14. Big Day, High Stakes

       I kept waking myself up from horrible nightmares. It wasn't my fault the Hunger Games was on my mind, causing me to have dreams about it. The first time I had woken up was because Kaya was about ready to decapitate me with a sharp spear. The second time involved muttations chasing after me, one snatching my leg and ripping me to the ground, with the pack on top of me. That one seemed to be the worst out of the three.

The third and final nightmare I had woken myself up from was sort of a replay from a previous nightmare I had had: Daniel had turned on me and decided to cut the deadweight. To just to put it simply: Dan decided to murder me.

            This time, when I woke up by choice and not from a nightmare, my eyes were so heavy and droopy that I almost considered falling back asleep. Daylight seeped through the windows. How could such a horrible day for me be so sunny?

            I shifted a little bit, only to realize that I hadn't been the only one who had fallen asleep in my room last night. Daniel was still here, holding me like last night. It was like he had never moved at all. He had probably been just as tired as I had been from the interviews yesterday. They didn't seem like they drained you completely, but they did. It was from all the pressure.

            I didn't bother to wake Dan. Instead I just watched him sleep, just barely brushing my fingers along his chest. It gave me something to do since I didn't want to leave his arms. I wanted him to sleep as much as possible. I wish I could say the same for myself, but I was already awake.

            Dan slept for another half hour before I heard him yawn. I craned my neck up so I could look at him. He shook his head, stretching his body. He looked down at me.

            "Morning," he said.

            "Morning," I muttered. I yawned. "You didn't wake up from nightmares last night, did you?"

            "No."

            "Oh, so it was just me." Naturally, it'd be just me. Dan never suffered like that, it was always me. Why was I cursed with that?

            "Yeah, it was just you. I felt you jump awake three times, not to mention toss and turn."

            "I didn't mean to keep you up all night," I whimpered. "You could've left me alone, you know."

            "Oh, I tried," he confessed, "but you kept me close, Bri. I tried to pry you off me, but you clung to me."

            That sounded unlike me, yet it sounded very possible. I had known Dan had stuck around in my room, he was my comfort. Why not keep him with me to help me make it through the night?

            "You should have just left me anyway," I told him. "I didn't talk in my sleep any last night, did I?"

            "No, it was just waking up, tossing, and turning," he reported.

            "What time is it?"

            "Don't know, but we better get out there early. Breakfast is probably ready, and I bet Jade and Johanna will want to stay with us until we go to the Launch Room."

            Right. The Launch Room.

I lazily scrambled out of Dan's arms and slid off the bed, stretching. I dragged myself out of my bedroom, only to be greeted by Jade and Johanna at the dining table, breakfast already sprawled out...or what was left of it anyway. They had decided to eat without us.

            Nobody said a word as Dan and I took our seats and ate. There were no jokes about Dan coming from my bedroom last night. I knew why everybody was so quiet: today would be the last time Jade and Johanna would be around us for a while—or maybe forever. It would also be the last time they'd probably get to see us in person.

            Despite what lay ahead, Dan and I took our time eating. Johanna kept shifting her gaze from Dan to me, and Jade looked uncomfortable. She looked as if she was going to puke at any moment. I had a feeling we were going to have a final goodbye chat after breakfast. Honestly, it'd be nice to talk to them before leaving the apartment; it'd be nice to get some last-minute tips from Johanna if she had any.

            Once Dan and I had eaten to satisfaction, Johanna rested her elbows on the table, leaning forward. Jade glared at us.

            "You both know what today is," Johanna sighed. "We all do. In less than an hour, the Hunger Games are going to start. Before I get into anything else, I'll tell you how things will work once the time comes. You will report to one of the two hovercrafts provided. From there, you'll get your tracking device put in and be flown to the Launch Room. It doesn't hurt when it gets put in, trust me. Alden and Harper will be there for you until you have to get into the launch tube.

            "Now that that's over, let's get down to the important stuff."

            "Depends on what you consider important," I said quietly. "Like survival important?"

Johanna nodded. "Do not become stupid and fall off your platform before the gong sounds," she said sternly. "And don't drop anything either. The land mines under your platform are very pressure-sensitive. One year a girl dropped her tribute token, and the Gamemakers ended up having her scraped off the ground."

I shuddered at the thought. I didn't want to get coated in tribute flesh and guts.

