One item, life or death. I think of an item to send to Blake Cooper. For him this could be the biggest moment of his life in the hunger games. My plan is to give him some of my moms muffins. Our family has a secret recipe that when eaten it will make your hunger go away, when rubbed on skin it will make cuts, bumps, rashes, etc… disappear. As I make these muffins i add the secret ingredient which makes it not only smell good, but now they are magic muffins. I know they will work since I have had them used on me before. It’s pretty ironic; I am giving someone food to cure their hunger, while they are in the hunger games. As i smell the sweet scent of the last one come out of the oven I am over joyed with my creation.

As I finish packing it up I run down the dirt street jumping and skipping with joy. I make it to the mail office with the capitals address and tell them to put it in a silver parachute for Blake Cooper. With all the new technology i run back home and find that my gift has already been received. Blake Cooper gives me a thumbs up as approval for the gift. I am pleased to find my efforts to have payed off. I am glad he enjoyed the Muffin Man’s little invention…

The Matrix is the first thing to my mind. I watch as the Cornucopia breaks apart and slowly forms back together. Wait, what is that? A million little frogs are jumping out of it, which means one thing… the Game Makers are back in play. I hear the croaks of the males, and see the sliminess of their skin. These are more than frogs. You see, they are poison dart frogs, I can tell by how they’re colored. I see a rainbow flash before the camera and out of sight they are. These are genetically engineered and are fast as Flash, the super hero.

Where are the frogs going? I will tell you, the frogs will search the arena for tributes until four more die. You see by the touch the poisons gets on you and seeps in your skin and slowly and painfully burns you, poisons you, and with the help of your imagination… they will kill you.

I watch the first victim die like the soldiers from The Lost Ark. He went on his knees, screaming in pain as his skin turned red with bumps. Now tribute number two is up I hear the pitter patter of frogs get louder and louder. As the tribute turns around one goes in his mouth and starts to go in his stomach, but didn’t make it too far since the boy died from suffocation. Tributes three and four that die were together. They die holding each other’s hands, it seems like they were good friends. I think the Capitol has taken it too far this time. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for tomorrow since they didn’t show the tribute I am rooting for. Or I least it think not…

BOOM! BOOM! Is what I hear as the announcer say the Gamemakers are pulling a trick out of their sleeves. I hear a swooshing sound as I see a wave coming out of the sea like the stalk growing out of the ground from Jack and the Bean Stalk. I can now see a wave almost a mile high and that all the water was in the tsunami now and not on the ground anymore.

I hear a cannon go off as I look around and see a tribute from District 2 float on the Cornucopia and a hovercraft comes to pick up the body. I notice that there is something in the tsunami… I can’t make it out but it looks like a piranha or some type of fish with sharp, razor teeth. As I see the tsunami crash into a tree with ease I can see the flesh be ripped off a tribute from District 12. Now the tsunami is a vomit color and has steam coming out of it like a toxic gas. I see this approaching the tribute I want to win. Wait what is that he is taking an oversized coconut and is using it as a shield. Truly genius, but will it work.

Now the cameras are on a close up of the tsunami. It is so clear even glass couldn’t compare to this artificial creation.  Now on the camera from the sky they show how it keeps going in circles and how 3 tributes must die until it stops, and they couldn’t have said that sooner because all I see next is horrific. A boy from District 1 gets decapitated a sword from another tribute; his head guts and brain juice are everywhere. He evaporates into nothing limb by limb, and all that is left is a few twitching bones. Now the tsunami has stopped since the toxic gas evaporated/ vaporized that boy.

I look at the camera on my lucky tribute. He pushes up the coconut shell out of his way and looks around. No longer is there an ocean but there is a tropical forest, and where the ocean used to be there is an open desert cavern where nothing but monster screams arise.

I have written this silver parachute to Conner since he has a light saber and will dominate the games with it. I feel he has so far played the most strategic game. I am also rooting for Conner since both tributes from my district are dead and don’t see anyone else to root for who has a cool weapon or who has a chance. To be asked to give him a message to root him on will definitely encourage him to win and try harder.

The bulls have been released from the pen. As I watch the hunger games I saw my friend Duncan Riley get killed. We were the best of friends in school and when his name was called I knew I wouldn’t see him again. I didn’t have the guts to say goodbye. But now I have lost all hope in District 9 and am rooting for Blake Cooper from District 8. I just saw him grab a two sided light saber and hope his actions don’t get too out of control.

I notice the game makers went with a tropical theme in the 80^th Hunger Games this year. I am nervous to see what happens. Will there be mutations of animals or traps that lead to the center of the earth. I will have to wait to find out. As I watch more I can see Jewels Lucky run off not trying to get anything from the cornucopia. I am disappointed in that since she could at least make an effort.

It’s now night time and half of the tributes are in trees, a fourth is underground, and the others are dead. I am glad I don’t have to take part in this year’s Games for the fact I don’t know how to swim and wouldn’t enjoy a bit of it and wouldn’t survive a minute after the countdown. I can see ominous clouds approaching and hope Blake Cooper makes it through the night. The Games are like feeding frenzy, out of control and it’s never ending.

