The longer Sherlock was off the screen, the better, according to Mycroft. It meant nothing interesting (read: dangerous) was happening to him. Simply by hiding, Sherlock had outlasted more than half of the tributes, which admittedly was odd for a career, but he was just a small boy, really, it was his safest bet.
Sherlock was slender and small, and easily sat in some of the highest branches of the tree, which was fortunate as something about the sixth day had given him a sensory overload. He sat huddling, holding his ears, eyes shut, trying not to move or feel or anything, until the cannon went off and the boy from nine was finally killed. Fortunately nothing else major happened that day.
A package from his district came in on day ten. A gift of fruit from his mother, a few strawberries (his favourite), along with a note of encouragement from Mycroft and a stay safe from his father. Sherlock smiled and put the capsule in his pocket before leaving the area. After all, the packages were beacons and not exactly silent and invisible.
Day twelve and he was running for his life along the bank of a little stream, the boy from four and girl from two not far behind and several years older. Mycroft watched in horror and Mr. Holmes was holding his wife. "Come on, Sherlock, run," Mycroft muttered under his breath. "Run!" And Sherlock was running, trying to find a way to get out, but the banks were growing steeper and there was no way to turn around as he was now running in water up to his knees. "Help," the little boy pleaded as he was struck from behind with an arrow, blood gushing from his chest and mixing with the water that was taking him downstream again, limp.
The cameras focused in on Sherlock's eyes, somehow from underwater, and then a cannon fired.