We got 50 reviews! Whoo! Thanks 'Silently I Speak' for being my 50th reviewer. I WOULD dedicate this chapter to you, but it's my favourite, so that's not happening! =D
Yes, there are deaths (not 'a death', deathS) in this chapter, though I'm sure some of you won't like it. I had to kill these two characters, though it pains my heart to. I liked them probably more than you do but I needed them to die. =(
Vivian and I struggle along with our heavy packs. Vivian asked June if she could carry something but she just shook her head. I'm beginning to wonder if this alliance was such a good idea. All June seems to have bought to the trio is extra weight in our packs, but I'm sure when the times comes she'll be as much use to the team as bother and will give something, hopefully. Well, at least we're the ones with the night vision goggles. With June's decision to stay silent she couldn't exactly argue, just shake her head angrily. Vivian and I, with the odd nod or shake of head from June, have decided that the others will probably be by the forest and although we're in the forest too June has told us through the movement of her head rather than her lips that no-one else is around here.
We struggle along, wiping the sweat from our brows. The heat came as a pleasant surprise to me and Vivian, but it only lasts in the day and is a great bother if you want to actually move anywhere, let alone travel long distances. We've decided that since Suzie's dead there has to be someone or something at the Cornucopia. If Anvike and Precious decided to stay at the Cornucopia then we'll have the element of surprise on our side, even if they're probably better than us. I could probably take on Anvike and June and Vivian combined could probably get rid of Precious. I know it's risky, but they're probably not there. If that's the case another tribute might have decided to camp there the keep the things they left behind, for they couldn't take it all with them. If it's Rip then we'll kill him, Dral then I'll convince the others to let him into the alliance. Then we'd really be unstoppable.
If no-one's there then we can take some of the remaining things at the Cornucopia and then go, so our trip wouldn't have been wasted. Either way it's a win, win, win situation. Anvike and Precious or Rip, we get rid of a tribute or two. Dral, we gain an Ally. If no-one's there then we'll get some supplies as well. Really the plan's a good one, but some-one else will be thinking the same thing so we can't stay there. We'll have to get there, deal with any tributes, grab the stuff and leave. Then we will be safely secured to be on the up. You never know, the other tributes might deal with each other, but if you want something done properly you should do it yourself.
Eventually, after a day of endless toil, though you wouldn't know it was a day the way the darkness surrounds everything, we see the golden glint of the Cornucopia and hurry along. We creep up by the trees and glance around. We can't see anyone but it could be a trap. By a fair democratic process 'say if you don't want to go' we shove June out to scout around. Vivian and I silently creep along until we have a better view. June enters the Cornucopia slowly, crouching around. We wait as she stays in there, but then she exits without any trouble. She gives us the thumbs up and we struggle out of the bushes. Enough bloodshed has occurred here and it seems the Gamemakers have not lured any tributes or mutts into the surrounding area. We smile and look at the small pile of supplies. It looks like someone got here after Anvike and Precious, but they've left. I hope it was Dral.
We fish around and find a few things that seem quite nice. We get June's sleeping bag and fill it with food and canteens filled with water. We also add an extra blanket and a sleeping bag. All the tents have gone and I have a feeling that almost everyone else in the arena has one except us. It seems terribly unfair but I guess that's just how the cookie crumbles. I stop myself. Now I'm starting to sound like Debbie with her ridiculous Capitol phrases. Although I'm fortunate and well off cookies are a luxury and only people from the Capitol could use some ridiculous phrase like that. People from the districts don't crumble cookies anyway, it's a waste.
I'm struck out of my thoughts by June tugging my sleeve. Yes, it's time to go. We need to get out of here before anyone else comes along. I reluctantly heave my pack onto my back and I can see June sling the sleeping bag full of supplies over her shoulder. We walk off. Now we're going to find somewhere a safe distance away where we'll set up camp for the night. We struggle off under the weight of our bags and soon June tugs at Vivian and me to stop.
"Come on June!" I sigh, "We need to find a decent camp by nightfall. We can't rest."
But June tugs at my sleeve again and points to a hole in her sleeping bag. Items have fallen out. We've only been walking for ten minutes so it can't be too bad.
"I'll go back." Says Vivian, seeing me hesitate, "The supplies are important, I'll catch you up."
"OK," I say and Vivian jogs off, "But be quick!" I hastily add and June and I slowly creep off into the dark.
First of all there's the tension in the air, like something isn't right. Then there's the scream. Vivian's scream echoes across the arena followed by a huge bang. No, that can't be. But I know it was. There was cannon fire. I shoot off into the distance, June hot on my heels. Where is she? Who did this to her? Is she... I cut the thought out of my mind. The cannon was the tribute that attacked her, not her. The cannon was the other tribute that's dead. She's a murderer not a corpse, though I know how one of those feels yet I still wish she was like me with that amount of guilt resting on her shoulders rather than dead. She can't be dead. I won't believe it. It's all too sudden, too frightening, I can't lose a sister, I won't.
June is faster than anything I've ever seen, yet still I speed ahead of her and hear her panting behind me, struggling to keep up. I don't know how fast I'm going and I don't care. I need to find her, I need to help her. I launch myself as far as I can go and then I see the hovercraft lifting a girl's body into the air. Please let it be Precious! But the cascading black hair tells me otherwise. June is crashing through the undergrowth to catch up with me but desperation and anger takes over. Who killed her? Then I see a figure running away through the darkness. Anvike or Rip. My anger sends my knife flying through the air and into the back of her attacker and he falls with a scream. I struggle forward, ready to finish off whoever it is if need be.
But I reach the body and stare at the face, wishing, praying that it isn't true, but it is. The person in front of me, the boy in front of me is Dral. I feel hot tears running down my cheeks; I'm unable to control them. I bend over carefully and cradle his head in my hands.
"Kara." He mutters.
"Yes Dral, it's me." I say, unable to contain the tears splattering his face or the torrent of emotions boiling all over me.
"Kara." repeats Dral, his voice becoming desperate. I reach my hand to his face and stroke it carefully, feeling his soft skin.
"What is it Dral?" I sob, my head becoming dizzy and my vision blurring, my whole consciousness spinning inside my head.
"Kara, I love you." Dral croaks and he exhales loudly, his breath leaving him. I don't want him to suffer the same fate as my father, me never being able to tell him about the emotions brewing around me. I would lie and tell him he's safe and he's fine. I would lie and tell him that it's just a bad dream. But I don't need to lie as I plant a kiss on his cheek as the fire inside it finally dies down.
"I love you too, Dral. I love you too."
That makes me so sad when I read it again! The thought of having Kara accidently kill Dral came to me quite a while back and it was inspired by when in the hunger games, Rue gets speared and Katniss shoots an arrow at the attacker before seeing who they truly are. But what got me thinking was – what if Rue's murderer had been Peeta? What if Katniss had accidently killed Peeta? Well know you know with different characters! Please review because this chapter is so sad! =(
No doubt I'll be getting loads of hate PMs now for killing of two of the most popular characters in ONE chapter, but, you know, these things happen. I almost cried when I realized that they both were gone forever (ALMOST cried), I got used to them and their quirky ways. And when Kara FINALLY admits her love for Dral the cannon fires and he's out of it - dead! =( I did warn you that this is no Katniss and Peeta hunger games, only one of them can live. But don't worry, there are plenty of plot twists to come, so don't stop reading and reviewing! =D