Chapter 14: Home Away from Home
The gamemnaker's plot had failed. I hadn't died in the flood or by the teeth and claws of their river sakes. Of course, without Andrew, I would be dead. Just another dead tribute, perished by the hand of unluckiness. If he hadn't found me just before the slags had, I would be mauled or drowned, probably both. He was the hero, the one who was still alive because of himself and his decisions. Compared to him, I had failed in every way. The only thing I had done right was drag him away from danger when he himself was unable to act, and that hardly counted since I wasn't really in control of myself either.
I had woken up an hour or so before sunrise and had been thinking about this again and again, vowing that now I would be more careful. Now I would be braver. Now I would take action and not be a burden. My choices could kill me more than ever now, so now was not the time to make mistakes. Andrew could die because of me.
Now. Now. Now. Now was the present. Not a dream, not a future. Right this second, not daydreaming. I snapped out of my unfeeling state and became newly aware of the place where we were, the state we were in. We had to eat again and recover our strength and heal, so I needed to do something about that.
Andrew was peacefully sleeping curled up in front of me, his face calm and unstrained. I saved the moment in my memory and quietly crept over to grab his knife before crawling out into the predawn day.
I needed to scout the area and create dome snares to catch small game to feed ourselves with. I carried the knife as both a tool and as protection incase I encounter anyone.
My breath was taken away as I stood up and saw my surroundings. A mist wreathed around the trees and plants, mystifying the land and sky. Some may have found it foreboding, but my heart sang to see this fantasy before me of pines and aspens, clothed in softness. I was home, home in District 7 where the day had not yet begun and everything was quiet, say the stream. I wanted to stand there forever, drinking in my homesickness as my eyes blurred.
The cry of a mocking jay split the air and I came back alive. The thoughts of my family off like the mist soon would, and my feet began to move. I slowly and silently wove through the area of coniferous forest with a high alertness. The gathered coldness of the night combined with the ground level clouds and caused the hair on my arm to rise up on goosebumps. I always liked the thought that mist was as close as I'd ever get to going through clouds.
I startled a rabbit when I almost stepped on it and was glad to note that there were more animals than just snakes here. The thought also crossed my mind that I was so quiet, rabbits didn't even know I was there. Of course, the ground being wet pine needles helped a lot with that.
I scouted the area until the sun began to rise. The new day brought with it new energy, and I almost happily went back to what I'd quickly come to think of as home. It must've been the familiarity of this place that had brought on the title.
When I was about to come to the boulder strewn hill where the stump was, I went around a corner and nearly crashed into Andrew. Our faces were mere inches apart and I nearly yelped with surprise I was so startled.
Andrew's face was a picture of fear which turned to infinite relief.
''Shae! Where were you?,'' he exclaimed in a worried tone.
''Oh, I - I was exploring for food and stuff,'' I stuttered. ''I wanted to know where things were so we could get them when you woke up, and you needed to sleep…,'' I mumbled and drifted off.
''Gah, I'm so glad you're okay,'' Andrew breathed. ''I was waiting for you so long and then you didn't show up, I was getting really worried.''
''I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking,'' I said quietly. Andrew was staring at me and I looked away. I could've kicked myself. Did I really have to mess up again? After I'd just vowed to stop being stupid? You didn't
have to have much sense to know that you shouldn't trek the woods alone without someone knowing or being with you. Especially when you could be murdered.
''I'll try not to wander off again and give you a heart attack - you probably could do without that,'' I said.
''Yeah, yeah I could,'' he nodded.
I tossed Andrew his knife back.
''Here you go. I wasn't totally braindead.''
Andrew caught it and smiled. ''That does make me feel a little better.''
''I was thinking that we could help build snares with it. I saw a rabbit while I was out; actually, I almost stepped on it,'' I chuckled.
''That sounds good, but first I need a drink. I'm so thirsty.'' He said.
''Yeah, me too,'' I agreed. Cold stream water sounded amazing.
We both went down to the small creek and quenched our thirst. As we were getting up, Andrew noticed my wrist. It was limp and turned at an unnatural angle.
''Woah, what happened to your wrist?,'' he asked, indicating it.
''Oh, I think Amber dislocated it,'' I said as I favored it. It hurt every time I moved it.
''What?''
''She smashed it with her boot. I don't know how to fix it,'' I admitted.
''I might be able to set it back in place. Could I try?,'' he asked.
I nodded and held it out. ''It hurts a lot, but I've been trying to ignore it. Don't ask me how I half dragged you in the rain, because I don't know.''
Andrew motioned me over to a smooth, flattish rock and softly took my hand and upper forearm in his hands.
''This will probably hurt a lot initially, but if I can do it, it'll be able to heal. Are you ready?''
''Yeah.''
Andrew took a breath, raised up, and then shoved down.
