Chapter 15: A Foraging Foray

I gave a shout of pain as my bones popped back into place. Then there was only a dull ache to replace the previous pang.

''Oh,'' I said, rubbing it in marvel. ''It's better! Wow, thank you.''

''I'm glad it worked!,'' he exclaimed, and we grinned at each other.

The rest of the morning we spent building some snares and setting them in different places in the woods around the hollow. Then we went back to the stump and took turns crafting a spear.

Unlike the day before, the afternoon dragged on endlessly. There was a canon shot sometime during then, and I hoped that it wasn't Lemongrass. In contrast to the districts, the gamemakers wouldn't tell us the killer or cause of death for other tributes, and I could only be left to wonder how they died. However, if I won and saw the recap, then I would know. Did I really want to know though?

I continued to labor over the spear until the point was almost needle sharp and the head was long and smooth. Then I made a tiny fire and burned the head to give it strength. A good weapon was worth the risk. Satisfied, I gave Andrew his knife back and napped through mid-afternoon.

It was very hard to sleep after almost five days of insufficient food. Hunger was normal in District 7, but it wasn't like this. At home, we had enough income to eat a full meal once a day, and there were many times scraps and the occasional animal that we could catch. The hard times taught us to deal with hunger, and the good times were our payoff.

However, it was beginning to be too much now, and I felt horribly shaky and weak. So, after about an hour and a half of tossing and turning, I got up to go foraging.

Andrew and I trooped off into the surrounding trees and looked for edible plants and berries to eat. That morning I had thought that I had seen a patch of dandelions, but I couldn't find them again. We found some mint and young strawberries; however, they wouldn't be enough.

''Look,'' I finally said, ''why don't we split up for say, twenty minutes, cover more ground, and then regroup at the hollow. I haven't seen any signs of other people on this side of the arena, and we can stay within earshot incase we need help.''

''All right,'' Andrew agreed. ''Twenty minutes. Be careful.''

We gave each other a quick hug and then headed off in different directions. I gripped my spear tightly and quietly wandered the woods, scanning around for the dandelions. The area was surely familiar. I continued to search and then suddenly came upon a patch of forest clear of thick brush.

There was a large evergreen on one side that had a hollow underneath it, much like our tree, except this one was still living. beyond this space, the forest thinned out down a hill that was scattered with rocks. My eyes darted around to see any possible dangers and I carefully emerged from the bush I'd been hiding in. I crouched down by the evergreen and looked inside. with a gasp, I drew back. Inside was a whole stack of dandelions and other edible plants. That was not the only reason I'd gasped though. There was also a sleeping bag, a water bottle, some bags of dried fruit, a spear, hand claws, and an oversized knife. The hand claws were smeared with dried blood.

My breath caught and I scrambled back. We were not the only ones on this side of the arena. I jumped to my feet and spun around, only to reflexively duck under a bar that swung over the place where my face had just been.

My feet instinctively carried me backwards, and this time I kept hold of my wooden spear before falling. My body hit the ground and I rolled to a kneeling position right before the metal staff again hit the place where I'd just been. In a moment I was standing and was able to parry the next blow.

I was finally able to see my attacker clearly. He was probably eighteen, with buzzed hair and a very tall, very muscular frame. That was all I could tell before I turned and ran to the rocky hill.

Knowing I couldn't outrun this boy, I sprinted to the slope and then made a full stop and crouched into a ball. With a startled yelp, my pursuer ran into my form and crashed to the ground. Once more I sprang up, and this time I struck the butt of my spear into the boy's head. He cried out in pain and then got up and lunged his staff into my stomach before I could react.

''Andrew!,'' I yelled out, doubled over on the ground. My attacker stopped and looked around with a prepared stance. Hearing and seeing nothing, he sneered and then smashed his bar down on my shoulder as I tried to get up.

I tried to hit his staff away but missed, and, before I knew it, the boy was suddenly behind me and choking me with his weapon. I struggled against his body and desperately swung my spear up the hit his head. It made contact and the boy let go of my with an ''oof!''

Now free, I jabbed my wooden weapon at the other tribute's chest with all the force I had. However, he turned and it instead punctured his arm. He yelled out and then slashed the long, iron rod down to my head in retaliation. I stepped back as fast as I could and then slashed my spear at him hard.

There was a loud crash as metal hit wood and the boy parried my blow. We faced each other now and hit and blocked each other's attacks. Several times I took heavy blows and was then in retreat down the hill. I was weakening, and if I fell and gave up my resistance, I would be over for good. My fatigue was really coming in.

I saw the delight in the boy's eyes as he began to win the fight. In a desperate move I scooped up a handful of sand and threw it in his face. He yelled out in anger while clearing his eyes and I ran away as fast as I could down the slope. He furiously gave chase a second time.

Then I heard him yelp and I glanced back behind to see him trip over a half hidden stone and fall and start rolling down the hill. His body bounced and kept picking up momentum, rolling faster and faster. He tried to stop but could not. In horror I saw the path he was going in and I scrambled around to scream to him, help him or something. Something!

I was too late. The boy crashed sidelong into the boulder. In shock I stood there, shaking and limp. Finally, I snapped out of it and dashed up the incline to the person's body. He wasn't breathing. I found another angle to see the boy's face and then convulsed with an urge to throw up.

The tribute's face was flowing with blood from the deep gashed and his eyes were open. Unmoving, blue eyes. Dead eyes. A choked sound came from my throat and I crumpled to the ground in sobs.

''Shae!'' Andrew's voice called from my side and he was shaking my shoulders. I hardly heard him though as my mind grew distant and the world faded to black.