I always thought that if it were needed I would be able to run miles and miles.
That is not true, as I found out.
I ran about two miles and I already thought that I can't run more. My legs were hurting, my lungs burning and my side was hurting too.
"Morris." I wheezed out. He was running all the time ahead of me, from time to time looking over his shoulder if I was still there. He stopped and adjusted the straps of the bag.
"Could we please slow down?" I begged. I put my hands on my knees and breathed deeply. After few moments I was able to breath normally and then walked over to Morris. I took off my jacket and tied it around my waist.
"What was that about?" Morris asked after we began walking.
"What do you mean?"
"Well that blonde career on the clearing at the Cornucopia." He said and jumped over a fallen tree.
"He was just being a thick-headed idiot. That's all." I answered casually. That idiot thought that I had something with Peeta. And of course wouldn't give me the chance to explain everything to him.
"Hey!" I called out when I remembered something.
"You!" I said angrily and marched up to Morris. "What did you think you were doing? Getting the bag? That was really stupid you know."
"Well." Morris said sheepishly.
"Well what?" I put my hand on waist and glared at him.
"I thought it would be good to have at least something." He admitted. I sagged my shoulder. He was right. Without him, we wouldn't have anything.
"What's in there?" I asked curiously.
We sat down on a log and Morris opened the bag. There were purification pills, bottle, dried fruits and a jacket.
"We should find some place to hide, even better would be to find water." I started walking again through the forest. There was nothing eatable in my sight. All around me were trees, ferns and few bushes.
After two hours of hiking, we still haven't found anything. No water, no shelter. And it was already getting a bit dark.
"I'm thirsty." Moaned Morris and lay on the ground.
"I know. I would drink even onion tea. And that's something." I said and sat next to him.
"I don't like this, but it seems we will have to climb the trees for the night and stay there." I said uncertainly.
Morris lifted his head from the ground. "I don't mind it but are you sure that you will climb the tree?" He asked skeptically.
"I believe that when I will have to, I will do it." We'll see about that. I thought I could run and I didn't.
"I'll just have to find the right tree."
Another hour passed and I finally found a tree that I could climb. That meant that there were many branches that I could hold on and the stump was low.
Before we climbed the trees, Morris and I were sitting on grass eating dried fruits. It was nearly completely dark and the temperature was low.
"Do you have a token?" Asked Morris and bit into dried apple.
"No. Do you?" He nodded and showed me his wrist. He had a simple string bracelet on.
"Brother gave it to me."
"Romar?" I asked surprised.
"Yes."He answered. "It is actually his. When we were in the Justice building, when my family came to say goodbye, Romar took it of his wrist and put it on mine. I had to promise him that I will return it."
I smiled slightly and sighed. "I wonder how my parents are doing. Dad wrote me that they were fine. I can just hope that they are. It's the time for harvest. I'm sure they have hands full of work."
"I'm sure that they are okay." He sent be a small smile and readjusted his legs. "And what about that blonde guy from 2?"
"What about him again?" I asked.
"Are you dating him?" He asked bluntly. I spluttered on raisins that were in my mouth.
"No!" I shouted, my face red. "I'm not."
"But you like him." He stated and played with the grass.
"No." I said unconvincingly.
"Yes you do."
"No."
"Yes."
"Maybe."
"Ye….. wait. Maybe? That's a confirmation." He stated. "What do you like about him?"
"Well…." I trailed off. "He's…. Wait! Why am I even telling you this. Go to sleep kid."I playfully ordered.
Morris rolled his eyes and I packed the fruit back in the bag.
"Morris. I am coming with you so you can climb a tree and when I will approve that you are high and safe enough I will go to climb this one. Tomorrow, I'll wait for you in my tree and when you will wake up, you will whistle a tune. Then I will go to your tree. And take the jacket." I said and put it around his shoulders.
"Hey! I'm not going to wear a jacket if you are not wearing one." He pointed out.
"I am warm. And I'm older. You have to listen to me." I said smugly. He grumbled but put the jacket on anyway. I saw his frown on his face in the dusk.
His tree was about hundred feet away from mine. I didn't want it to be too close in case someone would find me or too far away to not be able to help Morris. He had no problem climbing this tall tree. He wasn't afraid of heights and he used to do it back home.
"You okay there buddy?" I called at him. I saw just his outline very high in the treetop.
