Chapter 38: Fire and Snow.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.
On Sunday, I fell from a tree at my lake house and broke my left arm ( thanks god, I can still use my right one), so I got 2 month free from gymnastics, piano and violin and I'll probably update more often.
Last chapter was sort of a filler but it was needed for some other parts of the story.
Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!
When I wake up, the first thing I see is the cloudy sky above my head. The sky looks like is about to snow but the temperature seems to be higher than ever.
I step out of the sleeping bag, trying not to wake Rue, but since she had her head resting against my shoulder, she wakes up immediately.
-Good morning. – She says happily, or as happy as you can be during the Games. – I'm hungry; can we have breakfast?
-Sure, but we don't have any meat. We only have your berries and roots.
-That's fine for me. – She says.
I just nod and sigh. I'm so hungry that I would eat a horse.
-Are you going to show me where Peeta is? – I ask while we eat.
-Yes, - She says with a sad face. – but later.
-We need meat. I have to hunt, but there are no preys here. – I say.
-We can move to the other side of the stream. I'm sure that there are more rabbits there, and we can fill our bottles.
-And after that you can show me where Peeta is. - I say, trying to look anxious to find him.
-If you want to find Peeta before sunset, we need to start moving now. – She replies keeping the anxious tone.
We walk in silence, because we don't really have anything to say and we need to be aware of any sound.
-Are you really in love? – She asks. – I mean you and Peeta.
My first impulse is to scream "No" but that won't help anyone. – I don't know. He said he loved me and I can't say I don't like him. – She looks at me with her amber eyes full of confusion. – I think I wouldn't be able to live without him. – I force myself to say.
-That's so cute. – She giggles, before noticing the nervous look in my face. – Don't worry, you'll find him. – We keep in silence after that.
By the time when we arrive at the stream, the temperature has risen and it feels like being in an oven; we decide to swim and fish.
After swimming, we catch two fishes and we eat them raw; the Games have been slow and I don't want to risk a meeting with the Careers.
At midday the sky is a dark shade of grey and some minutes later it is dark red, the same color of blood.
-Do you think it will rain? – Rue asks.
-Maybe. The real problem is what will be raining?
-Huh?
-When have you seen the sky this red?
-Never, I think.
-That's my point. When it rains the sky is grey, not red… Perhaps, it is related to the next twist that the Gamemakers are planning to make our life hell…
A flash of lightning, shortly followed by the sound of thunder interrupts my words. I feel the temperature rising, from what seemed to be 40° to 50° or maybe more. The sky gets a brighter shade of red, almost orange and the air fills with the essence of sulfur. Fire starts pouring from the sky and an enormous wall of fire forms between Rue and me, threatening to engulf any of us at any moment.
Other walls like this appear at different parts of the woods, some of them near to me, some others closer to the lake. I can't help Rue, so I start running as fast as I can. As I run, the wall fire chases me and encloses me between more fire walls. I can't breathe, the air is filled with smoke; I have to get out of here or die but the only way out is through the walls.
I launch myself into the fire crossing several walls before getting to a relatively safe place. My clothes and hair are burning, so I roll in the ground for several minutes, trying to extinguish the fire. I take my water bottle from my backpack and use the liquid to extinguish the remains of fire. I drink a little and start coughing. I rest for some seconds, trying to regain my breath.
When I'm slightly recovered, I run in the direction of the stream trying my best to avoid the fire; the smoke is heavier and the sulfur is making my lungs burn. Most of the water in the stream is gone; everything is burning or already burnt.
I follow what is left of the stream in an attempt to find a place that is not burning. I don't run much, the smoke is cutting my air supply and I don't have much energy. I manage to reach a pond before I start throwing up.
After emptying my stomach, I try to recognize my surrounding. I don't know where I am, but maybe I can find my way back by following the stream. My visibility is poor and the air is still filled with smoke, though, it isn't that dangerous here. I must be four or five miles away from our camp and one or two away from where the fire ended.
I look at my body; my clothes are burnt in some parts, like the edge of my pants and the sleeves and hood of my jacket. Some parts of my arms and legs are red and covered in welts. My face and my throat hurt from coughing and throwing up.
