Days 6 & 7 - New Allies

Today has gone by pretty much uneventful, which I'm grateful for. My muscles still ache from being tossed around in the water the night before. We hid well enough during the night, apparently, since we both were still alive in the morning.

Bringing the sleeping bags was definitely a good idea. It almost seems as if the nights are getting colder. Maybe they are - who knows. But maybe I do miss the fire that we can no longer make - too risky.

Marlon and I check a few of the traps we made nearby but overall we don't move a lot. The sun is almost gone when we hear it - a cannon. As far as I know, it could have been anyone and that's what scares me (just a bit too much).

I stop and Marlon almost bumps into me. I hear him say from behind, "Val... come on. We need to go back to camp before dark."

I sigh and nod. "You're right... I'm sorry."

He tries a smile, "We'll know who it was soon enough."

When we make it back to the tree, where we also stayed at yesterday, the sun is already gone and it's getting pretty dark. We each eat a can of food - the stuff is not very good when it's cold, but it's food so who cares? I'm hungry from not eating all day, I know I have to eat this, but I feel like throwing up.

I shouldn't care this much. There are still eight others out there... well, no, now it's seven others and I can't get over the thought that there is a tiny chance Cypress has just been killed. Marlon and I don't talk much as we eat. He does look nervous too, tense. Is it just because we're two people alone against the others?

I want to say something, but then I hear the music and my eyes shoot up to the sky immediately. It's Laylac, the girl from 3. I take a deep breath and nod. Then I look at Marlon. He looks at me, hesitantly saying, "Do... do you think it was Rex?"

I smile at him softly. "Maybe... but don't be so afraid of Rex... he's a huge guy but he's filled with stupid."

Marlon sighs. "Yeah... but that's not a problem for him. He won't need his brain. If he runs out of food, he has 20 sponsors who are eager to help him. He has the highest odds of winning."

I look down. He's right about that. Rex has the money behind him that we most likely won't have anymore - later in the Games when it's getting expensive to gift. Then I look at him again. "Let's not think about it until it's a problem."

Marlon shakes his head. "I don't know... I can't stop thinking about it. Maybe we could trick him in some way?"

"Trick him?" I pause and put down the empty can. "Like luring him into a trap?"

He nods. "Yes, I guess that would be the only way to take him down. We can't beat him in a fight, obviously."

I know he's right, but I had hoped to avoid Rex until there's only four or five of us left.

"Yes, maybe we can think of something that will work over night... I'm tired."

Marlon sighs and nods. We unpack our sleeping bags where we camped yesterday. I really am tired, I didn't have to make that up, so I must have fallen asleep fast.

After waking up the next morning it's the same routine - packing our stuff again and starting to check our traps. As the day progresses my stomach grumbles, I'm so hungry! But we can't eat. We can't use more than one can a day or else we'll be left with nothing at all too soon.

We discuss different ideas of how to kill Rex, but none of those are bulletproof at all. The chance of us being killed instead is too high (at least for me). Fires are luring him for sure, but what do we do then? Hide and catch him with a net? Throw knives at him from a tree? If he survives the initial attack, we are done.

I'm about to suggest trying to trap him in the caves somehow when we reach our last trap. It's been triggered. The wooden stick is out of place and the net is laying on the ground but nobody's there.

Confused I look at Marlon, only to find him with an expression as confused as I am. The trap triggers very fast, you can only get out with help. "Maybe... somebody has formed an alliance like us?"

He nods. "Yeah. That's the only way to explain it. They must have come by here either last night or earlier today."

I look around and mumble, "Then we should be on high alert... they could still be here somewhere."

Marlon nods as a response and we start walking back to the place we came from when I hear something crack behind some bushes and trees. We both stop instantly, ready to draw weapons.

There is another cracking sound, right in our path and then there is something else - something that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand immediately. It's a low growl, a sound I've heard before, a sound I haven't thought about in a while.

I instantly grab Marlon's arm and take a step back. He looks at me, confused. I hesitate to make sure I haven't misheard, didn't hallucinate. But no - there it is again, closer.

We need to get away right now, so I look at Marlon and urge him. "We need to run! Now!"

Without allowing questions I start pulling him in the direction we just came from, letting go of his arm after a few steps. We are running side by side and steps are following us at the same pace. There's a howl and now I'm 100 % sure. It's the wolf-mutts, the ones who killed my brother are now coming to kill me.

We take a sharp turn and I look over my shoulder as I feel myself hitting something, bumping into it. It's not a tree, it feels human. Shocked I turn to find that I'm face to face with Ayla, the girl from 7. Behind her the boy from 7, Conan, and Cypress. They must have triggered our trap, they are in an alliance.

