This is a really short chapter, but I wanted to give you guys something so you wouldn't think I forgot you. =]


It took her a few days to fully come back to her senses. She suffered an awful sunburn, one of those that makes everything stick to your skin, especially clothes.

Disorientation swamped her head the moment she tried to sit up, so she scrapped that plan rather quickly. Her mind swam aimlessly, not knowing where it wanted to be, only that it wanted to be somewhere.

While she was lying there aggravatingly helpless, Cato suddenly came to mind.

Cato.

Savage, broken, beautiful Cato.

Why had he spared her? Why had he pulled her from the river, from certain death by her own hand? She was just another competitor to him, and he made it clear from the beginning by volunteering that he had every intention of winning. Translation—she must die for that to happen, by his hand or another.

The dull sound of the trickling stream reminded her of her thirst and she smiled, recalling that running water was much safer than what would've been found in the lake.

It felt good on her face, that bubbling stream. It cleared her head, and reminded her of exactly the danger she'd been in. Judging by the state of the sunburn and the outrageous thirst, she'd been unconscious for at least a day, maybe two...how in the hell was she still alive?! This was the HUNGER GAMES.

Something wasn't right here...


It didn't take her long to remind herself of just how lucky she'd been to not be slaughtered in her sleep over the past few days, so she set off quickly. The path she took kept her mostly in the shade, which she enjoyed.

The terrain was rough under her boots, but since she was used to muddy cattle pens she managed fairly.

The trail eventually offered up a patch of little purple flowers...ones she'd seen growing in cow pastures since she was little. When the petals were pulled off, it tasted like a quick shot of sugar in the mouth if the white bottoms were bitten. She bent to pick a handful, plucking a petal immediately off and sticking it between her lips.

It tasted so good.

Smiling to herself she bit into another, tossing the spent petals into the dirt before dragging her boot over them; it helped hide her trail.

What she didn't know was that no matter how well she thought she hid her trail, he would find her without even trying.