First trailer for Mockingjay came out! Woo!
Enjoy!
Chapter 24 Bonds Forged In Suffering
Day 2 of the 77th Hunger Games
Watt's morning had been rough. He had awoken late to a body throbbing in agony. The cauterized wounds itched constantly and one look at them filled Watt with fear. He was afflicted with one more thing he was helpless to combat.
Infection.
At first, Watt had tried to excuse away the darken coloring around the wounds. Perhaps they were just burn marks? For the first hour he kept telling himself that, but fear continued to grow within him until he had to accept that a fever would not accompany burn marks. His wounds were infected, and he had nothing to treat them with.
He was at the mercy of sponsors now, who probably weren't lining out the door to help him. No one liked infection either. It was a slow, let down of a death that was usually attributed to the weakest tributes. While the cure for it could be easily sent, it would still take days for it to fully work and for the tribute to recover.
In other words, the Capitolites would probably be more content to watch him die than watch him receive the medicine. He wasn't interesting enough to save.
He didn't know how he still had tears, but more fell down his face as he contemplated his oncoming doom. He didn't eat that morning either, leaving his two remaining nutrient bars for an unknown time. He half expected his seal friend to show up to try and comfort him, but he hadn't made an appearance. Perhaps he was off elsewhere, comforting some other tribute.
Not that Watt had ever received much comfort. Especially after... the attack. His mother had tried to help and had ended up worse than him. Watt could just imagine his brother, Cad, at home, probably rooting for his death. He had hated Watt since the attack, all for something that wasn't even his fault! How could he have known what was to happen or what the Peacekeepers would do to their mother?
In that moment, Watt tried to remember his mother's embrace from the goodbyes. He tried to imagine her, before her own attack, when she would comfort Watt and whisper nice thoughts into his ears. She had often sung a song for him and Cad, although her pitch was terribly off. Still, just the sound of her voice and her amused and embarrassed look was enough to make him feel better.
Here though, he was all by himself. Once again, life was leaving him short. Once again, he was soaking in his own misery. Once again, he was useless.
The only comfort he got was the sunrise and beautiful scenery around him, which he observed from the glacier entrance. The sun was such a rare sight in District 3's smog filled sky, perhaps only sighted a few days out of the entire year. Apparently in Victor Village and the Core, the richest parts of the District where Amélie was from, the sun appeared much more often. Watt had been told in school that Victor Village actually had a simulator dome, which allowed for a blue sky to be projected over Victor Village all year long. It even had a night setting where the dome projected all the stars in the sky, not blocked by various forms of pollution.
Watt was drawn out of his own thoughts when he saw a blob on the horizon coming for the island. Caution, Watt slowly backed up into the glacier, bending down to see what it was. As the blob got clear, its features became more distinguishable and Watt was able to make out the figures of the District 1 Careers on a large raft. His heart dropped when he saw them as new fear pumped through his body.
Quickly, Watt rushed to his pack and threw it over his back, ignoring the pain. He drew one of his acquired knives, already knowing there was no way he could defend himself properly. This was it, Watt realized. He wouldn't be allowed a slow death due to infection; he'd received a quick, and terrifying, conclusion to his horrible life.
From beyond the entrance, Watt heard the sound of boots crunching against the snow. They were climbing up the incline now, making their way to kill him. The sound of weapons being drawn, of metal scratching against sheathes, echoed along with the crunching. They weren't even trying to be sneaky. They were that confident in Watt's helplessness.
Watt hid behind the submarine. He was gripping his knife tightly to the point of pain. The same though kept running through his mind, causing him to cry and whimper.
'I'm going to die.' he thought. He imagined his family, his classmates, everyone who had ever known, probably screaming for him to fight back. 'Why am I like this?' he thought sadly.
Then... he remembered. How before the Games, he found his strength. How Amélie had empowered him and made him feel strong again.
'Amélie, I wanted to thank you.'
'Thank me? Why?' she had asked.
