Chapter Ten
Pippa Fawn, District 10
I'm miserable. So, so, miserable. This isn't a cold anymore. I don't even know what this is. I'm throwing up, I have a terrible fever, my vision is swimming. There's no way I can even walk. But I need food, right? I've got to eat. I found this apple tree, and there's so much fruit that if I can just get there I'll never go hungry again.
I try my best to stand, but it's just so hard! The ground heaves again, making me seasick. I moan and throw up stomach juices again. I stopped producing digested food a while ago. I'm not sure what this stuff is, but it smells bad.
The world does a 180 and I'm lying down again. How did that happen? It must have been magic.
I shove myself up and stumble towards…one of the apple trees. Since when are there three? No, wait, there's just two now. And now there are three again. That's weird. Trees aren't supposed to do that, are they?
I walk straight through one tree. Nope. That's not the tree I want. I head for the next one. I walk straight into it. Much better.
The trunk is swaying back and forth in waves. It's really very cool. I mean, how many trees have you seen wiggle around like worms? But it's making me even dizzier. I frown. That's not very nice. I paw at an apple, but they're all dancing away from me. I would think this game was really fun if I was feeling okay, but I'm not, and it's making me cranky.
"Okay. Stop it." I order.
They don't stop. I growl in annoyance.
I stumble back for my staff. It tries to wiggle away too, but I swing my arm back and forth over the grass in a wide weeping motion until my hand bumps into and I pounce.
I stagger back over to the tree and angrily wave my staff back and forth, letting it crash through the branches. A few ripe apples go flying. I fall to my knees and hit my hands on the ground until I find one of the yellow-green fruit.
I pick it up and move it toward my mouth. I miss the first couple of times but then it goes in. I take a big bite and try not to let it fall out of my mouth as the world goes around like the washing machine in the mayor's house. Their washing machine is the only one I've ever seen, and it's very cool; you put your clothes in and it washes them for you. Just like that! Maybe this is what it's like for clothes in that machine. I hope not, because this is no fun at all.
I chew the bite carefully. I swallow. Whoa. The sky is underneath me. And now it's above me again. This would be fun, if my tummy didn't feel all yucky.
I eat as much of my apple as I can before I start biting my fingers when I'm trying to eat it. I lay down, trying to avoid dizziness. I lay like that for who knows how long before I'm suddenly stiff.
It's the familiar paralysis that comes when I get sick. Chunks of semi-digested apple shoot out of my mouth. Since I'm on my back, it goes all over me and some of it doesn't doesn't even get out of my mouth. I moan and roll over. This is so gross. I crawl to my pack and fumble for my water jug. I upturn over my body and let it wash my front off. It's gone now. Where can I get more water? I'm going to need more, even before I can keep food down.
I hear footsteps. Somebody's coming. Maybe they can help!
"Help." I croak. I have never spoken to anyone since the start of this Game. It feels like I just had my first kiss or something.
Their footsteps are closer now. They stop, standing, looking down at me from above. "Help." I repeat, and I try to grab their ankle. They step back, probably thinking I'll get them sick.
I can't see them very well. I think it's a boy; they have short brown hair.
"Who are you?" They ask. It's a girl's voice. It must be that District 3 girl then. Aren't I afraid of her? I can't imagine why I would be, but for some reason that's what I think.
"Pippa…Fawn." I manage. "I need water. Please."
The person, To, crouches next to me. Maybe she'd an alien. Or she might be magic. That would explain why she can walk right when the world is spinning like the wheel on a cart.
"Did you eat something that did this to you?" She asks.
"No," I croak, "Water."
"Alright." She pulls out a canteen, and says, "Open your mouth."
I obey, and next thing I know she's pouring the contents into my mouth. I keep mouth open until it's all the way and then close it, drinking part of my mouthful each time I swallow. Water's so good. Next time you drink water, I want you to savor it. I want you to really think about how it feels sliding down your throat. Think of the people like me, just dying for a mouthful.
To turns and leaves. Yes, I'm sure now that I didn't need to be afraid of her. She shared her water; she must truly be a good person.
A shadow passes over me fast. Or maybe it's a person. They all look the same, you know. And it was going so fast.
As the sun ambles across the sky, it seems solid in my spinning world. I love that sun. And as breathing becomes too hard to do anymore, I love the feeling on my sun on my face. It's a wonderful end to my story, a happy memory of the world I've left behind.
Rhiattany Hurli, District 9
I look at the girl, Pippa, from across the clearing. To is walking away, and it's clear that she's going to let this girl be. I can't decide if this is kindness or cruelty. Maybe it's good that she's leaving this hopelessly sick girl be, or maybe it's horrible that she's letting her suffer. I don't know. Of course, it's my natural reaction side with horrible, since this is To I'm talking about, but my opinion really doesn't matter.
What it really boils down to is: what does Pippa want? If she could choose would she end it now or hang on as long as she could? I would hang on for dear life. When you're alive things can always get better, but once you're dead you're done.