"The Cornucopia bloodbath is the one thing you need to avoid," Johanna continued. "The Gamemakers tempt you with everything in there: spears, bows, arrows, maces, axes—anything that tributes can use against each other. They'll also bait you with survival supplies like food, water, and maybe a blanket or rope—something that you'll want to have with you during the Games. Do not attempt to dive in there and grab what you want. It's not a smart move.

            "If there's a small backpack or anything close to you, grab only that and get away as fast as you can. Stick around too long and it's game over. If you both happen to get separated, hope that you find each other quickly. The main things you're going to need are food, a source of water, and a safe shelter. Depending on where you'll be, find a place high up or concealed down below. Make sure there's lots of cover where you hide."

            "What if we're faced with a battle for our life?" Dan piped.

            "That depends," Johanna said. "If you have a weapon and think you can take on your opponent, by all means do so—but do so carefully. Don't get cocky. If you don't have a weapon, find something useful around you if you can. When all else fails, retreat and hope that you can lose your enemy and hope they forget about you.

            "You two stick together no matter what. You can only trust each other, remember that. No matter what people have told you before now, like that Sutton girl from District Two, you can't believe a word they say. People can be deceptive, which is something that can get you far in the Hunger Games. It helped me win," she noted.

            "If we're in a good place, should we stay there?" I asked.

            "If it's just you two, then I would say yes, but if there are other tributes in the area, move on. Make sure you cover your tracks too, when you leave, because I bet some tributes are trained to take note of signs that others were present at one point in the area. Take shifts too, when watching out for others during the night. Speaking of the night, do not be idiots and make a fire in the middle of the night. It's the equivalent of having you shout with a bullhorn 'I'm here, come at me!' There's always one tribute every year that makes that rookie mistake, and I don't want either of you to be that rookie."

            This was a lot of information Johanna was cramming down our throats. I guess she had wanted to save all this crucial information for last.

            "Any more tips for us?" Dan asked.

            "Yes. Do not lose yourself when in the arena," Johanna said darkly. "This is a crucial thing to remember on top of everything else. People can change in that arena. It's happened before, and I don't doubt it'll happen in these Games. People become unstable and unpredictable if they aren't already. It's those types you have to be especially careful of, especially if it's down to a few of you. That's why you stick together at all times, that way you keep each other straightened out. Got it?"

            "Yes," Dan and I both confirmed.

            "Anything else?" I asked her.

            "Not that I can think of." Johanna looked to Jade. "I've had my talking time; I'll let you have yours."

            "Bridget, Daniel," Jade said. Her lower lip was quivering; she was about ready to burst into tears at any second. "Even though it's only been two weeks that we've spent time together, I just want to say that I couldn't have been happier than to be your escort for this year. I feel like you're siblings that I never had. We've all become so close.

"Believe it or not, you guys are the tributes I've loved the most since being an escort for Seven. The past tributes always thought I was a typical Capitol citizen, when really they never took the time to know me. Of course, I doubted that getting to know me was on their list of priorities. Anyway, I really hope that you two can survive the Games together and come home the victors." Jade dabbed her eyes with the napkin that was on the table. "I-I think I'm done my speech. You can continue, J-Jo."

            "Well, I must say," Johanna started, "when I first saw you two, I'll be dead honest: I didn't have much hope for either of you. But looking at you both now, I know I can eat my words. I thought I would never change you two into being stronger, but I did. I thought neither of you would rise up to the challenge of breaking out of your comfort zones.

            "I know we had our little rough patches." Johanna eyed me. She was directing most of that to me. "But we worked through them in the end. I never thought I'd have such...attentive tributes in all my life. You two didn't defy me a lot, you wanted my advice. I thought I was going to be facing myself, because normally the tributes I get have a nasty attitude—but not as bad as me." She smirked. "You two are perhaps the best tributes I ever had. I don't give out compliments often, and I know that. But, I respect you two more than you realize.

            "You both showed me that I can love again."

            I refrained from having my mouth drop to the floor. Was I dreaming this? Johanna Mason, who I thought had a heart of stone, actually had a genuine soft side? I had to slap myself awake from this dream, because I couldn't believe this.

            "What do you mean by that?" Dan asked. He sounded just as surprised as I was.

