Chapter 11 Chapter 11 The Horn of Zeus

sixty seconds.We were required to stand inside the circular metal plate for 60 seconds until we heard the sound of the gong before we could leave.One second earlier, the landmine would blow off the leg.During these sixty seconds, all the "tributes" stand in a circle at equal distance from the Horn of Zeus.The Horn of Zeus is a huge golden cone with a spiral at the end.The opening of the Horn of Zeus is at least twenty feet high, and it is filled with the supplies we use in the arena: food, water vessels, weapons, medicines, clothing, firearms.The Horn of Zeus is surrounded by other supplies that become less valuable the farther they are from the Horn.Example: There is a three-foot-wide plastic sheet just a few steps away from me.Of course, it will come in handy when it rains heavily.But at the opening of the Horn of Zeus, I saw a tent that can handle almost all weathers.Only if I have the courage to fight to the death with the other twenty-three "tributes" can I get it.But my order is not to take it.

We were standing on an open, flat field with hard, firm ground.Behind the "tribute" opposite me, there is nothing, which shows that behind him is either a steep slope or a cliff.To my right is a lake, to my left and behind, a sparse pine forest.This is the direction Haymitch wants me to run.be quick! His commands still ring in my ears. "Evacuate quickly, you two should try to stay away from each other and others as much as possible, and then find a source of water." But those rich items in front of me are too tempting for me.I knew that if I couldn't get it, someone else would, and that the "pros" who survived the shopping would share those life-sustaining items.One of those items that particularly appealed to me was the bow and arrows in a silver sheath, already stringed and ready to be shot. "That's mine," I thought, "for me."

I run very fast.Among the girls at school, except for one or two who could beat me in the long-distance race, I was the first in all other races.These forty yards are the most suitable distance for me to run fast.I know I can get it, I can get there first.But then the question is, can I get a quick run from there?By the time I've climbed up that pile of stuff and grabbed the weapon, the others run to the Horn of Zeus, one or two I might be able to take care of, but if there's a dozen of them, at that close range, they can use spears or A stick or my own mighty fist knocked me down. However, I'm not the only target they attack, I think they may ignore a small girl, even if she scored eleven points in training, they may deal with stronger opponents.

Haymitch has never seen me run, otherwise maybe he would have sent me to get the bow because it was the only weapon that would have saved my life.And among that pile of things, the only thing I saw in my eyes was the bow and arrow.The seconds were ticking, I had to make a quick decision, and I found myself ready to run, not to the pine forest but to the Horn of Zeus, to the bow and arrow.That's when I suddenly see Peeta, who's about five "tributes" to my right, which is a fair distance.I could feel him looking at me, he seemed to be shaking his head at me.But the sun was dazzling, and when I was thinking about it, the gong had already sounded.

At that moment, I missed it, missed the best time!The first few seconds of my unpreparedness were enough to change my mind about rushing to the Horn of Zeus.I hesitated, not knowing which direction to run.Immediately afterwards, I ran forward and picked up the plastic sheet and a piece of bread on the ground.I have so little stuff, I really hate Peeta for distracting me at this point.I sprinted another twenty yards to get a bright orange backpack because I couldn't bear to walk away with almost nothing. A boy, I think from District 9, ran to the backpack at the same time as me, and the moment we grabbed the bag at the same time.He coughed and immediately my face was splattered with blood.I staggered back a step, the sticky hot blood made me sick.Then, the boy fell to the ground slumped, and at this moment, I saw a knife stuck in his back.

The other "tributes" have reached the Horn of Zeus, and they start fighting each other.Yep, that District Two girl was ten yards away, running towards me with six knives in her hand.When I was training, I saw her throw a knife, she never missed it, and I was her next target. The previous fear of everything turned into a fear of this one girl, a predator who could kill me in seconds.Adrenaline was secreting rapidly in my body, I put my bag on one shoulder and ran towards the woods with all my strength.I heard the whizzing of knives behind me and lifted my bag over my head.The knife was stuck in the backpack.At this time, I had my bag on my shoulders and ran towards the woods as hard as I could.Somehow, I knew that girl would stop chasing me, that she would run back to the Horn of Zeus before everything was taken.I grinned, "Thanks for having this knife." I thought.

