Safe and Sound || Hunger Games

Chapter Ten - The First Kill

KINDA IMPORTANT NOTE: This chapter includes some Grayson point of view at the end! It is only a short passage, but it means something to the story in my opinion. You'll fully understand it when I publish later chapters :)

Chapter Ten - The First Kill

When eventually my eyes opened again, I was still in the same tree (and not hanging by my stomach) and all my stuff was exactly where I had left it. But it felt odd, like something had changed. I shrugged off this odd feeling and loosened my belt and sat up straight, rubbing my head. My plait had stayed more or less neat throughout the night, so I left it as it was. I stretched my arms and yawned. This was going to be my second day in the Games and I was going to go hunting. I wriggled out of my sleeping bag and rolled it back up again, pulling my belt back on normally. Once I had put my backpack, quiver and bow onto my back, I carefully undid the coil of rope holding the two branches together, meaning I was now only perched on one. I crept along it and climbed back down the tree and took my bow off, carrying it with my preferred method of holding it.

I undid my jacket and clicked my neck and back, getting rid of the knots I had made throughout the night from sleeping in a tree. It wasn't that bad, but I would have preferred a mattress, even though that was impossible. I breathed out and then started to walk back the way I had came, aiming for the small water pool. I managed to navigate my way back and sure enough, the Careers were gone. I set down my things and took my water flask out, taking a long draw from it, the cool water refreshing my throat and making me sigh once I had finished it. I refilled the flask and put it back into my pack. I made sure my pack and quiver were secure before I pulled an arrow out and nocked it into my bow. Nobody except for the Gamemakers had seen me shoot before, so I decided I would show them my skills. Plus, I would be bale to make sure that this bow was strung correctly, like the one in training.

I raised my bow and pulled the bowstring back to my lip, aiming towards a tree. I breathed out as I let the string go. It was perfect. I watched the arrow hurtle towards the tree and wedge right into the trunk, sitting at a perfect one hundred and eighty degree angle. For the people of Panem, I knew that probably didn't look very interesting. Especially for the people of the Capitol, they were very fussy and easily got bored.  

"Right." I whispered, walking over and managing to pull the arrow out of the trunk. The Capitol were probably getting confused at how the Careers seemed wary of me, so I decided I would have to up my game. I might even get sponsors, I thought as I nocked my arrow back into the bowstring. I then lifted my bow once more and aimed towards something different. I aimed towards a tree in the distance. It was quite a long way away, but I knew I could reach it. My arrow would be able to dodge through the other trees if I just aimed it correctly...

I let out a breath as I let the bowstring go. The arrow zipped past the other trees, ripping through the leaves with such accuracy, only a small line was created in each leaf it penetrated. I walked forward a few paces and saw the arrow sticking out a tree, still at  horizontal line. My smile faded when I remembered that I wasn't in the woods next to District 12. That I wasn't safe and sound. That my life was most likely going to be cut short and my father wouldn't make it. I looked at my arrow sticking out of the tree. This was day two in the arena, but I knew that I was in a living hell. I knew that soon, the Capitol were going to get bored of the tributes just surviving and they were going to send in something to spice it up a bit.

I shook my head and jogged the fifty metres or so and collected my arrow. I then ran back to my pool of water. I was going to have to hunt sooner of later. So I sat down next to the pool and rested my bow on my lap, fiddling with the tough yet delicate string. I ran my fingers up and down the metallic body of the bow, naming the parts of the bow. The lower limb. The upper limb. The grip. It was such a beautiful bow, but yet again, it was so ugly. It wasn't made for fun, sports, or even for hunting. It was built for manslaughter. It was strong and could shoot far distances, even further than a longbow. It was designed to kill. And what was worse was that it was the perfect bow for me.