I got into my choice of major for school and I'm really happy so let's have an update, kay~ ^^
I was going to wait until the tributes figured out the theme of the arena to change the description, but what the heck, might as well bring in some new people. I hope it's suitable? Also, the fun part is if anyone had typed what was in the description at the beginning of the story ("a proud look, a lying tongue, etc.") into Google, you probably would've gotten to figure out the arena early. XD
Before we begin, let's recap where everyone is at the moment…
-The Careers are on the center island with the big tree (Pride)
-Buck and his lack of shoes are on the jungle island (Envy)
-Claire and Flick are resting on the volcanic island (Wrath)
-Wiley, Spark, Thimble, and Al are on the forest island containing Cerberus (Gluttony)
Since I know at least one of you are going to say this, let me save you the trouble by saying it now. "This scene reminds me of Divergent!"
"Twelve!" Jade exclaimed, giddy with excitement after watching The Fallen, "Twelve whole tributes! Do you know what that means? Only seven left to hunt down!" She couldn't help but wriggle her hips in a miniature victory dance.
Laughing, Ian stepped up to the edge of the cliff and shouted into the night, "Anybody else wanna mess with the champs?!"
His voice echoed back to him. The silence that followed confirmed no one was willing to mess with the champs. Ian grinned.
Suddenly, arms wrapped around him and pushed him towards the edge of the cliff. For a brief moment, his weight shifted forward and he was falling. He let out a cry of disbelief, but then his attacker immediately yanked him to safety.
"I just saved your life!" Jade shouted dramatically, dragging him back.
Ian tore away from her, looking flustered. He patted his hair back into place, trying to appear unfazed. "Don't do that." He said through gritted teeth. His heart was still pounding against his chest thanks to the near-death experience. Jade just laughed cruelly. Even the other three couldn't help but smile a bit. Today had been successful and District 1's energy was contagious.
After gathering all sorts of supplies, the Careers had left behind the empty Cornucopia and made their way to the top of the tall island. They made camp between the tree and the graveyard, on a nice plot of soft grass. After that, they surveyed the arena as a group.
There were a total of seven islands. The one they stood on now was at the center; from there, the islands seemed to spiral outwards.
The closest one was the jungle-covered island with the five peninsulas aimed towards the center island. From this height, it almost resembled a hand reaching towards them. The darkness of the thick jungle, which no doubt contained many mysteries, contributed to this hair-raising factor.
The next one over was obviously a volcanic island. It rose out of the ocean like a sloping tower, surrounded by rocky spires that almost seemed to form a protective gate around it. The very tip of the island emitted thin tendrils of smoke. There was very little cover on that island, aside from the cliffs and rock formations it contained.
Over from that was the island Meredith and Zale had ventured to; the one with the swampy marsh and large, rotting flowers…and of course, the strange nest of eggs they had failed to mention.
Directly south of the center island was the island that contained the Cornucopia. Most of it had already been explored and the only item of interest was the pirate ship. Still, they hadn't gone further than the hull of the ship. Steps led up a dank hallway near the area with the chests, but they had been too afraid to venture there.
A colony of fire coral divided the Cornucopia island from the largest island—the one with the forest. A few fruit trees stood on the shore, but Jade and Sagitta knew what they had seen. They didn't plan on going over there anytime soon.
The last island was the furthest out and most definitely the smallest. It merely contained a cabana and a palm tree. Meredith had pointed out that they were likely to find an idiotic tribute hiding out there at one point, but they would check there tomorrow.
For now, it was time to celebrate with a meal. With their newly acquired matches, the Careers got a fire going and set up a few torches as well. They had found exactly one large sleeping bag in a chest, so they settled for spreading it on the ground so everyone could enjoy its comfort. With the five of them, the food probably wouldn't last past the second day. But now was not the time to ponder tomorrow; the Careers were living in the now.
As they gathered around for dinner, Ian made chitchat by saying, "You know who looks good in a wetsuit? Me. Heck, everyone looks good in a wetsuit. This couldn't have been a better Games to volunteer for!"
"Only you didn't volunteer." Zale reminded him, sniffing at a Capitol roll and taking a tentative bite.
Ian just smirked and shook his head. "You know what I mean."