But I don't know what Pippa wants. I can't ask her, so I force myself to assume that To didn't see the point in killing somebody who was just going to die soon anyway. Maybe it's even true, and this is all an act of mercy.
To disappears into the clearing on the other side of the woods. I curse. I've let myself zone out. Now I need to choose whether to dash across the open clearing, or skirt the edges and risk falling behind.
I make a quick decision and run as quietly as I can out into the clearing.
If To were to come back, to turn around, I'd be a simple target for her bow and arrows and…goodbye Rhiattany. I hold my breath as I sprint, like that's going to help me be quieter.
I leap over Pippa, who's lying on her back and looking dazed. I land with a loud thump. I'm almost to the safety of the trees now, just a few more seconds. I've never been particularly fast, but I'm in such a panic that I'm going faster than I've ever gone before. I will not die, and I will not lose To Liscan. I am obsessed with getting revenge against this girl.
The trees close around me, and I need to hold back a counter-productive sigh of relief. I listen for To. I hear a rustle a ways off and follow it carefully. I glimpse her hair briefly and smile. I still got her.
I don't know where To's headed, but knowing there's definitely some strategy that us mere mortals will never piece together until she deigns to tell us.
But then again, maybe she's never had a strategy, and she's just incredibly skilled and lucky.
Nah.
Not even I believe that. Whatever else I can say about To, she's smart. And she stands a good chance of surviving. Of course, she won't. I'll make sure of that.
She walks through the forest for a long time, without any apparent purpose. I don't know where she's headed, until a river comes within view over the crest of a hill. Even To needs water, I guess. She opened the canteen and submerged it, trying to fill it up. She looked nervously. She was so vulnerable right now! If I had her bow that would be it for To Liscan.
She checks her canteen; it's full now. She quickly sticks her head under the river's cold water, then comes back up. She shakes her head like a dog and sends water droplets flying everywhere.
To sets off again, purposefully. I tail her but am careful not to just walk exactly where she's stepped herself. I don't her want to took turn around and find me walking right behind her.
I suppose she's just looking for more of our fellow children to kill. Isn't she a lovely person?
She doesn't have any luck today, and eventually climbs up a tree to sit the night out. Sweet dreams, you monster.
I stay on the ground. I can't risk going up a tree and making noise. I'm pretty sure that To's reached her mercy quota for the…forever probably. And besides, it's easy to let someone live when they'll never pose any danger to you. And I'm considerably more dangerous than poor Pippa. I pull my arms out of my shirt and into my shirt. It may not be the best idea when it comes to self-defense, but To will probably take care of anybody who gets close. And I am cold.
The anthem plays. I can just barely see To shift in the moonlight. If I didn't know she was there, I'd never see her.
"Pippa Fawn" And there's a picture of that poor girl who was throwing up all over herself.
You know, To may be safest up in a tree, but it works to my advantage as well. Not even she can get out of a tree without making enough noise to wake up a light sleeper like me. I smile a little. To may be one of the big contenders in this competition, but she's not perfect. Too bad for her.
Day nineteen.
****
I'm woken, as usual, by the rattling of branches as To slips down from her tree. She grimaces from the noise as her feet hit the ground, looks back and forth carefully, and jogs away with just-woke-up unsteadiness. She always starts off the day with a jog; I find that habit slightly ridiculous. I mean, we're not just getting out of bed for a stroll here. A morning jog is something something so mundane, something only health nuts do, comfortable in their homes and routines. Oh well. Maybe she's trying to wake herself up.
I get ready for another long day of following her around. I'm not disappointed. After a while we end up at a creek. To crouches nervously next to the bank and sticks her canteen under the water's flow. Man, she is so exposed right now. If I had her bow, BAM! That'd be it for To Liscan.
When her canteen is full, dunks her head in the water and quickly comes up, shaking her head like a dog. Water drops fly off her short hair.
All of a sudden she whips an arrow to her bow and points it into the trees. "I know you're there! Come out!"
She's not looking at me, so I should be safe. Slowly a boy emerges from the trees. He holds up his hands. No weapons.
"Who are you?" She demands. Pushy, pushy.
"Eulkichu Dambis." Answers the boy, who apparently needs to practice his quiet feet. I've been following her forever and I've never been found out.
"District 12?" She asks.
"Yeah."
"I remember you. I don't like your name."
"You're the one who spent half of their interview complaining about the fact that they were named after toes."
"Just because I hate my name doesn't mean I like yours."
"...You going to shoot me?"
"Yeah"
"When?" Sheesh, was this guy suicidal or something?
"I don't know. Whenever."
"What if I attack you?"
"Then I dodge and then shoot you."
"You're pretty confident."
To shrugs, "I have good reason."
He wrinkles his nose. "You proud of the fact that you've killed people?"
"No, not proud. But it had to be done. And I'll do it again if I need to."
