Chapter 13

I originally posted this chapter under: "Wisdom of the pooka." But I didn't like that chapter so I deleted and changed it and lost it, so this is the third attempt of chapter 13.

No cannons since the bloodbath, no deaths in two nights. The capital is probably getting pretty restless. I am nearly certain that if no one dies in the next two days the game makers will probably do something to push everyone together I hope that I won't be on the receiving end of that.

I have been camping in a tree near the careers camp. I haven't stole anything from them since yesterday but I have been spying on them and noticed that they have gone hunting a lot and not have found anyone so the arena must be very large. The careers have discussed going to the mountains but I know they won't want to leave the comfort of their massive pile of supplies, the big pond and the benefits from being in the center of the arena.

I am currently sitting in a high tree my legs dangling over the edge of tree while peeling the skin of nuts and putting the skins in my pockets so nobody would see traces of me being here, you have to be very careful not to get caught. Even just some nut shells can be your death in the games. I put a few nuts in my mouth and nearly moan at the amazing taste of food. Since the start of the games I had only had an apple and some roots. I am so hungry but I guess that's why they call it the hunger games. I have had some experiences of hunger close to this but none as bad as one that happened three years ago.

When Finch first died we were really poor and Frank and Fallon wouldn't let me rob houses by myself for the first few months because they thought I was "too young to do that by myself." Both my parents stopped working and so did Ferris, Frank, Fallon, Finn and Fion so I was the only one working and they weren't much work for a morning ten year old was allowed to do. So we use to go days without food while other people in district five got three meals every day. Eventually when I was allowed to rob houses again we got more money. Most days now we can only have meal a day but I will never forget the feeling of starvation and how lucky I am. How lucky I was.

I was use to hunger but that doesn't mean that it hurts me any less. I have to resist the temptation to just eat all the food I have left.

I decide that it is time for me to eat for the day. I tear of a piece of my bread off, a tiny raw fish I managed to catch I have to eat it today or it would go off and a bit of apple I cut off with the knife. I begin to separate the fish meat from the bones and head of the fish. I put the bones of the fish in the pocket which I have the nut skins in. I have to find somewhere to dispose of them without people being able to pick up traces of me being here. I chew on the little raw pieces of the fish. It takes a while to fully chew the fish. After I am finished with the bread and apple pieces I put aside a few nuts to eat during the day.

I jump down from the tall tree and land perfectly on my toes. I walk through the woods and eventually find a small bush that seems far enough away from the careers camp. I stick my foot under then bush and kick the dirt away from the area. I get down on my hands and knees and put the fish bones and the nut shells in the hole, and then I kick the dirt back on the hole to bury it so no one can find traces. I am satisfied it looks natural enough. I walk away from the hole I decide I need to fill up my water bottle again so I begin my walk to the pond near the careers camp.

When I reach the pond after the small walk their then I fill up my water bottle and put the purifier in it, I put it aside to let it purify. I stare at my reflection in the water for a moment. My face is paler then when the games started that is mainly from having so much food in the capital and so little food in the games, it also has a few cuts, scrapes and bruises on it from running around and hiding in bushes and trees. If this is what I look like after two days I fear to think what I will look like in two weeks, that's if I make it that far. I look closer at my appearance. Although my hair is full of twigs, moss it is still bright red and although my eyes hold a look of hunger in them, they are still the same vibrant amber as they always where.

I look down at my clothes; the tank top and coat have a few small rips in them but they are generally clean. My trousers are a different story. They are only a few rips but they are fitly. The bottom of the legs are dirty from walking in long grass, the knees of them are covered in dirt from kneeling on the ground to stay hidden. I untie the jacket from around my waist and leave it on the ground beside my bag and then I walk into the pond so I can wash up.

The pond is up to the middle of my thigh so the majority of the dirt is washed away from just standing there. I lie back in the pond and watch as the dirt, blood and twigs flow away with the pond. I lie there for a while wondering how much longer I have in my life and if my death will be painful. I am consumed in my thoughts fear overwhelming me.

When I can no longer stand to think these thoughts I get out of the pond completely saturated. I take the water bottle, bag and jacket and clime a tree. I find a branch that is comfortable to sit on. I stare out into the forest watching as the birds return to their nests and the squirrels hop from branch to branch, I want to jump as good as they can.

This tree reminds me of a tree back at home. I love that tree, it has the perfect view. On one side of the tree you can see the Rocky Mountains and on another side if you go high enough you can see the top of buildings in the city of district five but between the two is the place in between the city and mountains, lonely woods. Technically we weren't allowed to go into the woods but even the peacekeepers went in there. Sometimes the factories and loud noises from the city become too much, sometimes you need to get away, everyone needs to get away every once and a while. From my tree you can see everyone in the forest, you can see people on the tops of the buildings in the city and you can also see the tall rocky mountains that stand between district five and the capital that show no signs of life except for a few satellite on top, my mountains. Nobody goes up them but me.