When I ran to the edge of the woods, I looked back.About a dozen "tributes" were scrambling over the pile of supplies, and some were lying on the ground, killed.Those lucky enough to escape have disappeared into the woods or ran to the field opposite me.I kept running until I was out of sight of the other tributes, and then I jogged to last a little longer.For the next few hours, I jogged and walked briskly, keeping as far away from my opponent as possible.I lost the bread in a bag fight with the boys from District 9, but I was trying to tuck the plastic up my sleeves as best I could.I folded it into neat little pieces as I went.I also took the knife out and put it on my belt.It's a nice knife with a long, sharp edge and serrations near the handle for easy cutting.I haven't dared to stop to check the contents of the bag, just keep walking forward, stopping occasionally to see if anyone is following me.

I can walk for a long time, I knew that when I was in the jungles of District 12.But I still need water.This is Haymitch's second order.I didn't follow his first order very well, so I paid special attention to the water source at this time.no trace.Bad luck! The forest belt began to change, and many other species appeared among the pines, some I knew and others I didn't know.When I got to a place, I suddenly heard a sound, pulled out the knife, and prepared to defend myself.But I soon found out that I just scared away a rabbit. "Nice to meet you." I said softly.If one rabbit is found in the forest, it means that there can be hundreds of rabbits to hunt.

Downhill ahead, I don't like downhill very much.The canyon made me feel claustrophobic.I like high ground, like the hillsides of District 12, where I can see approaching prey.Here, I have no choice but to keep moving forward. The funny thing is, I don't feel too bad about it.The previous period of eating and drinking has paid off, and even with less sleep, I am full of energy, because the jungle has infused me with vitality.I like to be alone, even if only imaginatively, because maybe I'm on the screen right now.Not continuously, of course, but intermittently.So many people died on the first day, it's nothing to see a "tribute" walking alone in the forest.But there will also be a little bit of footage of me to reassure the audience that I'm alive, unharmed, and moving forward.The first day of the Hunger Games was the day when the most wagers were wagered and the first casualties occurred.But none of this is as thrilling as the battle of a few players at the end of the game.

Towards dusk, I heard cannon fire, each one representing a dead tribute.The battle over the Horn of Zeus is certainly over.Only after the killers had dispersed completely would they carry away the bloody dead.On the first day of the Hunger Games, the cannons were not fired until the battle was over because the number of dead was difficult to track.I stopped in my tracks, my heart pounding, and I counted the cannons, one, two, three... The cannons lasted eleven times before they stopped.In all, eleven died.Thirteen remained to continue the game.I scratched the blood that the boys from District 9 had spattered on my face with my nails.Of course he's dead, what about Peeta?Did he survive today?I'll know in a few hours, when they'll beam images of the dead into the air for other "tributes" to see.

