The 100th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 6

The first thing to alert me to danger is a blood-curdling scream. Following that, a cannon booms. The scream was quite far away, but I still don’t like it. Then I feel the cold in the air. I pull some material out of my bag and wrap it around me like a shawl. I crawl out from under the bushes.

The sky is blue. But not like the blue that you associate with summer and warm days, its more like there is ice in the sky. It is unnerving, so I keep my eyes down.

How many cannons have gone off while I was sleeping? None possibly, but with forty-seven in the arena it’s more likely at least one went off. I prey that none have gone off, if they did then I obviously am not aware of my surroundings.

The sky continues to creep me out so I stuff my knives into my bag, hoist my two bags on to my shoulders and begin to hike. I walk at a steady pace, making little or no sound. I walk for as long as I can, stopping occasionally to catch stop my breath. Suddenly, there is a crack of thunder and a massive boom. Another cannon. I speed up slightly. That's when the rain starts.

At first, it’s a light drizzle. Only a few drops here and there that miss me and make a pitter patter noise off the leaves nearby. Then, all of a sudden, the drops are huge. I start to run, pulling my bags high up on my back so that they are nearly choking me. I suddenly drop to the ground. I feel a horrific pain in my hand and barely contain my yelp. I look down. There’s a weeping cut on my hand about the size of a petal. I’m confused. How did that happen? I didn’t cut myself.

Out of nowhere, there is a thump and I look up. There is a cone shaped piece of glass stuck in the ground by a tree. Around it are other pieces of glass jammed into the bark. The answer comes to me. The rain is glass!

I jump up and hold one of my bags over my head. I sprint as fast as I can, desperate to find shelter, desperate to escape the rain. After about a mile I trip over a piece of glass and fall into a little gap in the ground. I let out a cry but then relax, breathing a sigh of relief. The gap is covered by bushes and leaves. I’m safe here. That is, unless another tribute discovers me.

I listen to the sound of the rain. There is the occasional shatter as the glass breaks but mainly its the sound of normal rain. I curl up and wait.

The rain reminds me of home. Back in District 12 the weather is changeable and rain is really one of the only things we can take for granted. Marina and I once spend the whole day staring out our window (well, gap in the wall with weak glass in it) watching the rain. It was really peaceful and one of my favourite memories from childhood, even though it was boring for most.

Now that I think about it, most of my memories from home are boring. My family were never really the outdoorsy type. My father has to call on Marina or I if he sees a spider anywhere in a twenty foot radius. My mother would always prefer to stay inside on a sunny day and encouraged us to join her. Marina and I would sometimes go outside and explore the fields around us. We never got very far before a peacekeeper sent us home though.

Since the second rebellion there was barely any freedom for anyone. District 12 was rebuilt but it was even more strict. District 13 was kept quiet for a while but they were exposed about ten years after the rebellion. The Capitol went to worse lengths this time and simply obliterated any physical connections to the area, leaving it an island. They then went in and stole all their available resources. The people lasted a few weeks but then died from starvation as the waters contained no fish and they had no wildlife. It was a cruel death for the district, but the Capitol made sure that they were definitely gone this time.

After about an hour, the rain stops. Some cannons went off during the shower but I didn’t count them. It doesn't matter, all I need to do is count the faces in the sky later tonight. I gently pull myself out of the hole and look around.

The ground is littered with glass. Shards of glass. Cone and prism shaped shards of glass. I pick up a thin piece of glass shaped like a dagger and suddenly a plan formulates in my mind. A plan that just might help me to survive.

I put the piece of glass with my knife set and then fill up my remaining knife pouches with other pieces. After checking my supplies, I decide to follow my plan, and I start my trek to the most dangerous place in the arena.

The Cornucopia.