            "The Capitol killed all of my family," Johanna said coldly. Dan and I knew that her tone wasn't at us, it was at the Capitol. "There was nobody I loved. For years, I became what you saw when we first met on the Tribute Train. That's what I call some serious tough love. But now...I feel as if I have children of my own who've challenged me. All of the past tributes—I never felt that way with them. But you two...you both made me feel that way. For that, I thank you. You've taught me something, just like I've taught you so much. You don't realize how much you both mean to me.

            "And I mean this one-hundred percent when I say this: I hope you kick ass out there in the arena. Come home as victors for District Seven. Make me proud, you two." She gave a tiny grin.

 Now I felt kind of bad about comparing Johanna to President Snow a while back when we butted heads. Anything bad I thought about her was gone from my mind now.

            This was one heart-felt speech that I thought I'd never hear from Johanna. I had never really known Dan and I had such an influence on her. She had been pretty good when it came to hiding her softer emotions, because she sure as hell didn't hesitate to show us the cold shell she had lived in for so many years. Of course, there was good and evil in everybody.

            "We will, Jo," I said. I bit my lip. I never really called Johanna that before. She didn't reprimand me for it, so I guess she was okay with the nickname. "We'll show all of Panem what we can do." I looked at Dan; he gave a nod of agreement.

            "You two better head to the hovercraft now," Jade squeaked. She sniffled.

            "Jade, please don't cry," I whimpered. I rose just as she did. I hugged her tight, burying my head into her. "We'll come back home soon."

            "No worries, Jade," Dan murmured. "You know what we can do."

            "You better get changed," Johanna said.

            "I bet Alden will have something for me in the Launch Room," I told her.

            Daniel pulled me away from Jade and lugged me out of the apartment. I felt bad leaving Jade sobbing her eyes out because of Dan and me. I didn't want her to worry, but who wouldn't? If she was anything like me, she didn't like to see family be put in harm's way.

            There were two hovercrafts, huge and sleek, awaiting us tributes. Some were already boarding into one. Dan and I got separated, both being in separate hovercrafts. I didn't bother to protest, because I didn't want to cause an uproar right before the Games. But it was too late for that; I had been part of an uproar in the Training Center due to some mischievous Career tributes.

            There were twelve seats in the hovercraft, six on each side. I took a seat next to Sutton, who didn't meet my eye. Looking around warily as takeoff commenced, I noticed Noah was aboard the craft as well. Sadly, for him, so was Eric. I didn't see Kaya around, so I was glad for that—it meant no evil stares at me on the ride to the Launch Room.

Eric had already tracked Noah down, because he kept staring at his sister's boyfriend when Noah wasn't looking. I noticed Meeka wasn't present in the craft either. Francois from District 10 was in our craft, as was Jillian from District 3. Both tributes from District 12 were in here as well. The poor kids, so young to be tributes that I almost thought their ages should be considered illegal to put into the Games.

            A lady on the craft with us began putting tracking devices in one arm of each tribute. Eric took his without hesitation. Both District 12 tributes looked really frightened. Sutton looked at the long needle apprehensively as her device was planted inside her arm. I looked away as the woman injected my tracking device. I despised needles, so seeing one being put in my skin made my skin crawl and made me have the urge to hurl.

            At least Johanna was right about one thing: injecting the tracking device didn't hurt.

            Once the hovercraft landed in the hangar that led to the Launch Rooms, one by one, tributes filed out and headed for their designated room. Naturally, four Peacekeepers escorted me to my room. They at least backed off when I opened the door.

Opening it, Alden wasn't present yet. All there was inside was a launch tube, a speaker plastered to one of the walls, and a clock giving the time. The time on the clock said nine fifty-five. Five minutes—that was all I had until I was to get into the launch tube.

Above me lay the arena. It was surreal, being so close to a place I would soon ascend up to. I didn't know what I would be lifted up into when being in the launch tube. It gave me chills, or maybe it was because I was still in my pajamas, being in cotton shorts and a cami. I really hoped Alden brought me pants and whatnot for me to wear; otherwise I'd freeze awfully quick out in the arena.

Speak of the man himself. I was so relieved to see Alden step through the threshold, a change of clothes in his hands.

"I figured you might need these," he said, handing over the attire. In addition to dark brown pants and shirt, he got me a black jacket, black socks, and black sneakers. I looked at him, arching an eyebrow. "You want to keep yourself hidden, don't you? It'll help greatly at night."

"I guess so," I mumbled. "But I don't think I want to look like a ninja."

