Young Writers Society

Edur was in his capsule, looking on at him was his designer Flabina, and she had a worried smile on her face. She put up her thumbs and tucked her big red hair behind her ears.
Edur breathed in, and the plate he was standing on started rising. He put his hands on the glass and looked out, then he looked up. The sky was fastly approaching and for the first time Edur had ever seen, it was blue. He felt like he was in the lift again.
Eventually he was up. He saw all the other tributes standing on their plates. He took a glance at Reed, but she wasn't looking at him.
Someone was counting...59...58...57...Edur knew if he stepped off the plate he would immediately blow up, so he waitd patiently...45...44...43...Here we go. Just get a bag and get out, maybe some weapons, but you can always make your own...30...29...28...He took a running persicion, and closed his eyes...20...19...18...Keep cool Edur, keep cool...10...9...8...He opened his eyes again, and slanted thim. He was ready...3...2...1...

Ryder

Ryder's heart was skipping beats as he climbed onto the metal platform. Veronica was giving him a peptalk. She had heard his coughing at night, she knew something was wrong. But he wasn't going to let anything stand in his way.

I'm going to win the games, no one will forget District 12

"Be listening to me Ryder, go for the gut decision." she said.

She blew him a kiss and mouthed the words 'Give them a show'. The platform began to rise. He rose into the arena. The voice said over the intercom.

Tributes, We welcome you to the 13th Annual Hunger Games.

May the Odds Be Ever in You Favor...

...

He begins to count down.

Ten...

Nine...

Eight...

Seven...

Six...


Ryder's heart stopped, he coughed into his hand. Blood met his vision.


Five...

Four...

Three...

Two...

...

One...


The Gong sounded, Ryder tried to run to the Cornucopia. He saw tributes becoming picked off one by one. Very fast, bodies began to fall. Blood everywhere. He ran past the Bow and Arrow, obviously this was meant for him. He stopped short of a backpack he picked it up hoping it would have something in it he would need. He looked around once more.

The Tribute from 11. Edur, came behind him, he slashed at him with a knife. He dodged out of the way, the knife nicked his leg.

Dammit! ~ He thought to himself loudly, running into the forest away from the blood and the Cornucopia.

Luce Avery - 8

I ran blindly forward, relying on pure instinct to make sure I survive at least these few seconds. A small, responsible voice squeaked up at the back of my mind, reminding the few things that I should be paying attention to; find weapons/packages and finding Edur and Alen.

Before I could thoroughly process the thought, something, an arrow whizzed past me, narrowly missing my left ear. I leaned down, quickening my pace until I saw a bright orange package lying half hidden in the nearby bushes. I shot forward, putting an extra sprint of energy as I bolted into the bushes, securing the package.

A few feet a way, leaves rustled. I tense up, blinding groping for a rock to throw. Seeing as I was defenseless, I swallowed as much as my fear as possible (which was not much) and squeaked out, "Who is it? Edur? Alen?"

Alen
3,2,1
Alen looks for Luce but can't see her for the sun is in his eyes so he runs for a shiny item that he sees. Then when he picks it up knows what it is a well made bow and 16 arrows . Well Alen is thinking he sees Edur run past him so Alen follows him after he cuts a boy that try's to get away from it. Edur heads for the forest well and Alen follows then in the coner of his eye he sees Luce go for a bag just before she enters she looks behind her. As Alen enters the woods a rock hits him " ow what in the world a rock really" whispered Alen to himself.
" Whos there Edur? Alen?" a small voice squeaked behind a green leafy plant.

Edur sprinted off towards the cornucopia, he felt his heart racing and his feet pounding against the ground. Adreneline was rushing through him and he felt like he was flying. He reached a bag and picked it up. As he was very fast he was one of the first to reach the Cornucopia, and he quickly got up and ran; but he tripped. The world came crashing down and so did he. He landed on the soft grass with a heavy thud. He tried to get to his feet but he couldn't, already? Seriously, I can't die...already. Someone was standing on his face, and was squishing it into the dirt. He closed his eyes and braced himself, then he felt something brush against his face. He opened his eyes slowly into slits to see what it was. It was a knife sticking up from the ground, and about an inch from his face. He looks up and sees someone with dark hair, what appears to be a smile, a knife in hand; but the rest of his face is a blur to Edur.
Then they drop the knife...