'Because you've given me strength. You've helped me want to become stronger.'
'Where is that strength now?' Watt asked himself, a fire growing inside of him. He had meant those words. He had grown stronger, and that strength shouldn't disappear because Amélie had. She wouldn't have liked him to cower and await death. Watt had spent almost three years cowering. He wasn't going to leave this world like that.
He would fight.
Making sure the area was clear, Watt scrambled from behind the sub to pick up one of the three spear guns. Grabbing the one near his fire pit, Watt ran back behind the submarine and cocked the spear gun. He had practiced a bit of firing the previous night, and while his aim wasn't great, the scope at the end of the gun helped. He now heard mumbling at the entrance and peaked around slowly to see Chance descending into the glacier. Watt hid himself again, knowing that Chance's attention would be drawn to the sub.
'Wait until you hear him get close. Then shot.' Watt told himself, breathing deeply in preparation. He was going to shoot someone. He was probably going to kill someone! The adrenaline pumping through him negated those hesitations somewhat though, along with the pain. The back entrance was too far away, he'd be forced to go out the front where Krystal was no doubt waiting for him. But her blindness would be an asset to him. He'd kill Chance and then sneak around Krystal. If she didn't pose a threat, than Watt didn't want to kill her. He would only kill in self defense, not because he could.
The footsteps were close now, enough that Watt could make a clear shot. Bracing himself, Watt poked his head out from behind the sub to lure in Chance. The Career saw Watt, his face eerily passive. Not a single emotion played across Chance's face, like what he was prepared to do to Watt was as simple of a matter as cutting butter.
"Got you." Chance said, running towards Watt with his swords pointed downwards on both sides of him. As he drew nearer, Watt released a loud cry of fear and anticipation before stepping out from behind the sub. He raised the spear gun and brought his finger down on the trigger.
Chance's face barely had time to turn to shock before the spear connected with his chest, sending him flying back with a loud gasp.
Previous firings of the spear gun had prepared Watt for the major recoil, allowing him stay on his feet and continuing moving. He looked at Chance's prone figure, lying on the ground with his eyes bulging. Watt was relieved, and somewhat disappointed, that the spear hadn't killed Chance. It seemed he was wearing armor underneath his coat, protecting him from a lot of the damage. However, Watt could still make out flecks of blood on Chance's coat, indicting that the spear had managed to pierce even a little bit of the armor. Chance had also lost his grip on his swords, both of them laying a fair distance from him.
With Chance down, Watt tried to use the pulley to retrieve the spear. The gun wasn't cooperating though as it remained lodged in Chance's armor. Throwing the gun down, Watt instead ran to grab one of Chance's swords. The Career was powerless to stop him, unable to even croak out words of protest. He raised his hand to his chest, gasping in agony as he tried to reach the spear.
Without looking back, Watt ran for the front entrance, raising his own sword in preparation for Krystal. They had a gotten here on a boat, meaning that Watt could escape on it and abandon the Careers to their doom!
'One more Career!' Watt told himself as he reached the entrance.
He was almost dead before he even made it outside.
Krystal had been waiting for him by the entrance, sword at the ready. She swung it at the entrance like a bat, nearly chopping Watt in two. He was only spared because of his raised sword, which took the majority of the impact. Watt stumbled back, but again remained on his feet. Krystal now stood in front of the entrance, sword at the ready.
"You're not getting away!" she shouted, stabbing out at the entrance. Watt side stepped the attack and prepared to bring his sword down across Krystal's arms. However, she was expecting this and quickly slashed once more in the direction of Watt. He barely evaded this attack as he continued being forced back into the cavern. Another swipe and another dodge. Watt didn't want to hurt Krystal, but it looked as though he'd have no choice soon. She somehow knew exactly where he was!
But then he realized it was the crunching of his own boots.
