I don't remember much about the week before the games, except that Felicia spent almost every second with me, and I got a nine in training.
What I do remember, is the games. I remember every detail.
We boarded the hovercraft, and a woman in a white coat injected a small tracker in my arm.
"Just so we can keep track of you."
The hovercraft ride seemed to last forever, and when we finally landed, we each were placed in a separate room. This room was built especially for me, and no one would ever use it again.
My stylist waits with me, and gets me dressed in the arena uniform. A pair of hiking shoes, tough canvas pants, a white T-shirt, and a black wind breaker.
Then the long agonizing minutes before we enter the arena. We spend it in silence, and when the buzzer sounds, my stylist gives me a hug, and I step into the glass tube. A panel slides over the opening, locking me in.
Suddenly the floor starts to rise, pushing me up into blinding sunlight. I hear the countdown begin.
As my eyes adjust to the light, I see the arena.
We are on the slope of a mountain, the cornucopia rests on the very top of the mountain, and the only way to get to it, is to climb up the side of the mountain. Great, they already are challenging us, and the games haven't even officially started yet.
I can only see half of the tributes, the other half are on the other side of mountain.
I see the districts from one and two, my allies. A few other insignificant tributes, I catch sight of Felicia, looking nervously down, and then up the mountain. Her due date was a few days ago, and I can't believe that she is still able to walk, let alone run around. She is still incredibly active for someone who is due to give birth any day. But while she may still be active, she told me that she is terrified.
"Bruce, I don't know what I'm going to do! I know they want me dead, there is no way they are letting me out alive. They can't kill the baby...I don't know what I would do...I love being pregnant, and I love the baby so much!"
She catches my eye, and I see all the terror and pleading of a friend. But what can I do?
"Twenty...nineteen...eighteen...seventeen."
I take a deep breath, and turn back to the cornucopia. I told the careers that the only way I would join them, was if they would ally with Felicia as well.
Flash the eighteen year old from district one, and Titon from district two, both agreed without to much grumbling.
But Jewel, and Shiera, the girls from one and two. Both complained that she wont be any use. The boys said that I would be worth both of us, so it doesn't matter anyway.
"Ten...nine...eight...seven..."
Here we go.
I look back over at Felicia, and she gives me a terrified glance. I give her a reassuring smile, but it fades quickly.
"Six...five...four..."
I take a deep breath, and prepare to climb.
"Three...two...one."
A gong sounds, and I vault off of my pedestal.
I grab onto a rock shelf, and pull myself up, then I get a foothold, and leap to the next ledge.
In a few moments, I reach the cornucopia, immediately grabbing a sword, I turn around to face any tribute that reaches the top.
The first to come over is Titon, he grins, and runs over to look at the weapons.
Next is Shiera, who runs over and kicks a tribute that was almost at the top.
She laughs, as the tribute falls back with a scream. I hear a loud snap, and cringe.
Jewel and Flash reach the top around the same time, and go to pick out their favorite weapons.
I want to avoid the overall bloodbath, so I run to the slope, and slide down to where Felicia is.
"Bruce! Look out!"
I spin around, just in time. A tall boy is about to throw a huge rock at me. I run forward, and run him through with my sword. He drops the rock, and falls to the ground drooling blood.
I grind my teeth together, and pull the sword out of his gut. I take a deep breath.
Don't be weak, not now.
I turn back around, and run over to Felicia.
"Are you alright? Is the baby alright?"
She is holding her stomach with one hand, looking past me at the dead body.
"He's dead! You killed him!"
She starts trembling, and starts throwing up.
"Felicia! He was going to kill us, you and the baby! Come on we need to get to the top of the mountain."
She coughs, and wipes her mouth, then she grabs my arm, and I help her up the slope.
When we reach the top, I tell her not to look at the bodies littering the ground.
"Don't look at them Felicia. Just concentrate on the baby. Can you feel the baby moving?"
She holds her tummy, and closes her eyes, taking deep breaths.
"Yes, I can feel the baby. It is going to be a swimmer."
I lead her to the cornucopia, and take her inside the large metal cone.
"Really? How can you tell?"
She smiles, forgetting everything else except her child.
"Well, instead of just squirming around, they seem to gracefully move around, like they're swimming."
I smile.
"Well, maybe they will be a swimmer. You just stay in here okay?"
She nods, and I walk back out of the cornucopia.
