Chapter Twenty One: A quick errand

A quick insight from Izzy Wilkinson,

"Hey! Here she comes..."

"Ugh...Look at her. What a freak."

"I know right?"

"She's such an airhead."

Is all I hear every single day until I was wrongfully chosen to participate in what we call the Hunger Games. Despite what most people would think about me at first glance, I'm not the most popular girl in town. In anything I'm the most alienated girl in the District, due to my Tourettes Syndrome. People take one glance at me and instantly decree that I'm a postal, psycho nut case that will explode if kept unattended. The girls call me a slur of names, like "airhead" or "basket case" and even "ugly.". I know I'm not ugly, (In fact, a lot of boys around the District give me a second glance.) and I don't give a second glance to those derogatory names, but I can't help but hurt on the inside, where nobody can see. Some day's I wish that my condition would just get up and leave, but that'd never happen.

"Isabella Emmeline Wilkinson! Your condition is what makes you, you.Don't you ever change for anyone."Mum would always say to me when I came back home, my eyes brimming with tears after my daily torment at the hands of my female peers.

At first I didn't believe this...but as I got older I embraced my Tourettes and my wild side, while keeping my intelligence in check. I enjoy being 'different' even though it raises eyebrows most of the time. The capitol people lapped it up like kittens to a bowl of milk.

Yeah, I'm a pretty easy target. Yeah, I may be overly peculiar at times (all the time!) but what you see is what you get.

I don't know if I'll ever return home, but at least I proved to my acquaintances back home that I'm not just another "basket case."

Clancy.

Day four

June

Evan and I exchange heated glances at one another from the caves mouth. The slightest insult could cause a fourth world war between us. I found him cuddling Emery after I had come back from watch on the second night. All I feel like doing is beating the living pulp out of him, everything from his cocky grin to the way he winks at me every time I happen to make a quick glance at him. He doesn't even know Emery for as long has I have, he has no right to lay a hand on her. I was foolish to had have trusted him. Once a Career, always a Career. It's just a matter of time until he screws us over one way or another.

"Clancy, Evan!" Izzy beckons us to join her at Emery's side. Evan raises an eyebrow as we both quickly rush into the cave, halting to a stop towards Emery's sleeping bag. Emery lets out a soft mumble mixed with a dry cough as Izzy pats her head down.

"She isn't doing so well..." Mutters Izzy with an involuntary twitch, "She's starting to heat up bad, and with no medicine her fever is only going to get worse." she mumbles. I'm not having Emery die on me, not from a fever.

"Then let's do something for her then." I say a little too quick for my liking. Evan scoffs and continues to look out into the blizzard, "Easier said than done." he sneers. I glare at him as he unsheathes his sword and waves it around lazily while pacing back and forth.

"With sponsor package prices on the rise, and Lucifer's cache under lockdown in the cornucopia, how do you expect to get anything done?" Evan deadpans, "I'd love to help Emery just as much as you, but without a plan, you're not getting far." He winks playfully as I shove past him, picking up a pack and my trusty machete as I head out the caves mouth, "I don't need your guys' help, I'll get the medicine myself." I huff as Izzy raises her hand and hollers a "Ohh ohh ohh!" causing me to stop in place facing away from my allies.

"We could blow up their supplies!" squeals Izzy as she shoots up from her spot beside Emery. On que, Evan and I quickly turn around to face Izzy, only to make her gasp and cover her mouth as she quickly sits back down. "While getting Emery some medicine..." she quickly mumbles under her breath.

"What makes you think we can do that?" I snarl with an eyebrow raised. Izzy's face reddens as she slowly reaches into her sleeping bag and reveals ten sticks of dynamite among other tools. "You never know when, right?" She squeaks while letting out a awkward giggle, slowly waving the explosives in the air. I knew she always had something hidden up her sleeve, the crazy ones always do...Defeated, I turn back from the cave entrance and join her and Evan by the fire as we begin to deliberate how to carry out our master plan.

At first Evan suggests running head first but I quickly shoot down his proposal. We're outnumbered three to one; going in guns blazing would end up doing more bad than good. Izzy suggests distracting them while one of us set off the fuse and snag medicine, but no one volunteers to be the bait. After tough deliberation, we all agree to camp out on the edge of the cornucopia's radius and wait for an opening. Izzy applies poison to her knives while Evan and I get our things together. As we leave the cave, I take one last look at a sleeping Emery before heading out into our uncertain fate.