I look at my backpack, which now is almost useless. It is almost completely burnt, but at least the supplies in the inside survived. I still have my sleeping bag, the knifes , the sunglasses, the rope and wire, the matches and the first aid kit along with my water bottle and some roots. I left my axe, sword, bow and arrows at our camp.
I try to heal my burns, but I can't do much beside soaking them in antiseptic and covering them in bandages. I take my hair in my hands and look at it; it is at least half its length and the ends are completely burnt.
I sigh. – Damned Gamemakers, when I say that you would make our life hell, I was using metaphors. – I scream as loud as my lungs can.
I don't have anything to do; besides watching the fire destroying everything and drinking as much water as I can. I slowly fall asleep, completely exhausted, but the pain in my body wakes me up.
When the fire is completely extinguished and the visibility improves, I decide to return to our camp.
All the grass and most of the plants have been burnt; just some dry trees and rocks are left. No visible sign of animals or water. I recognize the site of our camp when I see my weapons lying against a pile of ashes.
I retrieve them, and walk in the direction Rue must have followed. After I walked some miles, a vision leaves me breathless and speechless. There is a corpse, almost burned to ashes; the skin and flesh no longer exist and the bones are burnt to the point that they are completely black.
I'm shaking and I hit the ground with my knees, in a ordinary occasion I would have stand up and walk away but I can't; the sight of Rue's corpse has left me petrified in horror. The girl who hated being alone, who loved her family more than anything, who used to sang along with mockingjays, the girl who promised to show me where Peeta was, and the girl who was my friend, has been reduced to ashes. No longer breathing, no longer singing, no longer alive.
I stay frozen, kneeling in front of Rue, breathing the essence of sulfur and coughing occasionally. Snow starts falling from the sky, which now is a pale shade of grey instead of blood red. I may freeze to the bone, but I can't take my eyes off her corpse. The cruelty of her death shows me my own sins; it shows me that I'm not that different from Snow and the Gamemakers.
Time passes slowly, and the snow starts covering us. I can't feel the cold; I just know that it helps to numb my pain. The snow falls steady and constant, with some breezes of cold wind that move the branches of the few trees that escaped the fire, resulting in a sound that makes me comfortable in some creepy way. That scream-like sound makes me feel safe, or at least alive. Right now, I don't feel anything and that sound is the only thing that reminds me that I'm still alive, maybe insane, but alive.
The sky gets darker and darker every second; the day must be near its end. I take my weapons and walk away from the place; the corpse is not visible anymore, it is buried under the snow.
As I walk, I try to forget that she was my friend, I try to forget that has a family, I try to forget everything about her, and I try to forget that I can't succeed. A part of my mind, doesn't want to forget; forgetting makes me feel a worst person, but remembering it's painful.
-I'm a mess. – I tell myself in a sigh. – You know that anybody will be able to kill you if you keep like this. – I need a plan, and a place to sleep away from the snow. And I need to find Peeta, if he is still alive. But first I need to rest.
I walk into the woods that weren't damaged by the fire and climb one of the first trees I see. I sit there, waiting for the anthem to start paying and the deaths to be shown in the sky. To my surprise, the only face was Rue's.
I laugh sardonically. That must have been a good slap in the face for the Gamemakers; the fire should have killed at least four tributes and it only killed one. Good to know that I'm not the only one suffering.
I decide to sleep while I can; since Peeta is alive, I'll start looking for him tomorrow morning. I can't give myself the luxury of living him alone much more time. It's a matter of time for the Gamemakers to change their minds and the rules. And the audience can change their minds too, and that will accelerate the process in the Gamemakers' heads.
My eyes feel heavy and my body is numb with exhaustion. I take out my sleeping bag and get inside it. I'm about to close my eyes when the sound of a branch cracking under the pressure of someone walking.
I fold my sleeping bag and climb higher in the tree. I see the shine of three torches against the darkness of the night. Great, it can only be the Careers and I have a plan for them.
I climb down the tree and start walking aimlessly, sobbing quietly. I hear the Careers moving faster in my direction and when I'm sure they can see me, I break down, crying desperately and calling Peeta's name.
Well, that was longer than I expected hope you enjoyed!
Any mistake, question, suggestion or opinion, just tell me in a review.
Taylor Victoire.