The Hunger Games

Chapter Eight

The first thing on my mind is to find a shelter. I won't be safe without a good shelter to protect me under while I strategize. The second thing I am thinking about are the packs in the Cornucopia. Every pack has something different in them to help you survive. You can take as many as you'd like, but taking more than one would just draw attention to yourself, because everyone will be after you to retrieve that pack. Unless, of course, that is your strategy. Draw your victims to you, and then kill them before they can even blink.

I see that I am not the last one running towards the packs. I am in a tie for first with a boy from District Seven. This makes me almost stop where I am. Am I faster than I thought? Katniss has never said anything about me having speed, and we've had numerous amounts of races in the Seam. Doesn't matter now, if I'm fast, I am going to use that to my advantage.

I grip onto the pack tightly as everyone reaches the other packs. I make an immediate dash for the trees. I look back and see Glimmer thrust a knife into a tributes back. She glances at me and gives a wicked smile. I sprint even faster when I hear the sound of an arrow being pulled from its bow. I dive into a bush and the arrow misses me by an inch. I stare at the arrow and realize I didn't grab any weapons! I look into the Cornucopia once more.

At least thirteen tributes are sprawled on the floor, dead. I scan the bodies, trying to find Peeta. It's too far away and I give up. I'll find out tonight; if I make it to tonight that is. I decide to take the arrow out of the tree and continue running. Maybe I can make a bow out of bark or something. Anything will do at this point.

My sprinting turns into a slow, steady jog and I make my way through the forest, searching for any type of shelter. Nothing. Eventually I start walking, and I know it already has to be around Eighty-seven degrees in the arena, and sweat is trickling down my face. I find a stream with cool water whenI hear the sound of rustling in the bushes. I start to panic and look for something useful to defend myself with.

I grip the arrow in my hand, and hold it like it was any knife, but am relieved when I see a squirrel pop out with a mouth full of acorns. I sigh of relief and start to figure out how my arrow could be useful. Would if that was another tribute and not an animal? How would I defend myself? I decide it's safe enough to rest for a bit and explore the contents of my bag.

It has a blanket, a pack of fruit, a small bottle of water (Going to have to make that last), a stack of crackers, and some arm sleeve thing. I meticulously look at the arm sleeve, inspecting everything on it. What was it? How was it going to help me? I put the items back in my bag and begin to jog again. I must've traveled at least three miles by now.

Two hours have passed, and the cannons have gone off. Twelve. I hear tweleve cannons fire. Twelve down, and twelve more to go. I stop in front of a large tree. Katniss showed me how to pick out excellent trees for camping. Firm, large branches, hollow, and concealed by other trees. I climb up the tree, branch by branch, and plop my bag onto the branch I will rest in.

I sit in the tree wondering how I will use my blanket. It's burning right now, but it gets freezing cold during the nights. Would it be better to sleep on the blanket with no protection over my skin, or sleep on the branches and cover my body with the blanket? My best guess is to just sleep on the branches. A few splinters or so won't hurt me. Luckily, as small and bony as I am, I am able to squeeze myself in between two branches so I won't fall out.

I use my pack as a pillow and gently place the blanket on top of me as the purple sky turns black. I look into the sky and the anthem plays. They reveal all the tributes who died in the Cornucopia. Both from 3. No surprise.The girl from 4. Really? What is going on this year? Both from 5. Huh, I guess this year's Hunger Games wasn't as intense as the previous years'. The girls from District 6 and 7. The boy from 8. The boy from 9. Both from 10, and the boy from 11. Thresh? As big as he is, he didn't make it out? So that means poor little Rue is out there defending herself. Well, I am too, but why does it seem like Rue is helpless whereas I am not?

The anthem plays and the sky is dark once more. Peeta is alive still! Hopefully he is somewhere safe and at least. I hope he is thankful I have made it out alive as well, since he admitted his love for my sister, and promised to protect me, which he doesn't seem to be doing. I clear my head of these thoughts and shut my eyes and go to sleep.

I am awaken to the sounds of grunts. Fighting grunts. As if someone was battling right now. I slowly turn on my side and stare into the darkness, expecting to see something. Finally, after a couple of seconds, I can hear the voice of someone crying for mercy. "Please, don't. Please." The voice says. I hear someone guffaw, then immediately stop as if someone might hear him. It's silent for a while, then I hear the cannon fire.

I hear the footsteps of the killer come in my direction, and I use all my muscles to stay silent. Through the crack in between the branches, I can make out the face of the District 2 boy tribute, Cato, I think was his name, creeping through. I hold in my breathe as he passes. He stops in front of my tree, and decides that's where he is going to rest. I roll my eyes and force myself to try to sleep in the position I'm in. Cato sets down his bag and makes himself comfortable. I silently wiggle myself into a more comfortable position, and Cato suddenly looks up at me.

A slow smirk makes it's way onto his face and I draw in a breathe. Luckily, Cato can't climb very well, so it takes him around twenty minutes to even begin climbing the first branch. I sit up and watch him try to climb the tree. It's sad, actually. He gives up and lands on the ground and looks to me with a scowl. He angrily throws a knife at me and I dodge it without any effort, it was such a bad throw. I tilt my head to the side.

