Sixty seconds. We're required to stand on our podium for sixty seconds before we can all run off. I eye the bow, and look over to Van. He slightly shakes his head, and mouths, "No."
10 seconds. Mace stands beside me.
9 seconds. Jasmyne stands directly across me. I see her smooth, dark skin and black hair, straight as a pin until it hits her shoulder, and the ends curl beautifully.
8 seconds. Gunner stands four podiums beside me.
7 seconds. I look at my feet, and see a dull knife.
6 seconds. Inside the Cornucopia, I see an entire rack of sharp, serrated knives.
5 seconds. Beside the knives, I see fishing gear.
4 seconds. My heart begins to race.
3 seconds. I adjust my body, preparing to run.
2 seconds. Douglas growls loudly, presumably at Selena, who stands next to him.
1 second. Fear fills my body, as I remember last year's tributes from Twelve, both mangled and destroyed at the Cornucopia.
I leap off my podium, and watch the Careers fly toward the golden horn. Jules is stabbing a young girl to death. Silke beheaded a boy. I stand on the ground, my feet frozen to the grass. I shake myself awake again, and run to a backpack. I sling it over my shoulder and run toward the forest greenery. As soon as my feet hit the clearing, I hear something swiftly cut through air, and feel something forcefully strike my back. I impulsively whip my head around, and see the handle of a knife in my backpack. I pull it out, and see Four's outstretched hand. I smirk at her, and she comes running at me.
I stand there, gripping the sharp knife. She catches up to me, and before she can tackle me, I roundhouse kick her in the stomach. She groans and falls to her hands and knees, and I take my chance to pin her to the ground. I draw my knife, and slit her throat. As she chokes on her blood, I stab her heart to finish her off. I raid her knives and run off.
Suddenly, a thought hits me so hard it feels like a blow to the head. I left Van. I saw him run from the Cornucopia, but where did he go? I don't dare scream his name, and reveal where I am to the Careers. Is he safe? Is he...dead?
I shake the gory thoughts out of my mind and keep running. I stop for breath, hyperventilating badly. I climb up a gnarly tree, and pull the backpack off of my shoulders. I unzip it and examine the contents. A box of matches, a container of honey, a can of iodine, an empty bottle of water, pork strips, a plastic bag, some rope, a sleeping bag, and a dull knife. I look at the bottle. Empty. What, they couldn't afford to just fill it up a little? I organize it all back in the backpack, but not before taking a small bite of a pork strip. Tender, but dry. Cavernity could probably cook it better in the Hob.
I take a few minutes to calm down, before continuing to run toward the direction of a valley. It would be impossible to find him now. I just hope we run into each other soon enough. I stop running after a bit, and slow down to a hike. I take the serrated knife I got from the Four girl, and chop off some tree bark, and pop the chewy inner bark in my mouth. Its hard to adjust to swallowing the chewy bark after eating fine Capitol food for a week. I choke it down. I'll get used to it again soon enough. My throat begs for water, and I feel like a cat is scratching at my throat. I see a rabbit hopping around a log. I pull out the plastic bag, and stalk it. I pounce on it, and catch it. I situate it in the bag. The fight at the bloodbath must be over, because I begin to hear the cannon shots. I count nine deaths.
I'll let it go every so often, so he can find water for me. And, if times get desperate, I won't need to find something to hunt- I can slay him right now. "Sorry bud." I sling the bag over my shoulder, closing it so that he can still breathe, but he can't escape. I continue hiking, occasionally checking on my rabbit. As the sun begins to set, I let him out. He leaps out, and I chase after him. After running for a while, he finds a small puddle. I let him sip some, before stuffing him back into the plastic bag. I fill up my water bottle to the rim, and sprinkle iodine in. I slip it back in my backpack. There is only a small drop of water in the little pond.
I walk toward a copse of trees, trying to find a nice one to sleep in. Right below a nice, gnarly tree is a berry plant. I pluck it empty, and after popping a handful into my mouth, I place the rest in a pocket of my pack and zip it up tightly. I climb up the tree, and lay out the sleeping bag. I slip in. I use my rope to tie the bag around my waist so I don't fall. I hide the rabbit in the sleeping bag, and take a drink of water. It soothes my throat. I pull the berries back out and feed a few to my rabbit. He needs a name.
As I float on the brink of sleep, I decide on a name. He'll be Ted. My eyes flutter shut, but the anthem begins playing, and I wake again. My final chance to ensure I didn't betray Van. I promised him I would stay with him through the Games.
The girl from Four is dead, thanks to me. The male from Five died, both from Six are gone, the female from Seven is dead, both from Eight are dead, the female from Nine is dead, and the male from Ten is dead. Van's alive. Van made it!! With that boost of confidence, I fall into a light doze.
ns 18.68.41.181da2
