Maddy

I follow the others at a distance, even Kari. To be honest I need some time by myself to process what just happened.

Someone just died. Yeah sure, I've seen it before on TV, but that was nothing compared to having it happen right in front of you.

Ok so maybe I didn't see it happen. But knowing that it did is enough to give me the willies. And realize just how barbaric these games are.

I look down at the gun in my hand. If it came down to me ever having to use it, could I?
Could I willingly shoot someone in order to save my own skin?

Probably not. I couldn't even bring myself to shoot 'em in the knees or feet.

Talk from up ahead grabs my attention and soon the "talking" turns into arguing.

Oh boy....

I walk over to Kari and watch as everyone but us yells as each other.

"Fill me in."
I say to Kari.
"Barry thinks that we should stick to this area, Will wants to go back to the Cornucopia and try to shelter there, Legolas wants to get somewhere high, and Jack's just yelling at everyone."

I make an "O" shape with my mouth and decide that someone has to stand in and straighten things out.

But since I am only a teenager and have no idea how to break up fights I decide to let them figure things out for themselves.

They'll have to figure something out eventually. If they don't stop yelling they're going to attract unwanted attention.

I wait around for something to happen when Kari makes a suggestion.
"What if we go to those mountains?"
Everyone stops shouting and looks at her.

Time to make my move.
"Sounds great! Let's do it, come on people to the mountains!"
I nudge Kari forward and start waving everyone else onward.
"Hup hup! One, two, come on let's go! Right now!"

I'm given the most awkward looks anyone has ever received before but I shrug it off.

So what I'm a little weird, who cares? Everyone's moving at least.

As we walk I think about how odd it is that four victors, four of the BEST victors to be exact, agreed to ally themselves with two inexperienced teenage girls.

Sounds like a fanfiction.

I jump as another loud BOOM fills the air.
Another death.
I wonder who it was this time.

Everyone else stopped walking too but no one said anything. I guess we're having a moment of silence or something.

Once the moment has passed we keep going. I find myself walking beside Legolas. I don't know why but I feel like I need to apologize to him for some reason.

Then again, I've been feeling the same way about a lot of the other tributes that I had talked to.

I decide that the silence is awkward so I srike up a conversation.

"So.... How's it goin'?"
Right. Great conversation starter.
"I'm fine."
He replies shortly.
"That's good. I'm doing fine myself. Although my feet are killing me. I haven't walked this much since my whole life you know?"

Legolas looks down (yes he has to look down. I am a short person) and gives me a funny look.

You know that funny look that says, "Are you alright in the head?"

"What about you? Are you tired yet?"
I ask.
"No."
He says turning away from me.
Wow. He's a great conversationalist.

Oh well, if he won't talk to me he'll just have to listen to me.

"So this is your fourth Hunger Games? This is my first. I was pretty anxious at first but since it's been almost two hours and I'm not dead yet I think that I'm doing pretty good. You know for an arena this place is pretty cool looking. Trees, mountains, I love 'em. Don't you elves love trees? I couldn't be an elf cause I love mountains and caves as much as I love trees. I only explored one cave but while I was in there a bat flew in my hair and freaked me out so I haven't been in one since. Am I boring you? You're walking pretty fast oh now you're leaving. Nice talking with you enjoy yourself blondie!"

I sigh in contentment. I needed to do that. I don't know why, I just did.

Pretty soon (like maybe three hours of walking later) we decide to camp for the night.

Jack makes a fire, Legolas and Barry check our surroundings, and Will stands with his back against a tree.

I walk over to Kari who's going through our supplies.
"Doesn't it creep you out how much Will and Legolas look alike?"
I ask setting my backpack down in front of me.

"Hm? Oh sorry, I've got my head in the clouds."
"When don't you have your head in the clouds?"
I tease crouching down and going through my backpack.

I haven't actually seen what's in it. I hope that it's something good.

Let's see....
Four water bottles, only two of them are filled.
A bag of sun flower seeds, seriously?
A flashlight, that barely works.
And last but certainly the least, a broken pocket knife.

I got stiffed.

"What do you got Kari?"
I ask looking into her bag.
"Not much. Just an empty canteen, a small blanket, and some matches."

I forgot to mention earlier that the bags are tiny.
I glance over at everyone else's backpacks. I wonder what's in them.

I am feeling sneaky.
I creep over to Barry's discared bag, quietly lift the flap, and dig through it making as much noise as possible.

"Gosh Barry got stiffed too!"
I say closing the flap.
There was another bag in the backpack! I want to know who the wiseguy was that thought this up.

I head over to Legolas' and dig through that. Hey! Some more ammo. I slip the bullets into my pocket. It's not like he'll need them anyway, he has a bow.

I head over to Jack's backpack and shift through it. He doesn't seem to mind as he continues to tend to his fire.

Not much in here either.
I walk over to Will's backpack but he snatches it before I can grab it.

"What do you think you're doing?"
He asks clearly annoyed.
This'll be fun.
"Taking inventory. What are you doing?"

"You're stealing. From your own allies."
He narrows his eyes.
I shrug.
"I only took some bullets, Leggy's not going to need them."
"I don't think that you should have all of the bullets."

I raise my left eyebrow skeptically.
"Why not?"
"Because you are not the only one with a gun."
Will pulls out a pistol and aims it directly at my face.
"Shiny."
I comment trying not to flip out.

Because he is pointing a loaded pistol at my face.
"Hey!"
Kari shouts coming to my rescue.
"What are you doing?"
She demands stomping over.

"He's trying to make himself look tough in front of two children in order to hide his insecurites."
Jack comments from his spot beside the fire.

Will glares at him and lowers the pistol.
"Do you ever mind your own business Jack?"
"All the time actually. Except sometimes other people's business is far more interesting than mine so I make their business my business so that I can join in on the excitement. Savvy?"

I love his logic. I shall use it in the future.
Will scowls and stomps away just as Legolas and Barry return.
Barry looks back and forth between the two and asks Legolas, "Are you guys related?"

"Just because we look similar does not mean that we have to be related."
Legolas replies getting annoyed.
"Look similar? Dude he's you with dark hair and facial hair."
I add joining the conversation.

Kari and Barry snicker and Legolas sighs.
I find it odd that the two look-a-likes are not very fond of me.

What did I ever do to them?

"Hey Barry, I've been meaning to ask you something."
I say walking over to him.
"What is it?"
He's way more cheerful than the other two.
"Why don't you use your super speed to win? You know run really fast and kill everyone? Not saying that you should though."

Barry sighs and rubs the back of his neck.
"You know the trackers that they put in us? Mine has a device implanted in it that allows the game makers to control when I can or can't use my super speed. If I tried to pull something like that they wouldn't let me."

"Cause then the games would be boring."
I conclude.
He nods.
"Exactly."
He offers me a small smile.
"But even if I could I wouldn't use my speed to win the games. I don't want to kill anyone, I just want to go home."

"Don't we all."
Kari says sitting herself down against a tree.
I think about our home, District 8. Did I really want to go back?
It wasn't that great of a place.

I hear the music for the Capitol anthem start playing. We all look up to see who the fallen tributes are.

Just like we thought before, Bruce Wayne is out.
And after him- Tauriel?!
Wow. I can't believe that she's dead.

The music stops and all is quiet. I glance over at Legolas but he's not even facing us. He's looking out at nothing with a distracted look on his face.

I  wonder if he and Tauriel had been close. More importantly I wonder who killed her.
But a question I forgot to ask was, what could have killed her?

Because when you're in the Hunger Games, even the arena can be an enemy.