Nobody knows about this tree but me and Finch but now that Finch is gone it is just me that knows about it. So when I die in the games who knows how long it will be until someone else finds that tree or if anyone ever does. It saddens me to think that no one will ever find out about the magic of the tree again.

I close my eyes and pretend that I am sitting up in that tree and I am alone, I like to be alone sometimes. I pretend the breeze is blowing through hair and that I am looking over the mountains planning my next trip to the top of one so I can stare at the capital and wonder how two places can be so close to each other yet so different.

I have been lying in the tree for ten minutes gushing about past life when my train of thoughts is ended by a loud scream. I shoot up into a right degree angle and cautiously look around. I am certain that wasn't a banshees, it was too deep to be a banshee to deep to be human scream and I am certain it was close, to close.

I jump down from the tree and stuff the jacket, bag and bottle under a large bush and I run to the direction of the scream.

I don't want to be on the ground when whoever wins this fight emerges. I choose a tree and clime it being careful not to make too much noise. When I get up there I can't see anything as the tree is to short but I can hear frantic voices and I am sure the careers are near. I jump from the tree I am in to a taller one beside it and then I clime that tree when I am at the top I can see the careers but they are not facing another tribute but some sort of capital mutt.

The mutt is bigger than most of the mutts in normal games. It is twice the size of the careers, who are very tall and has a hunch back, its arms are so long they drag on the ground, its eyes are a bright purple and some yellow liquid is oozing out of its mouth.

It looks strong, I wonder if it will out power the careers. Most likely not, it wouldn't be much fun if all of the careers where killed this early on. I watch as all seven of the careers angrily shout at each other, trying desperately to attack this beast.

I watch for another few seconds before it hits me. All seven of the careers are there that means that the cornucopia is free. I jump down from the tree landing perfectly on my toes. I take off and run through the trees with my orange braids whipping behind me, chuckling to myself at their stupidity.

When I get to the cornucopia I turn around and give a blow a kiss to the tree with the camera in it. I whip back around and skip up to the cornucopia. I know they are no traps as I have been listening into their conversations very closely.

When I get to the cornucopia a smile breaks out on my face knowing what I want to take. Yesterday evening the careers where very confused on why they were empty spray bottles at the cornucopia. It seems so blindly obvious to me but I guess logic isn't one of the things they look for in the career training centre. Why would the game makers give them peppers? The peacekeepers carry around pepper spray around with them and apparently it hurt very badly if they sprayed it in your eyes. I decided if I can't kill people I can still hurt them. In the cornucopia I also grab a larger water bottle, an apple, a bowl and a few strips of beef. I have never had any meat before in district five only in the capital. I look longingly at the book with all the beasts in it. Imagine if I had that but I know that I can't take it as that will be a dead giveaway.

I run back from the cornucopia and back to the lake worried that the careers might return soon. I pause and realize I heard no cannons. The careers must have killed the thing or must still be fighting it, I presume the latter.

I pull my backpack and coat out from under the bush. I place the bowl on the ground in front of me. I take the knife out of my belt and I begin to cut Small pieces of the pepper of and put them into the bowl. I place them in the bowl and try to squeeze all the juice I can out of them. I fill the bowl up a bit with some water.

I pour the peppery liquid into the spray can. I am worried that it will be too diluted; I obviously don't want to test it on myself. I spray some of the liquid onto the tree so can tell how powerful it is, it was surprisingly powerful. I climb back up the tree and give myself half an hour to sort out my supplies.

I decide that I should spy on the careers for another few hours to see if they come back. I loosen my belt two holes and slot the spray can in my belt along with my knife, normally I would put it in my pocket in my coat but it is to warm to have that big jacket on.

I stuff my bag and coat back under the bush and run to the careers camp. I climb one of my favourite trees and watch the careers.

All of them seem to have returned with only minor injuries except Logan from district four has a large slit on his left arm. I notice that Victoria from district two wearing a poncho that's fur looks awfully similar to the fur on the beast they were fighting.

"Don't I look stylish?" Victoria says twirling around in her new poncho.

"Yes Vickey for the hundredth time you look grand." The sixteen year old from district four says, sounding annoyed.

"What's your obsession with that jacket anyways?" Scally says cleaning the blood of his spear with a rag.

"Maybe if I win it will become a style in the capital." She says grinning while looking down at the poncho.

"Like you could win." Evan scoffs.

An argument begins between all the careers. I role my eyes trying hard not to giggle at their childish acts, is who will win really their problem not that thing in the woods.

Marcus sighs and gets up. "I don't have time for this I am going to get some food and something to sharpen my blades."

"Could you get me a apple." Rosegold asks.

"Fine." Marcus says as if it was the biggest job ever.

Marcus walks away into the cornucopia to get the supplies. The argument continues. Marcus returns without any supplies.

"Faye I know you're out there." He says.

I nearly fall out of the tree with shock but I don't dare to make any noise. He could just be trying his luck.

"What do you mean I think we would know if she was here." Victoria says.

"I know she's been here." Marcus says.

"How do you know that?" Evan asks.

"Because, Evan who else in the games is a red hair?" He asks holding up a piece of my orange hair in between his fingers.