I do not own 'The Hunger Games' or anything related.
After the drama of that morning, the next few days in the Hunger Games were pretty much quiet. The girl, boy and what remained of the career pack were still unconscious from the tracker jacker attack, so the cameras focused on the remaining tributes, foraging, surviving. I knew that the action from that morning would keep the audience satisfied, but when the second day passed without any deaths I was concerned. Surprisingly, though, there were no incidents like on day 4. Perhaps the gamemakers were content on waiting for the careers and the girl to wake. It wouldn't be sporting to kill them when they were unconscious. It had been now a week in the games when everyone started waking up. 7 days. What had been happening in my games up to day 7?
It had been day 4, a day since I had discovered non-poisonous water. I did my best to ignore the rumbling in my stomach, taking great care when eating my meagre food supplies. I had plenty of water, but I had to ration this as I had no idea when it would be raining again, and it did little to quench my hunger. But I've been hungry before. As long as I had water, I could continue, so I had to do my best to bear with the pain in my stomach. Suddenly I heard a loud explosion. Turning around to the source of the sound, I watched the top of the snow capped mountain blow off, with lava spewing down. Moments later, I could hear the canon going off. 13 times. As many as during a bloodbath. Again, my thoughts for some reason turned to Maysilee, wondering if she was one of the unlucky ones to get melted by lava. That only left 13. From the site of the now volcanic mountain, it would mean that the survivors would likely come to the woods as well. It also meant with their source of food likely destroyed that it improved my chances to survive against the careers. That night, I saw that five careers were among the dead, 1 from district 4, and 2 each from 1 and 2. That at least improved my chances. To my surprise, and somehow to my relief, Maysilee wasn't among them. That townfolk girl who worked at a sweet shop had proven to be more resilient than I would have thought. I wondered what she was doing to last so long?
The next day, I found that my path was blocked by a hedge. I tried to walk around it, but I found there was a wall of hedges. I tried climbing over it, but I was unable to. I tried to break through it, but it was too tough. I figured the only thing I could do was try to keep going forward, but I was aware that the hedges (Which I realised was a maze), kept bringing me back around. Were the gamemakers aware of what I was doing, trying to prevent me from reaching my goal (If they were, then it gave me hope that there was definitely something the game makers didn't want me to find, something that could help me win)? Or were they just trying to direct me to the other tributes, to make sure that we would fight?
I had also eaten my last protein bar. The beef strips I had finished the day before. That night, it was difficult to get to sleep as my stomach kept me up. The fact that I was away from mutts did not assure me, as the enclosed space gave me less space to flee if any tribute was to come across me. No deaths today. Last time that happened the volcano erupted. I wondered what they would do tomorrow to liven things up.
On day 6 I found myself back in the woods, and I was sure I lost two days' worth of walking. I also found myself face to face with three of the careers. Instantly I knew that like the squirrels, running would be pointless. I readied my weapons as I stood and fought.
Despite doing my best, I was quickly disarmed by the careers, and knocked to the ground on my butt. It shouldn't have been too surprising. I had only been training to fight, to properly fight, for a week when these guys have been training all their lives! Raybearta was right. Compared to these tributes, I was a mere house cat up against lions, bears and sharks.
My knife slipped down to my hand.
But this cat still had claws!
I made my move as they laughed and talked, their attention away from me, thinking that I was a goner, as I leapt up and slashed at the unsuspecting careers. I managed to injure 2 before one from District 2 grabbed my hand and squeezed the knife out of it. He could have killed me then and there, but instead his attention was drawn to the gasps of one of the careers that I injured. He flung me to the ground as he went to one of their aids. Looking at my handiwork, it seemed I did a better job than I thought. One of the tributes, the last remaining 4, was already dead from the wound I inflicted on him by slicing through his neck. The other, a girl from 1, was still struggling to breathe as the remaining tribute held her in his arms, only letting go after the canon fired, signalling her death. He gently placed her on the ground. Standing up, he turned towards me, the fury on his face clear.
"You'll pay for that!"
