Jabberjay [The Hunger Games]

Chapter Eleven

Sixty seconds to take in the arena, examine the tributes around you, mentally map out where you will run, and then with whatever time you have left, prepare yourself for the gore to come. Every year the beginning of the Games starts the same; a ring of tributes surrounded by a cornucopia that is filled with enticing supplies that could mean life or death. After the sixty-second countdown, a gong will sound which dismisses every tribute off their pedestal. If you leave your pedestal early then you will be blown to bits by the Gamemakers. The first hour or so is nicknamed the "bloodbath," due to the high death rate at the beginning because of the tributes being so close to each other in proximity. I remember from the Academy of Warriors that surviving the initial bloodshed will double your chances of winning the entire game. On average eight to twelve tributes die right off the bat, so half of your competitors could be gone within the first few minutes.

In the center of the cornucopia are the most valuable supplies, items decreasing in value the further away you get from the horn. If you want the advantage of having a decent weapon to defend yourself with then you will have to fight for it amongst the other tributes. My professors always taught us that running away from the cornucopia is a death sentence. You may survive the first day, or maybe even make it all the way to the finale, but your chances at winning are slim. In addition to whatever they snag, those who visit the cornucopia will also be able to gain supplies from the bodies they kill with the weapon they got off the bat. It is not even a question, I will be going straight into the center of the chaos.

It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the sun that is beating down from the sky. Eventually, I am able to scope out the terrain that stretches out from under my pedestal. The first thing that I notice is that the cornucopia is not directly in front of me, instead, I can see the top of it peeking over the edges of a rock platform. The cornucopia has been lifted into the sky by a slanted wall of rock, replicating the sides of a volcano. However, it does not seem volcanic, peaking at about ten feet above the ground with sides that reach out at a slightly steep, fifty-five-degree angle. I will have to run and climb my way up the side of the rock to get into the cornucopia. An arena has never had a beginning like this before, usually, everything is on level ground. I remember that Seneca Crane is the new Head Gamemaker, and this is his first year at the job. This must be his way of starting out his career with a bang.

I turn my head to look behind me and see tall grass that would come up to my waist. The grass seems to diminish in thickness the further away from the cornucopia that you get and is met by what most of the arena seems to be, gigantic trees of all kinds that create a wooded biome. I can see the vegetation on the ground, bright and lively. The sky is a crystal blue that is hard to examine due to the gleaming light that the sun is spitting upon us. I stand on the tips of my toes so that I can try and see what lies around the cornucopia so that I know which direction to run, but ultimately fail and am just wasting time.

The countdown that is hovering tall enough in the sky for everyone to see has hit the thirty-second mark. I can feel my heartbeat in the temple of my head throbbing as I begin to feel panicked. I begin eyeing down the tributes that stand near me, specifically seeking Malo. Directly to my right is the boy from District Eight who is facing the grass behind us, seeming ready to flee the carnage to come. Lux stands four people down from me which is a comforting feeling because of the alliance that we are in. Ivy, the girl from District Eleven, stands directly beside him and we momentarily make eye contact. I break off the stare to check the tributes on my left and eventually see Malo a few people down. If he knows I am in danger, I know for sure that he will run to my aid. I am also totally prepared to help him in the event that needs backup. The reality of two allies being in eyesight allows me to have a slight, but much-needed, boost of confidence.