The 25th Hunger Games (fanfic)

Chapter 24: Let The 25th Hunger Games Begin!

Author's Note: YAY! We're finally in the Games. Excited! I actually got done early, because I'm excited to begin the Games. Now that the Hunger Games have started, chapters will be shorter, but I'll be able to upload more. Don't forget to vote and fan! This chapter is dedicated to StarkidLuna, who commented and also added my book to their Favorites. Thanks so much! Deadline: Sunday, June 17, 2012. Peace!

The blood throbs and pounds against my forehead, forcing me to grip my head. I loose my footing and fall on my knees, inches from hitting the ground. That's be the end of the road for me. I look up to find the tributes all staring at me, so I force myself up. But that doesn't stop my heart from pounding against my chest, or my palms from sweating. I focus on the arena around me.

The Cornucopia's mouth is straight ahead, filled with wonders. Knives, spears, swords, maces, flails, arrows, food, water, more food, weapons.... All of it waiting, just for me. The goodies overflow out of the horn, spreading onto the land. I spot only one bow, and that is about 20 yards from me, a good thirty yards out of the horn, giving me first dibs on it. Next to the bow is a quiver of arrows, a full 12, just calling my name. I smile. Of course, my good friend Jasper must have put that there, knowing I would get to it first. I pull my eyes from the goodies and to the arena itself, which I still cannot believe.

The Cornucopia stands in the town square, where my reaping was held. Around the horn, shops are boarded up and shut down. Of course, this isn't the real District 11, but a replica. An identical, exact, precise replica. It even smells like home. The familiar scent of fruits intertwined with trees plays with my nose. But I focus.

The shops align three sides of the square, and the northern side is the stage. I can still see old Maggie squealing away on their, calling Arthur's name, then my own name, then Crystal's name... Of the three sides composed of shops, a pathway is cut down the middle of them, allowing for you to leave from three spots. I already know that when I leave here, I'll find the rest of District 11 exactly the same. But then, a new thought forms in my head.

This is no coincedence. President Snow did this just to punish me. He knew it would drive me crazy.

I think that over and over, trying to believe it. But just as I begin to feel woozy, I push the thought away and begin to plan. I position my feet to run, and not away. I am going to run straight for the Cornucopia. I aim for the bow, eager to grab that first. Then, I'll grab whatever else I can. But what about Crystal?

I forgot about her. I silently pray for her safety, even if it costs my own. But I tell myself she'll do fine, she knows her way around District 11. But still, I'm at the south end of the square. That means she will be near the stage, and that means she won't have an easy escape. In fact, she'll be extremely lucky to get out alive. But then again, there is a secret door in the back of the stage, where she could escape. We played hide and seek here too many times to not know of every corner here. So of course, that's where she'll go, then catch up with me. But still, the thought that she may not team with me still nags at me. What'd she call me? A monster.

Heart pounding, I look up at the clock. Ten seconds. In ten seconds, I could be dead. I wipe my hands on my pants, on the Hash. The fact that I'm here in District 11, the tributes dressed up in the Hash, it feels like home. And it's hard to believe that I'll be fighting to my death, right here in my very own District. 5 seconds.

My heart pounds so hard I'm afraid to move, scared it will cause it to burst. But I don't focus on anything but the Games, trying to remain focused so I don't drop dead in five seconds. So I focus on the countdown.

4 seconds. 3, 2, 1. GONG!

The gong sounds and I scramble off my plate. I sprint to the bow, which takes me less than 5 seconds. I grab it, but it falls out of my hands because of all the sweat. I curse out loud and pick it back up, still ahead of the other tributes. I sling the quiver over my shoulder and keep going straight to the Cornucopia. The sun pounds on my back as I run, but I don't think of that. Now, I'm in the middle of the goodies, still ahead of everyone else. But two other tributes have caught up now, one of which is Crash. He catches my eye and smiles evilly at me, distracting me. But I look away, sprint forward, and grab a dark green backpack. I sling it over my shoulder, but I don't stop grabbing goodies. I grab everything in a two foot radius just as all the other tributes reach the Cornucopia. I rip open my pack and throw maces and clubs and even things like rocks into their. I grab two bottles of water, a loaf of bread, and some other food packs, and throw them in my pack. I look up, a spiked club in my hand, ready to attack. I sprint off towards the nearest exit: the west side. I take off, breaking a sweat. I've never really ran like this, except for various lessons with my private coach, who puts me in shape. But even then, I haven't even run this hard. I break a sweat and wipe my forehead, but I only make it halfway there before the first knife enters my leg.