Thinking of this, I suddenly shivered, and I felt that Peeta may be dead, bleeding and pale, he has been carried away, and he is being transported back to the Capitol to be washed, dressed, and then packed in a simple wooden box. The coffin was sent back to District 12.He is no longer here, on his way home. I managed to recall if I saw him when the action began, but the last impression I could piece together was that he was shaking his head at me as the gong struck. Maybe it's better for him to go, he doesn't have the confidence to win, and I don't have to worry so much about finally having to kill him.Perhaps it was a blessing for him to be out of the fight for good. I was so exhausted that I fell to the ground with my backpack beside me. Anyway, I had to finish the hard trek before dark.Let's see what else I can do.I opened the pack, and I found it was sturdy, but the color was awful, the orange would glow at night, and I secretly reminded myself to camouflage it first thing in the morning. I opened the backpack lid, and what I needed most at this time was water.Haymitch's order to find water as soon as possible wasn't random.I couldn't last long without water, and within a few days I would be dehydrated and sick, and then it would get worse until I was dead a week later, a week at most. I carefully removed the supplies inside: a thin sleeping bag that reflects body heat, a box of matches, a small coil of string, a pair of sunglasses, an empty plastic half-gallon water jug. no water.How hard was it for them to fill the jug?I started feeling dry mouth and chapped lips.I've been running and walking all day, it's hot, and I'm sweating a lot.This is also the case at home, but you can always find streams or melted snow to quench your thirst. I was packing my things back into my bag when a terrible thought seized me.That lake, that lake we saw while we waited for the gong to strike, what if that was the only source of water in the arena?That way anyone struggling to find water to drink would have a fight, and that lake is a full day's walk from where I'm sitting now.The thirsty way back there must have been a lot harder than it had come.Even when I got back there, there must have been a few "professional tributes" that were closely guarded.There was a panic in my heart. At this moment, I suddenly remembered the little rabbit that I scared away this morning. It also needs to drink water!I just need to find where it drinks water. It's almost dusk, and I can't rest.The trees here are too sparse to be used for hiding.Pine needles cover animal tracks, making it more difficult to track them to water.I'm still heading downhill, deeper and deeper into this seemingly endless canyon. Hunger came to me at the same time, but I dared not eat the precious biscuits and beef.I peel off a piece of pine bark with a knife, scrape off the tender inner part, put it in my mouth, and chew as I go.After a week of eating the most exquisite food in the world, this thing is really hard to swallow.But I have eaten a lot of pine bark before, and I can get used to it very quickly.After another hour, I felt that I really needed to rest.Nocturnal animals were already active and I could occasionally hear owls and other animals in the distance.This is the initial sign that I am competing with predators for rabbit food.As for whether I will also be treated as food, I can't say yet.At this time, I am afraid that many animals are approaching secretly, ready to hunt and kill me. But right now, dealing with those opponents is my first priority.I'm sure there will be plenty of tributes going on at night as well.Those who fight at the Horn of Zeus are given food, water from the lake, torches, flashlights and weapons they are eager to use.I can only hope that I have gone far enough beyond their current hunting range. Before resting, I make two baiting snares with the rope.I know it's dangerous to be a trap now, but the food will run out soon, and it's impossible for me to run away and make a trap at the same time.Then I walked another five minutes to find the campsite. I carefully selected a willow tree, not very tall, but close to other willows, with long, fluttering branches, very secretive.I climbed to a branch next to the trunk of the tree, and found a strong branch to put the sleeping bag on, which took a lot of effort.I put the sleeping bag in a relatively comfortable position, put the backpack at the foot of the sleeping bag, and got in.To be on the safe side, I took the belt off, wrapped it around the sleeping bag and the branch, and tightened it at the wrist.Now even if I turn over while I'm asleep, I don't fall to the ground.I'm small and the sleeping bag fits well enough to cover the top of my head, so I put the sleeping bag hood on as well.In the middle of the night, the temperature will drop quickly.Although I took a lot of risks when grabbing the backpack, it seems that my choice is right now.This sleeping bag does a great job of maintaining my body temperature and is invaluable. I'm sure there are some "tributes" whose biggest concern at this point is keeping warm while I still get a few hours of sleep.If only I wasn't so thirsty... Night had fallen when I heard the national anthem played, which was the prelude to today's dead.Through the branches, I could see the Capitol emblem, which seemed to be floating in the air.What I actually saw was another giant screen delivered by a helicopter in the distance.The national anthem ended and the sky fell into temporary darkness.When we were back home, we were able to see full coverage of each player being killed, but some felt it would give an unfair advantage to the living tributes.For example, if I get a bow and shoot a man, my secret will be known to everyone.However, in the arena, all we see is the same avatar that is used when playing the training results.The location where the grades were originally written is now replaced by the area code.I