The 49th Hunger Games

Entering the Arena: Timber

I'm scared. Really scared. Like, terrified. My arm still slightly smarts from the tracker being injected. I hate needles. I catch a glimpse of my appearance in a mirror on the wall, perfectly clean in a black shirt and khaki combats. Soon, the 'clean' part is bound to change.

"Good luck, Timber." whispers Dagna, as she stands with her arm over my shoulders. "Be strong out there."

I nod, trying to collect myself. I'll die straight away if I panic. "I'll try." I pant nervously, trying not to hyperventilate. "I don't wanna die Dagna..." 

"I know, I know." she says soothingly. "Not that it means anything now, but may the odds be ever in your favour." she says plainly, without a trace of annoyingness in her Captiol accent.

I find myself surprised that a citizen from the Capitol would say such a thing in such a way, but I'm quite grateful. 

"Thank you," I reply, swallowing a lump in my throat. "I guess I misjudged you. I thought all Capitol citizens were the same."

"Well, after seeing all of the tributes I've styled in previous Games die, I know how hard it is." 

I realise then I want to win not for District 7, not for Brooke, not for my family, but for Dagna. I want to win for her. 

Then the countdown starts suddenly and Dagna gently shoves me toward the tube, where I stand on the platform and it closes over my head. 

No going back now...

The last thing I see before the bright light of the arena is Dagna's solemn face mouthing 'You can do this'. 

Then, 

10, 

The arena looks pretty big this year.

9, 

A valley filled with small, rocky mountains and a few straggly shrubs and a small stream, to my right.

8,

Desert, with a distant oasis, to my left.

7,

Towering, long grass straight ahead.

6,

Behind me, there's a huge spread of water, possibly an ocean, and I can see that where the desert runs out, there's dense trees.

5, 

I'm guessing the non-career distance runners will most likely dash for the forest, but I'm not much of a runner.

4, 

I decide to make a dash for the axe not far from my plate, grab a pack then leg it into the valley.

 3,

I poise myself to run.

2, 

I fight back fear as I see Truth Fireheart on my left.

1, 

On my right is the girl from 8.

Gong. 

I charge instantly, as fast as my legs will actually allow me to go. I don't plan on killing anyone in the bloodbath if I don't have to, so I keep my eyes fixed on the axe. My heart leaps into my mouth as a knife barely misses my ear and I jump forward and duck, scooping the axe and a neighboring backpack off the barren ground and, thoughtlessly, run for my life to the right. I'm desperately hoping no threating people are chasing me, but I don't dare look back. I keep up my sprint and leap the tiny little stream and carry on as long as I can. 

I reach a small crack in one of the rocky hill/mountains, where I dive in, cover the entrance up as best I can with a few rocks and a convenient clump of grass. Luckily, the ground in the little hiding place is soft and sandy, and there is a tiny bit of light. Though dim, it's still light. I feel lucky that I've found shelter and survived the bloodbath, and for a second, I allow myself to believe I can actually win. I open my pack and lodge the axe into the ground whilst I do, ready to rip it out and face combat if I have to. 

I find a small bottle of iodine, an empty 2 litre water bottle, dried apricots, raisins, a few biscuits and a thermal sleeping bag. Also, I dig around the bottom to find a basic first aid kit with bandages and a simple disinfectant spray. I'm quite happy with what I managed to nab, but I can't suppress a nagging thought; water. Soon enough I'm going to have to head back to the stream into the open, risk showing myself. I decide to wait it out until tomorrow, when they'll be less of a chance of running into Careers still bloodthirsty from their inital kills.

I'm terrified, but I'm very shocked to have made it through the bloodbath. It was more luck than any skill or what not, but I feel proud of myself to have survived the stronger tributes. I calmly sit and wait for the cannons signalling deaths, one hand on my axe the whole time.