The Runaway Victor | Book II

Chapter Eight | The Games Begin

Quinn feel her stomach doing flips.

She could feel her head spinning with vivid memories from her first few minutes in the arena. The moment she entered the arena, it was the most memorable moment of the entire games.

That moment had made her feel everything. The air on her skin, the pedestal under her feet. The clothes on her body. Everything that was her, was on edge.

She could remember the thoughts going through her head as Seneca Cranes voice wished them luck. Then as the count down started.

Do you end it now? Just blow yourself to bits by taking a step off this pedestal? That count down is counting down to the murder of me or anyone around me. It's counting down to the moment I become a murderer.

Those were the thoughts that had attacked her. But now, they were totally new thoughts. And they were worse.

Will any of them end it now? Will I have to sound a cannon early? Did they all feel the same way I had felt? I had hated game makers so much, now I'm one of them. Quinn drummed her fingers on the clean, white surface before her. On it was a flat screen, a series of buttons, and then a small map of the round arena. But she tried to keep her eyes on her fingers, she tried to only hear the drumming and not the count down. But the drumming only blended in with the beeping.

Quinn wanted to run out. She wanted to get out of that room, she wanted out of the Capitol, she wanted out of everything! She could feel the tension filling her body, and she didn't care how noticeable it was.

They would understand, she thought. They weren't that heartless...

Knowing Orion had made her soft towards Capitol people. Most of them just didn't understand why what they thought was entertaining was sick. But some of them hated it too...before she met Orion, she would have pegged him with the majority. But he showed her a side of the Capitol she didn't know existed. So at least one person in the game making room had to feel sorry for the tributes, and they'd have to understand if methinks got to Quinn. At least one person.

"Prepare the cannons," Quinn quickly straightened up at the sound of the order. She didn't do anything, she simply looked up at the viewing screen as the gong, signalling the beginning of the games went off.

The sound made her feel sick to her stomach. Even watching the screen, things seemed to be in slow motion. Quinn's eyes flickered across the screen, scanning for one of the faces from District Twelve. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the two of them were easily two of the favourites simply because Peeta pulled a star crossed lovers thing during their interviews. Quinn thought that was actually pathetic, but it was better than going in blink without a District Partner.

A face appeared at the top of the screen, to signal a dead tribute. Then another, and another, then yet another...in only a few moments, maybe a few minutes, eleven faces appeared at the top of the screen.

Eleven cannons that Quinn had to sound off personally.