Chapter 50- Iry Coppersmith

I bring the thermos of hot chocolate to my mouth, but I don't even taste it. It's a really pretty morning, and the sky's all colored with pinks and blues, but I just feel so sad. I miss home so much.

Azlon died yesterday; his face went up in the sky last night, which means I'm completely alone in here. He wasn't my ally, but we were both from home, and we both went through everything before the Games started together, but now he's going home and I'm not. And I don't want to go home like he did, I want to leave the arena alive, but I'm the only one from District 8 left here. I'm alone.

But I'm safe, I know I'm safe because Terra sent me a tent and some food last night, and hot chocolate and buns this morning, so that means I can stay here. I'm glad; I didn't want to leave my beach, even though the mutts were here a few days ago. They haven't been back, and I haven't seen anyone else in days, so I'm going to hide here for as long as I can.

I haven't seen anyone since- since Celosia.

I don't want to think about her anymore.

I take another sip of my hot chocolate, and this time I taste it properly. I remember drinking hot chocolate the morning that Shuttle and Terra helped me get ready for my interviews, and how funny it was when Postumius came in after his party. When I get back to the Capitol, Terra can tell me all about what he's done while I've been in here. She can tell me stories about the Capitol and getting sponsors, and I can tell her about what it's like to be by the ocean and in a jungle.

She doesn't need to hear about Celosia or the mutts, though. She already knows all that, and I'm not going to tell her again.

But when I get home, and it should only be in a few days now, then I don't have to worry about anything anymore. I'll tell Shuttle and Woven all about it, and I'll make sure Terra's okay, and we'll be okay together. And then I can go on the tour of all the other districts, like Terra did, and meet all the other victors. I think I'll like that.

Way out above the ocean, almost past where I can't even see the edge of the water, the sky's turning blue. I think it will be hot again today, so I better find some shade to sit in. And I think I'll splash around in the little pool, where the fish are. I'll just have fun today, because Terra would find a way to let me know I'm not safe, if I'm not.

In one last gulp, I finish the last of my hot chocolate. When I'm a victor, I'll drink hot chocolate every morning! Maybe I can be like Shuttle; she goes to a lot of different parties in the Capitol, and she probably has a lot of fun. I'd like to go to Capitol parties; they must be so pretty. And maybe, just maybe, I can be a mentor next year, so I can help other tributes, like Terra and Shuttle and everyone's helped me this year.

I just have to win first, though. If I hide, I should be able to, that's what Terra told me. And Shuttle told me if I was careful, I could win, so if Shuttle says I can, I think I can too. I can't believe I've been in here for six days already; it feels more like six months.

I hope Terra's okay. I've been gone a long time.

Grabbing my hot chocolate thermos, I stand up and brush all the sand off my pants. It's going to be hot later, but it's still cold now, so I head back to my tent. I put it up last night and hid it a little further back on the beach, over at the edge of the trees, so that if anyone walks by, they won't see it. It's dark green, so it's really hidden.

As quietly as I can, I unzip the door and climb inside; it's just the right size for me in here. When I close the door, it's like I'm back in my canopy bed, except it's green and crinkly instead of pink and soft. Carefully, I balance my thermos in one of the corners, then lie down on top of my blanket that Terra sent at the beginning of the Games.

My necklace slides up and bunches right under my chin. I can't wait until I can give it back to Terra. My father gave it to my mother, and when she died she gave it to him I guess, and then he gave it to me, then I gave it to Terra, and she gave it back to me- everyone in my family's had this ring, and that means it's lucky. Everyone is crossing their fingers for me, no matter where they are.

I just want to lie here until it gets too hot, and listen to the waves wash up on the beach. It's such a pretty sound, and District 8 doesn't have water like that. I'm still not really sure if I like the ocean, but I like the sound it makes. Terra told me about District 4, and how it's all oceans there. I'll visit, but I don't want to stay there. I wonder how the boy from District 4 is doing in here; he was really good in Training.

