The Last Hunger Games

Chapter 9 - Realisation

My brain acts before I really know what I'm doing. I realise that my legs are taking me towards the Cornucopia, and the sight of a belt full of gleaming knives brings me to senses. I reach them in no time at all, and take a quick look around to who else is here, only to find around five of us at the Cornucopia. Everyone else seems to have fled into the deserted city, perhaps only taking something not very useful from the edge of the circle. I pick up a small backpack and fling in onto my shoulder. I'm about to start my retreat when I notice that the other four tributes have formed a pack, and are coming towards me, every one of them holding a deadly weapon. But then one of them suddenly hurls an axe at who must have been the leader of the pack, because the rest of them attack the thrower. 

'At least that keeps them off me for now,' I think as the cannons sound. 

I take off into the desolate place, only stopping when I can barely see the Cornucopia. I feel like it could be useful to keep it at my back, so then at least I have some sense of direction. I look around and notice that the buildings get more destroyed the further out I go. The buildings closest to the Cornucopia, even if they're not fit to live in, are pretty much fully built, with doors and glass windows; whereas way out here doors and windows are long gone, and there are huge slabs of old wall strewn all over the place. Only now do I also realise how thirsty I am. The hot sun is beating down on the whole Arena, and after all that running my throat is dry, and when I walk a little faster, my head throbs. 

I'm no fool. Over the years, I've seen countless tributes die from thirst, hunger, or freeze to death in the dead of night. I have to find water. Then I have a thought: there might be water in my backpack!

I find an old, ramshackle house, with only three and half walls and half a ceiling. It's not much, but it's the best I could find this far out in the Arena. There are no windows or doors, but that's the least of my worries right now. My head still throbbing violently, I begin to unpack. I'm really hoping for something that will quench my thirst as I didn't see any sort of a water source on the trek here. 

Inside my backpack I find a pair of those night vision glasses, some crackers, some matches, a thin sleeping bag, and, thank goodness, a water flask! It's only a bit less than half full though. I gulp down the whole thing, stupidly forgetting to save any for later. I can only imagine what Johanna is saying right now. I drop the metal flask with a small squeal as the cannons sound, signalling the end of the bloodbath. One, two, three, four... The cannons stop. Only four dead on the first day, that's got to be some sort of record. The sky is darkening so I decide to camp here for tonight and find water tomorrow. 

I don't know why I thought I'd be able to sleep tonight. I spend hours just lying here, pondering over all sorts. What's happened to Avita? She is my cousin, so maybe I should've teamed up with her after all. Perhaps she had a pre-arranged alliance with some other tributes. But what is she didn't? Is she shivering in a crumpled heap somewhere? Or is she dead already and one of those four cannons belonged to her? No, I won't let myself think that. And what's the mood in the Districts and the Capitol? Are they angry or are they smug? They're probably busy executing somebody. I shut my eyes and try to sleep, but just as I'm about to fall asleep, the anthem blares out and I wake with a start. The Capitol seal does not appear in the sky, instead it is the District 13 seal. Then come the faces. Because there are no Districts in these games, the tributes have been put into age order, starting with the oldest and working down to the youngest. I am one of the youngest, being twelve, and Avita is one of the oldest, as she is seventeen. She has a much higher chance of winning than me, especially if she has allies. Anyway, I only recognise two of the faces in the sky. Two are those tributes that died at the Cornucopia, and the other two were my classmates in school. 

They deeply hated each other so I'm not surprised that they've already presumably killed one another, but I have to admit I'm upset too. For all those boys were so annoying, I've known them all my life and now, just like that, they're gone forever. And what did those four children ever do to anyone that deserved their death? They couldn't help who their parents are. 

And then it hits me. A wave of realisation washes over me. I finally know the true reason the Districts hated the Capitol in the first place. Why they all hated having to watch the Hunger Games each year. Why they rebelled. 

Their children, forced into the Games annually, for what? Punishment for crimes committed decades ago by ancestors they never knew? Only now, as this all sinks in, do I realise why those few nightlock berries in the 74th Games were an act of defiance. 

A refusal to play by the Capitol's rules.

To force them into having two Victors instead of one.

A sign to the other Districts.

A spark.

(Hope you liked that, and sorry for the short chapter. Also, chapter five of 'Maysilee' is out so go read it if you like!)