Time, only if I had time. As I get lifted up the tube I can’t see. It is so bright and warm I think we are in a tropical environment. When my eyes finally adjust I notice palm trees all around. It took me a while to notice but in front of us was a marsh. All I can think of now is what is in there and how deep is it. Are there snakes, mini sharks, alligators, flesh eating piranhas, the possibilities are endless.

In the center of all the chaos I notice a silver object that is gleaming so bright I can’t look at it or I might go blind. I get my burnt eyes to focus on the inside. I can see rope, axes, swords, blow darts, and a tranquilizer gun. I think only if I could get the tranquilizer gun than it would be easy. Next I would get rope and set traps to suspend the tributes out of midair and see how long they last.

I can now feel myself shaking in the humid air as clouds form like they are right on time. I wonder if I will survive and what I should do, run in the center or turn around and hope to get a “care” package from a generous sponsor.

I make my decision that I will go for the tranquilizer gun and rope. 5….4…..3…..2…..1….GONG! I jump in running. As I run I slow down and so do all the other tributes I shortly notice that it is shallow and that the sand is creeping up everyone’s legs. All I think is get out of here and hopefully not just you but everyone because I can tell the games are going to be bad. When I arrive I see my wonderful prizes in sight, and since I am the first one there I get my stuff and go. I also grabbed a backpack that is hopefully useful. As I run off in the distant I don’t look back hoping the storm clouds don’t strike too hard.

The walls feel like they’re closing in as each tribute walks in and out with a humble expression on their face like a lion that just got the kill. I still have no idea what I am going to show these evil game makers. In training I went to the camouflage station to learn how to paint myself with the sly colors of “mother nature”, or I could show them a contraption out of knots and lashing. That’s it! I will show the game makers all the different traps I saw. Since I am good with knots and lashings this is going to be a piece of cake, or at least I hope it will be.

As they call my name so calmly it disgusts me. When I enter the room, I could talk and my voice could echo on for about 5 minutes.  As I walk over to the rope I can feel the game makers’ eyes beating down on me like a hawk watching its prey. Now the rope is in my hands. It feels very wiry, nothing that I have felt before. Back home when I use rope it’s frayed. I have no idea if I can do this now since I have never used this rope, not even during training. Now I gather all of the supplies I need, and they’re so perfect its better than I could imagine. As I said the rope is so perfect, it feels wiry. The traps I grabbed were so sharp and fine groomed that from just a poke it would give you a half inch cut.

Finally I am constructing my contraptions. As I build the three, after everyone another game maker would watch. My first contraption was a standard rope trap, where you tie a slip knot that will tighten around the person’s ankle when they step in this delightful trap of mine. Every time I look up and down when I build my second contraption I feel like the room is getting smaller like earlier. I know this means I am nervous. Now my hands are jittering like a massage chair and barely get contraption 2 done. This one is a rope tied with a bear trap so when someone walks over it they will instantly die from their legs getting chopped off. Now I rush and don’t know what to do so I tell them I am done and hope that’s good enough. As I leave this room I think that a lower score is better so the other tributes under estimate me. I hope this helped and didn’t hurt me and my journey ahead isn’t painful.

As every boy and girl in my district lined up into sad, droopy rows for the reaping I notice that this year we are in the town square which the only fancy part in our district. I am surprised at where they are holding it this year. As I walk in I can see Harper Hays with her feathery dress and the purple hair that looks like a balloon. Every boy and girl is finally done filing in. As I look at the crowd of kids in their farm clothes it makes Harper really stand out, I like to think about my surroundings to keep my mind off of what might happen ahead, getting picked for the Hunger Games. Now it is time, Peacekeepers are wheeling out the giant clear what looks like a fish bowl with tiny fish food in it, but really it’s every boys and girls name on a slip of paper cut perfectly just for this event. This is a nightmare for if I were to be picked. My father is sick and my mom has to care for my 3 younger siblings, 2 boys and 1 girl. Since my mom cares for little ones I take care of my dad.

Now Harper Hays is picking the first name, it will be a girl’s name. It wasn’t anyone I know. I have heard stories of this girl. I heard she steals food a lot in the field and she has never gotten caught. I am surprised because one time I got caught and it caused no food for my family for a month… Oh boy it’s now the turn for a boy to be chosen, i feel the sweat dripping down my forehead. Once I hear my name the silence is broken and i almost had a heart attack, I immediately hear the weeping and crying of my parents. No one volunteers for me as it usually goes in my district. Right away Peacekeepers escort me and they introduce me to my fellow tribute from my district, her name is Jewels Lucky. I can now feel the tears rolling down my eyes and my heart is beating so fast I thought it was going to explode. Now I await in a room in the town hall where people will say bye to me and if I am lucky i will get a token to take with me to remember my home.

First is my mom, she wheels in my dad with her and I could tell that they are very upset considering that their faces were wet and their cheeks were red. I worry that my mom will not be able to do everything. I smell my dad and mom, they smell sweet from our bread shop,  and I will now remember that in my ordeal ahead. When my siblings come in I say hi to them one by one and say goodbye. My sister give’s me a fresh loaf of delicious and sweet raisin bread since we run the bread shop. Afterwards my two brothers give me one of their favorite action figures to be used as good luck. I will endure the challenges ahead even though it will be like walking on nails.