Author's Note: Hello All! Sorry it's taken awhile for me to come back and upload. But rest assured, I have a surprise. I'm uploading the next three chapters. And hopefully the continuing ones afterwards in the continuing weeks. So, enjoy. Reviews are always welcome.
14
When I first wake, my first thought is why am I cold? I'm a tad chilly. Turning to my side, I realize that Seely is no longer in the sleeping bag.
I sit up and see Seely sitting next to my day marker. He's tracing his fingers over the marks. Seely looks at me because of my moving and smiles wanly.
"There was a cannon. Late last night. I couldn't sleep." I nod at him and scoot towards him to feel his forehead. He's still hot. That's not good. And it would be Seely, the kind boy from Three, to die from a fever.
I find one of the bottles of water and hand it to him.
"Drink it," I say. He sips some. "All of it Seely." He furrows his brow but continues to sip it. I start checking his wounds. They're not bad, but I do rip new pieces from my blanket and pocket the bloody ones. I'll wash those in the river.
I'll leave Seely the rest of the berries as I eat the last of my nuts. He still hasn't drank the water not really. I don't think I could force him to drink it either.
"I'm going down to the river," I tell Seely. He just looks at me. "I'll leave you the knife. I'll clean the fish up here."
"No," he forces out. It's like he hurt himself to say it. "No," he repeats. "Take it with you. No one can get up here like you can." I only nod because that's probably true. I pull the knife from the marker and place it in my belt. I take off my jacket too because I'm pretty warm now.
I look at Seely. His fever is worrisome. I forget, is it feed a fever and starve a cold? I'm not sure it will matter anymore, but I don't think it will hurt to wrap Seely in the sleeping bag and my jacket as well. And that's what I do. He doesn't complain either.
As I throw down the spear, I say, "I'll be back soon Seely. Sleep okay. You need it." I almost see him smile, and then I hop down from the tree.
I'm more cautious today than yesterday. If Seely could cross…did Seely cross? I don't know if he did or how he crossed the river. I'll have to ask him when I return.
I fill up one of the bottles of water I took and put the iodine in it. It should filter by the time I find fish. I found myself in a different spot today considering I didn't find many yesterday. But soon enough, I spear plenty of fish. These should stop an aching belly.
I take the scales off and remove the heads and bones. The rocks are hot like yesterday, and I let them cook. This could take a while though. So, I take out the ripped clothe and soak them. The blood doesn't come all the way out, but it's good enough. I let those rest on another rock to dry.
The fish still isn't ready, and I'm not near any bushes to find berries. I really don't want to leave my stuff so I decide to strip. I take off my flannel, boots, socks, and pants. I'll bathe. I don't smell, but I feel awful.
This should be giving Panem a site. Me, Anneliese Cresta bathing in the river. Too bad I'm not naked. They would edit that out no doubt. Panem may like blood but it surely won't let its children see nudity.
As I let the water wash over me. I start to hum the song I sang to Odair the other night. I won't sing it here. I don't know if anyone else is out there really close to me, and I don't want to give Panem something that close to my heart.
My eye catches something though, mid song. I notice my bracelet. Emmy's bracelet. And, I see the knots. Finnick's knots. And this, as I touch the bracelet, I smile. I look up at the sky and smile there too.
I've probably just received a bunch of awes if there's nothing else good going on. And with that, I pull myself from the river and start putting on my clothes. As I'm putting on my last item, my left boot, I hear something. I'm not sure what it is but then I hear something in the water as I've been looking around. I turn to the river and see a…a parachute! There's a parachute in the river. It's stuck on a rock, and I pull it out with the spear.
Upon opening it, I find bread. Simple enough. Two very large rolls of bread. One is from my district. It's green from seaweed and smells of salt, and the other I'm certain that it's meant for Seely. I look up and say, "Thank you," and blow a kiss into the air. They'll just love that.
As much as I like the bread, I could use the canister it came in more. I place the bread and fish in the parachute and fill the canister with water. I'm not sure how much iodine to add to it but it looks three times as much as my water bottle so I put three times as much in it. I guess we'll know later. I put the top back on it and place that in the parachute as well.
After I put my flannel on and place the knife in my belt, I make my way outside of the area I searched for berries. And, I'm in luck. I find more berries and some nuts today. I put those in one of these overly large pockets in my pants since the other has the semi-clean bandages.
When I make it to my tree, I call for Seely to untie the vine. There's no way I can throw all that up there without hitting him. He does so, and I see him wheeze. I'll have to check his bandages again.
I tie up the spear and parachute and ask Seely to pull it up as I climb. He does this too, but it seems a lot easier for him to do this. As I make it up, Seely already has the stuff untied and wraps the vine back around the branch.
He opens up the parachute as I settle down into the tree.
"You were sent bread?"
"Yeah, I decided to take a swim…well, a bath…and it came." I shrug. "There's some for you too." I see him smile and there's lightness in his eyes behind those glasses.
I know I said he sounded bad, but Seely looks better than when I left this morning. I see another parachute next to him and touch it. He was sent medicine. Good because he needs it.
