Blueberries
The river thunders, splashing against a group of stepping stones. A boy is on the other side of the river, digging in the mud. Crawling through the bush, I gaze at him. What is his name? Peeta? Yes, that's it. Peeta. I move forward ignoring the thorns that tear through layers of my skin. He's holding something, roots. They must be edible, but they only grow on that side of the river. I can't cross without being noticed, and then I see the feast on the plastic sheet ahead of me.
Goat cheese, apples, a bread roll. My mouth waters, and tears sting my eyes, wistful hunger rumbling in my stomach. I can snag it, he is all the way over there, he won't even notice me. I crouch down and slither through the undergrowth. Easy, so easy. I dig my fingers into the white glob of goat cheese and cram a handful into my mouth. The creamy, tangy taste melts on my tongue. I close my eyes and feel as a wave of serenity washes over me.
And then I hear it, a girl screaming something unintelligible. It must be Katniss. Who else would it be? I don't even have time to lick the remnants of my meal off my fingers before she comes crashing into the other side of the river bank. I leap back into my precious, little thorn bush that tangles my red hair before either can see me. I spy on them, cautious, when Peeta holds out a handful of blueberries.
Blueberries! They grow wild here? If I had known, I'd be a lot better off than I am now. I run my forefinger along my ribs. I am not the well-fed girl who her stylist met weeks ago. I am a feral little creature, a scavenger. Beautiful, yes, but still a wild animal. How awful I must look to my friends back home, what must they think of their friend becoming completely emaciated? I look truly fox-like with my red hair, my fine yet dirt-caked features, and my slyness. No wonder those wretched District Twelve tributes call me Foxface. They have much reason to.
But I am determined to win. Although it's not likely, I could still escape the arena. I slide under branches to a nearby blueberry bush. I pluck a fair amount of the fruit and pour it into my mouth. It tastes strange, but it must be different from the kind we have back in District Five. Katniss is yelling at Peeta again, but I can't see why. What's all the fuss? I chew the juicy berries and swallow.
And suddenly, I know. I try to vomit, but it's too late. Too late. The world spins around me. I realize that these are not blueberries. These are poisonous berries, known as nightlock. And now I know why. Soon, I will be locked in endless night. I have an awful stomach ache, and headache, and basically everywhere else you can have an ache. I double over, trying to retch, to get a real grip on reality. The venomous juice dripping off of my chin, the darkness flooding the world, my blood pounding in my ears. She calls it nightlock. And now I know why. But it's too little, too late.