A Crafted Kind of Games: A Hunger Games Fanfic

Chapter Eighteen

As my eyes adjust to the harsh sunlight, I start to see the arena clearer.

Off to my right is a snowy woods, containing trees with trunks so thick I couldn't wrap my arm all the way around them. I wonder what fun tricks the Gamemakers have set up in there.....

Behind me is a lake that's completely frozen over. I mean completely. Not one centimeter has been spared. A few snow covered shrubs are scattered around the edge of it, but as far as I can see, they have no source of food, nothing useful.

Other than the forest and the lake, the tribute platforms are sitting on top of a frozen waste land. Not one inch of ground isn't covered in the slippery, silvery stuff. I wonder if there even is any ground underneath. My stomach churns at the thought of the entire arena being built upon water. I have absolutely no clue how to swim.

Sharp, jagged pieces of ice shoot up at random places, and the ground is littered with fragments of broken ice, looking a lot like broken glass. It might even be broken glass, as far as I know.

I spot the golden Cornucopia, being a splash of color in the white arena. The goodies inside are scattered around, varying in value by the farther they are away from the horn. For example, three feet in front of my feet is a slap bracelet. Oh goody. What could I do with a slap bracelet? Smack someone to death? Forget it. Those things don't even sting, much less kill.

I look around at my fellow tributes, all of us stuck on our platforms. We're required to stand on our plates for sixty seconds before the Games begin. Step off beforehand, and you'll activate landmines that surround your plate. They'll literally have to scrape bits of you off of the ground.

I look around at the others, surveying the distances we all have to get to the Cornucopia. We're all what looks to be fifty feet away. Great. A fifty foot walk across solid ice to get anything, and even still I have to worry about others.

I spot Tiffany, her purple hair standing out against the white, and she catches my stare and waves. She's about five plates away from my left. She points to my right, and I follow her finger to see Preston two spots away. He grins nervously at me, and when I look a little closer, I notice that every part of him is shaking. Oh boy.

I can't even see Adam. My only guess is that he's on the other side of the Cornucopia. Maybe the Gamemakers strategically put him next to Jason, who I can't see either.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Sixtieth Hunger Games begin!" Cladius Templesmith yells across the arena, and the countdown begins.

"Sixty....fifty-nine.....fifty-eight....."

I notice another tribute right in between Preston and I. Mitch. Must be why Preston's shaking like a leaf. That guy could kill us both in about thirty seconds flat if he got his hands on a weapon fast enough.

"Fifty.....forty-nine.....forty-eight.....forty-seven...."

Tiffany and I look at eachother, and I barely notice her jab her thumb backward. She wants me to run. I realize. She wants me to follow her to the lake. I give a slight shake of my head, and, concealing my hand so only she can see it, and point towards the forest. I hope she knows what I mean, because she nods and turns back to the Cornucopia.

"Twenty-five.....twenty-four....twenty-three..."

I can't get Preston's attention without gaining Mitch's, who I know will instantly pursue us if he knows where we're going. I don't think he likes me all that much. Actually, I think he hates me for having a skill that he doesn't.

"Ten...nine.....eight....seven...."

I get into a running position. I can do this. I've run on ice before, of course with little success, but this is no time to be thinking of my failures around ice.

"Five...four.....three....two....one."

The gong sounds, and I immediately jump off my plate and hit the ground, slipping and nearly falling. I race towards Tiffany, who is farther and I know that our group needs to get together as fast as possible.

"Tiffany!" I call, and thank god, she starts to slide towards me.

I look over at the Cornucopia. The Careers have already reached it and are armed with weapons, spreading out to attack.

I spot Mitch advance on the boy from Seven, the one who he swore would be the first he got. The boy tries to run, but he slips and falls.

That's it. That's how fast Mitch kills him. It's obvious that he's first blood. I avert my eyes away, and see that Tiffany is about a foot away from me. I grab her arm to steady her, and myself, for that matter.

"We have to get to Preston." She says, breathless. "Yeah, I know. Have you seen Adam?" She shakes her head, and my heart seems to drop to my stomach.

"We'll find him. Come on, let's go get Preston." I say. While the Careers are distracted with the people closer to the Cornucopia, I reach down and grab a small knife, with a blade no longer than my index finger. I slide it in my belt. It's better than nothing.

We slip across the ice, looking for Preston, until I see him.

"Oh my god." I say.

Preston's on the ground, and the girl from Two, I think her name is Dawn, is right next to him. With a spear in her hand. They're about ten feet away.

I start to move as fast as I can toward them, dragging Tiffany behind me. "Tiffany, he's right there." I say, and her expression turns to frightened.

"Oh my god, Preston!"

I try to move as fast as I can, but I know its futile.

The girl throws downward, and boom. Preston's gone.

Tiffany's face drains of color. "Preston!" She screams at the top of her lungs.

Dawn starts to advance on us, but I slice at her with my knife when she's close enough. I didn't know that I could kill that fast.

Tiffany sinks to her knees, sobbing. "Tiffany," I shake her shoulders. "Tiffany, we've got to get out of here." The Careers will be here any second.

She stays put. I mean, she doesn't move a muscle. I whip my head around, looking for any oncoming enemies. All of the Careers are busy with other people.

"Tiffany," I say again, more urgently this time. "The Careers are going to get us in about ten minutes. We have to move."

"No! We need to....we have to...."

"Tffany, he's gone." I almost choke on my own voice. "We can't save him."

"No....he can't be gone....no...."

I'm seriously ready to drag her into the woods by her hands when she stands.

"Let's go..." She says, sniffling.

We take off into the woods, leaving the Cornucopia and the blood-stained snow behind.

(The song on the right is "Criminal" by Jason Stokes, aka Minecraft Universe :D)