The New Games: A Hunger Games Story

Chapter 29: My Worst Fear

Chapter 29:

No this can't be happening. No, no, no, how? Out of all of the people that were chosen, it had to be him? My thoughts are a mess right now, but I need to focus. I'm in the arena, there's nothing I can do about it, I just have to focus and stay strong.

The arena is large, we are on a mountain in what looks similar to a desert, even though it is actually a little cold. The view is absolutely breathtaking. I turn around and see that this arena is mixed with different climates. The cornucopia is in the desert climate overlooking the rest of the arena. Behind me to my left is a forest with a clearing and a lake in the center. To my right is a field, past that is a jungle next to an ocean. In front of me behind the cornucopia is a snowy mountain, which I'm guessing is what's making this desert cooler.

The clock counting down until the gong now reads 15...14...13 seconds. I get ready to run. I'm not running away, I'm going for the cornucopia. The tributes next to me are both smaller than I am, and I'm fairly certain I can outrun them. I scan the area quick for something to get and my eyes land on a backpack in front of me to my right. It's a little further than halfway between me and the cornucopia, next to the backpack is a large knife which I am planning on grabbing as well.

10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1.. And then we hear the gong. I sprint towards the backpack and grab it and the knife. I stop for a split second and look around, people are already killing each other. Tributes lay dead on the ground, bloody and breathless.

I run away to my right down the desert mountain towards the field. I'm not completely sure where I'm going, or what I'll do once I get there. All I know right now is that I need to find a shelter. Talon comes across my mind as I'm running, where is he? Is he dead? I try not to think of that one. Did he see me, does he know that I'm here?

I have so many questions that have never been answered. I turn to my right and spot another 'climate' behind the jungle. There's a small stream going between rocks and boulders. This doesn't look like an ideal place for a shelter, or a way to get food and water, but hopefully I'll get lucky and find a shelter to conceal me from the other tributes.

I continue, half running, half jogging, down the mountain and to the rocks, constantly looking back for any tributes. Most of them have gone to either forest or the jungle. I try to stay as far away from the jungle as I can, something about that place I just don't like and I don't see myself going there anytime soon.

Once I get to the rocks I find a small cave just barely big enough to fit me. I decide to sit there and look at the things I have in my backpack.

The backpack is a navy blue, with black trim. Good, it will be easy to conceal this. There is one main pocket, one small one in the front and two small ones, one for a water bottle, and the other is a small zipper pocket. I open the main pocket first to find a bag, written on the bag in a silver-grey print is the Capitol logo. Inside the bag is a sleeping bag. So far, so good. There are a few packets of dry food and a container to store water, a lighter and matches, some rope, and some glasses. I start putting the things back in the bag, but leave the glasses out. I don't really understand them, the lenses are clear so I don't see them as sunglasses or night vision glasses. Maybe someone accidentally put their glasses in here when they were packing this.

I open up the next pocket to find a small book with the Capitol logo on it, some water purifying drops, and small first aid kit. I look in the book and I see that it folds open into a map. At a closer look I see that it is a map of the arena, showing what it looks like from above and exactly how big it is.

I'm glad I got this backpack, it'll keep me for a while. I put the things back in the pocket and take out the glasses and the water bottle. Of course there's nothing in the bottle, I'll fill it up by the stream. I try on the glasses to see what they do and I am amazed at what I see. They make everything in the arena much clearer and easier to see, while at the same time it somehow shields my eyes from the sun without it getting darker.

I put the glasses in the pocket inside my jacket and walk off to find a decent shelter.

I first go over to the stream and fill up my water bottle. I follow the stream down to the rocks. The more I walk, the bigger and closer together the rocks seem to get. I find myself climbing more than walking. I try to stay underneath the rocks as much as I can instead of climbing over. I'm always looking for anything, a shelter, a tribute, a mutt, a food source, something that might catch my eye.

The terrain is getting tougher to maneuver around and I find that I'm losing my footing more and more. If I don't find a shelter soon I'm going to have to go back. I'm going to have to move fast if I want to find a shelter for tonight.

All of a sudden I hear this rumble, and then I'm falling. I scream, hitting sand and rocks as I'm slipping down, trying to grab onto anything that I can get. Then I hit the ground. My side screams in pain. My arms are sore and my palms and legs are cut up. I look around but see darkness, except for the tiny circle of light from where I fell. I probably fell a good fifty or so feet. I get up and reach to find my backpack, which is thankfully still there. My knife is no where to be seen. I have no clue where I am, or how to get out. I'm trapped.