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THE CAREERS ARE leaving dead bodies left and right, or at least it feels like that. In the distance for Thana and Jack, there are tributes running away from the bloodbath. The two allies realise that their mentors might be screaming in anger with their choice. But they keep on sprinting, never looking back as if it is their mantra. They are close to getting to the platforms again and all there is to hear are screams, weapons and the wind ringing in your ears. Jack and Thana quicken their pace with every step as a tribute comes closer to them. They hear a scream from beside them and they are pushed down with force, the tribute falls right on them and sticky blood flows on them. A knife is set with a clean shot in their neck. Jack pushes the tribute off them and they get up to sprint again.
A few metres further a scream emits from Thana's throat and she stumbles, if Jack wouldn't have been there she would've fallen. With his arm around Thana's waist, they try to get to the tree line. The knife in Thana's right upper thigh hurts the girl with every step they take towards a safer environment. Right before they reach the tree line canons start to go off, 8 in total, signalling that 9 tributes have died so far.
Once they step through a tree line they are knee-deep in water, all around them are small clearings of grass with trees. It looks almost enchanting to the eyes and makes every noise disappear. So for a moment, Thana feels completely safe in the company of Jack. Maybe it is because of the tranquillity of the place, because they just faced the dangers of the bloodbath together and had to run for their lives or simply because they shared the hovercraft ride to the arena earlier that morning.
"How bad is your leg?" Jack asks as they slow down to wade in the water. He takes a look at Thana's leg and his eyes widen, "the knife is quite deep in Thana."
"For god's sake," Thana casts her eyes to the sky, "just my luck."
"We need to check if we have any bandages before we get it out," Jack leads the two of them to a little clearing.
Thana puts her hand on the grass and tries to pull herself onto the platform-like clearing. At once fire erupts from the middle and Thana backs away into Jack's frame. An explosion follows which launches the two into the water, the force of the explosion hurling them through the air into the swamp.
Underneath Thana, she feels the root of a tree. The force of the explosion pushes her right over it which makes her scrape it, it tears out the knife which results in a bloodcurdling scream. The water muffles it and flows into Thana's longs as she desperately tries to get up, she sees nothing, only moving water that pulls her around.
With one hand on her thigh, Thana manages to get up coughing. There is a loud boom, another canon went off. Thana shivers and starts to move around, her stuff is still on her body, though the weapons made little cuts in her arms
"Jack?!" she screams as tears trickle down her cheeks, at the moment she doesn't care about the tributes. They would've heard the explosion anyway, "Jack?!!" there is no sign of life around Thana, her breathing becomes heavier. "Jack!!"
Muffled screams can be heard and Thana waggles to the sound.
"Thana?!" Jack shouts, and Thana sighs, thank god, they are both alive.
"Jack!" Thana shouts back and a grin forms on her face as she sprints to the sound as fast as she can with her injured body.
There in the water are the contours of a boy, as they reach each other they embrace each other. Wet body to wet body, tears mingling.
"I am so happy that you are okay," Thana whispers into his ear.
"I am happy you are okay," Jack smiles at the girl, "how is your leg?"
"The knife it out and it hurts like hell," Thana says, "I think it might get infected."
"Let's hope it doesn't," Jack says as he steadies the girl, "we need to find a safe place for the night, I am sure the explosion must be heard by everyone who is still alive."
But Jack didn't get unharmed away from the incident either, his arm cut by one of his arrows. But they must move on.
That night as they reach a safe place they hear an explosion followed by a canon. They get into the safety of the hiding space the trees create.
Luckily they find a first aid kit to take care of their wounds, with all the water surrounding them their skin has become softer and more vulnerable.
At sundown, the Capitol song starts to play, showing the dead tributes in the sky. Jack and Thana can see the faces through the branches. It starts with the girl from district 3, followed by the boy from 4, both tributes from 5, the girl from 6, the boy from 7, the boy from 10, both tributes from 11 and it ends with the face of the boy from 12. 10 tributes dead on the first day, leaving only 14 alive for the first night. Not a week ago they were training altogether and now 10 are dead, and one is killed by Thana herself.
Nora speaking here! Thana made her first kill, and she is going to need to kill some more to go back to her family and to meet her future girlfriend <3
