Disclaimer: Hunger Games do not belong to me! ALSO
some of this survival stuff I found on an old movie called Quigly Down Under, other stuff was from Man vs. Wild….I do not own either
AUTHOR'S Note: This is another lengthy chappie folks, hope you enjoy. Also, if there are any artists in my reading ranks I would LOVE to see if you guys have any scenes you want to draw, personally I can't draw people that well. Patters no problem and painting abstractly is also a done deal but drawing people, even if it anime style…doesn't quite work for me. If you do and you don't mind showing off and your part of deviantart or other media sharing site feel free to leave your pen-name in the reviews I would be overjoyed to see your work! ;) and now let's get to it!
Chapter the Eleventh
Careers and Comrades
I find dead dried reeds among the brush, one is long enough for me to use and I cut it down to size with my pen knife. Its sturdy enough for what I need it for as I search out another cliff face. Its little wonder why I like the desert so much, the plants give me substantial cover, I am near eye level to anything dangerous, and also being small and fast food is almost in readiness, well almost everything, cactus pears are a little far from my reach, and unfortunately they would give me everything I need, sugar and water in one juicy bite.
I try not to think of that problem as I have to get a drink right now; first I find my cliff and go to a shadowy side. I look along the edge and find an area that is cooler than the rest and I start to dig. I don't know how long but eventually my fingertips touch moisture and I jam my stalk into it and twist, I twist and twist and then I suck a bit on the end. I get a mouthful of gritty warm water, but it is water. I take the camo cloth from my backpack and cover the straw and suck again. This time no grit, just water. I drink my fill and then cover my tracks. Other than Farrow the only other two to know this trick would be Celena and Archie and they wouldn't have followed me. It's gone mid afternoon when I end up finding my quarry of the day, not snake, and not hare or grouse, cactus pears.
My father and Sen would be the ones to get this treat when we saw it. They were tall enough to be able to pluck it after wrapping their hands in old newspaper. I unfortunately don't have that luxury. I look around me for something, anything to help.
I end up just hitting them with my reed; since its sturdy enough for this task; to pick them off. I know I could also cut some paddles off this plant to eat, but I need to cook those I don't feel the need to start a fire right now so I leave them.
The fruit I am surprised to find does not have spines like it does back home. I examine it carefully, its still the plump red fruit I know, but the spines that dad would usually use his lighter on are not there. This must be the line my dad told us of, that was grown to be spineless and therefore easier to eat. For the heck of it and that I have room in my pack I knock a few more off and tuck them in with the rest of my stuff as I peal and eat my pear in search of a suitable sleeping area. Its juice and sugary sweetness satisfies both my need for water and my need for food. I won't need to eat tonight.
Up on a new cliff for the night I take a good look at the sleeping bag I managed to bring with me. It's lightly insulated, it has a zipper that allows me to open it up like a blanket, and it's very compactable. The ledge I chose is wide enough that I could lie down but I fear falling off so I sleep sitting up. As I am getting ready to sleep the capital anthem plays and the emblem is emblazoned on the sky/roof, its time for the nightly recap.
The girl and boy from three
The girl from four
The girl from six
Both from seven
The boy from nine
The fourteen from ten….
And both from twelve, Celena and Archie are gone! I catch myself whimpering a bit, and stuff my hurt for the loss down in my gut, I can't mourn them, not now, I will do it later, or when I know I will join them soon.
At least Farrow is still here.
I wake with a start, it's probably ten in the morning and I slept thru with no disturbance, I didn't even wake. And it was so peaceful, maybe it's the outdoors I need for sleep, and not that it's too quiet indoors.
I look around me and listen when I hear four voices.
"How are our supplies?" a boy voice asks
"We have enough water and food back at camp, we should be okay, as long as we don't mess around" a girl replies
"honestly I think this will be finish this soon, how long do you think the rest will last with just what they have on them?" a different boy says, and they come into view.
It's the careers!
They are right under my shelf. They don't even look up. I make faces, stick out my tongue from my high perch, not one reacts. I guess they don't think anyone would climb for shelter.
"Well the fives are still in it," the first boy says
"Come one Mav! The twerp won't last another day without Farrow" the first girl says, "we don't have to look for her she'll probably come and try and pick from our supplies and we get her then"
Mav
Maverick LeTorch, he's district two's boy tribute so the girl must be….
"Abble I am saying she knows her stuff! For a twerp to last one day is something" Maverick replies, Abbleline Junket is his counterpart that he is trying to convince.
"Someone has a crush on a twerp?" says the girl tribute from one in a sing song voice, that would be Jade Truette and so her counterpart would be….
"Will you guys shuddup!" Renard Goldrush, my least favorite, he was a real snob in training, sneering at the rest as we did the drills, "With all your mouths going we can't hear the damn rattlesnakes, want to end up like Nina from four? With your leg going black and poisoning you? These aren't normal snakes!"
"How do you know? Spend any time with them Ren?" Jade teases
They all laugh and head out of my earshot.
But they gave me insight, those snakes aren't normal if they kill tissue that fast. So they must be engineered like tracker jackers. I definitely won't get bit now, I am sure the flesh is still edible though so I will keep my eye out for them, and if they make Renard nervous? Well I have a trick I can definitely play to keep him away from me.
I eat another pear and climb down when I hear a low 'hoot hooot' like an owl, I spin around and several yards away I see Farrow. I nod him to come over as I climb to a low shelf.
He comes over, we exchange glances then I toss one of my last pears to him. He catches it carefully and realizes it's a safe fruit not the spiny one from home. We don't say anything for a moment, just appreciative glances, me knowing he's fine and he doesn't look dehydrated and he knows I am still among the living.
I show fingers one and then two and point in their general direction. I also point to him and one then make a sign of a snake slithering with my hand and then a terrified face, meaning 'district one's boy is scared of snakes'.
Farrow smiles and touches his nose meaning he understands. He points to me then does one and two quickly meaning girl from twelve, then he touches his heart, meaning she liked me, when I sign who killed her and ask if it was district one or two he shakes his head and replies, 'district seven boy' then points to the career path and signs he was killed by careers after.
Well at least she was avenged, in some twisted way.
I have one last question for him, I show my crossbow and look curious, did he find something? He shakes his head. I offer mine to him and he shakes his head again showing the hunting knife he must have acquired at the horn. He's ok, he points to the sky and then off in the careers direction. He has to get moving he's on the hunt. I nod, I want to hug him but we just grasp each other's forearm, a 'so long' gesture between comrades, we let go and he canters off as I jump down to make my way in the opposite direction.
Time to do a bit of exploring.
