[19] - August
Calder and I watch as the sun sets over the horizon, or at least over the tallest sand dune in the distance. Shadows fall over the Arena as the temperature finally begins to drop. I'm relieved - just being in this heat is exhausting, and Pollux has barely let us rest all day.
The sun finally disappears from view, and our small group is cloaked in shadow. Instantly, I realize why the Gamemakers bundled us up with heavy clothing; I feel like I've just been dunked in a bath of pure ice. Calder gasps from behind me, clearly feeling the same sensation.
The sweat across my body, produced by the heat of the desert, has now become a cage of ice. My fingers fumble as I rip open my bag, grabbing my heavy clothing and slipping it on as fast as I can.
The Gamemaker's thick layers alleviate most of the cold, but it's still not enough. My teeth chatter as Calder and Pollux zip their jackets up.
"We need to huddle up," I tell Calder. "Body heat."
Calder just nods. I can see his breath in the air as he moves closer to me.
"Come on, Pollux," I call to the other boy. He's only now putting on his other clothes.
Pollux glances back at Calder and me. We're so close that Calder's practically straddling me, but I'm finally starting to feel warmer.
Pollux just laughs, looking us up and down like we're idiots. "I'll pass," he says frostily. "I'm not that cold."
Whatever - Pollux can let his pride get in his way, that's fine. He can freeze to death for all I care. Unlike Pollux, I'm willing to embarrass myself to win the Games. The sweat in my hair is starting to freeze into ice; now, I'm not sure if the desert heat is the worst part of this Arena.
The sky brightens above us, and I glance up to see the Capitol seal. The Panem anthem begins to play, filling the Arena with music. There were eight cannon shots earlier, so I'm eager to see who's still left in here.
The girl from Three is first. That's no surprise - she was Damon's District partner, and he only died because of her.
After the girl from Three is the girl from Five, followed by the boy from Six. No surprises there.
The boy from Six fades away and is replaced by the boy from Eight. Rochelle's District partner. His name's Diego, I think. I shudder a bit at the sight of the boy; I hope Rochelle's doing okay. She told me that he was like a brother to her, and it hurts that I can't support her in a moment when she might need me.
Diego fades away and is replaced by the girl from Ten; that's no shocker since she was paired with the boy from Six. After her is Damon. The look in Damon's eyes is haunting, and I have to look away until he's gone. I may not have killed him, but it feels like I really did. My discomfort at Damon's death scares me even more - I didn't even kill the boy, so I can't imagine how I might feel later when the time comes to kill the other tributes. I always imagined that I'd be the cold-hearted killer who slayed everyone he encountered with no mercy. Now, I'm starting to feel that fantasy crumble, and I feel exposed without it.
After Damon is the boy from Twelve, followed by the girl from Twelve. I think the girl was paired with Diego; I didn't see him at the Bloodbath, so it's likely that he only died because of her.
"Eight pairs left," Calder says as the Panem anthem comes to an end.
"It'll be seven, the way Pollux's going," I say with a laugh.
Pollux snaps his gaze in my direction like a hawk. "Is that a threat?" he growls.
"It's a joke," I fire back. "But really, what deal do you have with Mandy? Are you going to meet up with her somewhere? Have a little picnic, maybe?"
"Shut up, August," Pollux warns me. "I made a mistake, so what? You act like you're not gonna die any moment with that girl as your partner. You're not sitting pretty either."
"I didn't say that," I mutter. "We're all in uncomfortable positions, aren't we? That's what Sylverthorn wanted when he put us in here. I was just making a joke."
"Well, it wasn't funny," Pollux grumbles. "Goodnight."
I roll my eyes, laying down to get as close as possible to Calder.
"He's getting worse," Calder whispers in my ear.
"It's just paranoia," I whisper back. "He knows he's made a mistake, and now he's going to die because of it."
"Is Pollux starting to scare you a bit?" Calder asks, his typically light-hearted demeanor now gone. He looks exhausted - today definitely took a toll on him. "He's really starting to make me nervous. I really thought our group had a good thing going before we came in here, but I don't know anymore. I'm not a strong fighter, so I'm toast if he turns on us."
"He won't," I reassure Calder, but I'm not so sure. "You have me, and I definitely trust you more than I trust him."
"Good," Calder sighs. "Best case scenario is that Mandy dies tonight and he goes down with her."
"Agreed," I sigh. "Now come a bit closer, I'm freezing."
Calder closes the gap between us, and I turn so we can go back-to-back. "He probably doesn't want to huddle with us because he's worried that we'll stab him in his sleep," Calder whispers in my ear, half-joking, but I think he might just be right. If Pollux's paranoia reaches a breaking point, Calder and I might be the ones to pay for it. I may just need to eliminate Pollux before he gets the chance to strike first.