The Starving Artist: Hunger Games 2015 Contest Entries

Into the Swamp: Entry 2

I have ten seconds to decide whether to run or head for the Cornucopia. I glance at the other tributes, then at the swampy ground around me. The ground beside my platform is cracked and oozing with slime. The acrid smell of the bog fills my nostrils, making me want to gag. I resist the urge and continue observing the surroundings.

A few feet away, a slick, muddy patch of ground sits in the water. It's the plant growing there that has actually caught my interest. It's tall and woody with tiny clusters of green flowers. My gaze skids about the arena again, and I spot other useful plants. This place is an apothecary, useful for both healing and killing.

The timer blares, and my choice hasn't been made. I stand frozen for a moment, deciding, and then go for the nearest patch of semi-stable ground. I have to make it to the Cornucopia first if I want to get out.

The ground is slippery beneath my feet. As it begins to sink, I realize that it's not being supported by anything besides the thick mud of the swamp. It might not even be supported by that. Whatever is supporting it, this won't hold my weight for long.

My heart pounds as I push off the muddy island, my foot squishing in the sludge. I lose my traction and almost fall in.

I have to hurry. Acadia Hart from 12 is almost there.

She's marked me as an enemy since the start, and I know she'll try to attack me. Adrenaline courses through me, and the knowledge of her hatred spurs me forward. My resolve to make it solidifies as I gain speed.

My feet land on the stable ground around the Cornucopia just moments before Hart finishes crossing. We race to be the first to the center. With my few seconds' lead, I reach the center first. The first things I see are a green backpack, a small leather pouch, and a belt of knives.

There isn't enough time to search for other things. I have to leave, so I snatch them up and run.

There's no way of knowing what the first two items contain or if they'll be useful, but there's no time to question it. I have the knives, and that's the important thing at the moment.

I race towards the opposite end, trying to make it to the jungle before Hart can reach me. A whizzing sound cuts through the air, and blood trickles down my neck, hot and sticky.

Gritting my teeth, I glance back at Hart. She's grinning, but her eyes are hard.

The other tributes are nearly at the center. With a sigh, I shake my head. Does she want to get herself killed? It was just us, and I'm not attacking her. Just run.

She won't though.

Seriously, what's the point of being faster than everyone if you just slow yourself down trying to kill someone else? Just get what you need and get out. Unless you're suicidal. In which case, have at it.

I either have to kill her or risk getting hit with a blade because I'm running away. She's clearly determined to kill me. Then again, most people in this messed up game are. No one here wants to die, and I'm no exception.

I refuse to fight her here. It's too risky, even for someone who's supposedly a Career. That's another thing my mind can't wrap around. I've made it clear to everyone from day one that I'm not a Career and want nothing to do with them. What has to be done to convince them of it? Maybe killing a real Career would help?

I turn back around and run, keeping low and weaving to make myself a harder target. She isn't great at throwing, and she missed almost everything during training. She's deadly up close, though, and I do not want to end up like those dummies from the training center. That was horrifying.