We spend the most of the walk in silence. Evan and I refrain from talking to one another as Izzy is left to wallow in her thoughts. Visibility is extremely low, trees ten feet in front of you are nothing but dark blobs. Everything seemed dull and hollow as we sift our way into position. Despite the poor viewing conditions, the hulking presence of the cornucopia was in plain view. I peer from the snow capped foliage as Lucifer waves his scythe in the air and barks sharp orders to the boy from Nine, who quickly complies with his every demand.

"Spinel get some gear together, were going scouting." Lucifer points at Artemis, Rory and Lucius, "You guys stay and protect camp." as he says that, the menacing tributes from Two begin to protest in anger. Spinel joins in on Lucifer's side, causing Rory to hesitantly calm down the warring Careers.

"I cut down the fuse for the dynamite and tied them together so it leaves little chance of failure..., I'll use the fuel from this lighter-" Izzy flashes it in front of our faces, "To create a bigger boom..." she slowly rubs her hands together as her lips twitch into a mischievous smile. If Izzy is as crafty as I perceive her to be, this plan should go off without a hitch. "All we need to do is wait." I sigh, taking my spot against a tree as Evan glared at me and Izzy while letting out a scoff. He seemed extremely agitated as fixes his dazzling blue eyes on me. More and more I regret asking for him to ally with me.

"What's eating you?" I sneer, unable to control my tone of voice. "Oh I don't know..." Evan deadpans as his face darkens, "It's just that our opponents are wide open!" he begins to get up as I grab his wrist, "Evan!We need to wait for an openi-"

He knocks my hand to the side and rushes out into the opening. Leaving me to rub my head and prepare for the run towards the cornucopia.

"HEY! Over here!" Evan barks, his voice seethes with arrogance and bravado. He proceeds to unsheathe a throwing knife from his coat and hurl it at Lucifer, who casually tilts his head as the knife continues to sail past him. He's such an idiot!Because of him, this plan could fail miserably!

"Spinel, Nine, follow me! You two stay!" I hear Lucifer bark as he and the two give chase to Evan who runs west. Which leaves the two from Two. There's our opening, its now or never.

I give Izzy a quick but uncertain glance as she nods firmly, "I'm ready as I'll ever be." she mutters but still retains a sturdy voice. I grip her hand and give her a quick nod, "Okay! Here we go..."

"One..."

"Two..."

Instantly, Izzy and I rush from our position and sprint towards the cornucopia, Our feet pounding the snow all the way. Artemis turns in our direction and gets Lucius' attention. With insane speed, Izzy unhooks one of her kunais and flings it at Artemis. The pointed knife sails into her left rib area, causing her to howl in pain as Lucius continues his advance towards us. As soon as he caught eye of Izzy, his face darkened.

"Go!" Izzy gushes as she brandishes her sickle and tosses me the explosives, "I'll hold him off!"

Without a second thought, I press forward into the mouth of the cornucopia only for Artemis's spearhead to pierce my arm. I let out howl as I forcefully rip the pole out of her hands and swipe the spear across her cheek, creating a light gash. She hisses out in pain and proceeds to tackle me onto the ground, her spear tumbling out of my hands. We continue to roll around in the snow pummel each other with punches.

"Not bad for a cotton picker." Artemis snarls breathlessly with a cocky grin. With that insult I receive a punch to my left cheek.

I muster all the blood in my mouth and spit it onto her face. As she gets distracted, my right fist connects with her jaw and her left fist connects to my right cheek, drawing blood. Using my right foot, I forcefully push her off me and continue into the mouth of the cornucopia. Quickly and almost with no thought process put in, I sift through crates searching for multi-purpose medicine. I find a crate reserved specifically for medicines and toss the hatch off to my left. Beside this crate is a crate stuffed with lighters, perfect for a giant explosion. But first, the medicine.

Gauze, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin...Everything it is. Now for the big kaboom.