"I'm fine. Go to your tree!"
"Goodnight!" I said and walked over to mine tree.
I stood in front of the tree with a determined look on my face. I raised my leg and placed it in a crook of the bark. I raised my self up, grabbing a branch.
"Success number one, no longer on the ground." I mumbled to myself and got a hold of another branch. I hoisted myself up and placed foot on a broken one. I was thankful that I didn't see clearly in the dusk how high I am. I continued this pattern about five minutes in row and then stopped on a sturdy branch and sat on it, my legs dangling from it.
I looked down to estimate how high I am. It looked like about ten feet. But I wasn't sure. You would think that I would get a lot higher after at least five minutes of climbing but finding branches and willing myself to climb wasn't easy.
The branch was uncomfortable and the temperature dropped really low. I knew that Morris found a small dent in the tree where he could hide a bit and not fall off the branch. I had no such luck but there were lots of smaller branches that were around me, making me a bit calmer about falling.
I tucked myself deeper into the jacket hoping it will provide me some warmth.
I left the bag with Morris. If something happened to me, he would have at least something with what he could survive.
I couldn't drift off for a long time even though I was really tired but I managed to sleep for a while.
I woke up to a sound of footsteps and excited but hushed whispers. My eyes opened and I looked on the ground that was illuminated by the moon.
Light from torch got in my vision and I blinked a few times to get used to it.
A blonde head appeared and another one followed.
Cato and Glimmer.
Just a few steps after them went Clove and Marvel and Peeta….
Wait.
Peeta?!
What the hell is he doing with the Careers! Seriously is he out of his mind? A person like him has nothing in common with them. He is not capable of killing.
"I can't wait to kill someone." Said Glimmer, gazing at Cato. That little …. Sucking up to Cato.
He didn't even look at her and signaled them to be quiet. I slowed down my breathing so they wouldn't hear me.
"I smell smoke." He said. "Someone started a fire. Let's head that way." He said and pointed his sword in the direction behind me.
My eyes fell on the sword. That thing is huge! I didn't pay much attention to it at the Cornucopia but I didn't remember it being so big.
My hand slipped as I was leaning forward to look at them and I broke a tiny little branch. I immediately ducked behind the tree into the shadow hoping that they won't notice me.
"What was that?" Asked Marvel.
I held my breath and cursed myself at not being more careful.
"Just a squirrel." Said Clove in bored tone.
"You can tell which noise makes a squirrel and which a tribute?" Asked Marvel mockingly.
"Yes I can." Said Clove seriously. " And I can also tell when an idiot is speaking." She finished and others cracked up in laugh.
"Silent." Commanded Cato after a while. "Let's go." I heard crunching of leaves and breathed a sigh or relief.
They are gone.
A thunk startled me and my eyes fell on a knife embedded in the bark next to me.
I looked down cautiously and saw Clove staring at me with amused eyes.
We were looking at each other when Cato shouted: "Clove, come on!"
"I'm coming." She called back.
I smiled at her in thanks and she winked at me and left.
I pulled the knife out. It was a really good one. Crafty.
I instantly felt more at easy when I held it in my hand.
A scream sounded about few hundred feet away from me and I knew there was one less tribute.
I thought I would have the luck to sleep a few more hours till the dawn but footsteps woke me up again. It was still dark and cold but the moon was on the other side of the sky.
I looked down but I didn't see any torch light.
It seems that the Careers were already done with their hunt.
But if it weren't they then it has to be some other tribute.
Fear passed over me and settled in my bones, I clutched the knife in my hands. Someone was passing right under my branch.
But they stopped.
Right under me.
My heart was thumping in my chest. I positioned the knife better in my hand in case of an attack.
A boot scratched the bark in a sign of someone climbing on the tree. I heard rustling of leaves on the lower branches and breaths coming from the person. I did a quick math in my head. I climbed here in about seven minutes and nearly everyone is better than me so in this dark it could take the person about half of my time. I could use it to climb even higher. But then... I don't know what then.
Fight them in the tree crown? Not likely.
I abandoned my spot and stood up. I put my hands upwards and tried to feel a branch. Thankfully I did and I hoisted myself up. I was struggling a bit to get my whole body that high but I managed.
