Just as I finish the lullaby, my voice cracks and I can say no more. Rue's lifeless body lies limp in my arms. I brush a strand of hair behind her ear as I silently whimpere, wondering if all that had just happened was real or not. Without thinking, I let out a frustrated yell and wipe my tears of anger and frustration away with my sleeve. Gasping, realizing my mistake, I hold my breath. Far off in the distant I hear bushes roar to life with the disturbance of an intruder. A few twigs snap, but this time a bit closer. Silently, I slip away from Rue, giving her one last look before stalking off into a bush plant a couple of meters away. I crouch down low, only barely hidden amongst the bushes. I coil my head into my knees and I anticipate the inevitable.
"Over there!" A strong voice had yelled. "Get her!"
"Damn" I say under my breath. "Just as I thought"
With a sharp intake of musty oxygen, I pull myself off the ground, turn, and run in a direction I did not know. Tree branches and bush leaves attack my face as I run, violently scratching my exposed flesh. I glance to my right, trying to see who was chasing me. I see a glimpse of a shadow emerge from the surrounding nature, just in time for me to look forward and run smack into a tree trunk.
When I awake, I feel pain. The whereabouts of the pain was unknown, my body wasn't functioning yet. Slowly I open my eyes, as I took in my surroundings. It was dark, but I could still see. Also it was rather cold. I move my arms upright and push myself up into a sitting position. A surge of wind sweeps over me, sending a bone-chilling coldness that spreads through me faster than a high powered virus. I attempt to bend my legs to hug them to keep myself warm, but to no avail. As soon as I had moved my legs, a sharp pain erupted from my knees causing me to wince in pain. I carefully roll up my track pants to reveal my knee. I saw that a rather large amount of skin was torn, and large purple bruises and stains of dried blood surrounded the damaged skin. Sniffing heavily, I let out a slight gasp as my nose began to burn. My hands shoot straight to my face.
Big mistake though.
More pain occurred, mainly in the centre of my whole face. I extend a finger to touch the upper part of my nose and when I do, I pull my finger back fast.
Yep, my nose was definitely broken.
Staggering to my feet, I squint ahead and make out the shape of a tree trunk. The day's events come flooding back into my memory. Some tributes had found me, and I had been running away from them and ran into a tree. Like lightning, the sudden remembrance of Rue's death impacts me with a great force. I stamp my foot into the ground out of anger, but my anger is instantly replaced with curiosity as I look down. The terrain I stomped on didn't leave that much of an imprint, which I find rather odd. When I was been running away from the people chasing me, I remember running alongside a river bank. If I were to still be near the riverbank, the dirt surrounding me would be either soft or muddy, and since it was neither, my suspicion grew.
Ignoring the pain begging for attention from my kneecaps, I stare off into the distance and the clearing to my right. No such river was to be seen.
I must have veered off into the other direction when I glanced to see who was chasing me. I begin to walk around, my backpack resting on my back safely, and my arrow and quiver sitting on a shoulder.
"Way to go Katniss, you've gotten yourself lost! What a lovely sense of direction. What a way to bring out all those years of hunting skills!" I mutter sarcastically to myself. "Look, you're even talking to yourself. You've gone completely looney!"
I sigh as I keep on walking. I think I'm going mad. I'm not myself. Then again, I did hit my head pretty hard.
Then just my luck, I trip on a tree root, and fall down. Closing my eyes, expecting a large painful impact, I was shocked when I ended up sliding down a tunnel. I couldn't see at all. All of a sudden, I land straight onto my side.
Coughing from the amount of dust and dirt I inhaled on the way down, I stagger to my feet, my knees hurting even more. Luckily my quiver went unharmed when I went on the Oh-so-lovely trip to- Wait. Where was I?
I look around and was taken aback when I realised I was in a lantern underground room.