A plan in his mind, Watt rushed forward as if to charge Krystal. She realized this and quickly swiped forwards, expecting to make contact. Krystal failed to though, as at the last minute, Watt had stepped back, an act Krystal didn't pick up on due to her own moving feet. With her defense down, Watt slashed at Krystal's arm, slicing it open.
Krystal screamed, which in turn caused Chance to gasp loudly in fear for Krystal's wellbeing. Watt took the opportunity to run around Krystal and make a run for the entrance. He ran outside and down the hill, shouting in joy as he saw the raft beached at the bottom. Reaching it, Watt pushed it out into the water and hoped on, allowing the current to push him away.
As he drifted away, Watt stood up on the raft and hollered in victory. Tears of joy came to his eyes as he realized he had escaped death. Not only that, but he had given the Capitol a bit of a show. It was repaid when Watt heard a beeping noise above him. Watt recognized the silver parachute descending towards him, joy erupting through his mind as it landed in the raft with him. He opened it, laughing in delight when he saw a thermal container, which contained hot chicken soup inside, and a small box of medicine for his wounds.
'Not bad.' a note read.
Watt smiled happily, immediately drinking some of the soup. He had survived and proven himself to the Capitol. But more importantly, he had proven to himself that he wasn't helpless and that maybe, just maybe, he could survive.
Despite the cold breeze coming from the bay, the walk along the coast was a rather pleasant one for Sterling and his allies. The day was beautiful and they were making great time as they continued on their journey. On the fringes of the arena were large patches of clouds, but for the most part the sky was still clear and bright. The forest was also quite beautiful, though they didn't explore it. The coast separated the water and the forest by roughly fifty feet and they were comfortable enough to stay there.
They had already explored the area around the ship, which they had discovered was titled Judecca. However, they couldn't find any way to access the ship and decided to abandon it for the moment. So they continued along the shore, for the most part keeping silent except for the clattering of Clair's teeth.
"We need fire." Clair declared for the second time.
"We can't yet." Sterling said, sympathetic. "When it gets darker we can light one."
Clair didn't seem to like that answer as her body continued shaking. Brielle noticed this with growing interest. Clair and fire seemed to have an odd connection, which Brielle had first noticed in the training center. Even last night when they lit a small fire, Clair had been trying to make it better. When Brielle and Sterling had to stop her, she had become hostile before finally backing down. Her eyes never left the small flame until it had burnt out.
"I'm pretty cold too." Brielle announced, trying to move into the conversation she thought of starting earlier. "District 4 doesn't have much in the way of winter."
"Really?" Sterling asked, taking the bait. "Does your District get any snow?"
"Some parts farther north. But the main cities and ports are in the south where it's always warm year round. That's where I'm from."
"Did you ever work on the ships?" Sterling continued.
"I didn't, but I had a friend who did. All in all it didn't sound too bad of a job as long as you don't get seasick and mind being up super early."
"So what's the worst job in the District then?"
Brielle didn't even have to think about it. "Definitely the fish processing centers. It always smells in there and the people are even worse."
"So you prepare all the Capitol's food there?"
"Oh no, fish doesn't last that long. Most of them are sent to the Capitol still intact. It's then the Avoxs jobs to prepare them for the restaurants and citizens. The District processing centers just removes the guts and other organs."
"Sounds disgusting." Sterling said.
"Sounds like what we do in the city with the cattle." Clair spoke up.
"Is that what you used to do?" Brielle asked.
"Part time. My brother worked full shifts because he's over eighteen."
Sterling looked a bit off put about Clair's job. He tried to imagine her living fourteen years of her life in District 10's main city, which always smelled of rotting meat, guts, and cattle crap. It was a far cry from his rather cozy surroundings in the countryside.
Brielle had already picked up on this. She knew very little about District 10, but she could just tell from their body types that Sterling and Clair lived radically different lives. Sterling's body was well muscled and tanned while Clair's was underdeveloped and pale from crappy working conditions. She was also several inches shorter than someone her age should have been.
So naturally, Brielle exploited this.
"Where did you work, Sterling?"