I climbed a few more branches but they were getting thinner and thinner. I knew I was nearly on the very top and that I couldn't go higher because they wouldn't support my weight.
The person behind me breathed hard and stopped.
I looked up and saw that the sky was getting lighter.
"I know you're there." Said a sickly sweet voice.
Breath hitched in my throat when my mind recognized the voice.
Vale.
I shut my eyes in an empty wish for him to disappear.
"Come on. Come down here."
Like the hell I would.
"We could play." He suggested. I was crouched on a branch holding another one for a dear life.
"Don't be so mean. Answer me. I know you're up there." He whispered and chills ran down my spine. I drew in a ragged breath and clutched the knife even tighter.
"I'll catch you." He giggled perversely. "I'm gonna find you." He sang and chuckled to himself. Tears were soundlessly falling from my eyes out of sheer panic and fear.
"I can't wait to get my hands on you. You can't escape me. And when I will find you, believe I will, then we will have so much fun together." I could imagine him closing his eyes in pleasure. Bile rose in my throat. I was utterly terrified and disgusted by this person.
I would rather kill myself then to let his hands get anywhere near me.
"I'll be watching you." He said in the dark. I heard the sound of hands grabbing branches and feet shuffling down toward the ground. When his feet touched the ground and when I heard his retreating footsteps I let out a muffled sob.
I covered my mouth with my hands, the cold metal blade pressing against my cheek. I sunk lower against the bark and hid my face in my knees.
Tears were streaming down my face and complete despair and hopelessness had my heart in a tight grip.
I tried to calm myself down my taking deep breaths and fanning my face.
"He is a creep. With an orange hair. Who the hell has an orange hair anyway?" I rambled to myself trying to lighten the situation.
"I swear to myself that I will kill myself with this knife if he got me." That got me a bit distracted and I started thinking about ways how I could kill myself. Quickly and with the smallest amount of pain inflicted.
Chirping of birds got my attention. I looked up and the sun was already up. Morris should be up soon.
Morris! I screamed in my mind. I put the dagger behind my belt and got ready to climb down. When I looked down I nearly fainted.
I was freaking too high! How am I supposed to go down?
I exhaled and set out climbing. The whole way down I kept looking at the brown bark, occasionally at branches but never down.
"Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't…" I kept mumbling to myself as I continued with my descend.
Suddenly my feet touched the ground. I smiled in relief.
I looked around myself.
No sign of Vale or any other tributes. Good.
I spotted the tree that Morris climbed on yesterday and walked to it.
I looked in the crown but saw no sign of him. Slight panic overtook me and I started circling around the stump, still looking up.
He isn't there. I realized.
Suddenly happened something that I didn't expect.
I sneezed. Loudly.
"That was an attractive face right there before the sneeze." Commented a familiar voice from behind me. I turned around and hugged Morris tightly.
"Good morning to you too." Said Morris into my hair. I released him from my hug a looked at him. He had a healthy color in his face, his green eyes twinkling, light brown hair messy and a smile on his lips.
"What was that about?" He asked meaning the hug. There was no way I would tell him about Vale. He would surely do something stupid and I didn't want that.
"I have a Free Hugs day. There is nothing wrong about it. And I sneeze so I could be sick. I needed some comfort in these dark times of disease." I said defensively. "You are so pretty today , Mo. You could pass for a girl."
He laughed and ruffled my hair.
"Where did you get a knife?" He asked interested pointing to my belt.
"I found it on the ground." I said hoping he won't ask anything. When I saw him opening his mouth, I quickly added: "We have to find water. Let's go."
Morris didn't need to be told twice and we set off.
I just had to post another chapter today and that all thanks to your lovely reviews, follows, favorites and views.I am still a bit sick, but I was in school this week already. I had to learn a lot, so I am very happy that it id Friday already. But a touch weekend is ahead of me . I have to decide where I want to apply for university. And I am that kind of person that can't decide which shampoo I want and not which university I want to apply to. Oh well.
Nevergonnafitin thanks for the follow!
maddielal56: Thank you so much for the review and adding my story to favorites.
mdt9832: Such a compliment. My ego will burst! He is a fool, but a lovable one. Thank you for your review.
EGilly: OMG! Thanks so much. It is a bit messed up, but it... and I won't say what. I want it to be a surprise. And thank you for being the first person to review twice.
Thanks for reading. Lia