The 100th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 8

By the time I reach my supplies it’s morning time. I start to feel hungry and decide it would be good to have some food in my bags in case I need it while I'm on the move.

I take some knives from my pack and go hunting. I haven’t hunted much before, but I have learned how from my mother on her occasional trip outside. I only really know how to trap birds but I'm hoping it will be enough.

I worry that I will be walking far from my camp but luckily I soon spot a chicken pecking through some leaves and quickly snap its neck. That’s enough for me and I run back.

After plucking and gutting it I start a small fire and cook it. I eat some and then pack the rest and stomp out the fire. I start off with a light jog but soon break into a run.

I continue to run for hours and only stop when I see the sun set. I don’t bother to steal anything yet, I wait for the faces in the sky before I decide. Only two died today, leaving thirty-nine in the arena. One of them was the boy I dumped the supplies by and the other is the last boy from District 12. That leaves only me and Roslyn from my district. I decide to sleep.

The next morning I wake feeling refreshed. I decide to do more stealing so I follow the river back to the Cornucopia.

There are only seven Careers there so I assume the others are elsewhere. I spot a sword by the edge of the forest and grab it. Good way to start. I draw a knife and keep it ready. I skirt the edge of the forest and grab easy pickings. Swords and spears seem to be the most popular.

Suddenly, I hear a laugh behind me. I spin around. Its the boy I saw yesterday messing with the sword, and now he has it at the ready.

"Well, well, well. Shame on you. You know that you shouldn’t take things that aren’t yours right?" He says, smiling menacingly.

Then he lunges towards me.

Without a second thought, I bring my right hand forward and my knife goes into his chest. He lets go of his sword and its slices along my arm and I gasp at the pain. The boy pulls my knife from him and chokes. Then he laughs.

"You didn’t really think it would be that easy did you?"

I swallow and then sprint past him, running as fast as I can, through the woods, through the trees and bushes. The boy laughs behind me but I continue to run. Then, after about two miles, I shriek with surprise and trip over some glass rain. I fall onto the ground but turn to face the boy. He laughs and begins to speak but before he can, he falls to the ground. A girl stands behind him, holding a spear. Roslyn. She smiles at me.

Suddenly another girl appears behind her with an axe and swings it at Roslyn. In a flash I hurl my knife at the girl and it goes right into her chest. She falls to the ground as two cannons go off. Roslyn locks gazes with me.

"I can’t promise to be an ally." I say.

"What about we stick together for a while and then split up?" Roslyn suggests.

"I can’t, I’m sorry Roslyn." I say sadly.

She nods.

"I won’t hurt you, remember that." She says, and walks away.

I let out a gust of breath. Suddenly I realise what the Hunger Games is about. Timing. One more second and the boy would have caught up with me before I tripped. One more second and he would have killed me before Roslyn stabbed him. One more second and Roslyn would have been killed by the other girl, and I wouldn’t feel so guilty about rejecting a possible alliance. I sigh.

Suddenly there is a blood-curdling scream close to my left and I sprint through a thicket of bushes to find Roslyn on the ground being attacked by a Career. I could leave her. I could spare myself the chances of her killing me. But I don’t.

I fling a glass knife at the Career and he crumples to the ground, roaring. Roslyn glances at me, surprised. I can see she is virtually unharmed.

"Run." I whisper. She nods and stumbles away.

The Career pulls the knife from his shoulder and begins to pump blood. I don’t hesitate. He is holding a sword in each hand and some daggers. I throw a second knife and hit his shoulder again. He roars and brings himself to his knees, trying to keep the blood from soaking his tuxedo. His blood pumps faster and he falls on the ground and whimpers.

"I’m sorry." I croak. He nods sadly.

He shoves his weapons onto the ground and stares up at the sky. The cannon booms.

I leave most of his weapons alone but I take a dagger and walk away. I see it is early afternoon and I decide to rest. I’ve killed two people today. I robbed them of their lives to save Roslyn Vine, a girl who I am supposed to be avoiding. But I couldn’t leave someone from District 12. I couldn’t betray my roots.

After an hour or two of sleep I decide to return to the Cornucopia again and work my way from there.I find my bags and take some gulps of water from the can before hiding them again. The anthem plays and the faces show in the sky. Four people died, including the two boys and the girl who Roslyn and I fought. The fourth must have died while I was asleep and I missed the cannon. That leaves thirty-five in the arena.

I spot the Careers moving around the Cornucopia. There are about six of them and they look unharmed, their clothes clean.

I look down at my own attire and sigh. My clothes are sliced from swords and branches and I’m covered in dried blood and dirt. I decide to return to the stream as soon as possible and wash.

The Careers stay awake and seem to be intending to stay awake all night, so eventually I just take my bags and go to the stream and follow it until I reach a waterfall. The water crashing onto the river makes a loud noise, but I find it soothes me. I pull off my outfit and slip into the water near a clump of trees as to not be seen and wash myself.

After a while I feel a lot cleaner and decide to work on my clothes. I repair the tears and improve the outfit. I am forced to change the dress into a top and skirt, but I don’t mind. I fashion myself a tight cardigan from the left-over material that will not fall off me when running. I cut my boots up a bit and now they reach my ankles which means the area from my ankles to my knees are bare. Not the ultimate way of covering myself, but I have more on than the other girls. I pull on the clothes and boots, get my bags and start walking.