Alistair Balentine’s POV:

‘’ Do you hear that?’’ Questions Arianna as we sit in a small clearing in the huge forest outside District Twelve.

We are about five miles away from the District border and we have taken a small break to take a drink of water before we continue moving.

‘’ Hear what?’’ I ask and then I freeze.

The noise of a Capitol jet engine begins to sound from somewhere in the distance. It sounds a mile or two off, but those planes can travel a lot faster than we can on foot. I glance at Arianna, she looks petrified.

‘’ Pack up your stuff. We’re leaving.’’ I order and Arianna gets to her feet, her curly brown hair blowing in the gentle breeze.

It takes a few seconds to shove our gear back into our packs and then we make a break for it – moving deeper and deeper into the trees to give us some cover from the Capitol aircraft that is quickly approaching.

‘’ How do they know we’re gone?’’ Questions Arianna, sounding frightened.

‘’ They must be registering for the Reaping, they’ve noticed we’re not there.’’ I suggest as we continue through the forest.

We dodge between and around huge tree trunks and leap over the large roots of trees that lie across the forest floor. The birds and other woodland creatures flee from us as we crash through their home in a futile attempt to escape District Twelve. The noise of the aircraft stalking us begins to get much louder; it’s not far away now.

‘’ Alistair where do we go? We can’t hide because they have the heat detection sensors, and we can’t outrun them.’’ Asks Arianna, and for the first time in my life, I don’t have an answer for her to make her feel better.

I remain silent for a moment as I run. The noise of the aircraft is no more than two hundred meters away. We don’t have much time left before they reach us.

‘’ I don’t know Arianna. I just don’t know.’’ I admit sadly. ‘’ But we can’t go down without a fight. Drop everything but your knives.’’

I toss away my bag full of food and water and also my spare clothes – as does Arianna. The only thing I keep on me is my quiver of arrows and my bow. Arianna is left with just her throwing knives.

The noise of the aircraft is now deafening, and the trees begin to separate at the tops due to the power of the wind caused by the engines – bringing us into clear view. I watch as about fifteen tennis-ball sized objects fall from the engine and my jaw drops in horror.

Are they bombs? I think to myself and silently hope I am wrong.

Then, the balls stops falling and begin to fly like the aircraft they have just been launched from – they too are some sort of aircraft.

‘’ What are they?’’ I ask, thinking aloud.

‘’ Cameras.’’ Answers Arianna. ‘’ Can’t you see the red recording lights on them?’’

I slow down slightly so I can look at the objects in more detail. I see the lights that would suggests they are recording our every move. ‘’ Keep running.’’

The larger aircraft slows down so it is just hovering above us; however the smaller ones fall beneath the tree line and start chasing after us at our level.

‘’ We need to take them out.’’ I explain and turn around to face them.

I quickly load an arrow into my bow, take aim and release. The arrow whips through the air and hits one of the aircraft in the centre, causing it to explode into a burst of flames which shower the forest floor.

One down, fourteen to go. I sigh.

Arianna turns around a flings two of her throwing knives simultaneously at the small aircrafts, both meet their targets and two more of them explode.

‘’ We have to keep moving as we take them out, I don’t want to find out what happens to us when they catch up with us.’’ Explains Arianna and we push on deeper into the woods.

I turn, take aim and fire a second arrow, it too finds a target and causes it to erupt into flames and sparks as it impacts. I turn away from them and continue running as I load another arrow.

Suddenly, there is a whizzing noise and there is a blur as something shoots past our heads and impales itself in the trunk of a tree. Arianna screams as it tears through the air past us.

‘’ What was that?’’ She demands with a scream.

‘’ I don’t know. Just down let them hit you.’’ I order and turn, take aim and fire – taking out yet another of the small aircraft.

Arianna turns to her side as she runs and again throws two knives, taking down another two of our pursuers. They explode into hundreds of pieces in a shower of flames instantly. We both then turn our backs to the aircraft and begin to run.

The familiar sound of the bullets whizzing past us sounds and more blurs shoot past our heads. Then I feel one lodge itself into my neck and I roar in pain as the thing sends an electric pulse through my body and I feel my legs go numb. This is the invention the Capitol were boasting about recently, the bullet containing a substance that causes temporary paralysis.

As I scream, Arianna turns to me and just as she does, I lose control of my legs and fall flat on my stomach.

‘’ Alistair!’’ She screams, and comes to a halt beside me.

‘’ Go!’’ I roar.

‘’ I’m not leaving you here.’’ She cries.

‘’ You must! Go!’’ I roar again.

More of the bullets whiz towards us and I feel another lodge itself deep into my upper arm.

‘’ Leave!’’ I scream and she gets to her feet and runs just as one of the bullets lands in the ground where she was just sitting and I lose consciousness.

Arianna Winslow’s POV:

‘’ No!’’ I scream as I watch Alistair fall out of consciousness and stop ordering me to leave.

I take one last glance at his beautiful blonde hair and turn to run, however I stop myself. I glance back and look at him, metal wires have emptied from the small aircraft and have begun wrapping themselves around Alistair’s body.

I take aim with one of my throwing knives, but realise that I would only be hurting Alistair if I was to destroy one of them so I don’t throw it. Instead I sprint forwards and try to slice through the wire with my knife. It makes a horrible noise, like nails scraping across a blackboard and the wire holds.

‘’ No!’’ I yell again, and clutch Alistair’s body as it begins to lift off the ground.

Before I have the chance to scream again, I feel about three of the bullets hit me and the overwhelming power of three of them at once cause me to collapse to the floor. I fall on my back, so I have a perfect view of Alistair being carried upwards, through the trees and towards the huge aircraft. I then begin to feel my eyelids grow heavy and I follow Alistair into the darkness.

*****

‘’ So ladies and gentlemen! The moment you have all been waiting for.’’ I hear the faint voice of our District’s escort as my eyes begin to open. ‘’ The revealing of our two tributes that will represent us in the Fifth Quarter Quell! Alistair Balentine and Arianna Winslow!’’

‘’ What?’ I gasp and begin to squirm but I feel the grip of two pairs of hands on me – a pair on each side of me.

Then, without warning the large double doors in front of me – which I had thought were walls – open and I am temporarily blinded by light. When my eyes finally adjust to the brightness, I see a horrific sight before me. I also see Alistair beside me – with two peacekeepers holding onto him. I then realise the hands holding me belong to peacekeepers of my own.

‘’ Ladies and gentlemen, as I said before, these two were caught trying to escape District Twelve. As you all know, this is punishable by death, however we have decided on a compromise – inspired by what happened to Bliss Dixon! Our two criminals will be entering the Hunger Games instead of being put to death!’’

I glance at the crowd in horror, then at Alistair. How can this be happening? The Hunger Games?

‘’ So, let’s have a round of applause for eighteen year old Alistair Balentine and sixteen year old Arianna Winslow! The two tributes that will be fighting under the name of District Twelve against the other eleven Districts of Panem in a pageant of skill, bravery and wits. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favour!’’

As our escort says this, a handful of people clap half heartedly, then we are led off stage and I begin to sob.