The Hunger Games (Fan-fic)

Chapter 8

The games have officially started! Hope you enjoy!

I sprint full speed towards the cornicopia, shinning gold in all it's glory, and already Isadora has reached it. Other tributes around me have either run into the safety of the landscape or are too, heading towards the cornicopia.

The girl from 7 is quite fast and is picking up the best supplies inside the cornicopia when Isadora comes around, knife in hand, and stabs her in the chest. I shudder.

Turning back to my own problems I quickly scoop up a backpack, some bread, and a few water bottles. I can check food and water off for now.

More tributes come into my field of vision, about 4 or 5, and I know I can't take them on if I stay here. I turn on my left foot, swinging in the direction to head into the cluster of trees. Plants should be a good place to find a water source and from my time in the training center I know there is a lot of food in a lush place such as a forest.

Whack! I crash into another tribute, hard, and launch backwards onto the hard-packed earth. The twelve year old girl tribute from 3 lands on top of me with a huff. Recovering from my blow, I despiratly try to shove the girl off, wriggling and squirming but she's just too heavy. 

With a shake of her head she looks confused for a moment then smiles when she realizes I'm pinned under her. Like a natural born killer she locks me into a suitable pose, her knee digging into my chest and her feet keeping my legs still. She pulls out a wicked looking blade and holds it high, aiming straight for my neck. 

Adrenaline kicks in and I wrestle a leg free, pulling it out and connecting with her jaw just as the blade grazes my side. She lets out a howl and falls off of me, immediatly I get up and try to limp away as fast I can, the pain in my side is finally hitting me. But she comes at me again, pulling my shoulder so I turn towards her, and lands a cut from my ear to my cheek before I kick her in the stomach.

Shrieks and screams are blasting in my ears and I know I have to get out now, the bloodbath is starting.

She's swinging blindly now, irritated that a weak girl like me broke her jaw, after all, she's probably been training for this her whole life.

My vision's getting hazy and I can feel the blood running fast between my fingers. I have to end this. I gear up and when she pulls the knife back from a blow I dart my fist out and hit her, square in her broken jaw. 

Another wail escapes her lips and this time she falls to the ground, clutching her mouth. I take the opportunity and wrench the knife from her fingers before dashing for the trees. 

"Luna!" I hear a cry behind me and I have no doubt it's one of the careers calling for the girl, I run even harder, she can't be too far behind me.

I crash through the leaves and undergrowth, a couple branches hit causing intense pain in my side. But I don't stop, I run and run and run until I feel my lungs are about to burst. When I can't run anymore I fall into a stride and when I reach a clearing full of lush, green plants I stop. I collapse to the ground, my sides shaking with exhaustion and vomit up my breakfast before propping up against a trunk. I've lost a lot of blood, that's clear from the trail that i've left on the ground. 

I shakily search through the backpack, hoping with all my heart that there is something in here that will help me. And i'm right. Gauze makes me almost cry with joy and I gratfully wrap it around my side after cleaning it with one of my water bottles. I've managed to hold on to my loaf of bread and two water bottles. The backpack is filled with a flashlight, a box of pretzels, some medicine I can't identify, and a windbreaker. I've hit a jackpot with this backpack.

I lie back and close my eyes, trying to control my heavy breathing and keep the bile in my throat down. How much distance have I put? A mile, two miles, a couple feet? I really hope it's enough for me to rest on.

The bang of a cannon jolts me upright. The bloodbath must be over at the cornucopia, they always announce the deaths after since it's too hard to keep up. 

Bang! Bang! Bang!, the shots keep going until i've counted nine. Fifteen left.

My thoughts drift to Levi and I wonder if he made it out alive, I didn't see him when we were on the plates or when I was running. I take the ladder and assume he's alive, after all, how could someone as big and talented as him die on the first day?

After choking down a couple pretzels and some water I get up, strength back, and continue walking. I plan on making it as far from the other tributes as I can and just waiting this out. I only have one knife and i'm already injured, how could I take anyone on?

So I alternate between running and walking. Run, walk, run, walk. That becomes my only thoughts for hours until the sky has begun to fade into a peach orange. I still haven't made it through this forest so I decide to set up camp in a tree. I'm not the best climber in the world but I used to do it a lot as a kid, one of my amazing past times. I climb up about seven feet before I feel safe enough and conceled enough. I hang my backpack on a tree branch above me and hook my arms around one branch while my feet rest on another. Kind of like a makeshift hammock.

The seal of Panem pops up in the sky once it's dark enough and I sit up right, anxious to see who made it.

The boy from 1 is first and i'm quite surprised, usually all careers make it past the first day and he was pretty strong looking. Both from 4 are gone, the girl from 5, both from 6, the girl from 7, and both from 9. The sky goes black and I let out a breath I didn't think I was holding. So Levi's alive, just as I thought. Luna made it too, well I guess a broken jaw wouldn't count as fatal but she should've at least been easy to pick out after that.

Cecily and her partner have both made it out which comes as I relief. I think i'm rooting more for others than for myself. 

My legs are aching so much I can barely move them as I settle down into the tree, my side has calmed down to a throbbing and I make sure not to lay on it. Drowsiness and exhaustion soon overcome my eyes and I drift off into a tense sleep.