Survivor | The Hunger Games

ch.10

Lana sat on her bed with her back leaned to the headboard and legs curled up. She had her arms tightly wrapped around her legs, scared to let go. Today was the day she'd be going into the arena. The one thing Lana is most afraid of in the games isn't dying but having to choose between that or murdering someone. Everyone on her team and alliance have made it perfectly clear that that day will come, and Lana doesn't know whether she'll be able to make the right decision. She's not sure what the right decision even is. It was silly of her to think she could just run and hide.

A knock on the door Lana's pulled her attention. Hoping it was Finnick Lana jumped out of bed and swung the door open. She was disappointed to see it was only Kandi. "Oh good, you're already dressed! The jet is waiting for you and Tyler."

Once Lana and Kandi got to the elevators and saw only Mags and Tyler there she was confused. "Where's Finnick?" Lana asked.

"He said he was feeling ill and asked Mags if she could send you both off on her own." Kandi explained.

"So, he's not even going to say goodbye?" Lana almost muttered.

"Best not to catch whatever he has before going into that arena." Kandi shrugged. Mags gave Lana a sorrowful look as the elevator doors opened. Kandi wished her tributes a 'good luck' before getting to the rooftop where the jet was waiting.

Once there Tyler didn't care for goodbyes and just boarded on to the jet while Lana hesitated and turned to look at Mags. "Can you tell Finnick how much I appreciate him? If it wasn't for him, I'd probably still be soaking in my own self-pity."

Mags nodded and smiled.

"Thank you and take care of yourself, Mags." Lana signed.

"You too." Mags signed back. Lana took the empty seat beside Tyler and buckled up. She winced as the doctors injected her with a tracker. On the ride to the arena Lana realized how sad and disappointed she was about Finnick not coming to say goodbyes. For all they know that could've been their final goodbye. Lana held back tears the entire ride and tried to think of other things to bring her comfort.

Once the jet landed and Lana was escorted to her room, she felt better seeing Pixie. "You're here." Lana smiled for the first time this morning.

"I'm here." Pixie confirmed as she went in for a hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Awful." Lana admitted. "It feels like someone tied a thousand knots and shoved them down my throat while I was sleeping last night."

Pixie squeezed Lana's arm and tried giving her a few words of encouragement. "You're going to do great out there. If there's anyone, I know that can defy the odds and kick ass, it's you. Now get dressed, we don't have much time left."

The outfit for this year's games was a white strapless crop top and a white skirt that stopped right above her knees, matched with a pair of white running shoes. Thankfully they gave her shorts to wear under the skirt. Lana's only guess from this year's outfit is that they'll be somewhere really hot. Maybe a desert. After dressing herself, she turned Pixie. "They're definitely going for a color theme this year."

"Which matches your bracelet perfectly." Pixie pointed out. Lana didn't even notice she still had it on. She rarely takes it off and whenever she remembers it's there, she refuses to take it off. It's the only physical reminder that she still has of home. Lana is forever grateful for Joey selling it to her right before the reaping.

"30 seconds." The voice machine announced, alerting them that its almost time for Lana to go. The pair share one last final hug before Lana steps into the tube. She gets startled as it quickly shuts and secures itself. Pixie smiles at her encouragingly as the tube begins to move Lana up.

Lana winces once the tube finally reaches the top. The bright sun blares in her face as the scorching hot air clashes with her exposed skin. She looks around and sees that she's in a desert. There's barely any trees, plants or bushes just lots of empty and exposed land with lots of hills. While the countdown sounds throughout the whole arena Lana takes this opportunity to observe her fellow tributes. Her allies obviously look confident and unfazed. They also have a tight eye on the cornucopia. Lana knows the cornucopia always ends in a bloodbath which worries her since that very important decision of kill or be killed could be approaching soon.

"10...9...6...7...6...5...4" The knots in Lana's stomach tighten as the countdown reaches its end. "3...2...1." And with that the dozens of tributes jumped off their platforms and ran. Some to the cornucopia and others to the hills. Lana decided to stick with her allies and head to the cornucopia with them. Getting there proved not to be easy for any of them. The fact that there was so much empty land provoked more tributes who weren't the career pack to get to the supplies.

Lana's heart dropped as she heard a canon go off and then another one and another and another. Right as she was about to reach the cornucopia a girl from 7 looking for a challenge tackled her to the ground. Lana struggled with the girl on top of her. She straddled Lana with her thighs and held both her wrist down. Lana used all her force to roll them both over. "Don't do this!" Lana pleaded. "I don't want to choose, not yet." The girl from 7 refused to listen to Lana and soon broke out of her hold and punched her.

Growing angry Lana punched her back and then again and again. Another tribute from 8 found this as an opportunity to run pass a career and get to the cornucopia. He managed to be the first person to make it there. He packed as much supplies as he could, took a few weapons and ran for the hills. Still fighting, Lana and the girl from 7 were growing weak fast. Both have started bleeding, Lana from the nose and the girl from her cheeks and left eye. Lana started crying once she took note of how bad her face looked. With one last finale blow to the temple of the girls head, Lana knocked her unconscious. She sloppily wiped off the blood coming from her nose and walked to the cornucopia where both tributes from 1 had already made it.

"Woah, that girl from 7 was actually pretty tough. Maybe we should ask her to join us?" Peter suggested, genuinely impressed.

Iris scoffed before loading up her crossbow and shooting it directly into her skull. "We're already enough. No need to make the finale harder."

Peter followed Iris to scan the area for any other tributes as Darian and Penelope tag teamed a boy from 10, everyone knew was going to be a threat from how tall and muscular he was. Lana walked up to the dead girl from 7. She wanted to cry for her, she felt like a monster even though it wasn't her who killed her even though that was the game.

If you told her this is where she'd be a month ago, she would've called you crazy and laughed it off with her parents. Out of respect Lana pulled the crossbow out of the girls skull and dragged her body behind the cornucopia. She recited a small part of a poem people in her community use when someone dies before draping a blanket over her. A hand grabbing her arm made her jump. "What the hell are you doing?" Tyler cursed.

"Nothing." Lana said. "I was just---"

"No! You were right the first time; you were doing nothing. She's dead, Lana. She tried to kill you! I get it's hard to forget about old values and morals but please for the sake of us both stop acting so stupid." Tyler was furious.

"This isn't stupid, I was paying my re---" Tyler cut her off again. "No, Lana stop! You're lucky our allies were busy doing something useful by taking out our threats and didn't see you giving some random person a funeral. If they find out how much of a liability you can be they won't just get rid of you but probably me too. Please go back to the cornucopia, grab your bowie knife and act like your just as ready to kill as they are. You got your week of learning how to survive this shithole now use it."

With that he dropped Lana's forearm and walked away.