Reta was really late for the games, he knew. Lots of things happened that altered his arrival time by a lot. He didn't want to go into details, although he would be questioned. If he makes it out, he thought to himself. None of that mattered. He stepped on his platform and the countdown started.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

He raced out and looked at the other contenders. They were chucking glances at him. He wasn't surprised. This was the first time they had seen him. He ran over to the cornucopia and picked up his stuff, a knife and a bow, lots of arrows. Reta saw someone on the floor and his instincts told him to put a knife in his throat. He somehow felt sorry for the person on the floor. He looked at the boy then helped him up. Reta grinned at him then ran away. He saw the boy standing for a second, then he to ran off.

Des- District 10

The gong sounded, but it hadn't registered. What did register was Reed sprinting forward, followed by Ryder and Bronze. I snapped to and sprinted forward, aiming for the bag next to a long pole. It was a staff wasn't it?

Whatever I grabbed, it was in my hands and I was almost to the woods when there was a sudden, sharp pain in my arm. I looked back and saw the District 4 girl smirking while she was heading for me.

A knife landed in the dirt, my blood staining the steel blade. The jolt from the knife cutting through my skin made me drop the bag. I skidded to a halt and ran back to get it, but Nya was almost on top of me with another knife in hand. I hated myself for it, but I had to leave the bag and get to safety... if I wanted to survive.

Turning tale, I ran back towards the woods, but took the knife that Nya had thrown. I ran hard, barely noticing the few bodies that didn't make it out of the cornucopia. One of them was my fellow tribute from District 10. More cannons went off. I needed to find help and quick.

Edur saw the knife hurtling towards him and outstretched his hand to grab it. He managed it, the blade dangling onto his forhead.
He got up, and sprinted away. Lucky to be alive after the bloodbath.
He walked into the shrub, with his bag and blade. After a few minutes of casual walking he heard some footsteps/
His first instinct was hide, because he probably couldn't take them on.
Lying on the dirt and leaves, he tried to stay as quiet as posssible. never looking up.
He heard someone squeak soemthing out.
"Who's there? Edur? Alen?" Edur froze at his name. He was sure it was Luce from district 8.
He sat in silence, before speaking up.
"it's Edur, don't be scared. I ain't gonna hurt ya', it's all good," he said, before rising to his feet, and dropping his weapon.
He saw Luce sigh, then they both heard running.
"Let's go!" She yelled.
Edur didn't hesitate...

Ryder~

Ryder ran through the forest for almost ten minutes. He heard the cannon shots of dead tributes.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Three dead tributes he hoped none of them were Sophia, this was already a blood bath. He decided finally that he needed to find a source of water. Find Reed, she would know what to do. He ran past a camera posted on a tree. He stopped in his tracks, staring down the camera.

He drew his bow and knocked an arrow.

No One Will Forget District Twelve...

He Aimed and fired at the camera. Destroying it...

He walked on.

Veronica
Veronica watched as Sophia died. A knife to the head. One of the first ones. Sophia and Veronica were like sisters. Veronica treated her like on of her own. This is the first year Veronica really had a close bond with her tributes. She had never cared so much. Then, she thought about Ryder. How was she going to react, seeing her face in the sky at night. Ryder, the cut. Veronica's heart started racing at the thought. "No, No!" she thought. "He is not go to die. I will not let that happen." He had sponcers lined out to door. He could make it all the way with just the sponcers. Veronica knew that was not possible. There were sponcers though. She knew that to send and when to send it. Now was not the time. But, he needs to stay safe. To stay away from the danger. If that was possible.