"Four minutes," the speaker crackled. I jumped.

Hastily, I dressed in much more comfortable clothing. The outfit felt maneuverable enough, so that was good. I couldn't exactly be at my best if my outfit prevented me from being at the top of my game. Alden pulled my bushy hair into a ponytail. At least hair wouldn't blur my vision when running for my life in the arena.

I looked my outfit over. Wait...there was one thing still missing. I needed to have my tribute token with me in the arena; I needed the support of my family. I didn't remember ever taking it off on my wrist. Maybe it fell off.

"Please tell me you snatched my bracelet, Alden," I panicked.

"Easy, Bridget, I have it right here." He latched the bracelet onto my wrist.

"Thank you." I messed with my father's wedding anniversary gift. I felt a little better, having the support of my family in addition to my mentor, escort, and stylist.

"Three minutes," the speaker voiced.

"I really wish I could say goodbye to Harper too," I sighed. "I've said goodbye to everybody."

"Even Daniel?"

Damn it. I hadn't actually said 'goodbye' to Dan. Now I felt horrible. What if today was his last day on earth? No, don't you dare think that! You both will live through the first day. You both will win the Games for yourselves and District 7!

"No," I stammered. "But I see no reason to. He's going to make it through the first day, and so will I."

"That's right, think positive." Alden grinned.

"Two minutes." The speaker's voice echoed in the room. Soon it'd end up echoing in my head.

"I'm really scared, Alden," I whimpered.

"Really? You don't look it," he said thoughtfully.

"Trust me, I am. One hundred percent scared." I laughed nervously. "If I'm not shaking, I'm surprised."

"Hey." He held my chin with his hand. "You'll be fine. Johanna's a good mentor. Just follow what she's told you, and you and Daniel will be fine."

"A good mentor?" I snorted. "Sorry to disagree, but how many victors have been from District Seven since her?" Alden didn't answer. "My point exactly."

"Nonetheless, she's put every ounce of effort into whipping you and Daniel up into top shape for today. You trust her, don't you?"

"I guess." I shrugged.

"One minute."

"There is no guessing, Bridget. Either you do or you don't." Alden's eyes narrowed, green meeting a less common shade of blue.

"I do," I blurted out.  

            "Then you have nothing to worry about," he said simply. "And if Daniel trusts her, you both will be fine. Just don't lose yourself."

            "Forty seconds."

            "Shoot," I hissed. "Well...this is it."

            "I'll miss you, Bridget." Alden grasped my hands. "You go out there, and you and Daniel win the Hunger Games."

            "We will."

            "Twenty seconds."

            Alden was in tow behind me as I looked at the tribute tube. It was glass and didn't look ideal for people with claustrophobia. The tube was open. I swallowed with difficulty. I looked over my shoulder at Alden. Even though there were less than twenty seconds left until launch, I gave him a squeezing hug.

            "I'll miss you," I whispered. "Tell Harper I said goodbye."

            "I will." Alden gave a small smile.

            I stepped into the tribute tube. The glass slid shut on me. I panicked, looking at Alden with fearful eyes. It was amazing how scarily quiet it got. I put my trembling hands up against the glass tube. Alden gave me a soft look and put his hands on the other side.

            "Ten seconds."

            "Be strong," Alden whispered. I shut my eyes, inhaling deeply, then exhaled slowly, opened my eyes, and gave Alden the slightest bob of my head in agreement.

            I jumped as the platform I stood on began to rise upwards. I kept my eyes locked with Alden's green eyes until I was up too far to see him anymore. Don't move off the platform or you'll set off the landmines, I reminded myself.

Fresh, outdoorsy air was the first thing that welcomed me into the arena as my platform locked itself in place. I felt a slight breeze.

            The Cornucopia was the first thing that attracted my attention. It was a good amount of feet directly in front of me. I had a straight view of it. Inside the silver shelter lay a goldmine of weapons, bait to lure in naïve tributes who thought they could grab what's inside and escape successfully. I noticed just on the top of it laid a digital clock with sixty seconds.

Those would be the longest sixty seconds of my life.

            As the clock on the Cornucopia started to tick down slowly, my eyes took a sweep of the ground. The Cornucopia was in an open field. Trees surrounded us all. That was all I could see. The arena could be more than just this and forests. On the ground around the Cornucopia were some small backpacks and crates. I located the nearest one to me: a few feet from me...but close to Jillian, the District 3 girl.