Thinking two steps ahead, I ready my arrows and my bow and crouch into an attacker-ready position. Moving quickly and stealthily I search every inch of the room, looking for any signs of human life, or traps. There was one more room connecting to the room I had entered. After glancing around the corner of the opening, I realise it was empty. I step back and withdraw my weapons, acknowledging the fact that the place looked undisturbed for years. I make my way to the side of the room and sit on a nicely crafted handmade chair next to a table. The only other thing in the room was a black and red chequered blanket.
Lying my head down on the table my eyes scan the room before finally resting on a small mound of dirt in one of the corners of the room. Thinking nothing of it, I close my eyes. But no more than thirty seconds later, I re-open them. Curiosity getting the best of me, I stand up and walk over to the mound of dirt and kneel down next to it. Extending a hand towards it, I brush away the top layer of the dirt, unearthing an object within the dirt. Picking it up, I examine it closely. It was leather. I blow on it, dust moving from the top of the leather, and forming a cloud right in front of me. Waving it away, I decide to use my hand to wipe away the remaining dirt and dust. After completely wiping it away, it revealed creases on the sides, indicating it had been folded. I gently pull on the sides, pulling them apart, when an un-sticking sound was heard. I wait for a moment and look to see if I had damaged the object, before continuing to open it up.
After fully unfolding the pouch, I slip a hand inside and my hand rests on a hard cover book. Pulling it out, I noticed it was small, and had bold silver lettering on the front cover.
Whoever had obtained this journal obviously knew how to keep it contained as it didn't have fainted words. It was only just legible, like it had been sitting for years. The binding was fragile, so I handle it with pure delicacy, careful not to break it.
The bold letters read "Journal." My eyes scan the cover and I notice more writing on the bottom of the cover, but in a smaller font. It read "The seventeenth Hunger Games"
Fifty eight years ago, another tribute held this exact book in their hands. So I guess it was understandable for me to feel nervous. Right…?
Being the curious person I am, I opene the Journal. When it opens, some dirt that had escaped into the book at some point had fallen out, making a small mountain on the table. Re-focusing my attention back onto the book, I read the first page.
"My name is Laski Slyphix
I am sixteen years old.
If you find this, just know,
that it may hold a key factor
to your survival. My father
was an inventor. I have made
many discoveries, and I hope
that someone can use my
discoveries for their greater
need."
As I reach the bottom, I suddenly get nervous.
"…holds a key factor to your survival"
I read this line over and over. What could Laski mean? Wasting no time, I flip the page and continue to read.
"Day one
Okay so maybe not day one. It has taken me two days to find this area. At first it was just a small hole, so I extended it a bit further by digging down. The place currently is about 3 meters wide, and 3 meters in length. I can barely stand up though. It's not much, but it's something. Also, it's well hidden; I don't think I will be found.
It was all a shock, being chosen as a tribute. Mother was devastated. I should of at least practiced some survival skills, but being sixteen with only six entries out of thousands, I never though I'd be the unlucky one to be chosen. Yet, here I am."
Laski was just like me in a way. I never thought Primrose would be chosen because she had one out of a thousand chances. Laski thought the same about himself. Becoming more anxious by the minute, I skip a couple of pages in and begin reading again.
"Day fourteen
That was close. I was near the river bank, which is just east of here. I was on my way back to this place from getting fish and water. Somebody had been there watching me. Out of nowhere, they fired an arrow, and it grazed my arm. I ran of course, but I didn't want to risk exposing my hiding place, so I ran in the other direction. Discreetly scrambling up a tree, I waited it out. I must have been there for ages. After hearing them leave, I wasted no time in running back to my new home, which is now the size of an average living room."
On the other side of the page was another entry with no title.
I met a girl today, and I have never seen her in my life. She wasn't one of the tributes. She helped fix up my arm though, the one that got hurt from the arrow. It was infected. I can't write any more, if this book falls into the wrong hands I may expose secrets.
Frowning at the last entry I had read, I shake it off. Laski had built this home by himself. I think of Laski as a quick-thinking kind of guy. Looking down at the chair, I smile, thinking that he must have built these too. Admiring his work, I yawn and stretch my arms. I was rather tired.