For a moment he looks like he's about to speak, but all of a sudden he lunges at her. And something lunges at him.
It's a wolf. All of a sudden, they stop preparing to kill each other, and turn to the inhuman threats. I shrink back as much as I can. I don't have any weapons beside To's one arrow, so if they come after me I'm dead.
There's something fascinating about watching those two fight. Their styles are so different. To is calculated and efficient, while Eulkichu is wild and explosive. If they joined up, they'd be unstoppable. Lucky for the rest of us that To's not the kind to make alliances.
There's two wolves, one that's just barely stumbling around on four legs, and another that looks like it's in its prime. The weak one is dispatched quickly, and all of a sudden Eulkichu has disappeared. Like a magic trick. To shots the other one from very close range. The big bad wolf didn't stand a chance.
To stands for a moment, panting. Then she curses in frustration and begins sweeping the area for Eulkichu. Her prey keeps slipping out of her fingers. Poor girl. She ought to be more careful. Not.
She visibly restrains herself. She's doing her best not to just explode. I'm not sure if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. It could scare people off, or draw them to her.
She takes a rattling deep breath and sets off again. Whatever else you can say about her, she does keep at it. If she wasn't so evil I'd admire her. But she is. And I don't. I follow her into the woods and disappear.
Audio Lome, District 3
No faces today. Good I guess. I wonder if this is going to work. I've been obsessed with the idea that it won't and were gonna die. I don't tell it to the others, though. Most of 'em would get mad at me. And the ones that wouldn't hate me anyway.
It's just...I can't find anything else to think of. Except my new friends. But everything else reminds me of home, which reminds me that I'll probably never see it again. And even Flute can't find much to talk about that in no way relates to home. And the weather gets really boring after a while. And yes, I've really resorted to talking about the weather. It was sunny, by the way.
Now it's night, and cold night air is thin and freezing on my nose 'n the tips of my ears.
Flute's over with Wrainin and Sparky. SO it's just me 'n Rocky right now. We're both quiet and happy with it. We're friends and all, but neither of us wanna talk.
I wonder if he's thinkin' about the same things I am. I don't know if he really believes in Reb's plan the way Jiminy and Sneak do, and I'm a little scared to ask.
"What're things like in District 3?" He asks all of a sudden.
"Oh, I dunno. We think a lot about school. And working in the factories. But if you do well enough you can avoid working and just go to school."
"Huh. In 2 it's kind of the same. If you do well in school you keep going. If you don't qualify you have to go to work. My brother got his first job after eighth grade."
"Did you do a good job in school?" I ask.
"I did okay. Good enough to get into high school. But I wouldn't have made college." He sound a little wistful, but not much.
"I was- am- going to go to college," I tell him. "And get married someday."
"You like anybody?" He asks, tipping his head back to look at me.
"There isn't anybody really special. I mean, there are some really cute girls, but nobody I really like." I answer. I wish there was. My mom always jokes I was a family man even before I was born. "Do you like anybody?"
He looks up at the sky. "Yeah." he mumbles. This isn't the sort of stuff I usually talk about with my friends. I guess our emotions have been thrown outta whack by this arena.
"What's she like?" I coax.
"She really smart. She's going to graduate college for sure. She's pretty shy, like me. But a lot of the time we end up looking at each other. She's really nice. I guess I don't know what to say to her even more than I usually don't know what to say to girls, just because she's so different."
"She sounds great." I say.
"She is. And she knows who she is, I'm pretty sure." He smiles a little. shyly, "Now, anyway."
"I hope you see her again." Is all I can think to say.
"Yeah." He laughs bitterly, "Me and you both."
"Hmm." The conversation is over, and we both let it die out. I wonder if he loved that shy girl back in District 2. I don't want to ask though. He doesn't want to talk about this. I mean, we are guys. Not always so good with the whole "expressing our feelings" bit. But I'm glad he finally got up the courage to tell her, on national T.V., no less.
I roll over to my other side. I just can't escape the idea that this won't work. So not only am I going to die, but I'm going to spend my last days worrying about it. Wonderful. Just peachy.
Day twenty.
Surviving Contestants
District 1: None
District 2: Fenn Zete (Fen Zet)
Flute French (I don't really need to explain this one, right?)
District 3: Audio Lome (Aw-dee-oh Loam)
To Liscan (Toe Liss-can)
District 4: Disha Lawrence (Disha Lore-ence)
District 5: Aria Lyemann (Ah-ree-uh Lie-man)
District 6: Wrianin Abro (Ree-anne-in Ah-bro)
District 7: None
District 8: Jiminy Frank (Jim-in-ee Fraynk)
District 9: Rhiattany Hurli (Ree-uh-taw-nee Hurley)
Distict 10: Narcis Aramis (Nawr-siss Air-uh-miss)
District 11: Drai Brister (Dray Brisster)
Distict 12: Eulkichu Dambis (Ul-kitch-oo Dam-biss)