12
***
Liza helps me to my feet and i progress towards the nearest tree too steady my weight. If this is what being struck be lightening feels like then id rather it not be a regular occurrence. A searing pain soars up my spinal chord sending me back to my knees. I send out a light squeal of pain as my knees surrender to the pain and i fall onto my back. I can see Liza in the corner of my eyes, she's trying to figure out a plan. A place for a us to stay, out of deaths way.
I use brute force too push myself up onto my legs again, which causes me to break out a sweat. Liza picks up my bags and the short sword from my opponent, and hands them too me. ''Thank you'' I stutter whilst grasping them and throwing one bag over my shoulder and shoving the sword into my belt hooks, i hold out the second bag toward Liza. ''I got this for you, It holds food, water and a small dagger... Just in case we get separated again.'' I give a short but gentle smile and she looks up at me with relief in her eyes and removes the bag from my tight grip.
We wonder for a while, picking up some berries. Liza knows what is poisonous and what's not. She studies Biology at school, one of the best students. She works for a local cattle hoarder who gets her to collect all edible berries from the woods near his cattle field, for him to feed his stock and himself. She told me he used to get his wife to do it, until she died eating a rare mushroom found in the murky parts of the woods. After that he never wanted to risk his life looking for the berries so got Liza too. Which i guess seems fair, because by the look of things, she's fairly good at it.
We continue into the forest, it begins to get cold and dark. Just before we find a place to settle down, i manage to set my eyes upon a squirrel. Its running across the forest bed, I tell Liza to slowly get me the dagger from her bag. She does so and hands it too me, Im not good at throwing knives but its worth a try. I aim, keeping as steady as possible and shoot. I miss, watching my prey scramble away, startled by the whistle of the knife. Liza runs over and picks up the dagger and joins me back at our safe spot. We have a perfect view of the large tree again, and oncer again forks of light strikes the tree. Each strike seems to send a power image into my head. The President laughing. My family in flames. My sister screaming out to me. Myself being chained down. The long black cloaks of my districts people, circled around my families screams.
Next thing i find myself screaming and cursing, repeatedly stabbing the tree im leaning on. I begin to calm down and i see Liza approach me slowly with a terrified presence. ''Calm down Jasper, calm... You''ll be ok, come on lay down, Ill keep guard first'' She caress' my hair and sits by the side of my shaking body. I pass her the sword and turn on my side. Tomorrow we will travel to the tree and claim it ours. The trumpets begin and a blue haze mounds in the sky. The fallen tributes begin to fill the sky. The females from 3 and 6 haven fallen, both from 5 and 12, the male from 8 and then my opponent, i notice him by his distinct baby face. His name was Barley Trayson, district 11. 8 down, 16 still left surviving.
The morning creeps upon quick. My eyes are forced open by the sound of Liza awakening. We swapped posts last night, i managed to get a good 4-5 hours in of sleep. By the looks of the sun, its around eleven o'clock, perfect time to start our dissent up the lightening tree. I give Liza a hand up and pass her some water. From last nights sleep, the air seemed to get unbelievably dry ever so quickly, quickening our first. So when Liza arose i knew the first thing she needed.
We set down out equipment and placed in our bags. I take two salted crackers and a few nuts. We eat in silence and progress into the forest. ''Why do you think these lightening occurrences keep happening?'' Liza speaks as if she knows exactly what conversation the capitol want to hear. ''Im not sure, but for some reason i cant help but think they have something to do with me.'' I say sarcastically, Liza spreads a small smirk and I let a slight sigh that holds enough breath to be a short laugh. We walk for a while, i involves a lot of stopping and falling, scrambling to find a place to hide because on of us spotted a tribute, but we are moving at a good pace.
We finally make it to the outskirts of the tree. Liza slides her back down the trunk of the tree too sitting position. I allow her too rest, she deserves it. I begin to get ready to make base not too close for comfort, near the tree before i spot a rustle in the bushes just opposite my current position. One after another, careers ranging from the ages of 16-18 stumble out the bushes, cracking jokes about their death tally.