Sterling looked nervously between the girls, not wanting to hurt Clair's feelings. "I worked in the fields grazing the cattle. My family and I lived in a small commune with several families."
"Sounds nice." Brielle commented, briefly glancing at Clair. It wasn't apparent, but it was still there. The jealously of another's lifestyle flashed through Clair's eyes. Brielle stored that tidbit of information away for later use. It probably wouldn't be necessary, but it was still good to hold onto.
"It was." Sterling admitted, unaware that he should stop talking about his old life in front of Clair. "I have two younger step-siblings as well. I keep thinking about them a lot. And my best friends too."
Brielle smiled softly. "Family's important to care about." She said. "I bet they're proud of you. As is your family, Clair."
Clair wasn't sure about that. Her grandparents were probably unaware she was in the Games, lost in their dementia. Lennox was probably annoyed with her for not taking her pills. Not that it was her fault. The Capitol had confiscated them once she stepped into the stylist center. He should be grateful that she hadn't ratted him out. Those pills were illegal in District 10.
Sterling however took more solace in her words. He hoped his parents were proud of him, along with his three younger siblings. The thought of Austin, Annabelle, and Rose almost brought tears to his eyes as he thought of his promise to them during the goodbyes. As for Sutton, Justin, and Ethan, well they were probably bickering amongst themselves like old times, all rooting for him to come home. At least, he hoped that's what they were doing. He'd hate for any to be overly worried about him.
'What a silly idea. Of course they're worried.' Sterling thought. But part of him wished they wouldn't. Part of him continued to think like a younger version of himself, how he'd emerge a hero for his District, loved by all.
But that meant that Brielle and Clair had to die. That was a thought he couldn't bare.
"Thanks." Sterling responded to Brielle. "I'm sure you're family would feel the same."
Brielle smiled softly, moving closer to Sterling. Slowly she linked his arm with her own and leaned down on his shoulder, smiling at him appreciatively. "I hope so." She said.
Sterling smiled at Brielle, face turning red as he felt the warmth from Brielle's body on his own. Perhaps it was the stress getting to his sense, but Brielle actually smelled nice.
Clair stood behind the two older tributes, watching in annoyance as Brielle literally latched herself to Sterling. Clair had always thought badly of Brielle, and this little stunt only made her feel more confident in her early assessment.
Brielle was up to something, but Clair wasn't sure what it was yet.
It was late afternoon when the remaining Career pack joined Sky at the wharf. All of them looked exhausted from the walk and carrying their packs. Sky say them approaching through the building's upstairs lookout before going down to greet them.
"About time you guys got here." Sky shouted, opening the doors to the building.
"We would have been here sooner if it weren't for the field rat!" Griffin shouted, pulling angrily at the rope on Luna's wrists. Luna stumbled forward, falling flat on her face with the pack on her back crushing her. She looked exhausted, her face almost entirely purple from bruising. Her wrists were turning a similar shade thanks to Griffin's tugging on her restraints.
"You wouldn't have had that issue if you just killed her." Sky commented bitterly. Griffin looked like he was about to snap back but Sky was already dishing out further orders. "We settled in that building over there. Just put all the stuff with the rest and we'll organize it later tonight."
"Chance and Krystal still out?" Ansel asked.
Sky nodded her head. "They should be back soon."
"I haven't heard a canon for Watt yet." Ansel mumbled, slugging his packs into the building.
"Hmph, just confirms what we've always known. District 1 sent horrendous tributes this year!" Griffin mocked.
"Maybe they kept him as a pet, like you've done with her." Sky commented, pointing to Luna.
"Are you implying I'm like District 1?" Griffin snapped, his own edge manner flaring up.
"What would that entail? That you're an idiot!" Sky snapped back.
"I wouldn't expect a flat chested, barbarian, she-male to understand!" Griffin shouted back, teeth clenched and face red with rage. For a brief moment, Sky looked hurt by Griffin's words. But the expression quickly changed to one of anger as she reached for the axe by her side.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ansel shouted, jumping in front of the two District partners while raising his hands in peace. "Let's just calm down guys! No need to fight!"
