Heart of a Willow (51st Annual Hunger Games)

Part Ten - Bloodbath

My eyes slowly flicker open. I look around the room before remembering that I had fallen asleep in Noah's room. It is still relatively dark outside and so fall back to sleep.

What only seems like moments later, I am shaken awake by Petrenella. Her face is full of concern.

"What is this then?" she asks.

"We were talking last night for a while and I guess I had fallen asleep" i lie and watch as a very sleepy Noah nod in agreement.

"Ok. That's fair. It's just that it seems more than that when Noah's arm was around your shoulders" she shakes her head. ""Hurry up. Leigha, your clothes are in your room"

    We both laugh as she trotts out of the room. Then i go over to my room to get washed and dressed. It's not unusual to see that the clothes are a simple black t-shirt, black pants and boots that are suitable for running in.

    I'm not very hungry but Blight makes sure I eat something. I don't want to end up starving on my first day in the arena. He settles with me eating a bowl of fruit salad, a few bread rolls and a cup of orange juice.

"This is where you two need to say goodbye" Blight says looking at his watch. "You have five minutes and then your going up to the roof"

 Both Petrenella and himself walk away to their rooms to check over things and leave us to talk. Without saying a word, we both stand up and hug each other tightly. Neither of us wanting to let go.

"We are going to be allies, right?" I ask him quietly.

"Of course. We will do this together" he replies. We break apart and he gently kisses my cheek. "If you know you aren't going to get out of the cornucopia in time, turn and run. I promise to find you"

"Ok. Promise me you'll do the same though, Noah" he nods and I take his hand. "Why did it take us until we had come here to admit our feelings to each other?"

"Because now we will never get the chance to live a happy normal life." he says quickly. "Let's go"

NOAH'S POV

Feeling the tracker being injected under my skin was horrible. I hate injections, they make me sick and faint. But worst of all, i hate being separated from Leigha. She has been placed on the other hovercraft. Whereas i'm stuck on this one with Tiara and both tributes from 2.

LEIGHA'S POV

The tube starts to rise and nervousness creeps in. I have been sealed in from the real world. The only sane person being Noah and now we could both die within these games. A thin strip of sunlight hits my eyes and blinds me for a few moments before gradually getting bigger until i can survey the arena. To my left is a rocky mountain, to my right; a dense forest. Separating the mountain from the forest is a desert.

   In the centre of the desert, and equidistant from every tribute sits the Cornucopia. All the bounty sits either in the mouth or within ten metres of it. I quickly spot an axe half hidden under a backpack about five metres from the mouth. I could easily scoop up the axe and backpack and get out of there without getting injured. If i am quick.

  With what I judge to be fifteen seconds left, i get ready to run and see who I am near. Three tributes to my left is Tiara and next to her stands Noah. He looks ready to run but could he get out without Tiara trying to brutally murdering him? Nine tributes to my right is Charley, the girl from 2, then Jack, and then Ryan. Three Careers all in a row.

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

The gong rings out and everyone runs. Either towards the cornucopia or the forest and mountain surrounding us. My feet are already aching from the force I leaped from my pedestal with. Within seconds there are corpses on the ground. The little girl from three falls in front of me and I have to leap over her to avoid tripping.

I dive for the backpack and axe. I slip the backpack on my back and turn to see the girl from 4 towering over me. She holds a spear in her hands but hasn't seen my axe and is too late to deflect the blow to her stomach. She crumples the the ground. She still has her spear in her hands but I decide to leave it and try to get out of the bloodbath.

 I see Noah making a beeline for the forest and head over to meet him. Jack is about five metres to my left and starts after me. He throws a knife but misses me by metres. He obviously isn't an expert and probably grabbed the knives for the semi-dead tributes who need finishing off. But with so many easy kills around he turns and ponces on the boy from 6 and slashes at his throat.

 Bodies everywhere. It is all I can see; bodies and blood. Noah is almost at the edge of the forest and for a minute, i am scared he is leaving me.

"Noah!" i call. He turns and stops to wait for me.

His eyes widen in terror. "Leigha! Duck now"

i obey him and lower my back just to avoid an arrow as it sores over my head and pierces the tree in front of me. I reach Noah and he grabs my hand, starting to run into the forest where we will be safe...for now.

  We carry on running until we feel we are far enough from the Cornucopia to check our supplies. We both secured a backpack each as well as a small water container. Our weapons are all axes. I grabbed one axe whereas Noah manages to find a sack full of belts of small and medium ones as well as a large one. We both have two belts and a bigger axe each for protection. My backpack has; a box of matches, a small water bottle, two metres of rope, a black raincoat and two packets of dried fruit.

 Noah's contains a blanket, another small water bottle, a coil of wire and a packet of crackers. Between us we should last around five to seven days before having to gather or hunt for more food so that suits us both. We split the ffod and fill up out small water bottles using the two litres of water that Noah got whilst at the Cornucopia.

  We pack back up and after another two hours of walking we stumble across a small cave like place hidden behind a small waterfall. Perfect for keeping out of the careers way as well as other tributes. We seem to just be settled when the first cannon sounds. 1...2...3... the girl from four is definitely dead 4...5...6...7... as is the boy from 6, who Jack killed 8...9...10...

Ten dead already. At least Noah is safe That is all i care about. I sit beside him, his arms secured around my body. One of my hands holding his, the other on my axe.

"I wonder who died? Reckon Jack or tiara survived?" i ask quietly.

"Probably not. she may have seemed sweet and innocent but i saw her kill the girl from eight. She leaped on her back and stabbed her repeatedly in the neck" he grimaces at the memory.

"We will see who died later tonight then" i say.

"At least we are still alive and together" he pulls me closer and presses his lips against mine. I don't care about the cameras, I have Noah in my arms.  i guess the games haven't sunk in yet.