CHAPTER 13

CHRIS' POV

I love fire, but not this type, not when it's the kind that would like to kill me. The fire's all over. Closing on me every corner. It's so hot, and burning my eyes, So much smoke that I almost fall down from asphyxiation of the smoke. I make a run for it. Run, run Chris! I got to get out of here! Now! Then something very unusual happens that I haven't seen in any Games. Fireballs. One is off target it hits a tree about 3 metres off me but I can tell the gamemakers were aiming for me. There's a tiny space that I think is big enough to get me through. And just as I squeeze through sucking every bit of air from me to get through with my bag, one comes right for me. I don't get hit but as I duck it singes the spike at the top of my head, causing me to roll of roughly down a large hill. I think I break a finger as I fall. Before I can catch my breath to see how badly hurt I am, I don't even notice as one catches me on my calf. It's not pain. It's more than pain. It's a fire mutt. I crawl over to protect myself from the surrounding fire behind a pile of boulders. Gah! It hurts so much! I watch in agony as the fire burns through my flesh turning it to a red purplish colour. What is this? Tenderly as possible I touch it. ''Ah!'' I clench my teeth and I tighten my body to let the pain ebb. But it doesn't. The pain settles in my calf for the whole time. I have to run. I have to live. I can't burn. I'm supposed to survive fire, I'm the Boy On Fire. I begin to run anywhere that's away from here. Away from the pain, but it follows me everywhere I go, It follows. Another one hurls towards me and I drop on all fours so hard I hear a crack. Now I start to sprint as fast as possible not caring about the burning gash on my leg. I think I'm going to drop dead and die now. The pain is so unbearable. I think the Fire mutts have stopped burning through my calf. But it's reached the bone. Just as I decide I can't take it anymore to just let myself be engulfed in the flames, the lake is in reach. C'mon Chris! You can make it!

I don't even have to jump in, the mud carries me to slip in and the fireball passes above me as I fall into the water. Now I can breath. I stop and I check the wound. If looks could kill. I cant let this get infected. If a grain of dust is placed on it, I'll probably die instantly. I finally think I have a time to relax and care for it, when I hear familiar voices. What a foolish thought. Oh,no. Career tributes. Just as they emerge through the trees, they spot me.

''There he is! We found him!''

''I told you he'd be here!''

''Hey, Fire boy c'mon lets play a bit,huh?''

''Yeah lets go for a quick dip!''

They begin to hoot,laugh,and twitter as I run for my life. They're not even trying to run because they know I'm injured and I can't escape their reach.''C'mon don't run we just wanna have some fun and play a bit!'' Glimmer shouts. I know I can't escape so I begin to climb. I climb as high as I can before they reach. ''Climbing Fire Boy?'' I look down it looks like a safe enough distance. I think. ''Get 'em Cato'' ''Yeah slit his throat.''

''Here take this,'' Glimmer offers something that makes me rage and want to jump off and strangle her as hard as I can. My bow and arrows. My Bow! My Arrows! My weapon! Mine! I'm lucky this time though instead Cato uses his spear. ''I'm better with my spear.'' He aims and I force my body as close to the tree as possible. The spear skims my head and the crowd of careers gasp. Cato never misses. Furious, he takes another spear angling it this time, and once again misses. This is my chance to give the Capitol a show!

''How's it going down there for you?'' I ask them. I hear and feel a shock of surprise and wonder as the Careers process what I had just said.

''It's a little chilly,...You...?'' The boy from District 2 says choosing a large aspect of knives from his bag. Looks like he has a lot. ''Where's my big sharp one?'' He whispers but I can make it out.

''Oh it's fine up here, why don't you come and join me?'' I laugh a bit.

''Maybe,'' He says digging through the pack. ''I will.'' Finally he says pulling out the knife. I regret saying that. He begins to climb, and so do I. But it's completely too hard for me as I struggle as blood trickles down my leg and the tree. Aw, man! I should had just shut up and climbed! But just as Cato is about two and a half metres away from me the branch he's on breaks and falls. And the whomph echoes throughout the forest giving other tributes a idea of where not to go. I look down. Cato's cussing. The girl from District 1 Glimmer takes her, er, MY bow, and tries to shoot it at me. It gets lodged in the trunk above me, I grab it and wave it in the air like a flag so the Careers and the Capitol can see. This also takes them aback with anger.

''There's no reason to cuss, you can just easily wait me out until tomorrow, where would I go?'' They grumble a bit but in the middle of it I can easily catch a few words.

''He does got a point...He's injure and we could easily kill him in his sleep...'' ''Fine, Fire Boy, you get your wish we'll make sure we wake you so that you can say goodbye to the districts...It won't be a quick one though...'' They laugh. They're right. Knowing the careers they wouldn't make the death quick, partly because of Cato's fall. Eventually, when I think they're asleep I settle down. I'm weak from pain and hunger. I figure it's better to die in my sleep of hunger, than to die in the arms of a Career. Plus there's no point in eating, what will the morning bring? Death. That's what. The sleeping bag is too hot for my gash so I cut a hole and let my leg hang out. I try to let my eyes shut but my burn/gash forbids it. So I just stare into space. Birds singing midnight songs, owls, night creatures I wish I could go study right now but... That wouldn't be a good decision. But there's a creature in my reach at a neighboring tree. Eyes peering through the leaves I think it's a possum. Wait, a minuet... That's no possum. The dim rays of moonlight give me the strength to make her out. For a moment we hold each others gaze, I know her... Then without a rustle of a leaf her finger emerges pointing to something above my head.

My shadow, Rue.

She's trying to tell me something.