With every second that passed, the pressure grew higher. The stakes were high; if you lost this game, that meant you lost your life. Win, though, and you will be showered in glory, riches, and fame.
But only one may win, only one may earn all the glory. Only one may go home.
The tributes were nervous, though some did not look like it. After all, this was a televised show, and everybody watched it. The more the people like you, the more sponsors you could get. The more sponsors you got, the more your chance of survival climbs ups. Once the countdown reached zero, the show would start, and the tributes would do anything they had to for their survival. For their victory.
Mikael had watched the games ever since he could comprehend them. He then started training when he was young, as a Career usually did. He thought he had a very good chance of winning, especially if he could get his hands on the sword in the middle of the Cornucopia.
Emyr was ready as she’d ever be. She felt confident in her abilities, as she, too, had trained from a young age. Many people had told her to run from the Cornucopia, but she planned to do the opposite. The only thing she worried about was her eyesight. It had never been great, even with multiple surgeries and contacts. She couldn’t see what was at the Cornucopia.
Kian would run. He wasn’t willing to fight, not yet. His survival skills were decent. If he could just get to a source of water, he’d figure it out from there.
Jenava clenched her fists, trying not to think. Her sole focus was on getting a weapon and leaving as soon as possible. She had to remain calm. That’s what her mentor told her everyday. Stay calm.
Veran was young, small, and vulnerable. He trembled all over, but tried the best he could to hide it. Don’t let anybody notice you, he told himself. Get out of there, and don’t let them see you.
Cassara knew she could take the younger ones, but it was the Careers she worried about. She would avoid them, sneak around them whenever she could. As she looked around her, she became unsure of where she could find water or food in the arena. She would have to find some in the Cornucopia.
August bit his lip, trying to think of his best option. He wanted to go for the Cornucopia, but he would have to fight there. He didn’t exactly want to do that. Maybe he would run for the run-down buildings. He wouldn’t know until the countdown was over.
Tianna wanted to jump around and get ready to move, but the chance of setting off the explosive under the platform she stood on was too high. She decided to note that. Explosives could be an easy way out if she needed it.
Tyton wanted a sword or a knife. He didn’t see anything from where he stood, so he could make one, but where would he get those materials? The Cornucopia would have those, but it’d also have violent, ready-to-kill tributes trying to get their hands on weapons, as well as him.
Calla knew she couldn’t survive this. She refused to harm anyone, but she would stay alive as long as possible. She would run to the buildings, find food, and hide until she couldn’t anymore.
Jordan realized that people thought him an underdog. It was true he wasn’t great at fighting, but he could rig traps, make tools, and cook. That had to count for something. He wanted to survive, especially because his family needed him back at home. He had a large family and many friends. He could not disappoint them.
Jayla was smart. Of course, there would be somebody smarter and stronger than her in this arena, but that didn’t bother her. If she played smart, if she thought everything through, maybe she had a possibility of winning. A thirteen-year-old girl from District 12 might be targeted, but she was confident she could outsmart the other tributes.
(Idea: maybe interactive stalkers can decide alliances? If our characters want alliances, anyway)
