Chapter 14

Somehow I had known they would still be there when I woke up. Rose and Tallia were just sitting down eating berries. They were definitely raspberries. I could tell from the red color. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I had some meat in my pack. The only problem was it hadn't been cooked. After seeing some of the sicknesses that people get from eating raw meat, I refused to eat it without letting it cook first. I wondered how long it would take Tallia and Rose to leave. Knowing my horrible luck, they'd decide to stay longer than I could hold out. Not that they knew where I was.

"Tal, we need to get going soon," Rose said.

I was glad for this. As soon as they left, I could get to work on getting a breakfast made.

Tallia surveyed the area. "I guess you're right. This is a nice place to stay for awhile, though. I know that there are still a lot of us around, but if there wasn't I'd stay."

"If there wasn't we wouldn't be allies. You know as soon as the final eight are left, we got to split. A larger group will become more easy to find, and I know that Raven and Natalia are going to be in the final eight. Those two have made extream promises to do whatever they have to do to go home. Mockingjay might make it, but I doubt she really has been fighting. Most likely she's been hiding out like Lillith had decided to do..."

There was an awkward silence. A small sob came from both girls. Lillith and them had been the main three friends in our class. I was one of the outcasts along with Janice, Aroura, and Malli. Everyone knew them. Even if they weren't in our class. Other than Daeken, I never really hung out with anyone during school. At home, I was usually alone. My father had extra work he has had to do to make up for my mother. I have some extra work to make up for the money that Yuri used to help make. But Yuri hadn't been a large part of the money in our family so taking over her place wasn't very difficult. For my father, it was very hard. Mother and him worked the same time, so he asked to take her place along with his. Double work wasn't easy, but he didn't complain. My father and I never really talked about mother or Yuri. It just brought hate and sadness with it.

"Just think Rose. Once one of us goes home, no more work. None whatsoever! Our families will be safe too."

"Unless we do die. Then our families get nothing at all and they continue to work without our help..."

Tallia shook a bit. "I think one of us will make it. Our families are close so whoever wins will help the others family... Right?"

Rose nodded. "If one of us wins we have to help Lil's family as well. She was one of the climbers along with us. That's how we knew each other, right?"

Tallia and Rose were berry pickers in District 11 along with Lil. It was easy work if you were good at climbing. Made good pay too, because most people couldn't do it. Not being so underfed and weak. Also the climbing gave you better upper body strength. If either of them noticed me, they could climb after me quickly. Hopefully Tallia would want to leave with Rose.

"Can't we stay for a little longer? I finally found a nice place. Soon we'll have to go back to the jungle area of the arena. Once we're there you know other tributes are going into that area."

Jungle? Is that what the forest was called? Of course I knew it hadn't been a normal forest, there was something very strange with the plants there.

"We should move. Yesterday we saw Raven coming 'round this way. I don't want to catch up with her. You saw what happened when she got ahold of Mallium. Raven almost killed her, if it hadn't been for Mallium saving her life. I didn't think little Mallium could get anyone out of quick sand..." Rose looked suspicious, which made me wonder as well.

Did Malli really save Raven? If so... Why? Raven has made it clear that she'll do whatever she has to do to win the hunger games. If Malli hadn't saved her, then it would have been one less person from District 11 trying to kill her friends. I've done everything I could to not be the reason of death for any of the girls from District 11. I couldn't let it bother me, though. Raven is still alive and fighting, but Mallium is gone. I can't let this confuse me or else I won't be prepared for whatever else comes my way.

About another hour went by before Rose and Tallia began to move on. My stomach was growling at me more consistently since when I had awaken this morning. Once I could no longer see or hear them, I started down the tree I had come up. It was a good thing that the plain gave plenty of cover, or someone would have easily see me hiding in the tree and getting down from it.

Once I was near the place that they had rested, I saw the small fire they had made this morning. Neither of them had put it out before leaving, and this was just the thing the Gamemakers needed to put the rest of us in a more confined area. That wasn't something anyone needed right now, so I decided I might as well put it out. After I use it warn up some of the meat I had that is. All of the pig had been cooked when I killed it, but meat wasn't that great cold. I know that I shouldn't be nit picking about it, but I had an opportunity right now. Never in a hundred years, would I have started a fire myself to do that. And simply putting out the fire might grab the attention of the Gamemakers. The last thing anyone needed was a fire, and they might pick up on that's why I put it out. The Gamemakers are horrible so I doubted that they would leave that alone. To cause more issues, they'd bring a stronger fire back... Or worse...

I ate a bit, and then started on my way. If everyone was moving into the jungle, then I'd want to stay away from there. At least for now. Instead I would go back to the mountain, or maybe the hide out. Luckily I had only traveled a half days journey and that mean't it would be easier to go back, since I knew where I was going.

Once I got back, I realized why everyone had left to the jungle...

"The mountains are gone!" I whispered to myself.