Grabbing my knife, the career proceeded to grab me by the throat and slit my own throat the same way I had done to his allies. I shut my eyes, not wanting the last thing I see to be the knife. Well, you couldn't say I didn't try! 11th place wasn't so bad for someone from District 12! And at least I took a couple of careers down with me. Perhaps that would improve the odds of the other tributes, especially Maysilee. I hoped that she would survive. As I prepared for my own weapon being sliced along my throat and feel the blood pour from it as I slowly lost consciousness, before life, my last thoughts turned to everyone I was leaving behind. Larie. Ma. Rachelle. Mel.
I'm sorry everyone. I tried to survive.
I tried.
Almost a minute passed before I started to wonder that I should be dead right now, or at least dying. What was taking this career so long? Was he taking his time to kill me? Hurry up and get it over with already! I could feel that he was shaking with anticipation. Or at least, I though that's what he was doing! Then I felt him release his grip on me. Wondering what was going on, I opened my eyes and looked at the career, who had collapsed on the ground. It looked like he was having a seizure before he went still. The canon fired.
What had happened? Looking up, I saw a sight I hadn't expected to ever see.
It was Maysilee.
Holding in her hand, she had some sort of blow dart, pointing at where the 2 stood.
Maysilee Donner just saved my life!
For a moment, we just looked at each other. It was Maysilee who broke the silence.
"We'd live longer with two of us."
"Yes, you've certainly proved that," I replied, rubbing my neck.
I never wanted an ally before, but if it wasn't for Maysilee I would be dead right now.
"Allies?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Allies."
We heard the hovercrafts coming to pick up the bodies.
"Quick!" Maysilee told me, "Let's get their supplies while we still can!"
Between the two of us, we were able to get the back packs off the bodies and remove their weapons from their hands before the crafts came, grabbing the bodies, and bringing them back up. We checked their supplies. I was most interested in the food. The rumbling in my stomach got louder, and it was all I could do to restrain myself from gouging into the spoils. Maysilee took out her own food supplies to add to the pile (Which wasn't much, but from the looks of her it seemed she had no problem getting her hands on food. I thought of how the only food safe to consume was from the cornucopia, and I also thought about the two tributes who died a couple of days ago. I thought it was the careers who were responsible, but now I wasn't so sure). Between the two of us, there was enough food to keep us going for a couple of days. To my surprise (And my protest), Maysilee assigned me the bigger share.
"You need it more than me. You look like you haven't eaten in days."
Do I? To be honest, I haven't been able to look at a reflection to see what state I was in. Judging from what she said, I wondered if I looked like a bag of skin and bones to her. Carefully picking up my portion in my shaking hands, I slowly ate it. I felt even hungrier than before, but I did my best to restrain myself. After having my portion for the day, I wanted more, but I had to withhold my desire. As we ate, Maysilee wanted to discuss strategy.
"There's only ten of us left, now. Including us two, and the remaining two careers. As far as I know everyone is now in the woods. Once we've eaten we should probably set off at once. The other two careers are likely nearby, and will have probably noticed that their allies haven't returned. We should look out for any of the other six tributes. What do you think? You can distract them with your knife while I can shoot them with my blow darts."
Her primary concern was getting food, and avoiding the stronger careers when possible. I however had a different priority.
"I've been going in the same direction all games. Away from the mountain. I was thinking of continuing."
"But Haymitch, if we do that, then the chances are we'll be further away from the other tributes and from any food!"
"We can survive without food. Water's the essential, and we can get that from the rain."
Maysilee frowned.
"What's so special about the way you're going?"
I didn't answer. Allies should share strategy, but I was pretty sure what I was doing was going against what the game makers wanted, and I didn't want to tip them off. I think Maysilee understood my silence.
"Fine. We'll try your way."
After finishing our meal, we set off.
"By the way," I said, "We should probably rethink our division of the food. You should have the bigger share if food's going to be a problem."
"No, I'm fine. You need food more than me."
"I'll be fine. I've been hungry before. But you haven't."
I wasn't prepared for how Maysilee for some reason took offence at what I just said.
"Oh, because I'm townfolk?"
"Well…yes," I replied, confused over the explanation of this obvious fact.
Maysilee's face became unreadable.
"How about this? Once you've regained a few pounds, we'll evenly split up the food, and I'll let you know if I'm about to faint from hunger."