Jade stared into the fire, thinking about everything they had been through so far. She had really enjoyed spending the day with Ian. Ugh, did I really just think that? She thought, nose wrinkling in distaste, He embarrassed me at the interviews! I mean…well, I guess Chardonnay is the one to blame for telling us both different things. Maybe it's good Ian said something. Now I know the truth. Char is gonna be in for a world of hurt when we get home! She cast a glance at Ian, blushing as if she had accidentally said it aloud. I mean…when I get home.
"Sagitta, why don't you come over here and eat with us?" Ian called, looking over his shoulder.
Sagitta had taken her meal of bread and dried beef, and quietly retreated to the edge of the cliff. She sat there with her feet bravely hanging over the side. "Why don't you come over here and jump off this cliff?" She muttered, without looking back.
Jade felt a tug of pity for her antisocial teammate. She climbed to her feet and walked over to talk to her. Ian called after her, "Shove her off while you're over there for me, will you?"
But Jade ignored him and sat next to Sagitta, dangling her legs over the cliff in the same manner. "What's up?" She asked.
"Just looking at the stars." Sagitta answered, staring up at the sky, "You can see them really well here. I'm actually kind of surprised."
Jade craned her neck and looked at the stars with her. The night sky was scattered with them. A half moon stood out among their ranks, casting a soft glow on the arena beneath.
"It might be fake," Jade pointed out, scanning the stars, "The Gamemakers can change anything they want, including the sky…but then again, it seems like all of the constellations are in the right place."
"You know about constellations?" Sagitta asked.
Jade looked over to see her light blue eyes were wide with appreciation. She wasn't smiling, but it was still perhaps the most pleasant expression Jade had ever witnessed her make.
"Yeah!" She said, "My brother and I would go stargazing all the time back home." She felt a bout of homesickness steal over her, but she instantly brushed it off. "What's your favorite constellation?"
Sagitta's lips turned up in a wry smile. "Take a guess."
"The Big Dipper?" Ian interrupted, appearing behind them suddenly. "Honestly, that's the only one I can name. Learning constellations seems like a good waste of time to me."
Sagitta immediately shut her mouth and turned away, glowering at the empty air.
"Oh come on, I didn't even do anything to you," Ian sighed, sitting down on the other side of Jade, "I mean, maybe I flirted with you once or twice, but why can't you take that as a compliment?"
"Lay off, Ian." Jade spoke up, "What do you want, anyway?"
"District 4 was creeping me out." Ian said, turning his nose up in distaste, "It's just impossible to make conversation with them. And they smell like fish."
"Probably because they've been swimming all day," Jade said reasonably, "This arena was practically made for them…" She trailed off, her expression darkening. As the weakest Careers, they didn't deserve to have the arena tilted in their favor. "…They'll need to be disposed of." Jade spoke aloud before she could stop herself.
Both Ian and Sagitta looked at her in surprise. "That was fast." Sagitta commented, suddenly looking alert.
Jade shook her head, immediately regretting her slip of the tongue. "Not right away!" She said quickly, "I mean, after the numbers have dwindled a bit."
"We're already down by half." Sagitta pointed out. Distrust swelled in her chest, making her suspicious of her ally's intentions. If she was already considering eliminating District 4, what was stopping them from taking her out as well?
"I know, I know!" Jade huffed in response, "But I'm not going to destroy the alliance so early in the Games. It's just that when push comes to shove, they'll have the upper hand. They could dispose of our canoe and then we'd be helpless in the water."
"I wouldn't," Ian said smugly, "I have a swimming pool at home. Perhaps I should have invited you over for a swim while we were dating?"
Jade seemed to falter for a moment, but then her features hardened dramatically. "Don't you dare start talking about that," Jade hissed, "We're allies now. Let's focus on the issues at hand."
As Ian and Jade began bickering, Sagitta glanced over her shoulder to see District 4 by the fire, whispering quietly to one another. They were definitely scheming something. And without her district partner here, the two forces would be expecting Sagitta to side with one of them.
Well, I won't, Sagitta thought bitterly, Let them kill one another. I'm going to be the one to win in the end.