"How you've been?" I ask. He growls under his breathe.

"Don't think just because you're twelve that anyone here is going to let you go by easily. That's not how the games are played. You're not slick." He grumbles. I shrug my shoulders.

"You still can't get me from up here, can ya?" I say immaturely. He grabs his bag and begins heading in the opposite direction of my tree. I lay back down with a satisfied look on my face and close my eyes once again.

Morning comes too early. It feels as if I've slept for an hour. I pack up my bag, knowing I won't be sleeping here again. I have to find some food. The food the pack had provided won't last long. I tug at the knife jabbed into the tree until I finally am able to break it free. Thanks, Cato. The voice in my head says. I finally have a weapon! I smile and climb down from the tree. I turn and begin walking and almost crash into Rue. I defensively hold my knife in a ready position. She backs away carefully and holds her hands up.

"Stop!" She cries. "I don't want to hurt you." I slowly lower the knife and stick it in my back pocket. Rue smiles and stares at me. I look into her brown eyes and wait for her to say something.

"I saw your episode with Cato last night." She says to break the ice. I take a double look at her. She was watching me last night? Instead of strategizing and sleeping, she was watching me talk to Cato? I take a step back.


"You were watching me?" I ask. Rue nods. "I know, it sounds weirds. But I like you." And as quickly as she comes, she's gone. I blink my eyes over in shock. Where'd she go? Never mind that. I don't care if she likes me. That just adds to my hatred for the games. Hopefully someone else will kill her so I don't feel guilty. I grab my bag and begin walking South.

I walk about a mile before I realize how hungry I am. I glance around. I'm not sure if I should eat any of these leaves. They could be poisonous. The only other option that comes to mind is eating meat. This sends a chill up a spine. That means I'd have to kill something.

I can't do that. I can't kill an innocent creature. My stomach growls. But, I need something. I take a deep breath and begin searching.

Eventually I come across two rabbits sitting silently together. My heart just about melts. They look so cute! Right down to their furry little noses-

Primrose. Food.

I try to shake the image of them being cute and focus on my hunger. You need to eat. Bunnies reproduce like crazy. There's still plenty left in the forest, right? I crouch now, taking tiny breaths. How am I supposed to do this? Should I run and ambush them? Throw the knife and hope to hit them both? Not likely. I put on my best smile and slowly lean my arm towards them.

"Hey little fellas," I coo. "Come here. Come to me. You can do it." There's this sound I make when I want Buttercup, my cat, to come snuggle with me, almost like a 'tsk' sound. I try this now with bunnies.

One turns to me. I smile wider.

"Yes, little guy. That's it. Come here." I continue making the sound, and he inches towards me. The second bunny turns to me also, and follows his friend. I softly pat the ground in front of me, marking the spot I want them to stop at.

"A little more." I continue. "You almost got it. Keep coming." The bunny stops, and his friend follows suit. I lightly gasp, and realize I have stopped making the noise. They just looked so adorable crawling, and all. I restart the noise and they crawl again. They love the sound more than Buttercup. I reach my arm out again and the bunny allows me to pet him. He's so furry. And soft. His friend reaches me and I pet him. He's just as furry!

I can't kill them. Not when they've been so kind to me. My stomach growls again, and I sigh. I scoop the two bunnies up and nuzzle in their fur.

"I'm so sorry, you two. If it were up to me, no animals would be here." I look at the bunny, the first one who crawled to me.

"Maximo." I say, giving Bunny A a name. I look to his friend.

"Marilyn." They seem to enjoy their names. I sigh again, and move Marilyn next to Maximo, so that I'm holding them both in one arm.

I reluctantly pick the knife up from the ground and ready myself. Poor Maximo and Marilyn. Just got names and they didn't get to use them. I shut my eyes for a second.

"Bye, Maximo. Bye, Marilyn."

Swiftly, I slit Marilyn's throat, and drop her. Maximo wiggles around in my arm violently, and it takes everything in me not to let him free. I just killed his partner. How could he ever forgive me? I pretended to cuddle with him. I lied.

Maximo struggles to get out of my arms once more and I finally slit his throat also, to end his suffering.

"You can be with Marilyn now." I whimper, and wipe a tear that has fallen down my cheek. I scold myself. Prim, stop crying. You had to eat. It was either that or die. Looking at the two dead rabbits, I think about how I would have preferred to die if I had known killing the animals was going to be this sad.

I pick up Maximo and Marilyn and hold them in both arms and search for somewhere to sit so I can cook them. I almost find a good spot to settle down before I see a figure flash in front of my eyes. I stop and look around me. I begin to think it was nothing, my mind was playing tricks on me since I got no sleep, and then I see it again. I know for sure it wasn't nothing.

I put Maximo in my other arm and reach behind me to my pants pocket and grip onto the handle of the knife. The thing flashes by me again, and I catch a glimpse of ashy blond hair. The hair is almost too familiar. I've seen this hair before. A gasp escapes my lips as a hand covers my mouth.

"Shh," The voice whispers. "Don't make a sound. I don't want everyone coming to witness this." My eyes widen. And then I know who it is.