Hey guys, just letting you know that I've decided to put a poem-y thing at the start of each chapter from now on as a hint of what will happen in the chapter, or just something that describes Wren's life. Anyway, enjoy!
Never found,never found
Though you wander on and on
You'll never be found
They can see you now
They're trapped here, too
They smell you now
And there's nothing you can do
Lost in darkness
Burning ashes falling from the sky
This eternal darkness
In this town, there's nowhere you can hide
Never again to be found
- Silent Hill
I was woken up in the morning by cannonfire, followed by loud and triumphant whoops- some distance away but definitely closer.
"I can't believe how easy that was!" A male voice exclaimed. I sat up- or, at least, I tried, but the rope held me down. I quickly felt my way around the knot, and pulled on the end of the rope to undo it. I unwrapped the rope, held it in my hand then pushed myself into a crouching position, pulling one of the bag straps halfway up my arm, just in case I had to get away quickly.
"Yeah, and I could have sworn she had some stuff from the Cornucopia..." Another voice who I recognised as Delphi Holloway's chimed in. "What was her name, anyway?"
"Hestia. Her name was Hestia." The people who were speaking now came into view. The first person who spoke wass Ajax Vamos, one of Raff's 'Career' friends. "She was in my District." Xanther Winnow said with a hollow-sounding voice. Raff turned around and pushed on his shoulder to stop him.
"You are still with us, right Winnow?" Raff said almost threateningly. I couldn't see Xanther's face, but his body was tense and on edge.
"Yeah. Just a little bit shocked. I'll get over it." Xanther's voice was forceful, detirmined to stay on Raff's good side.
"Well, hello. What do we have here?" Raff looked over Xanther's shoulder, towards the direction of my tree. I froze, until another figure walked out into the open. I didn't recognise who it was.
"I want to join you." The girl's voice said clearly. Delphi Holloway cocked her head.
"Why? Don't you already have another alliance?" Delphi asked sharply.
"I was supposed to, but since you killed Validia, my options are pretty limited." The girl answered coolly, not backing down. The only person who was supposed to be allied with Validia was Katri Allardyce- Leonis Keene's cousin.
"Well, coincidentally, spaces in our alliance are pretty limited too." Delphi's voice was venomous. Raff held up a hand to stop Delphi.
"Wait a minute. I think we can make an exception for Katri." Raff stepped closer. "And I'm sorry about what happened to Leonis." Raff rubbed his hands up and down Katri's bare arms to warm her up.
"It wasn't your fault. It was Magnus's fault. Thank you for getting rid of him." Katri spoke in a low voice but I was close enough to hear her.
"No problem. It's good to have you back." Raff said, just before he stuck his tongue down Katri's throat. I turned away in disgust, not before seeing Delphi's look of fury.
I guessed that Katri and Raff used to know eachother -really well- before the Games, and now Delphi was jealous of stealing Raff's attention from her. This could get dangerous.
"What happened to your jacket?" Raff asked Katri. I turned back to see Katri shrug.
"Magnus clawed at it and ruined it, so I had to take it off." Katri explained.
"Does anyone have a spare jacket?" Raff asked his group, not taking his eyes off Katri. Everybody else turned to Delphi, who reluctantly took a jacket out of her bag and handed it to Raff. Raff helped Katri into it, and took her bag so it wouldn't weigh her down.
"Speaking of Magnus, we need to get out of the forest. I saw what happened to him- he was going after that Wren girl when the forest, attacked him or something. It's not safe here, we need to go." Raff motioned for everybody to head towards the City. "And if anybody sees Wren, tell me. I don't know how she got a 12, but we should keep an eye out for her."
"So you think she's going to be in the City?" Ajax asked.
"No, Katniss and Peeta's arena was the woods, they wouldn't know how to train her to survive in a city environment. She'll stay in the woods for sure, but if she does, we won't have to kill her, the forest will." Raff explained, walking towards the City. "I don't care about killing her as much as I care about staying alive, so..."
And then Raff walked away too far so I couldn't hear what the so was. I knew what I had to do now. If Raff thought I was going to stay in the forest, that was exactly what I couldn't do. He may be wary of the forest, but that wouldn't stop him coming to look for me.
I double checked everything I had in my bag. Last night I couldn't figure out what the thing at the bottom of my bag was, but when I took it out, I couldn't believe my luck. Poor Hestia, she must have gotten really close to the Cornucopia for this bag. At the bottom was a fold out hoverboard. It was the Capitol Hover XS (Xtra Speed), and it wasn't the 3rd edition, which was the best, but it was still really good. It charged with sunlight and excess energy- meaning, the more you used it, the more it charged.