I stuff everything that was in the crate into my pack while sparking the lighter. Carefully, I light the connected fuse and toss it onto the crate of matches, only to feel a searing sensation as Artemis sinks her knife into my shoulder with a twist. Trying my best to ignore the pain, I grab the crate hatch I discarded and swing it full force into Artemis' head. While she's dazed by the swing, I shove her out of the cornucopia and onto the ground. Izzy's shriek pierces the air my eyes focus on the sight in font of me. Izzy clutches her overly bloodied right forearm as Lucius raises his sword in the air, ready to plunge it into her body. Before I could come to her aid, an explosion rocks me to my feet. I slowly stagger to my feet and tumble back a few spaces before falling flat on my behind. I take in the destruction in front of me while being in a stupor of my own.

Charred boxes, weapons and equipment are littered about the patches of blackened snow as the inside of the cornucopia is alive with fire. Lucifer, Spinel and the boy from Nine rush back with their mouths agape.

"GET UP!" I hear Lucifer yell though the ringing in my ear, "WE'RE LEAVING, LET'S GO." he forcefully lifts up Artemis as Lucius staggers to his feet. The Careers scavenge what they could and sprint off towards the mountains. It takes me everything just to keep one eye open.

"Clancy!" I hear a muffled feminine voice shout, "Clancy! Get up!" Izzy appears in view and helps me to my feet. She secures one arm around her shoulder as she helps me off the ground.

"Come on. Its abo - Nur! - time we get out of here. . ." she muses as I pat around for my equipment. My machete is still here, but where's the pack!?

"The p-p-pack. . ." I murmur, "We can't leave without the pack.". Izzy glances at me with a sincere look in her eyes as she frowns,

"I'm sorry Clancy, we have to go!" she continues to forcefully hold me forward as we head back towards the cave. Even as we sit down by the fire in silence I continue to think about ripping Evan limb from limb. This is his entire fault. If he had waited we would have had the medicine for Emery. I was just about to think Evan flaked on us until he appears in the cave entrance with an impish grin and my pack in tow.

"Great job you guys, that explosion was freaking huge!" He drawls mindlessly, waving my pack around as if it were nothing. I instantly walk up to him and forcefully snatch the pack out of his hands and begin to walk back towards my sleeping bag. I have no more time for restraint.

"What was that for..."

"You're an idiot, you know that!? If it weren't for you I'd still be able to hear out my left ear and the plan would have gone much more smoothly!" I snap.

Evan let out a huff while taking one step forward, "If it weren't for me,your opening would've been long gone and Emery would be another face in the sky!"

I turn around and give him a dark glare, "You could have gotten us killed!" I take another step forward. Izzy tries to say something but I'm too caught up with Evan to respond.

"Why would it matter? Its the HUNGER GAMES,someone would have to die eventually y'know? Everyone's trying to kill you rather it be a tribute or a fucking snow cat!" he retorts, taking two full steps. Evan swearing shakes me off, but I retain my hardened glare.

"Um . . . Guys . . .?"

"Why did I even ask for an alliance with you? You're just like every other Career that's come and gone." I take three steps towards him.

My comment demoralizes him but he quickly shrugs it off. "I did it for Emery! Without me, it's unlikely she would be alive! Oh and way to go with that 'typical career' insult, very original." he takes another step.

"Well she's alive and well now, We don't need you anymore." I snort, taking one last step as I seal the space between Evan and I. Although I'm taller than he is he makes no plan of backing down. His pupils shake with anger while we glare each other down.

Evan laughs dryly as he turns slightly to watch the snowfall, while coyly muttering ". . . I almost kissed her back on day two."

And with that, my fist almost makes contact with his cheek until Izzy quickly stops it from occurring.

"GUYS! Please stop fighting." she pleads as Evan raises his right hand,

"Oh no, it's okay Izzy. I don't need YOU either." he forcefully brushes past me and gathers his belongings and stuffs them into a pack. His curved sword dangles as he begins to make his way into the moderate snowfall, muttering all the way.

"If I had the right mind I'd waste you right here and now." he scoffs as he switches his eyes to Izzy, "Sorry it had to end like this Izzy...Emery." he murmurs softly and finally, leaves without turning his head around once. Half of me feels glad that I kicked him out of our alliance and the other half extremely stupid for being such a jerk all because of my jealousy.

"That could have gone better..." I sigh, glancing at Izzy who in return, sends me a hardened stare.

"Y'think?"

I'm sorry for the late update for those who care. Chapter 22 shouldn't be too far away. Also, who else would you wan't a quick insight from? it could be anyone ranging from Minnie, Emery's parents/ friends to Lucifer.