Sky and Griffin looked as though they were ready to fight, years of rivalry and hatred ready to spew forward. However, Sky managed to be the adult and stop the agreement to bark orders.
"Get your stuff inside." She instructed. "Build a nice fire and get the heaters running as well. Ansel, Aileen, you two are on dinner duty. Try and make sure it's something nice. And feed your pet, Griffin! She looks like shit!"
Aileen watched Griffin and Sky storm away in different directions, Griffin to the building and Sky to the wharf's edge. Aileen watched her go, feeling bad for the older girl. While Sky had been the most assertive of the Pack, she seemed to think that made her the leader. But Aileen could tell that the rest of the pack, including her, didn't think that way and didn't care enough to tell her otherwise.
For some reason, Aileen felt a connection to Sky for her outcast status. So Aileen followed Sky to the wharf's edge, walking up behind her. Sky watched her approach, nodding slowly to her. After a few seconds of silence, Aileen chuckled lightly and smiled.
"Griffin's a prissy little bitch, isn't he?" she asked.
Sky's eyes went wide at the comment, surprised by Aileen's audacity. But soon, she started to laugh along with Aileen. Aileen was surprised to find that unlike every other feature of Sky, the Career had a lovely laugh. It was an odd trait for her.
"He has a habit of being one." Sky replied, before remembering who she was talking too. "I wouldn't call him that to his face."
"Don't worry, I'm not stupid." Aileen said. She seemed to sense the change in Sky as she became more reserved and less inclined to talk. Still, Aileen was curious about their wannabe leader and continued to push the Career. The worst she could do was kill her. "How long have you known him?"
Sky looked at Aileen critically, expecting there to be some double meaning to her questions. Was she attempting to turn her against Griffin? Of course not, Griffin and her didn't like each other enough for anything that Aileen said to change things, for better or worse. Finding the questioning harmless, Sky allowed herself to open up. "Since we were seven." she replied.
"And he's always been like this?"
"He has."
"Tough parents?"
"His dad yes, mom not so much. They're divorced. I don't know them very well, but his sister Fiona's nice."
Aileen chuckled lightly, trying to keep upbeat. Sky was a tough person to make conversation with. Not that she was usually any better. Aileen was about to ask about Sky's family, but remembered how she had reacted badly to Caesar asking similar questions. Instead, she moved onto something else. "I bet you could take him easily."
The look that Sky gave her told Aileen that praise wasn't something Sky would fall for. Sky would readily admit to having a bit of an ego, but she didn't take other's praise as canon. Accepting praise from others had been beaten out of her early, unlike Griffin. Nonetheless, they were bashing on Griffin and Sky couldn't help but continue with it.
"He talks a big game, but he's not that tough. I could kill him in a second if I had too." Sky replied.
Aileen readily believed that Sky could, but she knew for a fact that Griffin could still gut her. "It'd be one hell of a fight."
"Are you interested in seeing it?"
"Who wouldn't be?"
Sky laughed once more, contemplating that fight. She could very easily see herself winning. Griffin was fast, but he preferred to prolong suffering instead of going directly for the kill. If she had to guess a death for him in the Games, it would probably be from someone, or something, that Griffin refused to kill quickly. It was usually how people beat him in the Academy, wear him out or just charge him and knock him down.
"We should prolong it as long as possible." Sky replied, giving Aileen a knowing glance. "But I bet you're just dying to know what's going to happen when the pack splits up, aren't you?"
Aileen didn't try to hide her curiosity. "I am, but that's not why I came to talk to you."
"Then why did you?"
"I don't know, I guess I wanted to see how you were doing."
"Why?"
"Because... Griffin's an asshole and what he says is wrong."
Sky looked extremely confused about being fussed over. "I'm fine. It takes a little more than Griffin's words to hurt me."