Flash and Titon are collecting the dead tributes and throwing them down the slope. While Jewel and Sheira are collecting the supplies scattered around the mountain top.
I stride over to Flash.
He's the same age as I am, and we are roughly the same height. But that is where the resemblance ends.
His shoulders are much wider than mine, and he has light blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
He is surprisingly good-tempered for someone from district one, and he doesn't have the usual arrogant brute attitude that usually comes with a career.
I don't know much about Titon.
He's kind of quiet, but I would never call him shy. How he's quiet, it seems like he is trying to figure something out about you.
He looks the part of the quiet brooding type too. With his black hair and dark brown eyes.
He looks slightly older than a sixteen year old.
They throw the last of the tributes over the side.
"Well, that's done. Have the girls finished collecting the supplies?"
Flash asks in his rumbling voice.
I look over my shoulder.
"Yeah I think so. Felicia's in the cornucopia, got kind of freaked by all the dead bodies."
Titon narrows his eyes, and looks hard at me. But he doesn't say anything.
"So, is she like your girlfriend?"
We walk over to the cornucopia as I answer Flash.
"No, well she's my friend and she's a girl. So I guess you could say that."
Flash grins.
"Oh I get it. The baby is yours right?"
I shake my head.
"Nope. Our relationship has always been completely platonic."
He looks confused.
"So why look out for her? If she's not your girlfriend, and the baby isn't yours why take care of her?"
"She's my friend. And just because the baby isn't mine, doesn't mean that I am going to abandon a pregnant girl."
Flash shrugs.
"Whatever."
We reach the cornucopia, and walk up to the two girls piling up the supplies.
Jewel has the typical district one look.
She is gorgeous, with golden blonde hair, and light green eyes. She is seventeen.
Sheira is petite, and her dark orange hair is streaked with black, and her light golden brown eyes almost look feral. GIving her the appearance of a cat. She is the youngest of the careers, being only fifteen.
Jewel tosses her golden waves over her shoulder, and rolls her eyes.
"Sure took you guys long enough, if you took any longer Sheira and I would have had to clean up ourselves."
Flash grins.
"You two wouldn't want to get your hands dirty, now would you?"
Sheira narrows her eyes, and smiles. Exposing her pointed canines.
"Who do you think made the mess in the first place?"
She's awful bloodthirsty for someone so young. But I guess if you're raised to kill, you don't have a problem with it.
"Bruce."
I hear Felicia calling from the cornucopia.
"It's okay Felicia, you can come out now."
She walks tentatively out of the metal horn, rubbing her stomach, she walks more confidently when she sees me.
"Hey, how are you feeling?"
She glances nervously around at the bloodstained ground, and the careers. Then she stands close to me, and holds onto my arm.
"I'm doing okay."
Jewel rolls her eyes.
"Remind me why she's here?"
I glare at her, as Flash answers.
"Because, Bruce wouldn't come without her."
Jewel shrugs.
"And why do we need him?"
Titon looks up slowly.
"Why do we need you? He's more useful than you, even with Felicia."
Jewel snorts, and stalks off toward the cornucopia. I'm surprised that Flash and Titon are sticking up for me. I guess they think I'm pretty valuable. Sheira looks at Felicia's swollen tummy.
"When are you due?"
Felicia, cradles her stomach as she answers quietly.
"Three days ago."
Sheira raises her eyebrows in surprise. Flash and Titon look blankly from Felicia to me.
"What does that mean?"
Sheira shrugs.
"it means a baby is going to be born in the arena."
Flash and Titon's faces are shocked.
"What?"
"A baby?"
I smile, and reply patronizing them.
"Yes, a baby. It's a tiny human."
Flash glares at me.
"I know what a baby is! But what are we supposed to do? We aren't doctors."
Sheira shrugs.
"Who in the arena would know the most about delivering a baby?"
We all think for a minute.
"Do we know any tributes that have a medical background?"
They shake their heads. Sheira sighs.
"We need one or both tributes from district ten. I'm sure they've delivered a baby at least once in their life."
Flash frowns.
"Yeah, delivered animal babies, not human babies!"
Titon shrugs, and walks over to the supply pile.
"How much different can it be?"
Felicia is hugging my arm tightly.
"Bruce. I don't know anything about having a baby."
She whispers. I pat her hand.
"Don't worry. When the time comes, you'll know what to do."
We walk over and join the others at the cornucopia.
"Well, why don't we set up camp?"
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