I cry out in pain and look down at my leg, a fresh knife stuck into it. I look up and see the girl from District 2, Brook, whipping knives at people. I pull out an arrow and aim it at her heart, but my leg makes that hard to do. I release the arrow and watch it whiz into the air and then stick into her shoulder. She screams and yanks it out, angry. I grin and hobble away. I try to yank out the knife, but the stupid magnet in my hands make it impossible to do that. Every time I try to grab it, it just twists around in my leg, making the pain excruciating. I hobble out of the square and onto a dirt road called Creede Trail, the longest road in District 11. Along the trail are multiple trading centers, all boarded up and impossible to break into. The trading centers slowly come to an end, leaving just a dirt road that cuts across the orchards. I don't feel like walking anymore, so I limp behind an old shack and collapse to the ground, breathing heavily.

I study my leg, now bleeding heavily. I decide to rip off my black tie and use it as gloves to rip out the handle of the knife. But unfortunately, this doesn't work. I sigh and try again, but the magnets are too strong. I decide to grab my backpack, stuffed with goodies, anduse the straps as a hook of sorts. Luckily, this works, and I use my feet to place it in my bag. Even if I can't use it, it could come in handy. You never know in the Hunger Games. 

Finally, I dump out my belongings on the ground. I have a pile of good stuff, consisting of weapons, food, water, and other things. I have two maces, a flail, the knife, a quiver of 11 arrows (I shot one at Brook ), my bow, two bottles of water, a loaf of bread, a pack of crackers, three fruit pouches, a pack of meat, some herbs, a medical kit, some fabric, and two large rocks. I open up the medical kit and look through the contents. A pack of bandages, some sort of ointment meant for burns, a syringe needle (with no medicine inside), some vitamins, an inhaler, allergy medication, some sand looking substance for rashes, and eye drops. I figure to save my bandages for later and use my tie to stop the bleeding. I tie it extra tight, sling my quiver over my shoulder, grab my bow, and head back to the square. Maybe they left something for me to scavenge. I start my trek back, this time slower, because I have to be sure my tie doesn't fall down my leg. It takes about half an hour, and just as I'm about to enter the arena, the first cannon goes off. BOOM!

The sound echoes throughout District 11, or the arena, ringing in my ears. A second cannon fires, then a third, and I count the tributes that have died. Six. Are you kidding me? This has to be the least dead tributes ever in a bloodbath.

I sigh and enter the square, disappointed that I'm left with 17 other tributes. I don't know what I expected, maybe at least 11 dead, but it's way less. I push away my sadness and look at the square, completely and utterly empty. Just another disappointment. I walk around the square, looking for anything I could use, but the other tributes took everything. Nothing remains except for the golden Cornucopia, the boarded up shops, and the stage. I limp to the stage, and I am suddenly back at the reaping, watching Maggie say the girl tribute's name. Crystal Brennon. Crystal!

How did I forget her! It was my job to protect her, and I failed! I don't even know if she's alive! I pace back and forth, calling myself every dirty name I can think of. I mentally slap myself and wonder where she could be, if she's still alive. The hovercrafts have already been to collect the dead bodies, so there's no way for me to know until tonight. The best thing I can do now is try to track her down. I walk to her metal slate, the one opposite of mine. I pretend to be Crystal. I look around, knowing that I can't go to get any supplies without getting killed. I look to the back of the stage. Yes. I know I have to escape, and I can't leave the square from anywhere else but the back door on the stage without getting killed. I hobble up onto the stage, but I don't make it far before I stop dead in my tracks. Crack!

I hear a twig snap in half, and I whip around, studying the square. I am not alone.