Zale suddenly caught Sagitta's eye. She looked away, but he had already seen her staring. He rose to his feet along with Meredith and began to approach the three of them. Sagitta realized with a pooling dread that they could all wind up trying to throw each other off the cliff. That would certainly be a dramatic finish to their little celebration. She hurriedly got up and moved closer to the tree, putting it between her and the edge of the cliff. Her abrupt retreat caused Jade and Ian to stand and turn around. Tension was mounting, fast.
Meredith faced Jade, her expression hard. "Jade," She told her in a serious voice, "I don't know if you realize this, but throwing knives are also my weapon of choice. As you can see, I've been towing around a spear all day."
"No, I did realize it." Jade told her, clutching at her vest protectively. You were giving me enough dirty looks; I'd have to be blind not to figure it out. She added inwardly.
"If you wouldn't mind, Jade," Meredith went on, "I'd like to have a few knives of my own."
"No." Jade said instantly, "I got to them first. They're mine."
"All right. I thought you might say that." Meredith cleared her throat, "Then I hereby challenge you to a contest that will determine who gets to keep the knives. Don't you agree that the tribute with more skill should wield them in order to take down a greater number of tributes?"
Jade let out a derisive laugh before she could stop herself. "Of course I agree! That's why I'm using them. I scored a 10 in training after all. What did you get? Oh yeah…only an 8."
A dangerous scowl settled over Meredith's features. "The training score doesn't matter."
"Um, yes." Jade shot back, unable to contain her catty side. "It does. But feel free to keep on telling yourself that if it makes you feel better."
"You're just saying that because you're scared I might beat you." Meredith said bluntly.
Oh, no she didn't. Jade thought, a competitive fire suddenly burning fiercely in her heart. She whipped out a throwing knife, hissing, "All right, fine! How do you want to do this?"
Zale smirked and took a step forward. "Target practice." He said simply, making it clear that he was in on this challenge from the beginning.
Meredith nodded. "Right. We carve a target on this tree—"
"No, no, no." Zale protested with a single shake of his head. He held a hand out to Ian. "He and I are the targets."
"What?!" All three girls said in unison.
Ian let out a humorless laugh. "Yes, what?"
"I stand in as the target for Meredith, Ian stands in for Jade." Zale explained patiently, "We stay absolutely still in front of the tree. The point is to see how close you can come to hitting us without actually touching us. Whoever gets their knife the closest wins. It'll make things interesting…besides, neither of us would kill our district partners."
"I beg to differ!" Ian spoke up, "In case you didn't already know, Jade is my ex girlfriend and probably dying to stick a knife into me."
Jade rounded on him, her eyes wide with hurt. "You really think that?" She asked in a soft voice.
Ian searched for words to defend himself, but couldn't find any.
"I wouldn't kill my own district partner!" Jade said, her voice rising.
While Ian tried to calm his distraught ally and take back what he said, Meredith pulled Zale aside. "Are you sure you want to do this?" She whispered, her brow creased with worry.
"Mere," Zale told her, placing his hands on her shoulders, "Look at those two. They obviously still like each other. If Ian is the target, Jade will be too afraid of hitting him. It'll throw off her game, even if she is better than you."
"She's not better than me." Meredith mumbled, "And stop calling me Mere."
"Either way, those knives are as good as yours." Zale said matter-of-factly, pulling back.
"…You could have at least told me this beforehand." Meredith growled, looking annoyed, "When you said you were gonna help me get them back, I didn't expect this to be your plan."
Zale gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Don't hold back."
"Fine," Meredith said, becoming all business, "But don't blame me if I nick you."
"You won't." Zale said with such certainty that Meredith almost believed him. She never would have admitted it, but she doubted her skills in comparison to Jade's. No matter how much she told herself scores didn't matter, Jade's 10 was still impressive. She only hoped Zale's strategy would work.
Luckily, it seemed Ian's words had made Jade determined to go through with this. She even volunteered to go first. Begrudgingly, Ian took his place in front of the thick trunk of the tree. A nervous smile quivered on his lips.
"Please don't kill me." He said, trying to laugh the ordeal off, "Or mess up my hair."
"Stand here." Zale said, pointing to a spot in the grass that was a good distance away from the tree. Jade took her place without a word.
"That's too far!" Ian protested, but everyone ignored him.
