The Hunger Games

Chapter 13

          We wait for sixty seconds. That’s how long we are required to wait on our mental circles before we step off them at the sound of the gong releasing us. Step off before one minute, and you’ll be blown up into smithereens. They build land mines all over the underground.

          I think about the distance from the Cornucopia, a giant gold horn, to here. I look around. Backpacks are spread over the floor, and I’ll be sure to grab one. Then I see it, just lying there on the ground, bows and arrows. Those will be mine! I need to get them! I think to myself. I’m fast, so I could grab a backpack and then the weapons. The backpacks are closer, so those will be my first target. Then it’s the bows and arrows. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch them. If I can’t, I’ll be lucky if I receive some in my backpack, or some kind of weapon. I can’t survive weaponless. But the backpacks only contain the basics. Food, water, sometimes night vision glasses, and hardly ever sleeping bags, and I’m pretty sure we’ll have cold nights.

          Then I notice Danny, three tributes away from me to my right, wearing an outfit that could be easy for him to camouflage in, dark green shirt and dark green-brown pants. I then hear the five second count down.

          This is it, I knew it was happening, but up until know I didn’t really believe it. But now I’m sure. This is how I’m going to die.

          I’m startled when the gong rings. I don’t move, scared to. I can’t. I watch the others fly off the mental circles and finally get my senses back and snap into reality. If I stay here much longer, it'll get me killed.

          I run off my mental circle, and head for a backpack. I grab one, quickly put it on, and run as fast as I can to the bow and arrows.

          Just as I am about to grab the bow and arrows, I’m pushed to the ground. Someone has jumped on top of me, and I can’t get up. So I scream. The grip of the other kid loosens, and I roll over and get on top of the person.

          It’s the boy from District 5. I pick up one of the arrows since they’re so close, close my eyes, and stab the arrow into the boy’s neck. He should be dead now…I then get up and yank the arrow out of his neck, and pick up the rest of the arrows, and the bow. I got it! I get one ready, in case someone else tries to kill me. Of course people are going to try and kill me! Don’t be stupid. I think and mentally slap myself. I stand around, looking at everyone. Already, there are dead bodies on the ground, with blood stained all over their faces and clothes. I have to run, but I can’t. I'm frozen.

          At the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of Peter with the girl from District 7. He has a sward in his hand, and the girl is on the floor, backing up. The girl screams as Peter takes the sward, lifts it up, and stabs it into the girl’s neck, blood gushes out, staining Peter’s shirt, and the ground around her.

          I back up slowly, terrified by what I just saw. He then turns to me and walks up. I back up and eventually I run into the forest. I turn back once, finding him team up with a few other tributes, and head towards the lake. Good, run to the forest, in the opposite direction of the lake. Everyone will be headed to the lake, it’s the main source of water…distance yourself. I run for hours and don’t stop running until I’m certain I’m alone, and that no one else is here.

          By the time I stop, I’m panting and I have sweated through my shirt. I sit down under a tree, breathing heavily. I hear cannons blow one by one, and count them…one…two…three…and on and on until they reach nine. Nine, nine tributes are already dead. I’ll see their faces in the night sky tonight. I at least know that the boy from 5 and the girl from 7 are dead. Nine being dead, that leaves fifteen of us left. Fifteen tributes left, fighting to the death. Only one has a chance on winning. I’m still pretty surprised I survived at the Cornucopia. I especially shocked that no one chased after me when I couldn’t move, I was easy prey. But, I survived the bloodbath. I have survived the bloodbath. I smile at the thought of Kati, excited about me making it. I remember when it was Jake who made it through. We watched him through the whole games, but he was killed when there were only four tributes left. Kati and I were so sure he was going to make it, but he didn’t. So Kati better not get her hopes up, because I could be a goner soon, real soon. I know I will, but I have to at least try. There is a small, very small chance I could win.