Johanna Mason

|2| first day

My eyes barely notice the boy coming strait at me. His feet running their max speed. I can't fight him or the others will know my secret, so I run faster. Faster then ever. My heart races as I near the cornucopia, but I can't loose the boy. Luckily he isn't as fast as me and he doesn't have a weapon yet.

I pass a backpack with a box of matches resting near it. I take advantage of the situation and swiftly reach down and grab the backpack without slowing. I immediately try and pick up the matches but I fall and miss it. I get back up tripping a little as I get started again, angry at myself for slowing down.

Swinging the backpack securely on my back, I peer behind me again. The boy has picked up the matches and somehow found a knife in his pursuit after me. Then I see Tulip at the entrance of the cornucopia. She grabs the other axe at the lip, and swings it viscously killing a girl behind her. She then runs to a boy who fell on the ground, and finishes him off.
The boy chasing me, gives up and runs to Tulip. I'm guessing he is a district two also. Careers.

I continue my sprint to the axe, as I see a few being killed.

I make it to the cornucopia out of breath, and bend down quickly to fixate the axe in my hand. As I stand back up and turn around as fast as I can, I notice another boy running for me. He's holding a sword and already nearing me. I run in the direction of the volcano, and realize he is way faster then the other boy. Without hesitating, I take a quick change in directions catching him off guard, now running toward the lake. It doesn't take him long to catch up though. He closes in on me, still a few yards behind, and gets close enough to throw his sword. It slices my lower shin making it burn and I feel the blood slide down my right leg. I yelp a little but keep running to the lake.

Remembering my act, I start to cry like I was really hurt.

Some careers already linger in the middle, pointing toward the lake. The island will probably be their base. By tomorrow it will most likely be stacked with their abundance of supplies.
I make a mental note to avoid it the best I can.

Sprinting to the trees, I go far in. Then I rear off toward the volcano direction, staying out of view and clearing the lake as far as I can. I regret changing directions because now I have the longer hike of making my way all the way around the clearing, then go my original direction. But I waste no time. I have to get moving if I want to make it to my destination in the morning. If even.

I pace myself as I walk through the warm climate to the volcano. The sweat soon coming. Now all I have to do is avoid any contact with the others, and then, at the final eight, kill. Not because I want to, but because I need to. I have to get home.
For my dad.

•

After a hour of walking, I hear the careers yelling. One of them being a girl who I hear obnoxiously laughing which causes a chorus of yelling and echoing laughter to follow. The only group of tributes who would make such a squabble in the middle of a death arena are the careers but they seem to be a long ways away so I decide to take a break.
I lay my backpack on the ground and sit on a log. My tears have long dried up, so I decide to start them again while I unzip my pack and take off my jacket, folding it neatly beside me. I start to take things out of the backpack and lay them out.
•A blanket,
•one match,
•a blade,
•a small bottled of iodine,
•a bag of crackers,
•and a canteen.
Thirsty I unscrew the cap of the canteen and look inside. No water. Not even a drop. I sigh and wipe my tears away with my hands. Twisting the cap back on, I start to put the stuff back in. Deciding that the blade might be useful in combat, I slide it in my pocket and take a small break. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I could find a knife handle to put the blade in. But I doubt it. I don't think I'll be getting any more stuff. I have to keep myself on the down low if I want people to believe I'm helpless.