"No one will blame you if you 'accidentally' stab him." Sagitta said hopefully.
Jade just took a deep breath, trying to focus. It really was a tough distance. For a moment, a tiny voice inside her asked, what if you hit Ian? She tried to ignore it. But Ian was looking at her with his wide blue eyes, silently begging her not to harm him…
She let a knife fly. It whizzed through the air and firmly lodged itself into the bark of the tree—a good two feet from Ian's head.
"A little more to the right and you could have kissed that knife goodbye." Zale remarked from behind her.
Jade gritted her teeth, trying to ignore that comment. "How many tries do I get?"
"Three." Meredith decided after a pause.
Instead of blindly chucking another one, Jade took a moment to consider which part to aim for. "Ian, spread your legs." She suggested, thinking she could aim for the space in between them and avoid hitting any vital body parts.
Ian didn't agree at all. "That's not happening." He said firmly, grimacing slightly at unwanted images that forced their way into his head.
"Fine." Jade scoffed. She brought back her arm, aiming carefully.
Ian cringed against the tree, bracing himself for the next hit. This time, the knife thudded into the tree closer to his head. But it was still pretty unimpressive, as far as Jade's skill level went. She could have nicked his ear if she wanted to. So why didn't she?
Jade felt like she was going to cry, but wound up for the last throw. She summoned all of her strength, aiming for a spot near Ian's hand. But as soon as she went to release the knife, Zale shouted unexpectedly, "Don't mess up!"
The knife sailed from her hand—and right off the edge of the cliff.
"That's not fair!" Jade protested, whirling around the glower at District 4.
Zale didn't seem sorry. "You had two good shots." He said with a half-hearted shrug.
Ian let out a shaky breath. "Does this mean we're done?" He moved away from the tree, looking extremely relieved.
Jade just stood there, at a loss for words. Her fists tightened and she bit back tears. She had felt so confident she could do this. Now—she wasn't so sure. She felt absolutely humiliated in front of everyone. She could see a flicker of pride in Meredith's eyes, as if she thought she had already won. Jade wanted to punch her teeth out.
"Your turn, Zale." Meredith told her district partner.
He took his place bravely, looking a great deal calmer than Ian had. Jade's knives were left in the tree so they could judge how close they had been. She handed over her remaining three knives to Meredith.
Meredith took a deep breath, running her hand over one of the blades. It had been two days since she last used one. Her eyes locked with Zale's—he appeared to be unfazed. Meredith found herself to be fairly calm as well. If Zale died, so what? He was going to, eventually. She told herself this as she readied herself for the first throw.
Ian let out a sharp yell as soon as she did so, trying to mimic Zale from earlier, but Meredith was focused. The dagger sunk into the tree right next to one of Jade's throws. Jade's was slightly closer. She heard the blonde sigh in relief.
"I'm just getting warmed up." Meredith declared, taking another knife in her hand. Without any hesitation, she threw it right at Zale's head, before Ian could try to distract her.
Zale flinched slightly as it hit a spot next to his ear, sticking firmly into the bark. With wide eyes, he turned his head to see the blade a mere inch from his head. A victorious smirk crossed his face.
"I think that about does it." He said, stepping away.
Jade was just standing there with her mouth slightly open. She was completely at a loss for words. Meredith with her score of 8, had beaten her. Her. "You…th…there's still one shot." She said faintly, as District 4 approached the tree and began to pry their hard-won knives out of it.
Meredith shot her an annoyed glance. "It doesn't matter. I've got the better end of the stick. Now take off the vest."
Jade could feel her face heating up. But a deal was a deal. Humiliated to no end, she reluctantly removed the vest of knives and handed it over to Meredith. The other Career took the vest in her hands and scanned it suspiciously.
"All of the knives, Jade. You wouldn't share and neither will I."
"I…lost another one earlier." Jade admitted, her cheeks turning redder and redder.
A long pause followed her words. Meredith gave a soft sigh and shook her head. "Six will have to do. I'll take care not to lose them."
Her words hit Jade like a punch to the gut. No longer able to face her comrades, Jade turned and began making her way down the hill.
"Where are you going?" Ian called after her.