I felt better than I had felt in days. Of course, the hoverboard only worked in the City, but that was exactly where I was headed, so it all worked out for the best. Now I needed supplies. I only had eight packets of dehydrated food, it wouldn't last me long. I found some bendy twigs and set them up in four different places, the way that I was taught to do at training. Hopefully the snares would work and I would get to my catches before anybody else.
I left my snares and silently found my way out off the forest and towards the City, making sure I didn't cross paths with the Careers. Before I got into the City, I walked close to the Cornucopia, and I nearly threw up.
The ground was still covered in blood and the stench was almost too much to bear. I gagged as I ran away from the poolful of dried blood and towards the City. As soon as I stepped into the City perimiter I took out my hoverboard, stretched it to full size and stepped onto it. I hadn't been on one of these in years, but it was like riding a bike. Once you learn, you can't unlearn it.
I flew silently in and out of buildings, with a feeling that everything was wrong, wrong, wrong. It was too quiet, too empty, and too... off. I was in Parade Square, where the main parties were held, the really big ones like the Hunger Games party, and the Winter Solstice Snow Festival. I was turning the corner of Parade Square into Celebration Avenue, when I saw Raff and his gang. I gasped and turned back so sharply I nearly fell off the board. I didn't think he saw me, but I didn't want to risk it. If he got close enough, he would be able to hear the hum of the hoverboard's motor. I stepped off the board and started walking towards the forest line.
A few seconds after I did, music started blaring from invisible speakers. I dropped my hoverboard- though thankfully it hovered instead of hitting the ground- and covered my ears with my hands. It didn't block out the noise. I stepped back onto the hoverboard and as soon as I did the parade music stopped.
I could hear rapid footsteps running towards me, and Raff shouting. I steered the hoverboard so that it went towards the forest, and as soon as I got the the edge of the wildlife, I jumped off the hoverboard, grabbed it close to my side and ran for my life. I dissapeared into the the forest and hid behind a tree until I could figure out where to go next. I peeked over the side of the tree to see Raff get stopped at the treeline by Katri and Ajax.
"Stop! It's too dangerous!" Ajax held out a hand to stop Raff. Raff kept on pushing forward.
"Raff, he's right, she's not worth it!" Katri reasoned, pulling Raff backwards by his shirt. Raff seemed to listen to Katri, something that Delphi didn't look too pleased to see. The Careers backed away slowly, and I exhaled. I walked back towards the heart of the forest, promising myself to me more careful. I had had one too many run-ins with other Tributes than I would have liked.
"No! I'm part of this alliance too and I say we stay here!" A high-pitched girl's voice was arguing. I sighed silently- nothing seemed to be going my way. I quickly climbed three branches of a tree to see Otillie and Thistle.
"Well, I know the City outline better than the forest one, so I say we go towards the City!" Otillie argued. "Besides, I don't want to be turned into a brainless, killing machine by plants!"
"Look, I know the City outline too, but it's easier to hide in a crowded forest than wide-spaced streets and locked buildings!" Thistle reasoned.
"We don't know that all of them are locked, we just need a key to open the ones that are locked!" Ottilie grumbled. Thistle sighed.
"Look, Ottilie, I know we've only been in the Games for one day, but if this alliance isn't going to work, we might as well just quit it now." Thistle told Ottilie.
"What?" Ottilie looked surprised and hurt. Thistle carried on talking.
"And eventually you're going to become my enemy, so..."
"So? What? I'm not going to hurt you." Ottilie exclaimed, panic rising in her voice. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Normally, I would understand Ottilie's panic, but she was just scared of becoming alone and hated again, and besides, the worst little Thistle would be capable of doing is kicking Ottilie's shin, pulling her hair, and running away.
Or at least, that's what I thought, until Thistle pulled out a knife stabbed Ottilie in the stomach. Otillie doubled over with a groan, and a few moments later collapsed on the ground in a limp pile. I slammed my hands over my mout to stop myself from making any noise.
I held my breath while Thistle stood over Ottilie, her face showing no remorse. A few minutes passed until the cannon shot so suddenly I lost my balance and fellout the tree. I dropped down, branch by branch, being hit in the stomach and scratched by branches all the way. I hit the ground with an oomph, the fall knocking the breath out of me. Thistle obviously heard the commotion I caused and started advancing towards me. I rolled onto my back, reaching for one of my knives, but Thistle held my hand down with the tip of her boot.
I didn't say anything, though I tried to struggle. For her size and age, Thistle was not weak. She was strong. She was a killer. And she had the upper hand.
Thistle looked at the knife in her hand, then at me. Then the blade shot forward.
I know that some of you guys wanted Wren to be the one to kill Ottilie and I'm sorry to dissapoint you, but in my mind it was always Thistle who pulled a 'Johanna Mason' and turned out to be a killer, not a snivelling weakling. Hope you enjoyed it, and please review!