Chapter Six: The Arena

After all the Tributes have completed the week of training, the Parade; the Training; the Interviews are all over, it is time for them to be sent into the arena.

Capitol Spectators come to gather around the public televisions, and even their own private ones, to see the greatly anticipated Bloodbath. The time when the tributes enter the arena, the countdown is over, and the mass killing begins.

Some of the twenty-four tributes quake in their seats, awaiting death with a fear that grows with every hour they come closer to their demise. While other tributes, the careers, grin broadly and wait for the arena with piling excitement on every second they come nearer their victory.

The Hovercraft finally arrives at its destination; but no one moves. The Peacekeepers silently usher all twenty-four of them out, bringing with their Stylists to prep them one last time. To give them one last sorry smile, because only one will ever see his or her Tribute again.

Each Stylist takes their charge, old or young, brave or afraid, into the last room they will ever feel the comforts of. Each Tribute is adorned in a pair of water tight shorts, warm pants overtop of them; heavy boots good for long treks in the wilderness; a water-tight tank top to keep cool, another shirt overtop that's warm and fuzzy; a coat for cold nights; a hat (beanie) to keep their ears warm; and finally an empty backpack to strip their layers into.

These clothes could be used for any climate. The Tributes don't know what they're being sent into.

The final goodbyes are said; hugs exchanged, and shaky nods made for the last time. The Tributes all are sent in to stand in a tube. The Stylists sigh and hold a hand to the glass for one last goodbye. The platform under you starts to move, and you're going up and up. The light overhead is getting brighter, your fears sharper.

As you emerge from underground you scan your surroundings. This is all very terrifying.

Directly before you sits the silver cornucopia, the sun glinting off its sides. As you scan all around you as best you can without falling and triggering the mines, you see that you're all on platforms surrounding the cornucopia but what's the most horrifying is that you're all in a massive dip, made to promote the biggest bloodbath of all. It will definitely be hard crawling out of here with twenty-three other killers on your back.

You take a deep breath and scan the items ahead. Most are survival supplies as far as you can see, deadly weapons must be deep inside. Do you go for them or not?

You decide on a plan, and watch the timer. You could die when that timer hits 1; it could be you drowning in your own blood as your throat is sliced when you're all released.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.

Let the Games begin.