I read the day fourteen passage again, and catch onto where it said something about the river bank.
"It was just east of here."
I stand up and place the book on the table and I make my way over to the tunnel, where I had entered from. I peer up the tunnel but no light could be seen from above. Then something clicked. The lanterns!
I look closely at the nearest lantern that was hanging off of a wooden stake that had been wedged into the dirt wall.
"How on earth can these still be on after all these years?" I mutter, confused.
I slide a finger down the side of the lantern. It wasn't hot; it was warm, as if it had only been on for a short amount of time.
I was distracted from the thoughts when my hand rests on a piece of mattered parchment that was wedged behind the lantern. I take it out and unfold it, revealing the message within.
"Motion sensor lanterns."
"My father sent me some motion sensors in a little white parachute while I was out one day collecting resources. In this little room, I don't think cameras can see me, as I build this from scratch.
To put the censors to good use, I linked them up to these lanterns here. I got sick of turning them off and on all the time.
If there is movement within a certain radius of the motion sensors, the lanterns will flick on, and if there is no movement detected after five minutes of being turned on, they automatically turn off."
I stare at the paper in amazement. Laski is brilliant. Folding the parchment up, I return it to it's previous home, before gathering up my backpack and quiver. I figure, seeing as it was night, I could move around unseen, and I was running pretty low on water. I walk over to where I entered, and begin to climb my way out.
Being aware of mentally making a note of where I was, I head east.
Sure enough, I reach the river. Retrieving my flask, I fill it up with water. Raising the flask to my lips, I begin to drink the water, my throat isn't dry anymore, much to my relief.
My knee has started to soar up in pain again, and my nose has swollen up and become numb, so I can't feel the pain. Needing a rest, I find a hidden spot in a bush near me, and sit down, leaning against a tree.
I begin to think about my mother, and Primrose. How were they? Could they see me? Was Gale looking after them?
I was snapped out of my thoughts when I hear a familiar sound, just a faint sound, edging nearer towards me. I strain my ears to listen to the sound when I hear it clearly. It was the Mockingjays, and they were repeating my lullaby to Rue.
I pull out the Mockingjay pin I was given, and I begin to fumble it around in my hands. The gold was rather a fascinating thing to see, and the detail of the pin was incredible. Turning it over in my hand, I peer down at it in my hand. I stop moving it when something on the inner part of the outer ring catches my eye. It was a small knob. I push down on it, and a small click was heard, and the Mockingjay symbol popped out a bit, but it was still connected to the outer ring. I touch it, and it rotates in a circle. Fascinated, I slowly turn the symbol while I listen to the Mockingjays sing. My eyes begin to droop, before finally shutting, resting me in a deep sleep.
I'm walking through the forest and that's when I hear a twig snap, followed by a voice.
"Where are you?"
I recognise the voice, it was my sister Primrose. I chase after her.
"Where are you?" I call.
I arrive at a downwards slope, and hear her again.
"Help me, I don't want to die. Please."
I race down after her, but I was picking up too much speed. I trip and tumble forward, towards the edge of a cliff, just managing to catch myself on a branch before flying over the edge.
Then I hear someone call out from the hill, "Where are you?"
Scared that I was about to die, I call out,
"Help me, I don't want to die. Please."
I slip from the branch, and fall down towards the rocks below.
I find myself walking through a forest and that's when I hear a twig snap, followed by a voice.
"Where are you?"
-
A twig snaps, and my eyes shoot open. It was night time still.
I hear someone coming closer towards me. I'm still in the place I had fallen asleep in, but something seems different. The sound of disturbed water diverts me from my thoughts and I look to my left. I can make out the figure of someone, and they were only a couple of meters away. Silently I pocket the Mockingjay pin that I have had in my hand, and I ready my bow and arrows, propping myself up into a kneeling position and peer out through the bushes. The person has their back turned to where I am. The person was a medium build, and had dark brown short hair. Slowly standing up, I take aim, targeting their back. However, as I fire my arrow the person moves sideways, and the arrow shoots by, only just hitting his arm before flying into a tree and sticking there. I duck when the person looks behind them. Then I hear a matter of rocks and sticks crunch as I hear the person run away.
