Out of the Woods [Gingersnaps Day 1]

Cynder panicked in the fray of the Bloodbath, which is understandable. I think that is safe to say that she fared far better than Kat or Lyds ever would have. Thinking about how my youngest sisters would behave in a situation like this is unnerving. I should be focusing on my own survival, and trying to keep Cynder and myself alive as long as possible. My mind still wanders back home, trying to think about how my sisters would have managed in this type of situation. Normally, the Hunger Games offer little consequence in our everyday lives, two weeks where the pageant occurs and then passes. Now that I am in it, it surrounds my every thought.

The environment we find ourselves in though is certainly leaves me awestruck. The trees are more than encroaching in their reclamation of the ruins of an old village or town. Pillars only hold up the sky now, and walls without roofs leave strewn about furniture exposed to the elements that are sure to come. Different types of ruins surround the area, some offering the idea of a market, others hinting at a training area and residential area. This environment seems better suited for a historian studying the times of before Panem rather than a killing games.

Perhaps that was the point though. Throw the tributes in a Arena so fantastical that it throws us all of guard. The blood that was roaring in my ears has calmed into a soft thumping as I try my best to make it through the field of rubble, grateful that Cynder and I were given sturdy boots.

"It's ok that you panicked," I tell Cynder in a comforting manner. "We both made it out without any damage, so it's a win for us. We will need to find you a basket."

We make our way through the ruins when I notice a few silver daggers sticking out of the ground. I pick them up, examining how sharp they are.

"We also need to find some weapons," I state, still admiring the craftsmanship of the blades. "What did you study in the Training Center?" I ask Cynder as I pocket the knifes in the belt of my uniform.