"I'm…taking first guard for the night." Jade said, making an excuse off the top of her head. "I'm going somewhere I can keep an eye on the canoe docked down below."
"Then take this." Meredith's voice said.
Something whistled through the air towards her. Jade whipped around and caught the spear easily with her fast reflexes. She stared at it for a moment, hating the very sight of it. She looked to Meredith and thought she could see amusement in her eyes. But the rest of her face remained serene.
The District 4 Career ran her hands over her newly acquired vest, patting each knife into place. Her lips twitched slightly as if she were fighting a smile. "You're going to need it."
Without another word, Jade stormed down the hill, placing herself a good distance from the others. As she noisily made her way through the graveyard, a few Jabberjays awoke from their roosts on the gravestones, letting out frightened squawks. But as soon as Jade had gone on her way, they settled back down and tucked their heads under their wings.
"Good night, Jade!" Ian called after her.
"Good night, beautiful." One of the Jabberjays echoed sleepily.
Jade ignored them both. She was still fighting back tears as rage and regret consumed her. But she knew she couldn't cry in front of the whole of Panem. Her parents would already be so upset with her—she couldn't bear to add to their shame.
Please don't let them take it out on Jasper, She begged silently, taking a seat in the cool green grass. She could no longer hear the other Careers. Instead, she only heard the peaceful sound of waves lapping at the shore.
In the silence, she played out tonight's events over and over in her head. It had completely ruined her day. If only Ian hadn't been the target! She had been too concerned with hitting him. If they had used a normal target, she definitely could have defeated Meredith.
Jade realized with a jolt that this is what Zale had been going for when he suggested the idea. She wanted to scream. Why did I agree to it?! It's all Ian's fault! If he hadn't made that remark…!
But she realized with a sinking heart that she couldn't blame this on him. In the end, she had only failed herself. She bowed her head in defeat. There was no way they would let her challenge Meredith for the knives a second time. It was a waste of time, anyways. There were bigger fish to fry. The only way to get the knives back now…was if Meredith went before she did.
And she was crossing her fingers that it would be soon.
It had been dark for a couple hours now.
After taking the raft and sailing all the way to the jungle island, Buck had made camp under a leafy bush in a soft patch of dirt. He wouldn't deny that the jungle made him nervous. It was much thicker than the regular old forest he had abandoned Al in. The plants here were unfamiliar to him and constantly rustling as if something were hidden in them.
He took shelter in a concealed spot not too far from the beach. The night was chilly. Without a pillow or a blanket, falling asleep was difficult. Buck tried to tell himself that he had nothing to fear. The Gamemakers probably wouldn't be releasing muttations on the first night. Twelve deaths were enough to sustain the Capitol audience for another day or two.
At least…that's what he thought. Just when he had nearly faded out of consciousness, a chill crawled up Buck's spine. It was the feeling one gets when they're being watched. The sixth sense that most humans seem to harbor.
He immediately awoke, trying to remain still and figure out who was staring at him. But the jungle was full of shadows. He saw and heard nothing but the steady humming of strange insects that took to the nighttime with glee. A tree frog called for a mate in the distance.
There's nothin' out there. Buck told himself, but his heart was still hammering against his chest. He tried to shake off these ominous feelings. He told himself it was only instinct, a primal fear that told him to be wary of the night. But just as he went to close his eyes, he spotted it.
Two pinpoints of yellow light shone in the deep darkness. A pair of eyes—watching him. Buck squinted, trying to make out what sort of creature they belonged to. As the world came into better focus, he noticed these eyes were all over the place. Peering at him from within bushes and out from behind trees. Not one of them blinked. Their gazes were transfixed on him.
Buck braced himself for some sort of attack. But the yellow eyes just wavered in the air, unblinking.
"G…Get out of here!" Buck said, trying to sound intimidating. His voice faltered on the last word.
The eyes didn't move.
"Get the hell out of here!" Buck said bravely, rising to his feet. He took a threatening step towards them, and the eyes instantly vanished, retreating into the darkness.
Buck sunk back down into the grass, feeling paranoid. At least they weren't dangerous. At least they didn't seem dangerous. Then again, they were probably just waiting for him to fall asleep—then they would strike.