            I took a brief glance at the clock. Fifty-two seconds. Eight seconds passed agonizingly slow in the arena.

I surveyed who was around me. Besides Jillian, on my right was the District 9 male. Surveying the rest of the tributes, I spotted Dan between Seraphine and the little boy from District 12. My eyes shifted to the clock again—forty-five seconds until we would be released on each other like rabid dogs fighting for food.

            I should have noticed it earlier since I usually spotted things moving around me. I hadn't seen it until he nearly did it. Bernard, the boy from District 6, took one step off the platform and onto the grass. The ground exploded under him, engulfing his platform in smoke and ground. Some girls screamed, including me. He had been between Kaya and the girl from District 5.

Pieces of Bernard flew everywhere, reaching even me. I yelped as blood and flesh plastered onto me. Gross! Only twenty seconds had passed, the Games hadn't officially begun, and already a tribute had died. It didn't look like it was an accident either.

A cannon sounded off, acknowledging Bernard's death. My heart went out to his family.

            I should have suspected Bernard was suicidal from the interview. He had probably known he had no chance of winning and decided to end his life early that way he wouldn't suffer. I remembered when I had felt there was no hope for me. I even remembered the idea of jumping being brought up once in my head. I was glad I had something to work towards in the Games besides winning; otherwise I would have been like Bernard had been just now.

            The arena was silent for all of five seconds, mainly due to the shock of flying parts of a tribute. I was surprised that none of the Careers made any snide comments about Bernard's suicide.

When there was thirty seconds left to go before the gong sounded, laughter rang out closer to me on my right. I looked angrily for the source. It was Francois, the boy from District 10. How could he laugh at something as horrible as that? He has to be a Career from birth. His home had to be one of those districts, because I can't imagine someone from such a poor district acting so ignorant. I was shocked none of the other tributes were laughing it up like Francois was.

            Francois seemed to be enjoying himself a little too much though, because he doubled over laughing, not realizing what trouble he got himself into. He laughed so hard that he fell off his platform. And just like Bernard...BOOM! Francois exploded. More guts and flesh flew everywhere. This time I got hit with more than when Bernard had exploded.

 A loud boom by the cannon signaled Francois was dead.

I didn't dare flick off the drops of blood or gore on me, for I was afraid even something like that could set off my land mines. In the first thirty-five seconds of the Games, two tributes had their lives stripped from them. I should have viewed it as a good thing. I had two less people to worry about. But I didn't see it that way; I was in shock and in horror by what just happened. It made me realize that this wasn't a dream, this was real. What just happened had been real. Two children had been blown sky high by pressure-sensitive mines.

 I bet Francois would have never laughed if he knew it was would lead him to his death. Nobody else snickered when Francois fell off his platform laughing. Nobody wants to risk going like he did, I guessed. His death gave the term 'died laughing' a whole new meaning.

I swallowed, my heart racing furiously. I really hoped nobody close to me like Jillian or the District 9 boy attempted suicide next. An explosion that close would probably startle me to where I'd fall off my platform and blow myself up. And on top of that, I wouldn't appreciate having more human gore spewed onto me; Francois and Bernard were enough for one day.

My eyes darted everywhere: from tributes, to the clock (ten seconds remaining), to Daniel, Sutton, to Eric, Kaya, the closest pack to me, Jillian, the clock (seven seconds), Noah, the crater made by Bernard's suicide, Meeka, and the clock again (five seconds).

As the final seconds ticked off in slow motion, I took quiet, deep breaths. This was it. Five seconds was the only thing keeping twenty-two tributes holding their positions on their platforms. Once the gong sounded, all hell would break loose.

Panem was about to get the Hunger Games of a lifetime. I bet there wasn't such a thing as a boring Hunger Games. Ours would be anything but. Hell, we already gave the people of Panem a show with two deaths before the gong even sounded. That couldn't be a common occurrence in the Games.

 My eyes latched onto the clock. Two seconds. My muscles tensed, my body crouched, ready to grab that backpack just a few feet away from me. One second. Everybody seemed to get their game face on, all focused on grabbing what they could, ready to act on the fly. The tension was so strong in the air that I could feel it...

Claudius Templesmith's voice boomed in the arena, never startling me from my at-the-ready position on my platform.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Ninety-fifth final Hunger Games begin!"