I make sure to remember my path to the rocky cliff. In the end I'll probably just end up listening to the rumble of the water fall and head in that relative direction.

I've found lots of vines but nothing substantial, so as I continue searching for weights, I make a woven rope from the thin strands I have collected. My progress is slowed because of the fact that I need to test each plant on my arm before handling it. I don't want to end up with some sort of skin poison for the rest of my life.

Oh my short sweet life.

This wander through trees keeps me constantly on guard. I'm fine without shoes; I've learned to avoid things that even my eyes don't notice. I can imagine how troublesome it must be for some tributes, thorns snake across the forest floor and by the strange liquid that dribbles from them, I'm betting their filled with toxins.

I'm actually really glad that I didn't just find some big easy vine; the rope making gives my sanity something to take cover in. Without it I would be dashing across the jungle at the slightest provocation.

Not that that would be wrong, it is true the smallest noise could be my last. The shudder of leaves, an arrow to the heart. The pad of feet, a pack of wolves gnawing at your remains. Gnawing. Yes, I feel hungry. Very, very hungry.

Suddenly the berries around me seem so inviting. But I guess I'll just have to last a little longer until I can find something to eat. But what would that be? I begin testing berries on the inside of my wrist and leaving the juices to sit. If they don't itch, I swallow a bit on my tongue. If it stings, I rub any traces of the plant from my body.

I come across a few ponds that may be useful when I trek farther from the river gorge. Sadly the water looks infested with some sort of larvae. I can see millions of the little black shapes darting to and fro. Seeing the water I begin to notice the dryness on my tongue. I can't help but paw at my taste buds in frustrated attempts to appease them.

It's at one of the small ponds that I decide to set the snare. I have many meters of the vine rope since I've been working at it for almost an hour as I walk. I fiddle with it and combine some of my skills and some of what the trainer taught me. Eventually I come up with something satisfying.

It's very simple in the way that if anything walks past it should be caught by the legs. I'm still hoping that the rest of the contraption will work and leave my prey dangling. It makes me sick thinking about finding an animal dangling with its eyes still open and glaring.

A gangly tree catches my eye. I've seen many of them but I haven't gotten close to one until now. From my position on the edge of the water, I can see the dark round husky fruits that hang from beneath the leaves.

Coconuts?

I've had them a few times but these look larger and the husks are darker. I lick my lips. If I can eat them, they'll be delicious!

I scale the tree just like I would a mast. The vines act as slick ropes that sway in the wind. I pound a few of the larger ones out of the tree and realize that even if I can't eat them, they are perfect to attach to either side of the thick rope. I set the two nicest ones aside and crack a small one open over a protruding rock. The husk takes a few minutes to pick off and finally I have the bare nut, a thin liquid trailing out of the crack I created. It's all I can do not to lap it up right then and there. Instead, I dribble a few droplets onto my skin and wait. But I even when I stop thinking about the coconut, I end up staring at the darkening sky and cursing the capitol in my head. The unfairness of it all is so absurdly horrifying, even this enchanting sunset that streaks like blazing fire is for their sake not the tributes. The falling sun reminds me that I should get back to the canyon. It seems friendlier there even though it's so very close to the site of the bloodbath. To where the careers wait. Or hunt, it makes me wonder where they are now. All the more reason to get going. It crosses my mind that maybe I'll catch a person in that snare of mine. I start to hope it will be someone trained, one less fearless opponent to murder you in the night.

I gather up the coconuts and climb a little ways up a rocky hill. They are all over the arena, I have past many. The molten smooth rise just clears some of the tree tops. I stay down because there is almost nothing to conceal me. After a few scans of the landscape to get my bearings. I just barely spot the gorge through the mist. I make my way down, which is always harder than the way up. Especially when your arms are full of heavy spheres. After checking that my wrist doesn't itch from the milky liquid, I dribble a few drops into my mouth. Most of it ends up sliding down my chin because it's very hard to lift one coconut up and keep the rest balanced in the crooks of your elbows. I resolve to wait till I get back to my temporary camp by the bridge to drink the rest, it's very tempting but I'm guessing that just because the plant doesn't itch, doesn't mean you won't die from it. I don't remember who thought me how to test plants. There were more steps but it would take hours, which sadly, I do not have.

The way back to my hideout, takes very little time. I guess I was zigzagging; well I still am so that I can collect some of the berries that seem safe because of my previous tests. A few blotches of color dot my arm, that is a few blotches of color from the safe berries. The only mark from the rest of them are shiny red rashes or even strange bubbles that are swelling up in small amounts. I'm glad that I used no more than one berry each plant, otherwise I'd be a screaming writhing pile of a mess.

Once I reach The ledge beside the bridge, I climb up, staying out of view from anyone who may be watching. After sorting through the berries to make sure they are all the right ones, I indulge in the coconut. I'm not warry at all. Once the milk is gone I strip some of the husk from another and wrap it in the stuff to muffle the cracks as I use my surroundings to crack it further. Once that's done I'm glad to find that the walls of the nut are edged with a hard white substance. I try a few flakes just in case before picking the inside clean.

I'm sad to find that I've used all the vine that I had in my snare, so I make do with Some of the berry stems. I don't have much but after it's relatively woven together, I can tie the knives to it and have it hanging around my waist. I look over the meager pile of berries wondering what to do with them. I start to feel sad about the loss of the sack I found near the cornucopia this morning.

This morning.

Wow. It was only this morning that I was waiting for the games. Only a few days ago that I rode the splashing waves of the ocean and had no fear larger than getting into an argument with my friends.

It all feels like a different life now.

I distantly fill the empty coconut shells with the plants and strap the halves together as best as I can using only leftover vines and fibers from the husk. Then I tuck all of it beneath the small ledge and curl up between the rocks. The moon is rising, obscured by a soft wispy layer of fog that stretches over the hills and rivers. The birds are quieting and soon only a single bird caws. The sound echoes over the silence. A strange cricket like bug chirps softly down in the forest.

Suddenly, the anthem bursts into the night. I hear the flutter of wings as the noise starts an animal. It startles me to, I'm up crouching before the second word has been uttered; grappling at the knives around my waist. Even though it is night I can see clearly in the light of the oversized moon.

The anthem ends and the death recap begins. Caleb and his district partner appear first. The memory of his death makes me all hollow and depressed on the inside. It also means that both tributes from one and two have survived. The next to appear is the young boy tribute from five. I sigh, I don't know if it's better that he's dead now, or if he had died later. Then there are both tributes from six. One from seven and one from eight, both from nine, one from ten and the girl from twelve. I'm glad that I didn't really get to know most of them; otherwise my hopes would be crumbling even lower. Really, ten lives taken on the first day? That leaves all the careers plus eight others not including me. That is if you don't count Ostrix as a career. Even so, he's teamed up with them and it's only a matter of time that the girl from eleven will accept their invites. I wonder if Rowin's doing ok.

I slide the carved bird from my pocket I don't dare blow into it, instead I just stroke the wings and let my mind relax. I fall asleep with the bird cupped softly between my fingers.

yup yup boring much, I just had to get this out of the way to set the scene for something else. :D

Review anyway, just don't rant about the unexitingnes, I already berated myself for that.