Fourth Part: Blood in the Grass

The launch tube seals around him. Haymitch takes a deep breath, feeling the vibration of the metal beneath his feet. In his mind, he repeats the strategies he has memorized. Run. Hide. Survive.

The ground trembles. The platform rises. And suddenly, the Arena’s light blinds him.

A field of tall grass stretches before him, with tree-covered hills in the distance. In the center, the Cornucopia gleams like a golden trap. Around it, the other tributes remain frozen on their platforms, waiting for the signal.

—Ten… nine… eight…

Haymitch spots a backpack nearby, far enough from the main fight. He decides to go for it.

—Three… two… one…

The sound of the gong shatters the air.

Chaos erupts. Tributes run, scream, fall. The sound of metal cutting flesh is a symphony of death. Haymitch dodges bodies, grabs the backpack, and sprints toward the trees without looking back.

The death toll starts before nightfall. Fourteen tributes dead on the first day. The Careers dominate the Cornucopia, stockpiling weapons and food. In the trees, Haymitch opens his backpack: an empty canteen, a knife, and a piece of rope. Nothing useful.