The Hunger Games (Writing Contest) [CLOSED]

Ember's Version of Events

↠↠↠ Midnight_Writer17 ↞↞↞

Fear rises through me as I am delivered up the tube, facing the gleaming Cornucopia. Filled to the brim with supplies, I squint through the sunlit as I scan it to find a bow.

Fresh air fills my lungs as I breathe in a shaky breath. The arena isn't as bad as I had imagined, but who knows what horrors could be waiting inside its depths. The Cornucopia is seated on a normal looking flat clearing, but to the south of it is a windswept savanna. East and West is an abundant jungle chock full of greens, foliage, and trees. Very tempting.

As I debate over which area I should head to, I shift my glance to the left of me where Seth is standing, looking at me. He must have been trying to get my attention for a while. He mouths to me 'West', and I nod.

As I scan the area (taking mental notes of other things to pick up as well), I find the bow I had been looking for with about 10 seconds left on the countdown. It is leaning against the Cornucopia, next to the entrance inside. I might have to fight my way through, so I mentally prepare myself. This is for District 11. This is for Lucelia.

The countdown gets to 5, and I take a running stance, ready for the moment of adrenaline.

I need that bow...I need that bow...

5, 4, 3, 2, ..... 1

The countdown barely ticks one as I leap off my pedestal, the bombs clicking off right before my feet hit the ground. I barely think as I make a beeline for the bow, getting into the middle before a lot of people.

But Careers have already made it to the entrance, and I know that they will fight me if I get to close to them. I need to find a way to arm myself. As quickly as I can, I grab the nearest weapon to me - a sickle - and adjust the fine wooden handle into my hand, and continue my quest for the silver bow.

The bow is at least 10 feet away, and I am sure that I will be able to grab it. A knife whizzes past my ear, so I start to run in a small zigzag pattern as I get closer.

5 feet away from it, I reach out my hand and grasp the bow.

That's when I am rammed into by a body.

I fall to the ground, landing hard on my back, knocking the wind out of me. On top of me is Alyssa Jones, District 10, who is grasping the neck of my jacket and holding on so hard that her knuckles turn white.

I wheeze and catch my breath. She stares at me with her big muddy brown eyes, but she doesn't have that hysterical look of a killer on her face, and she has no weapon on her as I do, but mine is pinned under my back.

With one hand she grasps the neck of my jacket, and she turns, still on top of me, and reaches for the bow. Still dizzy from the fall, I gather myself together within the second and pull out my hand from under my back, but I leave the sickle under me so I don't cut myself. I grab her hand and wrench it off me, then ultimately throwing her off me as I gather my strength again. I scramble from off the ground and grab the bow, throwing it over my head so it slings across my body. As quick as I am to get it over my head, I look down to see Alyssa grabbing the quiver of arrows lying next to it and slinging it over her shoulders as well.

No big deal, I tell myself. I can make my own.

I don't want to fight any more than I have to, so I lunge for the sickle still laying on the ground and sprint off away from her, and she does the same.

still need more supplies than a bow though. So as I run off, I grab two backpacks, finding one off the ground, and cutting one off a dead tribute, his open eyes running shivers down my spine every time I think about it. I also grab a couple knives, but finding no axes for Seth, I decide to leave West, and the numbers of tributes still searching begin to dwindle, and the remaining tributes will start to notice me if I don't get out of here soon.

I start to run away, a couple knives whizzing past my ear, one succeeding to graze my face, leaving a warm, fresh, and bloodied cut running along my cheekbone, which I ignore until I find my alliance.

I reach the jungle, leaping and jumping over the foliage (which is not easy business, let me tell you), until I am sure that I have lost the knife thrower. I tumble through a bush, but trip over a couple vines and get myself tangled up in them in the struggle.

"Here, let me help," says a clear voice behind me.

I seem to jump 30 feet in the air, but then realizing it's just Leya, I relax.

"You get out okay?" I ask and hand her a knife I had nicked, and she helps me untangle myself.

"Yep. Seth and Adalyn found a nice spot by a berry bush that we can hide. They are setting up camp there. Are you hurt?" She asks, and helps me up.

"No, I just got cut on my face, but I got you a sickle," I reply.

"Thanks, I was hoping you saw one to get for me. Adalyn managed to get Seth an axe and me a dagger and some other things. All we need is water now."

I nod, and we start to walk off towards camp.

Good luck, I think, and may the odds be ever in our favor.