"District 9, Oakley." Okay. Time to go. Oakley got up from her sitting position, and stretched, her legs feeling slightly cramped from sitting for so long. They really should come up with a better system for this, though Oak. She felt a pang of nervousness, but shoved it down. She just needed to give the Gamemakers a show. That was all this whole thing was, really. A show. She opened the door, creaking quietly as it swung wide. She scented trees, plants, life. She took in the scene before, gazing around at the forested environment. That's what it seemed like, anyway. You could never know with the Gamemakers. She spotted a bird pecking in the leaves, and took a cautious step towards it, confused. She recognized it almost immediately as a bronze parotia, not to be confused with the western parotia. They were known for their strange dance shows they put on. What did it have to do with anything? It spread its wings and swooped into the air, and she heard a faint click. The thought had barely registered when the rushing sound began, and she spun around, a wall of water rushing for her. Oh. Now understanding rushed through her, and she stood frozen for a moment. Then her legs began to move, and she broke out in a dead sprint towards the bird of paradise. What was she supposed to be doing? Her only instinct now was to run faster than the water, to survive. She was a good swimmer, but she doubted she could withstand the waves coming for her. She heard a squawk from her left, and briefly turned her attention to the bird. Why was it here? Was it going to attack her, she wondered, remembering the mutts in the previous Hunger Games. In her brief lapse of attention, her claws had been struggling to find purchase on this slippery ground this whole time. Now, they finally slipped, sending her crashing to the forest floor. She again saw the bird flitting ahead, taunting her. She gritted her teeth and clawed herself upright, the water lapping at her hind feet. She was never going to catch the bird like this. It had much too large of a head start. But maybe... She glanced upward to the trees, leaping up to a low-hanging branch, bounding from branch to branch. She was wobbly at first, but slowly got better. Finally, the bird was within sight again, and she lept off the final branch, launching herself onto the bird, killing it instantly. The water stopped, and she gently set the bird on the mossy floor, its iridescent feathers glimmering in the dim light. Just another spark extinguished for the capitol. She gave a nod, and exited the room.