Thinking that they were still nearby, I don't want to risk exposing my new hiding spot. I need a new place for the night, in case they were watching me, or there were more people near me.
In one quick motion, I dash out of my hiding spot and grab my arrow that was stuck in the tree. With one sharp tug, it gives way, and I return it to my quiver.
I look at the tree I had been leaning against. Then I look up. It was heavily hidden, and the branches are big enough for me to lie on. It was perfect.
Walking back over to the tree, I grab on the lowest branch and hoist myself up. I climb way up near the top, and decide I was high enough, that even if someone did happen to look up, I was out of sight. I use my backpack as a pillow and lay back onto it, gazing up at the sky. I remember Laski's journal I had grabbed before I left and I reach for my pocket. I was just about to pull the journal out when I hear the start of the Anthem. My hand retreats, and I gaze up at the sky. An unfamiliar face looks down upon me. I have never seen this person in my life. The person in the sky has black hair that fell over his eyes, and I don't remember seeing anyone that fits that description. Did the Capitol get something wrong? My head filled with confusion, I decide to call it a day, and I fall asleep once more.
When I awoke, it was dawn. My back aches frpm having only slept on a tree branch. I notice that my knee had begun to hurt even more. After looking at it, I realize it has become infected. Lovely, exactly what I need.
I have approximately ten minutes before the sun would fully rise. So that means ten minutes to get back to my new home. If I move quickly enough I can make it there unseen and unheard, even if there are people still lurking around.
Retrieving my backpack, I swiftly climb down the tree, and jump down; bending my legs when I land so no impact noise can be heard.
And so, I begin my short journey back to Laski's old house.
I just reach the entrance as the sun comes into full view. I look out near the clearing and smirk, before discreetly vanishing down the tunnel.
The lanterns flick on as I enter and I notice something different, very different.
First things first, the second room has gone. The table and chair has gone, and as I look where the blanket was, I notice the shape of a body in a sleeping formation.
Hitching my breath, I pull out my bow and aim it at the person who is covered in the black and red chequered blanket. Walking over to them, bow in hand; I nudge their back with my foot. I jerk backwards as the person springs into life and stands up fast with a knife in their hand. I aim my arrow straight at their heart, and I'm about to release my bow string, when I notice this person does not look like any of the competing tributes I am supposed to be battling against.
"Who are you?" we both say in unison.
We begin walking in a circle, weapons still drawn, rotating around the room staring intently at each other.
"You first" the boy says.
"I'm Katniss." I say, whilst still alert.
"How are you here? You're not one of the tributes. Did the capitol send you to attack me?" he demands with a threatening tone.
"I am a tribute and I've never seen you before in my life. Who are you?" I say back.
"Laski." He simply states.
My jaw clenches, my stomach tightens and my heart skips a few beats.
"Excuse me?" I ask, sure that I have heard the person wrong.
"My name is Laski." He says once more.
I stop moving, and I drop my weapon.
"Is there something wrong?" he asks.
"Yes. You're supposed to be dead! You don't exist anymore!" I yell in a rush, voice full of disbelief.
"If I may state, I am very much alive and I do not recall dying and I certainly do exist." He says in a state of confusion.
What was going on? Surely this has to be a dream.
"I've got proof." I say as I reach into my pocket. I pull out the journal, and the Mockingjay pin falls to the ground.
Laski looks at the falling object and raises his weapon.
"You've robbed me" His threatening tone returns once more.
"I have done no such thing." I state.
His eyes narrow at me. "The Mockingjay pin. Where did you get it? And don't lie, because I'll know if you do."
"I was given it before I came here." I start to explain.
Only one word escapes his lips. "Liar."
He stares at me, his eyes searching for an explanation, all the while my jaw clenches even more. He speaks again.