took a deep breath, watched the heads of the eleven dead people flash before my eyes, and counted who they were. The first one to appear was a girl from the third district, which means that the professional players from the first and second districts survived, which is not surprising.Then came the boys from District 4, which I didn't expect, and usually the pros survive their first day.The boys in District 5... I guess the foxface girl survived.The "tributes" from districts 6 and 7 were all dead, followed by the boy from district 8, the two "tributes" from district 9, yes, and the boy who snatched the bag from me. one already.Will it be Peeta?No, it's a girl from District Ten.that's it.Afterwards, accompanied by majestic music, the Capitol emblem appeared on the screen.Then there was darkness, and the forest was silent again. Peeta is alive, I'm relieved.I told myself again that if I got killed and he won, it would be good for Mom and Prim too.That's why I'm so conflicted whenever I think about Peeta.I am very grateful for the advantage he gave me by his confession of love for me in the TV interview; but I am very angry about his aloofness on the roof; I am extremely angry about the possibility of meeting face to face in the arena. Worry. Eleven people were dead, but none from District 12.I'm trying to figure out who survived.Five pros, Foxface, Salish and Lulu.Luluyi finally survived the first day, I am very happy.In this way, there are already ten people.I'll figure out who the other three are tomorrow.At this time, it was already dark, and after running for a day, I was hanging high on the tree, and now I had to rest. I haven't had a good night's sleep for two days, and today I'm on a long drive in the arena.I slowly let my muscles relax and closed my eyes.The last thought that crossed my mind was, thank goodness I don't snore. crackle!The sound of branches snapping woke me up from my dream.How long did I sleep?four hours?five hours?The tip of my nose is cold.crackle!crackle!what happened?This is not the sound of people stepping on branches, but the sound of breaking from trees.crackle!crackle!I judged the sound to be coming from a few hundred yards to my right.Slowly and quietly, I turned my face in this direction.For a few minutes there was only darkness and crackling noises, then I saw sparks, then a small fire with a man warming his hand, and the rest was lost. I bit my lower lip trying not to yell at the people who lit the fire, what did they think?Lighting a fire at night can only mean one thing.Those who were fighting each other at the Horn of Zeus, strong and equipped, they should not have been so close earlier that they would not have seen the flames.But now, they may be looking for prey in the forest.Doing so is like holding up a flag and shouting, "Hey, come get me!" And now, I'm stuck in a tree, within a stone's throw of the dumbest idiot in the game.I dare not run away, because the area I am in has just been exposed to the murderer.It's cold outside and not everyone has a sleeping bag.Then grit your teeth and persevere until dawn! I was trapped in a sleeping bag for the next few hours.I thought, if I could get down from the tree, I would have no problem killing my new neighbors.But my first instinct was to run, not kill.But the man must be dangerous too, and stupid people are often dangerous.But he may not have a good weapon, and I have a good knife. The night is dark, but I feel the dawn is near.I began to think that we—me and the man I imagined killing—could have escaped undetected.At this time, I heard a sound, it was the footsteps of several people, which had turned into the sound of running.The man who lit the fire must have fallen asleep, and they caught him before he could escape.I could tell she was a girl.She was begging, followed by a shriek, and then laughter and mutual congratulations.Someone shouted: "Twelve have been destroyed, and there are eleven left!" followed by appreciative clicks. So they've teamed up.I am not surprised.At the beginning of the game, they often form a gang, and the stronger will defeat the weaker together.Later, as the tension grows, they'll turn against each other.I didn't have much trouble figuring out who was in the gang, and it must have been two men and three women from Districts 1, 2, and 4, the ones who set out together. For a while I heard them go through the girl's supplies, but from their conversation I could tell they hadn't found a few good things.I wondered if the person who died would be Lulu, but I quickly rejected this idea.A child as bright as her would not do such a foolish thing as lighting a fire. "Better clean up the scene so they can find her before the body stinks." I'm almost sure it's the rough boy from District Two.Everyone grunted and agreed.Then I heard them coming towards me, it was horrible.They won't know I'm here.How can they know?I hid in the thick branches, so long as it was dark they could not see me.But during the day, my black sleeping bag goes from camouflage to a nuisance.But as long as they go forward, they will pass me and leave quickly. But the pros stopped in a clearing about ten meters away from the tree.They had flashlights, torches, and I could faintly see arms or boots through the branches.I lay motionless like a rock, not even daring to breathe.They already found me?No, not yet.It can be heard from their words that their thoughts are not here. "Shouldn't we hear the cannon now?" "It should sound, and the cannon should be heard immediately." "Unless, she is not dead?" "She died, and I did it myself." "Then why is there no cannon?" "Someone should go back and have a look to make sure they are alive." "Yeah, we don't want to chase her twice." "I said she was dead!" They bickered until one of the "tributes" stopped them. "We're wasting time, I'll go back and finish her off, and then we'll move on!" I almost fell out of the tree when I heard the sound.It's Peeta.