Luce Avery - 8

I was rewarded by a whispery, "Ow, what the hell? A rock, really..." after I took a leap (throw) of faith and chucked the rock blindly. The person/shadowy lump seemed harmless and I was tempted to crawl towards it, when in another direction, a familiar voice spoke up.

It was Edur. About to attack him with an everyday 'you aren't dead yet!' bear hug, I was narrowly stopped by the sound of footsteps running towards us. Fear flashed through my eyes, reflected in his and before a polite, 'hello' could be exchanged, I grabbed my newly found bag and his hand, jerking him upwards. We fled the scene, literally running for our lives.

For a second there, I though I could see a glimpse of Alen somewhere in the bushes. Was that Alen that I hit in the bushes? I was confused and distraught, hoping that he'll magically find us and turn up soon.

Another arrow shot through us, breaking my train of thought. I let go of his hand and tried to pump my arms faster; speed was never my thing.

"We have to find cover," Edur shouted towards me.

I gave a quick nod and followed his footsteps into a sheltered grove of trees. Crashing into the undergrowth, I flopped down on the thick grass, breathing hard and quick. Edur sat beside me, not as strained but tired nonetheless. He grinned at me and maybe it was the panic or the beginning of the spiral into insanity due to the games, but suddenly, I burst out into laughter.

Edur felt Luce let go of his hand and run by herself. He took a glance at her and whispered loudly
"Stop."
He slowed down and she did shortly after.
"What is it?"
Edur held up his right index finger and pointed to his ear.
"Can you hear it?"
"What?"
Edur jumped in the air.
"Nothing. Quick, let's find somewhere to sit down and then sort some things out."
They walked around for a little while before they spotted an inclosed area surrounded by a big rock.
They grabbed a few leaves and made sort of pillow like objects.
Edur sat down and ripped opened his bag.
"What are you good at?" Edur asked as Luce sat down.
She is truly...beautiful, he thought.
He never really noticed girls that much.

-Reed gets to Cornucopia first.
-She grabs an olive green backpack, a small bundle, a wad of rope.
-She also snatches a sword in its sheath when the District 1 boy arrives.
-Ryder gets there next, followed by the 4 girl, both from 2, girl from 1, boy from 6.
-She flees the Cornucopia, seeing the girl from 12 get embedded with a knife.
-Reed runs to the forest and hears grunts, screams, shouts, the awful sound of metal on metal, and the occasional crack of a cannon being fired. Three have been shot already and she hopes none of them are Ryder or Des.
-She needs to find her allies.
-She runs for awhile in the woods.
Then this:



Sorry it's long, but it's interesting and important! It includes one of the nasty creatures the Gamemakers throw at the tributes...

Pine needles and damp leaves made a soft thump every time the girl's feet hit the ground. She was grateful for the natural muffler of her steps as she tore through the woods, twigs and leaves slapping her face. She didn't mind, though and almost didn't even notice the small stings she got on her hands and face when she maneuvered through the trees. Reed's mind was occupied with thoughts like, "How do I find Des and Ryder?" or, "I need to find water quickly!" or, "What if someone is following me?" The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as an eerie feeling that anyone could be watching her right then, tribute or the viewers of the Games, flooded her.

Reed paused her long trek in a small clearing, taking a short breather from all the sprinting. Her heart was beating rapidly from the mile or two of running, and her lungs were gasping for breath. She was glad for the high-tech runner shoes the Gamemakers had equipped each tribute with. After resting for a minute, Reed wanted very badly to open up her bag to see if there were any snacks stashed in there. Part of her didn't want to check the supplies she had gathered yet, because her top priority was to locate her allies. She needed to find Ryder and Des. Remembering seeing Ryder bolt into the forest, she figured Des did the same. Its thick trees provided a good concealment, and a lot of good resources. Most likely, anyways.

