Storm: A Hunger Games Story {Book One of the Storm Trilogy}

Six

I didn't sleep. I know I should've tried but I just couldn't. The sun didn't greet me this morning. I was told to get up before the sun did.

For the first time since I've been here, the shower did not calm me. I cried in the shower and then forced myself to stop when I got out.

I sat at the table one last time for breakfast. I could barely eat. Wes watched me intently as I picked at my food, keeping the tears at bay.

"You guys need to grab what you can and run from the cornucopia. You're going to be targets because of your scores, especially you Ophelia." Basically, what he's saying, is that I have a target on my back. Aaron and I barely nod in reply. We were too afraid to respond.

After breakfast we were told it was time to go. I hugged Anastasia goodbye, as well as Aaron. We would be on the hovercraft together, but it would be brief. Saying goodbye to Wes was the hardest. I hugged him tight, afraid to let go.

"Please come home." he whispered.

"I'll try."

Wes accompanied us onto the hovercraft. On the hovercraft with us were the tributes from Seven and Nine, also known as Hazel, Sparrow, Galen, and the girl from Nine. Their mentors were with them as well, although I couldn't remember their names. I believe the District Seven mentor was named Blight, although I couldn't be sure it was him.
We were buckled in when the woman came over to us, asking us to hold out our arms. Obediently, I lifted my sleeve and let her insert my tracker. It was quick and painful. The tracker just barely protruded from my arm.

It took about an hour to get to the arena. We were escorted off of the hovercraft by peacekeepers and taken to separate rooms. I hoped Wes would come say goodbye, even though we said goodbye at the Tribute Center.

The room was my own. No one had used it before, and no one will use it again. Every arena is new. Citizens of the Capitol go on vacation to different arenas and tour the catacombs, viewing the chambers of the tributes. They even re-enacted the deaths of different tributes, which I found repulsive and insensitive.

Ozias entered the room quickly, carrying my outfit for the games. He helped me change into the skin tight, black wetsuit. Immediately, I was terrified. I wasn't the best swimmer. On my feet I had on thin wet shoes, with boots over them. It wasn't the most comfortable getup, but it was reasonable I'm sure.

"The wetsuit is actually water resistant, so your body won't get wet. It'll also keep you warm at night. I have a feeling it won't just be a beachy terrain." Ozias infers. My entire body was shaking. It all felt so real and unreal at the same time. Ozias pulled my hair back and placed it in a ponytail, with two pieces hanging loose in the front.

I paced back and forth, waiting for Claudius Templesmith to tell me to get into the tube. Ozias tried to calm me down, but it was no use.

"I know you care about Aaron and you want to protect him, but think of your family, Ophelia. Think of yourself." Just as the words leave his mouth, Claudius Templesmith comes over a loudspeaker, telling the tributes to enter the glass tube. I hugged Ozias and slowly stepped inside.

"Goodbye, Ozias." I told him. He shook his head.

"It's not goodbye." Did he really believe I would make it out of here alive? I wasn't sure if I did. The pedestal I was standing on began to lift me up. What would I see when I came out of the tube? A beach? I wasn't sure.

The sun was bright as I reached the surface. Immediately, I thought to look around for Aaron. I could see him to the right of me, five pedestals down. Directly to my right was the boy from 12. To my left was the boy from 5.