Something moved in the corner of his eye. A moment later, the eyes blinked back into existence. Buck desperately wished he had held onto that cutlass.
Trying to ignore his growing fear, he hurriedly packed his bags and gathered them up. Then he stood up and began to make his way out to the beach. Once he was on the move, the eyes disappeared once more. But he could feel them, following him.
When he reached the sandy shore, he immediately felt safer. The ocean stretched before him. He was on the other side of the island, safe from the prying eyes of the Careers—and hopefully, whatever had been watching him.
For a long time, he rested in the sand, casting anxious glances over his shoulder. But the eyes had not followed him. Finally, he sprawled out in the sand and closed his eyes. The ground was much softer out here and cushioned his body. And the wide, open spaces made him feel safe, reminding him of the landscape of District 10.
Beneath the stars, with thoughts of home running through his mind, Buck finally drifted off to sleep.
Flick couldn't sleep.
It must have been past midnight, but he still felt wide-awake. Maybe it was the fact that he couldn't get comfortable on the volcanic island's rocky surface with the smell of sulfur hanging in his nostrils. Maybe it was because he hadn't eaten anything all day and his stomach felt like it had shrunk to the size of a walnut. An aching belly and a parched throat did not mix well.
Then again, maybe it was because every time he closed his eyes, he could only see the faces of the dead tributes hanging over him.
Seeing Viola in the sky had upset him. He knew something terrible must have dragged her under the water in that red cloud of blood. Then Quinoa showed up and questions began to fill his head. Could I have changed her fate if I had allied with her? But Astron said not to make allies. He shifted uncomfortably, casting a glance at the sleeping form of Claire, But…I still broke her rules.
The thought of abandoning Claire in the night crossed his mind. But she had been really nice to him. She helped him learn how to swim and float when he was tired. And when The Fallen had appeared in the sky, she told him in a calm voice, "If you see anyone you care about, Flick, take a moment to grieve for them. But as soon as their picture disappears, let them go. We still have our survival to think about."
Flick tried to remember what his friends told him as well. They're not really gone if their memories are preserved. Viola had said something similar—'the memories of our beloved lead us to fulfill our lives.' Something like that.
And yet, sleep escaped him. His stomach growled incessantly and his dry tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. Flick closed his eyes and hummed a sad tune under his breath. The tempo matched Claire's slow breathing as she slept on. But not even music could comfort Flick on this lonely night.
Suddenly, movement in the distance caught his eye. He squinted to see a small shape floating low on the horizon. It drifted above the ocean, growing bigger and bigger. He knew what it was instantly. It was a sight seen in every Hunger Games: a parachute that carries a sponsor gift.
Thrilled, Flick rose and ran forward to receive it. It practically floated right into his arms. He hugged the package to him, grateful that someone out there had cared enough to sponsor him so early in the Games. He settled down to open it. Someone had stuck a tiny, decorative umbrella onto the parachute, as if it was a pina colada rather than a package. Flick tossed it aside and opened the container without hesitation.
Inside was a bundle of food: bread, fruit, cheese, spam, and two bottles of water. Flick snatched up an orange and pressed it to his nose, drinking in the scent. His family always had just enough money for food; he was used to eating in small portions, but he had never gone an entire day without it. Nonetheless, he forced himself to carry the picnic basket back to Claire before devouring everything in sight.
Once there, he knelt down and nudged his ally awake. Claire woke with a small snort.
"What is it?" She asked, looking at Flick in alarm.
He could see the light of the half-moon reflecting in her eyes. That would make a good song title…possibly for a sonata…
"Flick!" Claire said, snapping her fingers and looking peeved.
He jerked back into reality. "Oh…" He said in a dazed voice, "Sorry. Look: we've been sponsored food." He held up the parachute.
Claire's mood improved in an instant. "Wow, this is great!" She said in a hushed voice, reaching out and touching the container as if she couldn't quite believe it, "Thank goodness. I'm starving."
Feeling satisfied, Flick began to help himself.
"Wait!" Claire snapped, snatching his hand and holding it tightly, "Did you thank the sponsor yet?"
He just stared at her blankly.