I didn't know why she was acting this way. Maybe she didn't want to appear weak, which I could understand, but everyone knew that the townfolk never starved whereas the seamfolk often did. Even so, I just nodded.
I resumed my walk away from the volcano as before, although I did a little alteration so that we didn't end up in the maze again. However, we still ended up in the maze, and we were still in it when night fell, and the broadcast showed who died. Maysilee suggested that I sleep while she remained on watch.
"I can stay up," I told her.
"No," She told me, "I think you've had more problems sleeping than myself."
I didn't like how she thought I needed looking after. First telling me that I needed more food, and now more sleep. Rather than argue with her, however, I just nodded.
"Okay. Wake me in about four hours."
"How am I to know that four hours have passed?" She asked me.
That's a fair point.
"Well," I grinned, "a minute is 60 seconds, and an hour is 60 of those sixty seconds, so just count to 60 times 60 times four."
"You know what, I think I'll work it out."
As usual, I took out my knife as I laid down.
"Um, Haymitch, what are you doing?"
She was pointing out my knife.
"Just in case," I told her.
"Oh I understand. I've been sleeping with my blow dart near my mouth. Although not in my mouth, as I'm worried I'll end up sucking in one of the darts. But since I'm on watch there's no need for you to be vigilant. You can just rest."
That was true. Even so, I had become used to sleeping with a knife.
"I'd rather sleep with my knife in my hand."
Maysilee shrugged.
"Fair enough."
Even so, it was much easier to sleep now that I had someone watching over me. I was able to fall asleep almost straight away.
It was afternoon on day 7 that everyone started to wake up, first the girl, before being joined by the boy and the other careers. After tending to her burns, she also tried putting it on her tracker jacker wounds, but it had no affect. Going in the opposite direction of where she came from, the girl killed a rabbit with her newly acquired bow and arrows, and rested in a stream an hour later. After drinking, bathing and tending to her wounds she continued uphill, shooting a grooseling (although I doubt she knew what it was). While cooking it, she noticed someone nearby, and readied her bow and arrow. The District 11 girl was hiding behind a tree. Relaxing, the girl gave a rare grin.
"You know, the careers aren't the only ones who can make alliances."
Hmm. Whereas I didn't tell her to make alliances, I didn't rule them out either. Alliances are useful. I wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for my alliance with Maysilee, but the downside is what happens when you get too attached to your ally and they die. Regardless, this girl wouldn't have been my first choice for an ally. Certainly she could climb, and was resourceful, and if it wasn't for her pointing out the tracker jacker nest I don't know how the girl would have gotten out of there alive, so she seemed trustworthy (the most important factor for a good alliance) but she was also small and young and likely a liability. That seems like a cruel, hard thing to say, but the Hunger Games are a cruel, hard sport to play. I also wondered if she wanted the 11 to be her ally because she reminded her of her sister. If that was the case, then it was the worst reason to make an ally, because of what will happen to them. However, none of this I could communicate to the girl. The 11 seemed surprised that the girl wanted her as an ally, even thought she wasn't serious, but serious she was. As they shared their food, the 11 helped her with her tracker jacker wounds. I guess she was a good choice for an ally after all. In return, the girl tended to the burn on the 11's arm. The 11 remarked that she had good sponsors, but she assured her that she would get sponsors too after seeing how clever she is! If only that was true. Clever she may be, but cleverness alone doesn't win a game, and she was young too. Too young to be a victor. Sponsors rarely waste their money on someone they're sure will lose, but I knew the girl was only saying this to encourage her. As they ate, the girls exchanged information about life in their differing districts, which I'm pretty sure was being blocked, and sure enough, the moment the 11 started answering the girl's question over having enough to eat the main monitor that showed the broadcast of the games flicked to elsewhere. It went to the boy. After waking up from his tracker jacker induced nightmare, he had camped at a stream, a good place for food (such as fish) and water. He also covered himself in mud and sticks, I'm guessing to camouflage himself. Most of the time he laid down so that he merged with his surroundings, only getting up for food and water. Though the fact that he was laying down most of the time might not just be for camouflaged. From the way he was limping, from the wound on his leg given to him by the male district 2 tribute, I knew that he was a goner.
