The New Games: A Hunger Games Story

Chapter 30: The First Night

Chapter 30:

I search around in my backpack for anything that I could use for light, maybe I overlooked a flashlight or a lighter. That's it! I completely forgot about my lighter, I take it out and light it. The small flame doesn't help to much, but I use it to find a few sticks, which I light to make a small fire for more light, and heat as well. It's much cooler down here.

The light from the fire allows me to find some kindling, which lights up most of the area.

I'm in what looks like a cave, but also looks like a tunnel. I walk back a little further to find that it doesn't last very long and that it's just a small underground cave. This is the perfect shelter for me to spend the night. It's nicely concealed, not too dirty, no dangerous animals, I scanned the entire cave very carefully for any insects or other animals, and it's a fairly nice temperature. I have my sleeping bag and the fire for heat.

I seal up the entrance by rolling a large rock over just to be safe. I leave a small opening to look out for anyone.

This is a very good find for shelter, the only thing bad is how I'm going to get out. I could try climbing the hole that I fell down, that seems to be my only option right now. I'm eventually going to run out of food and water. Thankfully I have enough food and water for a few days, but I'll need to get more soon.

*boom* *boom* *boom*

The cannons start to go off, signaling the number of tributes who died. I count a total of seven which means that there are seventeen of us left. Seventeen people closer to going home, back to my family, back to my district, back to Tal--. I keep forgetting that Talon is somewhere in this arena right now, unless he... I try not to think about that. I keep telling myself that this is just a dream, that he really isn't in here, I was hallucinating or something.

I focus on something else for the moment. I take some of the food in my bag and have a small dinner. I'm going to try and make this food last as long as possible. I also check my small wounds and my side. I have small cuts and bruises on my arms, hands, and legs. I take my jacket and sweatshirt off and lift up my t-shirt to examine my side. It's bruised up pretty bad and tender to the touch. There are no serious cuts and I'm not bleeding very badly so I clean up a few cuts with the first aid kit and leave it at that. I'm extra careful with my side and make sure that I don't bother it too much, hoping that it'll heal fast.

I take out my sleeping bag and lay out an area for me to sleep. The sleeping bag is thick and warm, I just use it as a bed for now, just using my sweatshirt, jacket, and the fire for warmth.

I mess around with my bag a little bit as I'm trying to fall asleep. Just out of curiosity I try on the glasses again to find out that they are also a type of night vision goggles. I can clearly see everything in this cave. It's like someone just turned on a light in the cave. These are the best glasses I have ever seen and I'm amazed at how the Capitol managed to create these.

I put the glasses in an easy-to-reach pocket in my backpack and get comfortable in my sleeping bag. I put out the fire, fearing that it might catch on to my backpack or sleeping bag.

Just as I am about to fall asleep, I hear the Capitol anthem and remember that they show the deaths in the sky. I really didn't want to look, but then I remembered Talon. I needed to see if he was still alive.

I get up, go over, and push the rock aside to see out of the hole. It's not the best view, but I can see the faces of the tributes and I'll know if I recognize someone. It shows tribute after tribute and I only recognize one. The only reason I do is because he was on the platform next to me when the Games started.

I'm so relieved that Talon's alive and as I drift off to sleep, I wonder if he looked for my name in the sky, hoping that it wasn't there.