I feel bad for not updating sooner. Anyway, on with the story!
It's been a few days in the arena, and so far, I haven't had any trouble. The Hunger Games seem more like a vacation than a fight to the death. Right now, I have plenty of food, shelter, and I don't have to do any backbreaking labor for almost nothing in return. If I hadn't been reaped a few weeks earlier, I would barely have enough food to get by, a leaky shack, and of course, the backbreaking labor. I was starting to worry. Something was going to happen, and I wanted to be in control of it.
I was planning a little night trip as I was preparing some grains for an overnight soak. Just eating them raw can cause some pretty painful nights, but an overnight soaking fixes that (among other things) right up. I don't want to start a fire, being so close to the Careers' camp, so that basically left me with one option. Raw grains. I'm going to need something besides that and water from a nearby stream, which is one of the reasons I'm making this trip. Also, I've been in one place for a long time, and I'm pushing my luck. After 18 years of watching the Hunger Games, I knew an immobile tribute was a dead tribute. I popped some already soaked oats into my mouth and thought.
I knew the Careers' schedule because I've listened in on them quite a bit in the last few days. I'll probably head into the woods after they do, and come back here quickly. I heard that they're going to go hunting for that girl from District 12, the one everybody calls, "The Girl On Fire," tonight. My guess is that they'll be deep in the woods searching, which means I'll stay closer to the outer rim. Maybe a quick recon of the surrounding area, just in case something happens to the field.
The main reason I'm deciding to do this is because I need protein, and I haven't found any quinoa or amaranth plants around here, which contain lots of protein. Everybody knows you can't just live off of grains. Saying that I live long enough t-
I can't think like that. Then I'm guaranteed to not make it out of here alive. To never see my grandmother and sister again. To never again...
I shake my head to clear it of all of the invading thoughts of my death and try to go right back to planning. I also want to see how Rue is faring in the arena. Every night I look in the sky, hoping to not see her small face among the stars, and every night so far, she's managed to evade death in this arena. Which means every night I go to sleep happy.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I need sleep. I've been running out of energy a lot lately, which shows that my lack of protein is catching up to me. I'll finish packing up some stuff and then I'll take a quick nap before tonight. I'll need my rest.
I wake up sometime in late afternoon. I stand up to stretch, but stop short. Smoke, so much smoke is filling the sky. I quickly see that only a section of the woods is burning. I grab my pack, taking control of this wonderful opportunity to explore the safer part of the woods. I have no doubt that this fire was caused by Gamemakers, which means that it will stay in the section of the woods it's in. I also have no doubt that the Careers' and a few other tributes are stuck in that forest fire. I only hope that Rue isn't there, too. I don't want to see her face in the sky tonight.
Sorry for making you wait so long for this chapter, but I had no inspiration. I've also been a bit busy. Sorry if you thought this chapter was a bit slow, but I promise it'll get better! Please review, the more you guys do, the faster I'll update! You know where the button is! If you review, I'll give you a virtual cupcake! I will too. If you don't believe me, then review anyway and see what happens.