'But everyone's been thinking the same thing.' Aileen thought. The Capitol had been the most vocal, never that caring about a District citizen's feelings. Her stylists had even played along with that idea. Aileen tried to imagine her entire life like that, filled with people who despised her simply for the way she looked. It was odd to think of a Career as... human. A human who needed comfort, just like everyone else.
But why should she give Sky comfort? Aileen had been there during the Bloodbath while Sky cut down the boy from 6 and Ayla. Did she deserve her comfort? Was she actually human? Aileen had seen the joy that Sky had derived from their deaths. It had been the same exact look as Griffin's.
'I've killed too though... twice.' Aileen thought. 'And the second time... the second was...'
Aileen refused to admit what it was. It would only confirm her own fears that she was perhaps just as bad as Sky and Griffin. But because of those fears, she understood, in a way, why they enjoyed killing. Even if they were Careers, they still lived in the Districts. They must have felt like just her sometimes.
Powerless.
But here in the Games, they could gain some form of power. No matter how sick it was. There was power in taking life, a feeling of strength that most citizens of the District had never felt in their lives. 'Does that make me a monster? Or just human, starved for strength?'
"Hey!"
Sky had snapped her fingers in front of Aileen's face, drawing her out of her daze. Aileen hadn't realized how long she had been thinking silently, filling the air with an awkward pause.
"Sorry." Aileen muttered, before walking away. Sky watched her go, secretly filled with sadness at her departure. Despite her earlier anger at being bossed around by the girl, Sky had actually enjoyed their short conversation. She couldn't even remember the last time anyone talked with her randomly. Her mother had always been about the Games, Cozen, her shit father, had been mostly the same, and her only 'friend' Jasper was flighty and more concerned about his personal success.
It had been a while since she thought of Jasper, the only guy whoever gave her time. Thinking of her looks, Sky remembered a time when she had wanted him physically. She remembered how stupid she was then, fretting about her looks and trying to appear more feminine. Her training had suffered because of it and she quickly abandoned those thoughts. They returned occasionally though, especially when he took over her training. Oh... how those dirty fantasies of a student and the trainer filled her mind!
'How are you thinking of this now?' she thought angrily, feeling her body become warmer at the thought. She never thought of Jasper as a boyfriend, just merely a toy to help soothe herself. Just that thought caused Sky to shudder. Turning, Sky stormed back to the Career camp, angry that such childish feelings of inadequacy had filled her head once more.
'Damn you, Griffin. I can't wait to spill your guts across this arena.'
Unbeknownst to their allies, Krystal and Chance were not fairing well on their own. Watt had been tougher than either could ever have imagined, managing to almost kill Chance and wound Krystal. The spear had pierced through part of Chance's armor, creating a shallow cut into his chest and ruining the armor. It still caused a high amount of pain and could lead to possible infection. Krystal's wound was far worse, slicing from her shoulder to her forearm. It wasn't deep, but like Chance's wound, hurt a lot and could lead to infection.
As sunset became close, Krystal and Chance had finally devised a plan to escape. It was risky, to say the least.
"You want to do what?" Krystal asked, temper flaring from the pain. "You're insane!"
"I'm not insane. This plan will work." Chance said, temper just as high from his own pain. He picked up one of the spear guns, eyeing it angrily, before handing the other to Krystal. The third spear gun he had strapped across his back.
"Maybe if I wasn't-" Krystal began, cutting herself off before admitting to her handicap. Chance reached for Krystal's hand lightly, beginning to drag her towards the back entrance. Once they exited the glacier, they climbed a steep incline before arriving at the top of the hill, directly across from the Cornucopia. Every step was a labor of its own, making their bodies wrack with pain. From the direction they faced, the sun was setting, bathing the arena in a bright red coloring.
