So... It has been quite a while. And I should have been studying right now, but... don't worry. I have up to chapter 20 written down and a lot of future scenes, so even if I am late do not give up on me.
For my amazing readers... Finnick huh? I guess you will need to keep reading to find out. Also one of you guys try to make a parallel between Ophelia and Prim and yes I can see what you are thinking. Ophelia really acts cute and lovely as her, but for our MC this is only acting. She is not genuinely like this. I don't mean she is bad. She is just as the tittle of this fanfic says normal, the cute act is the way she thought gave her the best chance to survival, almost like Johanna Mason did.
Do you guys think Primrose would have survive in the Hunger Games? I don't think so. Thanks to Katniss she was able to grown up almost sheltered for someone from 12. But I don't know, what are your opinions?
I need to move. It is the third day and I am not naïve enough that the game makers will let me be for much longer. At least not if I am staying in the same place.
And I need water. Fast.
I try to keep my eyes on the surrounding to see if I can find any source of water while paying attention to any other tributes. I could go to the water fall, but something about it didn't feel fine. And base on the previous games I need to be cautious about anything that feels too good to be true.
So, I follow animals traces. They do not show us which kind of animals there would be here, it would be a giant spoiler if there is any mutts. There are. I am sure of it. It is one of the things the people in the Capitol enjoy the most. But they can't give us any hint about what time of abomination they had create for this year. As long as I know, they probably are not around yet, or they are not threatening enough.
I know, however, that all animals need water even the ones that can kill me, and if I am lucky their traces are going to take me to a pond or something instead of their nest. I don't know how many hours it took to find a small lake, but I do. And the minutes I had to wait for the tablets have effect seemed longer than the walk. I drink two full bottles before filling them one last time and found a new tree to hide, this time one close enough of the pond that I could hear if anything or anyone approaches it, but I manage to stay out of view. Or at least I how I am.
And because I was close enough, I saw when the lake shined at midnight. Brighter than anything in this forest with its blueish light. I felt a little bit like a moth looking to a fire. I know it will burn, that is not safe, but the light in the dark is so tempting. Is the third day and I feel that the days are getting shorter, is yet barely knowledgeable and maybe is the paranoia talking, but maybe... They want us to fight in the dark. Or at least I think so.
This can be good for me if everyone is in the same situation without being able to see. Most of the tributes wouldn't expect to be attacked by someone a foot smaller than them. But if they have any means to see… my situation would be worse than at daylight.
Another canon sounded at the middle of the night waking me up. Now we are ten left.
I am getting anxious. Is the third tribute to be killed in the middle of the night. And even if I know that, at least one of them, was because of stupidity, all of them are making me nervous.
I don't remember how those glasses worked. If they only see it lighter so that the vision is easier or if they use a person body heat. If it is the second, I can try to cover myself with the mud of the river, this can work… I guess. Is better than nothing. And if it is the first option, I would need to climb higher and pray that Silver is not actually that good with the bow.
During the fifth day I heard a scream so loud it made me climb higher into the new tree I found so I could try to understand what was going on. It was the waterfall. I knew it was a trap, but seeing what were once a pure and clear water slowly turned red from all the blood of a child almost made me puke.
The worst was the fishes. Flesh eating fishes. Not like piranhas that only eat dead meat. Those certainly killed a tribute and now I could see even from a distance them jumping in the water with parts of the kid's skin floating around. I doubt that their family would receive even a piece of bone to buried.
During the past few days, I could almost imagine that everything was going to ended up fine. I still have some food and was able to find some plants that were able to eat and water. And I haven't saw another tribute yet. It shouldn't have been shocking, the arena is big, not like the 50th that Haymitch Abernathy spend days walking into the same direction to finally find the end, but it was big enough that I couldn't even tell where was the end. Having so much space is obvious that is not really easy to find someone here, especially if you are not trying to. So, all of it made me not comfortable, but more relaxed than the first two days.
The waterfall changes it.
I was quite sure that the other tributes were killed by the careers. But this one… The arena killed them. And this was scary. I had forgot that not only I should be aware of people, but of everything that surround me.
In the morning of the sixth day, I went to the pond and cover myself in mud. It may have not been the brightest idea, however it was the only one I had. The mud, once was dry, started to itch a little bit and the smell that came from it was not pleasant. It had already been six days I haven't shower so maybe it was unfair to blame the mud for the stink, but after what happened yesterday, I would not bath myself here.
Even Aurelius sword was more welcoming than the fish. It would give my family at least a part of my body to bury. I wonder which kind of tree they will plant on top of me. In my past life we used to cremate or bury our deceased in a cemetery where it used to have a huge family mausoleum for the riches and smaller ones for the common people. But in 10, things are different. Since all land belongs to Panem and all space available is used to the cattle there is nowhere to build a cemetery. So, the people bury their dead in the farms and plant a tree on top. Most of them are fruit trees and it feels like even after their passing the family member is still caring for them. I would probably think this was morbid in my past life. Having someone buried in what is essentially your backyard. Now this brings me comfort.
Emilia became an orange tree, since it was her favorite. It finally starts to give fruits on the last fall, Sunshine had brought a full basket of oranges for my family, after all part of the tradition is to share the first harvest with the ones that knew the decease. I wonder which tree they are going to use for me. I don't have a favorite fruit. But maybe they will chose based on the flowers? It would be nice. Even if I can't no longer make them flower crowns, they will still have the flowers. Well, I would only need two more. Only two more crowns to Chloe and them it's done. No longer anyone of my family is going to go to the reaping, because when they are at the certain age the revolution would already make sure that they will never have to pass for the same thing I did.
Would my siblings teach their children how to braid flowers together underneath my tree? It is a nice thought.
I shake my head.
No, it is not a nice thought, because for this to happen I would have died. And even if I already died once I am not really rushing for a second time. Specially not a painful one.