She sighed and launched into one of her lectures. "Just because we're living out in the wild, doesn't mean we can't be civil. Even if you don't like the Capitol, you should appreciate that someone there is looking out for you and—"
"Okay, okay." Flick said, quickly cutting Claire off before he could die of starvation. "Thank you, whoever sent this!"
Claire looked pleased enough and let him begin eating. She also said a quick thank you and helped herself. "Don't eat too fast." She warned Flick as he ravenously wolfed down a piece of bread. "We should conserve this."
Flick eyed the contents of the parachute, munching on a juicy apple next. It was delectable alongside the cheese. "I think we'll have enough for tomorrow." He thought aloud.
"But only if we don't eat it all right now." Claire said, slapping Flick's hand away as he reached for another piece of cheese. "And don't speak with your mouth full."
Flick quietly obeyed. The rest of the meal passed in silence. When they had finished, Claire sealed up the container carefully.
"Claire?" Flick said, speaking quietly, "Do you think we should go?"
Claire shot him a questioning look. "What do you mean?"
"My sister told me I should travel at night." Flick explained, slowly rising to his feet. He planned to honor those wishes.
Claire let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her neck, muttering, "Can't we just sleep here for the rest of the night?"
"I don't mind going on my own." Flick said patiently.
Claire immediately softened. "No, no, I'll go with you." She said in a light voice, looking almost apologetic, "Your sister gave you good advice. But before we go, do something about that dirty face of yours."
Flick just sighed.
After washing their faces, they set off on a slow journey to the Cornucopia island. Claire held onto her shield and the food container while Flick focused on staying afloat. The night waters were calm and peaceful. A counterclockwise current ran around the islands. Claire and Flick immersed themselves in it, treading lightly and allowing the water to carry them.
The current brought them to the next island in line: the marsh. It cut straight through the island, meandering around mangrove trees. Flick was spacing out, actually enjoying the cool feel of the water on his already sunburnt skin. But then, something unexpectedly brushed his hand. It was smooth and slimy.
At the same time, Claire let out a stifled scream.
"Oh God!" She gasped, "Okay, we're fine. Everything's fine. Just stay calm, Flick. Okay?"
As Flick treaded to keep afloat, more dark shapes began to surround him. His heart was beating fast, though he tried to observe the strange creatures swimming around him calmly.
"What are they, Claire?" He asked.
She answered in a steady voice, "I don't know. Some kind of fish. But there's so many of them. And I think…they have teeth."
It's true; there were a lot of them. They looked like long, dark ribbons twirling through the crystal clear water, entwining themselves with one another. Here and there, Flick caught sight of a glint of teeth or a pair of beady eyes. But honestly, the fish seemed more interested in each other than them.
He and Claire passed safely through their ranks. Flick shivered each time a smooth body coiled around his. Both let out a grateful sigh when they left the strange fish behind them.
Eventually, they made it to the next island in one piece. As expected, the Cornucopia was deserted. From their position, they could see torches flickering up on the tall island. The Careers would not be hunting tonight. Nevertheless, they carefully made their way towards the ship, with only the pale moonlight to guide them. They walked among the dune grass to stay hidden.
The interior of the ship was nearly pitch black. Claire stopped Flick before he could venture too far in.
"It's too dangerous," She told him, "We wouldn't be able to see where the traps are."
Flick strained his eyes to make out the shapes of the chests in the dark. One was lying on its side, empty. "I think we're too late, anyways." He said in a disappointed tone.
Claire nodded sadly. "Let's move on. There's not enough cover here."
Thankfully, they found what they were looking for on the next island. Just like those that had come before them, they stumbled upon the still lake and the mass amounts of food it contained. But Claire was always cautious. She warned Flick that it was most likely poisoned; the Gamemakers wouldn't hand them food like this. So they moved on.
After that, they found a cave on the far side of the island that suited their needs. It seemed to extend deep into the earth, but neither of them felt like exploring it at this time of night. So they bedded down near the entrance of the cave. Flick could feel his eyelids beginning to droop. Claire had already passed out on the soft ground, fatigued from swimming all day with the shield on her back.
Soon, Flick found himself drifting off to sleep as well.
Know what a Flick-Buck alliance would be called? …That's right. Blick. Anyways, enjoy the non-cliffhanger and I'll see you all next week for a more exciting chapter!