Raising his spear gun, Chance fired a spear across the chasm. The spear flew through the air before impacting on the Cornucopia glacier island, sinking deep into the ice. Chance lowered his gun and then aimed Krystal's, shooting it only a couple feet away from to his own. He then handed the gun back to Krystal before grabbing his own.
"Feel that switch on the side? " Chance instructed. "Click that before you jump to start pulling the rope in."
"This is a terrible plan." Krystal repeated.
"Do you have one?"
Krystal remained silent, raising her own gun while ignoring the spreading pain. "Let's just get over there and get the medicine to help us." she said.
Chance merely grunted in agreement, raising his spear gun. "I'll go first." he declared, flipping the switch on the side. The line began retracting into the gun, though the spear remained firmly in place. After a few second, Chance ran forward and jumped towards the other side, the line reeling in faster to compensate. With a loud thud, Chance hit the side of the Cornucopia island, driving the wind out of him. He felt himself fall slightly before the line evened out and continued dragging him upward.
"It's ok!" Chance shouted. "Go!"
Krystal looked incredibly unsure of herself, but flipped the switch regardless. After a few seconds she jumped as well and slammed into the wall, screaming from pain and the sudden drop. The rope evened out as well for her and began pulling her upwards, just like Chance.
"You're ok! You're alright!" Chance shouted at her, laughing lightly. Krystal sighed and began laughing as well, both of them sounding deranged with their relieved laughter.
"How far up?" Krystal asked, referring to the rope distance.
"It's not bad, just a few seconds." Chance replied, almost within arms length of the edge. As soon as he was, Chance latched onto the side of the glacier island, pulling himself onto the surface as his body screamed from the exertion. It felt as though his chest cavity was being ripped open. Distracted by the pain, and his own moans, Chance didn't notice the top of the glacier beginning to crack. It was too late when the side of the glacier began falling apart, dislodging Krystal's spear first and soon Chance's.
Without any support, Krystal began to fall. She screamed as gravity took ahold of her, plunging her down towards the icy water. Chance's own spear was about to dislodge and he only had seconds to get him over the edge. But watching Krystal fall was unbearable and before he knew it, Chance was jumping down after her with his sword drawn. He grabbed her flailing arm and dug his sword into the side of the glacier, barely stopping them before Krystal hit the water. Bits of the glacier fell down around them, splashing into the water beneath them along with their two spear guns.
"Chance! Chance!" Krystal kept shouting, flailing wildly after the near death experience.
"I'm here!" Chance shouted down to her, barely able to form words over the searing pain. Holding himself up and Krystal up was tearing the wound in his chest wide open. Blood spilled forth and muscles tore as he tried to support himself and Krystal. With a loud scream, Chance raised Krystal up and laid her across his back. Krystal immediately wrapped herself around Chance, who used his now free arm to grab onto the side of the glacier. Slowly, he began climbing up. Once they reached the top again, Krystal climbed over Chance before helping him up onto the surface.
Both panted heavily, their bodies depleted of energy and adrenaline. "Medicine." Chance muttered, coughing loudly. He rose to his feet, helping Krystal to her own before walking over to the Cornucopia. He ravaged through the bags and boxes left, finally coming across medicine to help their wounds. After dressing them, and helping Krystal deal with her own, Chance got up and walked away.
"We'll have to stay here for the night." he said, as the sun set in front of them. Flecks of snow had also begun to fall, lightly covering up the bloodstains spread throughout.
"Where are you going?" Krystal asked, hearing Chance's steps become further and further away.
"Nowhere. I just need to walk a little." Chance replied, not looking back. He had to get away from Krystal, the girl he had almost died to save.
A girl he feared his feelings for were becoming all too apparent and costly to his future wellbeing.
And success in the Games.
Because Panem is all of North America, I've always imagined a lot of District 4 being in Mexico. I hope it doesn't sound silly, but I usually picture District 4 citizens as being of Hispanic descent (like is Brielle [not Ansel who just has tan skin, but I always picture him as Hispanic... whoops haha])
Another day done! Day 3 coming soon!