What if, at the very end of the Games, I have to kill someone else? I don't want to; I just want to hide and stay out of everyone's way until it's all over. But if two people are left at the end, and one of them is me, what do I do then?

I sit up fast and pull my knees to my chest, pressing my ring into my skin. I already killed Celosia, and she was just a year older than me, I think. What happens if it's just me and the girl from 2? Or the boy from 4? Or the boy from 6 who dropped nuts down my back? They'll kill me, and then I'll never go home, because I can't kill them.

I have to get out of this tent; it's getting too hot, and it feels like it's trapping me inside. I miss the zipper the first couple times I try, but I finally get the door open and, grabbing my sword, I scramble outside, landing in the dirt right outside the door.

The air is salty, but it also smells like flowers from inside the jungle. I can hear birds and creatures shouting in the trees, but I can't see them, and I don't think they can see me. I have to hide, I have to hide so that nobody finds me, but I need to go stand in the water to feel better. I don't want to kill anyone else; Celosia is enough. And I didn't even want to kill her!

I'm sorry, Terra. I'm not brave enough to hurt anyone else.

Maneuvering around the tent, I stumble over a root and have to grab onto a nearby tree to keep myself from falling over. The bark's rough and it scrapes my hand; I'll have to remember not to put it into the water, or it'll hurt. But the funny thing is, when I look out at the water, it's gone.

Why is the ocean gone?

Still holding onto the tree, I watch the water; it's not gone, it's still going away, but I don't know why it's doing it, or how it's even happening. Why are the Gamemakers taking the water away? I can see fish flopping around on the bare sand where the ocean was, and starfish and those pretty sculptures that I crushed when I was getting off my pedestal. Are they turning the arena into a desert?

Far out, where I saw the sky turning blue just a few minutes ago, that's where the water's going, but I still don't know why. What are they going to do with all the water? Is it happening all around the island, or just where I am?

I watch the water disappear, until I can see where it's all going; it's going into a wave that's growing taller just at the very edge of the arena. It looks like it's almost touching the sky. Without really realizing it, I grab onto my ring and squeeze it tight; I'm a little scared right now. When something confusing happens in here, it's not good. It's never good, so what's going to happen?

Suddenly, the water stops disappearing. The birds aren't singing anymore; everything is really, really quiet.

I don't think I'm safe anymore.

Still holding onto my sword, I let go of my ring, just as the giant wave starts to rush back towards me. It's loud, louder than the trains or the cannons or the gong at the beginning of the Games; it's coming, it's coming for me-

It's an obstacle course, I just have to think of the jungle as my obstacle course. I've left all my supplies behind me, everything except my sword, but I don't care! I have to get away, before the wave catches me, because I hear it coming, it's coming too fast, and it's going to get me-

Terra! I'm sorry, I should have run earlier!

My foot slips on a log and I slam my knee into the wood; I can hear the wave coming even faster. It's just the obstacle course from Training. Jump, leap, run.

The trees are snapping and breaking apart behind me; my tent's gone, the beach is gone, all of my supplies. I'm scared. I'm so scared, but I can't let them see it. Can't let her see me-

I vault over another log, my necklace hitting my chin, and the wood scrapes my leg again. I hear rushing, almost like the water's screaming, and then it's got me, it's got me, and it's pulling me back-

Water closes over my head; it's worse than getting off the pedestals. Somehow, I grab onto a log and pull myself up above the water, choking on the salt.

"Terra!" I scream, hugging onto the log with all my strength. "Terra!"

She can't hear me, she can't help me, but I don't care. "Terra! Help! Somebody!"

Nobody's going to help me. I have to save myself, again. I can do it, I'm Iry, I can get out of this, I'll get back to land and keep hiding-

Another wave comes in, knocking me off my log. I have to get back to the surface; I can't breathe, I can't breathe! Kicking as hard as I can, I get myself to the surface; I'm almost there, I can feel air on my hand, I just have to get the rest of me out-

Something hits my head. Hard. I can feel my hand slip back under the water, but I can't do anything to get back up.

Terra, I-