"I had that in my possession, it was right here in my pock-" he was cut off as he reaches a hand to his pocket and pulls out a second Mockingjay pin.
He stutters and looks completely bewildered as he drops his knife.
"I don't understand." He mutters. 'Not one bit. How is this possible?"
"How is what possible?" I ask
He walks over to me and picks up the Mockingjay pin near my feet and examines it closely. "Impossible' he says under his breath.
"Can you please tell me what's going on?!" My patience is wearing thin.
"There is only one of these pins in the world, only one, so how can there be two?' He starts pacing the room.
Then out of nowhere he shouts.
"You! You're brilliant! You figured it out!" he shouts gleefully, he pumps his arms in the air but ends up yelling in pain and his attention goes to his shoulder. He clutches it tight and winces in pain.
"Are you alright?' I ask.
"I was grazed with an arrow. I think I was lucky to be honest." He says as he takes off his shirt, showing his shoulder to me. It looks badly infected. But the worst thing about it was that I think it may have been me that caused it. Deciding not to tell him, I walk over to him and inspect his shoulder. I reach for my backpack and pull out a few healing leaves I've gathered at some point a couple of days ago. I rip them up in my hand and lay them out across his infected wound. I proceeded to fix his arm by ripping a piece of blanket from the room and tying it around his shoulder, being sure to keep the pressure tight but not too tight.
"You're not a wimp. Most people complain about the pain whenever I try to help them." I say.
"I can handle it." He replies, looking at his now attended to shoulder. "Thank you."
I nod my head solemnly before I speak again.
"You said that I figured it out?" I remind him.'
"Ah, yes. The pin, there's some unsolved myth to it, they say if you look hard enough you will discover it's true meaning. You have discovered it."
I blink, my facial expressions obviously shows no sign of catching on. He sighs and continued.
"You have an exact copy of a pin when there is only one made in the entire universe. Your clothes are completely different and seem completely modern and I've never seen them before in my life. You speak like you're from a different time and you know who I am. Do I have to spell it out?"
I blink again. "No way." I scoff. "I did not go back in time."
"Oh but of course you did!" he says with a grin.
Laski walks towards me and yanks the journal out of my hand. "The answers are all in here." He says as he waves it in my face.
"Okay so I've got a journal, so what? It doesn't prove you're Laski.' I say.
He just grins and walks over to his backpack and rummages around till he pulls out an identical journal, only more newer looking. He turns back to me and holds it out to me. I take it and open it, and read the latest entry. "Day Fourteen" it reads.
I skim through it, and then reread the Day Fourteen on the journal I have clutched in my hand. It was identical. Except on the next page he hasn't written about the girl he met.
Then I click. The girl he had written about on the next page was me, yet at the present moment he hasn't written it in yet. He really is Laski, and here I am, fifty eight years in the past. I'm the first person to discover time travel!
But no, this has to be a dream. This stuff just doesn't happen. Not now, not ever.
Closing my eyes, I pinch myself.
"No, this is not a dream." Laski says as if reading my mind.
I open my eyes and shake my head. Okay so maybe it was real. This is unbelievable.
I hand the older journal to Laski, but he refuses.
"I can't know about my future. Didn't you ever get read bedtime stories to do with fairy tales and time travel and stuff? You can't mess with time or bad things may happen." He explains.
I nod my head, sweating profusely. I am still a bit nervous, as you can tell.
This certainly is a first for me.
Laski and I sit down on the floor of his home, and begin to talk. He tells me more about the myth behind the Mockingjay pin, and then asks me how it works. After explaining to him exactly what had happened that made me go back fifty eight years in the past, he begins asking me about the Hunger Games and what it was like in my time compared to his.
Though, nothing has really changed. The rules are still the same, and the Capitol still likes to manipulate people into getting what they want.
And to be honest, this is far better than any history I've read up on. I've actually experienced it.
Let's not forget to mention how I discovered time travel.
Review and let me know what you think? :)