A/N: Hi! This is my first attempt at a story on this site! Thanks for giving it a shot, and let me know what you thought in the reviews. Thanks for reading and reviewing in advance!

The Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins.

"So sick of this lonely air
It seems such a waste of breath
So much that I need to say
So much to get off my chest"

- Make It To Me, Sam Smith

Haymitch has never seen me run, maybe he would be shocked. If he had, he might would tell me go for it. Get the weapon, the weapon that could be the equivalent of my salvation. Out of the entirety of the pile, one bow is among my view. The 60 seconds ticking away on the clock surely is nearly up by now. My strategy, well, I figured I was undecided. But as I position myself to run towards the weapon, I suddenly know my plan. I don't see Peeta anywhere, he must be far distanced from me. Still, I feel like I need to find him, something in me needs to find him.

As the gong rings out, I take off. I'm well prepared for the battle in front of me. I am the first to reach the cornucopia and I grab the bow and arrows quickly. The District 2 male, I believe I recall the name Cato, rounds the corner, and I shoot him in the heart. He falls and I know he will be dead soon. I know I do not have time to remorse in my first human kill.

Aware of the battles around me, and the target I will become now, I round to the portion of the clearing that doesn't look quite so deadly, and I take off in a blind sprint. I'm so desperate to get out of the open, so desperate to find Peeta and be halfway safe. So desperate am I, that I don't notice the District 1 girl. As she hurls a throwing knife my way I spot its glint, but her aim is off. I run faster. And instead of its desired target, which looked to be my stomach, it finds my thigh.

I slow only a little. Over my shoulder I grab an arrow, and turn to fight. The District 1 girl is standing directly behind me, shocked and weaponless now. I grit my teeth and shoot her in the eye, just like my prey at home. I watch her fall regretfully. I back into the edge of the woods this time, safe.

Finally, I glance down to see the knife lodged in my thigh. With the adrenaline no longer pumping through me, I finally access the pain of the sharp point that found its way to my leg. I grab the handle shakily, and pull it out. With bloody knife in hand, I run deeper into the forest. I need a safer place to clean the wound.

I sit on the leafy ground and rip away a small portion of my pants for a clearer view. The cut is deep and has a steady flow of blood pouring from it. I bite my tongue, and place my hand over the gash. It's throbbing, and hurts intensely. My hands shoot back from my thigh, and grab the ground in attempt to distract my trembling hands. From the dampness of the ground, I can tell there is a stream close by.

I wipe the knife on a nearby leaf to clear my blood from its shiny surface. Then, unsteadily I get to my feet. I walk to a tree near me and begin to climb using mainly my unwounded leg. I have scrambled half up and before I start to look. There is a tiny pond to my right, and I make my way down the tree slowly.

I stroll over to the pond easily. I crouch on one knee, and extend my wounded leg into the water. I have neither the skill or courage to deal with these types of things, as I'm not my mother nor Prim. Still, compared to the wound I could be facing if the knife had pierced my stomach like intended, I could be much worse off.

I sit for a long while, just thinking about how I could wrap my leg somehow. I end up cutting a piece of my jacket off and wrapping it around the gash tightly. It will have to do for now.

Then, the cannons start. Each shot represents a dead tribute. The fighting must have stopped in the cornucopia. I count the fallen on my fingers. One... Two... Three... Until they reach 12. Twelve dead, half of us exactly. A large amount for a first day, but it still leaves half of us for the remainder of the games.

I begin to imagine who all could be gone now. I begin to wonder about Peeta. Has he lasted through the day? I'm suddenly overwhelmed by the thought that he could already be lost, collected by the Capitol, and in the process of being transported to the Capitol to be cleaned up, redressed, and shipped in a simple wooden box back to District 12. No longer here. Heading home.

I think back to the night before, his declaration of love to me. I realize that when I shoved him, it was the first time I'd seen the boy with the bread shed blood. I couldn't imagine innocent Peeta with no more than those simple cuts. Him dead simply couldn't register with me. But still, I will find out soon enough if his picture found its way into the sky this evening.

Still, it may be better for me if he is gone. I wouldn't have to bear the guilt of killing him myself. Also, he had no confidence he could win. He could not see the advantages he held over other tributes. Maybe it's better if he's out of this for good.

I realize that I'm hungry. I remove my knife from the waist band of my pants and wash it once in the pond for good hygiene measures. But really, how clean can you be in the hunger games after all? I go to work on a pine tree, cutting away the outer bark. I scrape a large handful of the softer inner bark. I chew as I walk away from the lake and back to the tree I climbed earlier. After a week of the finest food in the world, it's a little hard to scoff down. But I've eaten plenty of of pine in my life. I'll adjust quickly.

I trace out the surroundings of the pond. So far it's a place that I can claim my own, as there are no signs of other tributes around. In another hour, I know I need to pick a tree to camp out in. My fellow tributes are my biggest concern, and so I put aside any thoughts of the nature surrounding me. Many will continue hunting into the night I'm sure. Those who scrambled up more from the cornucopia will surely be itching to use their new treasures. I know I haven't traveled far, and it's concerning that I may not be out of their range.

I pick my tree carefully. A willow, the tallest in a clump of willows together. It will offer me concealment in those long, flowering tresses along with the benefit of height. Again, I climb slowly. I find the sturdiest branch that I can in the height of the tree. I find a satisfying fork, and set up my bed quietly. It's not much at all, I removed my under shirt for a pillow, zipped my jacket up fully, and slipped it's hood over my head. To keep myself up, I remove my belt and loop it all the way around the branch and my waist tightly.

The night cools quickly. I wish I had been more sensible and grabbed a sleeping bag in the cornucopia before taking off. The jacket is thin and I choose warmth over comfort, placing my undershirt back on underneath the jacket. I'm shivering by the time night brings the anthem that proceeds the death recap. Through the branches I can see the seal of the Capitol, which appears to be floating in the sky. I take a deep breath as the faces of twelve dead tributes begin.

The first to appear is the District 1 girl. Following her is the District 2 boy. I smile smugly. It's a huge accomplishment on my part for killing two Career tributes already, when most Careers always survive the first day. Following those two, the girl from District 3. The boy from District 5... I guess the fox-faced girl made it. The male tribute from 6 and both from 7. Both tributes from 8 and 9. I've counted eleven so far, only one more dead tribute to go. Is it Peeta? No, there's the girl from District 10. That's it.

Twelve dead, but none from District 12. I try to work out who is left. It brings instant relief that Peeta is alive, but I push that aside. Four Career tributes, Foxface, Thresh, and Rue... So she made it through the first day after all. I can't help feeling glad. That makes nine of us. The other three I'll figure out tomorrow. Now when it's dark, and I have cared for my wound, and I am high up in this tree, now I must try and rest.

I haven't really slept in two days, and I slowly allow my muscles to relax. I push past the thoughts of the cold. Sure it's cold, but it's not freezing. I can handle it. My eyes close. The last thing I think is its lucky I don't snore...