The other part of the thirteen year-old told her she should check out her items. "It won't hurt to just look," Reed thought aloud. She squatted down in front of a tree and set her sheathed weapon beside her. As she pulled the olive green backpack off and unzipped it, she heard a soft crack of twigs from somewhere in front of her. Reed's heart skipped a beat.

Zi-i-i-ip! the pack squealed as the tribute closed it back and stood up. She cringed. More branches snapped and footsteps padded closer to Reed. She snatched her sword off of the forest floor and unsheathed it, swinging it around a few times to get used to its weight. As a tall bush's twigs across from Reed quivered and was pushed aside. Reed gripped the weapon tightly, sweat trickling down her forehead. She was definitely scared thinking about who was about to appear on the other side of the bush. Steadying her iron sword and stepping forward, the girl drew in a shaky breath.

Rayda materialized from the thick plant, looking tired and sweaty. She was holding a jagged knife. When she spotted Reed, Rayda snorted and moved forward. Her eyes flashed with a scary hatred that the 11 girl had never seen before. She remembered Rayda being nice, and didn't know if that was just an act.

They charged each other in the middle of the clearing, Reed's sword crashing down to the other teen's long knife. Rayda grunted and began to drool as they fought, their breathing heavy. Reed twirled and dodged, waiting for an opening to appear where she could gain an advantage on the other girl. After almost a minute of slashing, Reed got her chance. When Rayda pulled her knife back slowly for a powerful blow, the 13 year-old came in with her sword. A split second was all that she needed to stab her opponent, catching her in the ribs. Rayda dropped to the forest floor, growling like an animal and twitching while she bled. Reed was horrified, not knowing what had happened to Rayda to make her like this. As the other tribute died, a cannon shot firing, Reed noticed the awful bite marks on Rayda's arm.

Reed stumbled away from Rayda's body, staring at the deep, fresh teeth cuts on her forearm. They were dripping with black blood. Reed wasn't even thinking about the person she had just killed and what was done, because the thought that an animal could make such a bite frightened her. That explained the odd behavior of the girl. Something else had probably caused her to act so scary.

After scanning Rayda and not finding anything worth taking, she decided to begin jogging again and leave the area. The hovercraft still had to come to collect Rayda's body, and she didn't want to hang around just in case the creature that attacked Rayda was still near. Just as Reed was about to sheath her sword once again, more cracking of branches stopped her. Something else was out there.

A dark animal leapt out from a tree near Reed, crouching low and growling at her. Reed froze. The animal was as tall as her, had scaly skin, and wolf-like features. It snarled at her, sizing up its prey. Its teeth were huge and frightening, its eyes menacing. Reed realized this must be what bit Rayda. She gulped, engulfed by a stunned fear. She didn't know what to do, because there was no way she could take this thing on by herself. So she did what she could, and screamed. "Ryder! Des!"

The creature pounced.

Fern Abilene
Mentor- District One


It was so easy to be taken back to before when that bell rung, and they let you see the doom they have laid before you on a silver platter. I don't want to watch as the Tributes fall- one, two, another. A blood bath is happening, right before our eyes and it's a game. The thought never fails to sicken me.

We- the mentors- are in a large room set aside to watch the failures of our people. To one side of me, sitting on the edge of the overly plush blood red super couch that we're all forced to share, is Veronica. The girl- fine, she's can't be but a year younger than I- is a sweet young brunette who won the games after mine. I remember her only because I was glad it wasn't me.

To my other side sits Kurr, whose muscles are tense beside my pale shoulder. I watch him eye the screen, watching to see if one of his tributes got so unlucky...

I'm not afraid. Bronze isn't stupid enough to die in the first round, and the girl is just as well trained. They would die later, much later. I can't watch if they aren't going to be harmed- I can't. I can't watch the blood spill on the ground for a few items of food or weapons- the Cornupica that shouldn't be so damn bloody.

Veronica's body tenses, and she lets out a small cry. Her tribute- one of them- is dead. I feel a pinch of sorrow for her, and manage a meager; "I'm sorry."