The Capitol's Tribute

It was almost painful how slow the tube lifted me up. My heart was beating erratically in my chest, waiting to see what was in store for me.

I knew there would be a meadow. Finnick had revealed it to me almost a week ago.

Had it really only been a week since Finnick and I were dancing at my party?

I guessed so. Time flew when you were about to die.

Sun light blinded me from my time underground, almost making me stumble. Falling would be bad. Falling now—before the timer was out—would result in a quick, messy demise.

So, I kept my balance, keeping my stance wide. I didn’t care if I looked silly to the cameras surely trained on me; I was still alive and kicking.

The tube popped up in the blinding light. I squinted my eyes, blocking out some of the radiance with my arm as I peered around. I could see the Cornucopia. It was a large shell-like monster with goodies for all of us. My eyes caught something metal glittering in the light: a bow and arrow.

If Snow wanted to kill me so bad, why would he put my weapon of choice within reach? Maybe Haymitch was wrong.

It wasn’t really in my reach, though. It was pretty deep in there. But, I needed it if I was going to survive.

I had already decided to run in there last night. I knew it was outlandish and reckless but I was going to die anyway so I might as well try. I could almost hear Brant yelling at me to not even think about it. Peeta’s desperate ‘I love you’ rang in my ears. I shook my head, clearly it of all thoughts and human emotions.

I was in the Hunger Games. It was them or Brant. There were no more distractions.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Seventy-Fourth Annual Hunger Games.” Plutarch Heavensbee’s familiar voice echoed around the arena, “May the odds be ever in your favor.”

The countdown had begun. Plutarch powerfully counted the numbers backwards from sixty. A few people glanced around at their surroundings. Malum was seven tributes down from me, staring down a shiny, pointy sword in the heart of the Cornucopia. I made a note to stay on the outsides and away from the career pack.

On the other side of the circle of tributes stood Brant, tall and fearless. I caught his eye and he sent me a small smile, nodding his good luck. I returned the exchange, hoping he didn’t know what I was up to and try to run in the Cornucopia himself. I would meet up with Brant later.

For some reason, I wasn’t worried about being slaughtered by Malum at the moment. I knew I was fast. I could make it in there and out without too much damage. I just hoped I wouldn’t have to inflict too much mortal damage on others. I promised myself I wouldn’t go too deep. The arrows were out. There were backpacks and other small weapons that would help Brant and me. I would grab those and scat.

When Plutarch’s voice uttered, “twenty-three—” There was an enormous explosion that almost caused me to lose my step again. I scanned the area in a panic.

Someone had fallen off their platform.

I wasn’t sure who it was but they were only five down from my left side. A quick scan told me that it had been the sweet tiny girl from 9. Anna.

A morbid sigh of relief fell from my lips.

An eleven-year-old girl had just blown up before my eyes and all I could think was: Only twenty-two more to go. It was sick. The Games had already changed me.

I searched for Freddy as Plutarch called down through the teens. He had been right next to Anna.

The most unsettling thing about it (besides my nonchalant-ness) was Freddy’s reaction. He barely even moved. His face was determined. Maybe he was relieved he wouldn’t have to deal with Anna anymore either. Maybe he had been suckered into that alliance, too.

Maybe he felt the same with our alliance…

No, Freddy had practically begged me to ally with him.

“Eight, seven, six—”

I readied myself along with every other suicidal person heading into the bloodbath.

“four, three—”

My hand absentmindedly flew to my Mockingjay pin. Time seemed to stand still for a split second. The silence was so loud it vibrated in my alert ears.

“one—” A ground shaking buzzer went off and we all went running like a stampede.

I ran faster than I had ever needed to run in my life, reaching the Cornucopia first. Malum wasn’t far behind. So were half the tributes.

I slid into a covered pocket, snatched a backpack and shoved everything in sight into it. Screams punctured the air and I tried not to flinch as kids were bloodily murdered around me. I kept going until I heard a familiar grunt to my left.

I chanced a glance to see Freddy fighting off the male tribute from 10. They struggled with each other as I watched helplessly. If I moved, it would give away my position to the rabid killers surrounding me. If I didn’t, Freddy would be murdered.

I panicked, looking around for something to help my predicament and just the thing caught my eye.

“Freddy!” I cried, chucking a nice, new axe in the back of 10. Freddy didn’t waste a precious second. He pulled out the axe and lobbed off the boy’s head like it was a dummy from training.

I guessed that was why people used those dummies, to get ready for the real thing.

Freddy glanced over at me, blood splattered across his face and shirt. I chucked the backpack I had been dutifully packing as other tributes were closing in on Freddy. I was still well-hidden so I wasn’t in as much trouble.

Freddy nodded thankfully at me before running off into the forest.

In a flash, I grabbed the nearest backpack and resumed my packing, trying to gather what was left. I had foolishly given Freddy all my supplies. It would have been easier to just let 10 kill him, but I couldn’t sit by and watch Freddy die. There was too much of that in here already.

Grunts and begs for mercy echoed through the air and I scrambled myself together. I stood up, quickly noticed by a few tributes. The only one that truly terrified me was Ridley.

With barely a flit of her wrist, three knives came whirling at me. I barely ducked the first two, but the third one caught me in the shoulder.

I cried out in pain, still running out towards the forest. The fighting kept going on as I sprinted away. Ridley had found someone else to murder.

I pulled the knife out as I ran, hurting it more than necessary but I didn’t have time or distance to stop and fix it.

As soon as I pulled out the knife, my body was side-swept by some large force. I screamed in pain and terror as I looked up at my attacker, my murderer.

The male from 11, Bruno sat upon me, baring his large and very lethal blade. I couldn’t help the whimper that vomited from my mouth. I struggled to get away but it was no use. Bruno was too large and strong.

Just as Bruno was about to plunge the death blow, his eye caught something on my person and he froze. One of his calloused hands released the blade and touched something on my jacket in curiosity and amazement.

Bruno peered up at me, the urge to murder me no longer on his countenance. “For Rue.” He nodded to the Mockingjay pin.

I simply stared at him in shock as he stepped off me and ran the opposite direction into the rocky mountain portion of the arena without a glance backwards.

I propped myself up on my elbows staring after him in awe.

Why had Bruno spared my life for a pin? For a girl I’d never met who had died in the Games last year?

I was stumped but I didn’t waste my second chance. I scrambled up my belongings and bounded through the thick forest on the side of the arena closest to me.

I didn’t look back or stop running for what felt like hours.

All I could think about was finding Brant, who I had seen slip into the forest, and that Cinna had been right. I never knew what kind of allies this pin could make.