I lean towards him to look at his bandages when he speaks again, "It came almost as soon as you left." I nod and check him over. Then I see something glinting behind his back.
"What's that?"
He furrows his brow as he pulls out a knife. "I think they sent it so I…" but I don't let him finish. We both know why he was sent a weapon.
"Alright then," I lean back and drop my knife and move the spear over to him. "Do it." He looks alarmed and bites his lip. "Kill me Seely. I'd rather it be you than him." We both know which him I'm talking about.
He fingers the knife then looks at me. There's a sadness now in his eyes, and he drops the knife and pushes my weapons away. He moves towards me, but I stay as stiff as I was when he had the weapons.
"You weren't listening during the interview were you?" He questions. I quirk my brow. What's he on about? He frowns, "Of course you weren't."
"I was nervous," I say.
He smiles, "It didn't show."
I scoff, "Looks can be misleading." He edges closer and finally I move my back against one of the branches.
"Yes, yes they can. But," he pauses trying to think of the right way to say whatever it is he's going to tell me next. "I've never mislead you have I?" He hasn't so far. He's helped me a lot considering he told me about Calidus.
"No," I hear my voice waver. He looks at me curiously. He's starting to scare me. "Seely, what are you—" But my question is cut off. My eyes go wide for Seely is kissing me.
I pierce my lips as he moves away. I can feel my eyes watering, but I push that thought away. I open my mouth a few times to say something, but I'm just not sure what. So, I shake my head and start pulling the berries from my pocket. They're probably smooshed. I'm surprised when they're not.
"Annie," Seely says. I ignore him and start splitting the food four to six different ways. There's enough for a few meals so that's what I do. "Annie?" I hear again, but this time the question is all too present in his voice. I start wrapping the leftover food and push Seely's portion to him. He tries to grab my hand, but I yank it away.
"Damn it Annie! Look at me." I don't want to but I do. My lip is quivering as I meet Seely's eyes. I don't say a word. Just look. That is what he asked. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"Well you did."
He sighs, "I'm not sorry I did it though." He starts eating the fish and looks at me.
"And why not?" I glare at him. How could he do this?
"Because I like you Annie. And if things were different—"
"But they're not."
"—and we lived in the same district—"
"Which we don't."
"—you would be the exact girl I would want to marry." I stare at him. I can't believe this. I gulp before I say my next words.
"You shouldn't." He laughs.
"But I do." I shake my head. I rip my bread in half and see him stare at it just like Percy had. Percy, I hope you're okay.
"Don't be thick Seely. Liking me or any girl in this arena will just be stupid." I shake my head again. "And it could get you killed. Especially since it's me considering Calidus said, 'I have my eye on someone Caesar. It'll blow you out of the water.' And we both know he was talking about me. He won't even have to blink to even consider killing you then me."
Seely drops his food. "Yeah, his interview is the one you listen to."
"Don't be jealous Seely. It doesn't become you. And besides," I add. "that's the only part I heard really. The only interview I remember well is mine and I'm not too sure exactly what I said." I hear him scoff. "You should finish that," I say and point to his food. I grab the knife by my foot and see him stiffen. "If I wanted to kill anyone, my body would already be back in Four already." I mark the tree for day three.
"You really shouldn't say things like that," I hear Seely say.
"Yeah well," I turn back to finish my food, "you really shouldn't do certain things you do." He shouldn't have kissed me. That was out of bounds.
"I know I was out of line Annie." I just shrug. I turn from him and look out at the arena. No one else has died today apart from the one this morning. We must have given a good show today. I know Seely and I did.
I feel Seely move beside me as I look at the setting sun. "How did you cross the river?"
"I didn't." I turn to look at him, but he's not looking at me. He's looking at the sky. "I climbed the rocks in the dam and walked over. It's pretty high. I hurt my leg doing it too. That's why it was hard for me to climb this tree." Oh. I don't say anything. I don't think I need too. I shouldn't have reacted that way to Seely either, but I'm stubborn. There's no way to get an apology out of me. So, I grab his hand and give it a squeeze. He returns it.
When I look up, I see him looking at me. I place my other hand on his forehead. He's hot. "You should take some of that medicine they gave you." And, I get up and hop in the sleeping bag not even waiting for Seely or the anthem.
I see him take some of his medicine. And as he gets in the sleeping bag with me the anthem plays. Only one person died today. The girl from Ten. Her name was Taura. Funny, in an instant something can go from present to past tense. Like talking about a person. She lives. She died. But that's what these games are for since we're nothing but pawns.
"She was nice," I hear Seely say. I turn over and look at him. I see him smile in the little moonlight that seeps through the leaves.
"I'm sorry how I reacted," I say. I brush his hair from going in his glasses and give him a small smile. Then I turn back around.
Within minutes I find Seely closer to me and I think he's whispering to me. Something so low and close to my ear that the cameras couldn't possibly pick up.
"Annie…Annie I…I just wanted to kiss someone before I die. I'm just glad it was you." And with that, I feel him kiss my hair and settle back down behind me. I fall to sleep within a few seconds of contemplating his admission.