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WITH A JOLT, Thana is awoken; her body shoots up and she is very lucky that the ceiling is far above her head. Otherwise, she would have a burning headache by now. Today, this morning the Hunger Games will start. Thana already knows she will ally with Jack Prescott from district 8, they have a plan.
With black trousers and a bright yellow jumper, Thana makes her way to the hovercraft without getting cold after saying her goodbye's to Rohan, August and Harl. She sits there with 11 other tributes, both mixed in boys and girls. The girls from the uneven districts are present as are the boys from the even districts. This means that Thana and Jack are seated opposite each other in the hovercraft. Before her, Thana sees the tributes wince in pain when they get injected with a tracker. As they reach Thana she prepares herself for the injection and winces in pain as it goes through her skin.
Peacekeepers guide the tributes off the hovercraft and Thana and Jack share one last look before their ways part. After some time peacekeepers push Thana into a sterile-looking white room. Ilya stands there and gives the young girl a quick hug before pushing her to the shower. Thana is done showering before she knows it and Ilya puts some airy underclothes on the girl; a pair of socks, stretchy leggings cover the legs and a light-tight but stretchy jumper on the upper body. The look is finished with water-resistant trousers, an ochre t-shirt, a dark brown water-resistant jacket and water-resistant combat boots. Or so Thana is told by Ilya, she is also told to be prepared for a lot of water and not to be surprised if a warm climate shows up.
"My darling Thana," Ilya smiles after Thana drinks and ate something, "it has been my pleasure to work with you, and I have one last thing for you." Out of Ilya's pocket, she reveals the golden pocket watch Thana was given by her father, the one her aunt also took with her into the games all those years ago.
"Thank you, Ilya," Thana smiles genuinely at her as Ilya fastens the pocket watch around her neck and stops it under the first layer of clothing, the cold metal makes Thana shiver.
"I made sure to set it back onto the time of district 9 after the check," the woman squeezes the hand of the tribute, "I know that is what you wanted, good luck my darling."
"Thank you again, Ilya."
With that, Thana enters the tube that is counting down, it seals immediately around the girl and starts to go up to the platform on which the tributes shall have their first look at their arena for the 72nd Hunger Games, the games where out of 24 tributes only 1 will survive.
As soon as the light reaches the tributes they start to blink in order to get used to the bright light around them. They are surrounded by a waterlike but also green substance, further back from their platforms are trees with low long wisps of leaves. All around them are brown and green with a bright sun and lots of clouds, the arena for the 72nd Hunger Games is a swamp! Luckily for the tributes, there is grass around the cornucopia, but the Capitol has sent 24 children into a swamp to kill each other.
Jack and Thana are close to each other, with only three tributes between them, they nod to each other. Harl is out of sight for Thana, so he is probably on the other side of the cornucopia. Her hands tremble as she remembers the plan, the very clear but also very dangerous plan. It could get Thana and Jack killed in less than a few minutes, the reason they haven't told their mentors. But they know that they must risk it, especially seeing the arena is a swamp.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Claudius Templesmith says with joy, "let the 72nd Hunger Games Begin!" the countdown starts, from 60 back to zero.
The tributes have sixty seconds before all hell will bring loose, sixty seconds to stay on their platform, otherwise, they'll blow themselves up by landmines.
Somewhere they hear an explosion which is followed by a canon, the first death before the games have even started. The tributes next to the fallen tribute, the boy from five, have blood on them and tears appear in Thana's eyes as she looks at the now-empty platform.
"Ten," the countdown is almost done, "nine," less than 10 seconds before it really starts, "eight," the last seconds of peace, "seven," Thana and Jack cross gazes one more time, "six," Jack and Thana are getting ready to run off their platform, "five," Thana hopes it will all go to plan, "four," the careers are getting themselves ready, "three," three more seconds before the games are starting, "two," Thana steadies her stance, she can't lose any time, "one," she takes a deep breath, "zero."
Thana's feet land on the surface and she starts to sprint to the cornucopia, times seem to pass slower and slower. Jack falls in step beside the girl, everything goes in slow motion; the running, breathing and all the noises. A ringer starts in Thana's ear and she tries to stay concentrated on the task ahead of her. Get in, take weapons and other necessities, get out, and find cover in the swamp; all without getting killed. There is about 1% certainty the plan will work out without any difficulties.
Jack and Thana reach the cornucopia without problems and sneak in the cornucopia. They try to go unseen by the present careers. They go to the back where some weapons are stocked. They move as fast as they can as they take two bags, Jack a bow and arrow and Thana two scimitars.
As they move towards the exit they see blood everywhere, and they start to run. Before the duo the final tribute from district 5 appears, with a simple manoeuvre Thana stabs her in the heart with one of the scimitars. A silence overcomes the duo as they push themselves further. Adrenaline still rushes through their bodies as they only need to pass the careers who mercilessly are killing tributes left and right.
Nora speaking here! The games have started and I just want to thank everybody for taking their time to read this story, thank you it means a lot for me <3
