took out my sleeping bag and untied the rope, I pulled it around me and knotted the rope around the sleeping bag, making it tight so I didn't slip out. I closed my eyes and lay my head back, trying to get to sleep.
The first day wasn't that bad.
I thought.
At least I'm not dead.
My thoughts were interrupted by a scream, fairly close to me. My eyes snapped open as I heard laughter.
I froze when I saw the careers walk under the tree, laughing and joking.
"Did you see her face?"
"Oh no, please don't kill me! Oh no!" Followed by more laughter. They were having great fun.
I held my breath when they stopped and the boy from district one, Lalna, turned.
"Hey, lover boy"
Another figure broke the bush line.
"You sure she went this way?"
"Yeah I'm sure" a familiar voice said.
"That was her campfire back there, her tracks lead that way"
I bit my lip to stop myself from gasping.
It was Rythian.
He had joined the careers. They walked on, but Lalna and the girl from District one, Lomadia held back.
"Your sure we shouldn't just kill him?"
"He's our best chance of finding her"
I silently groaned and lent back into the tree. They were hunting me. Perfect. I heard them move off into the bush and tipped my head back, trying to get to sleep.