I quickly shake off the shock and turn to Marlon who has bumped into me. "Keep running! Climb a tree!" He follows my instruction, terrified, and immediately takes off again. Then I turn to the others and start pulling them after him. "Come on! We need to flee!"

Ayla is about to ask a question when the first mutt breaks through the bushes right next to us and lunges at us, missing by not much. Now we are all running, trying not to take each other down in the process (at least that I'm hoping).

I hear Marlon cry out ‚Here!' and run toward his voice. The others are now following me close. I see a huge chestnut nearby, with one limb a little lower. I look up and see Marlon sitting on one of the higher up branches.

Almost there! But no... suddenly, I feel pain in my left leg and before I know it I'm on the ground. Desperately I try to get up again immediately, but I'm pulled back. I kick as hard as I can and manage to shake the beast off. I stumble to my feet and start running, this time slower, unfortunately. I figure that the other mutts must still be behind otherwise they would have gotten to me. I see Ayla and Cypress reach the tree and they quickly climb up to Marlon, but I can't see Conan anywhere.

As fast as possible I close the gap between myself and the tree and finally I reach the low branch, a fragile one. I put one foot up, ready to climb when I feel the pain intensify again. The mutt has caught up with me.

The beast pulls hard and the little fragile branch breaks. In a panic, I try to hold onto a piece of the tree but I can't. I scream as it pulls me to the ground and I grab a knife from my belt, trying to get the thing away from me.

That's the first time I look at it. It's huge, light fur and wild fangs. Human eyes - green - eyes I recognize, eyes that I have seen all my life. I forget to defend myself for a second and the beast scratches my cheek open.

I attack with the knife again, wounding its neck and it retrieves for a second. With that whimper, there's a second sound - Cypress' voice from above, "Valeria! Hold onto the rope!"

I look over to see a rope dangling near my head. The beast that looks like Cato growls and jumps at me again. And right before it reaches me, I stab it again, this time in the exposed stomach. I feel something hot in my face - tears! I must have started crying. The wolf-mutt drops down next to me, howling, the knife still stuck in its guts.

That's my chance. I grab the rope tightly and instantly I feel myself being lifted off the ground. A few agonizingly long seconds pass and hands pull me into an embrace. I'm safe.

A sob escapes my mouth as I look down at my foot. There's a bite mark near my ankle, bloody and messy, nothing like the dried and crusty bitemarks all over Cato's dead body. But that doesn't matter, it's oh so familiar.

And all of a sudden I feel the pressure on my chest again, terrified I pant for air, but sweet nothing reaches my lungs. It's like I'm in the water again, but there is no water. I know it's in my head, but telling myself that is not working.

I whimper as I feel my hands shaking, everything shaking. It's cold, so cold that I feel like I'm left without a sleeping bag at night. I feel like I might pass out, the pain in my leg the smallest of my problems.

Suddenly I feel the arms, that pulled me onto the tree, wrapping around me tighter, pulling me closer, my head resting on a chest.

"Breathe. You need to take deep breaths."

I try hard to follow the instructions but I end up gasping for air again. My fucking body is useless, I'll probably die from being too damn stupid to take a breath. A warm hand is placed on my uninjured cheek. "Look at me, Val."

I look around in despair - the tree, hair, then eyes. Green eyes but not like Cato's, darker and deeper. It's Cypress. Suddenly I feel my lungs fill with air, taking away half of the pressure on my chest. I can breathe again.

I swallow hard before saying, "Is he still down there?" My own voice comes out as barely a whisper, broken and angsty and I feel embarrassed over it.

Cypress' eyes focus on something else for a moment before he meets mine again. "Yes... But don't worry."

He looks up and I hear him say, "Do you guys have any weapons to kill it?"

I shake my head lightly. "No... they don't die. They just leave after they are too bored."

Now I hear Marlon's voice from above. He and Ayla must have climbed up further when they pulled me up. "She's right... I watched too last year."

Cypress sighs, "So we'll have to wait him out."

I swallow. "Are there more?"

He shakes his head lightly. "Not anymore. There were but they attacked Conan when he fell over and left after... after they finished."

I squeeze my eyes shut. I didn't even hear the cannon. There is a silence between all of us then I hear Ayla say, "He was only 12... poor kid."

Cypress immediately says, "Sorry Ayla... he was too far away."

I hear her answer, "Yeah, can't help it... but you didn't have to save her!"

Cypress sighs. "I did... I owed her." That's when I remember the night I gave him the food and let him get away with his life. I want to thank him but it feels kind of wrong to do that so I stay quiet.

Quite some time passes - probably hours. Then the mutt gets tired of us and finally leaves. My leg is numb and swollen, but luckily I didn't lose a lot of blood. We wait a bit longer, then Marlon and Ayla climb down. Cypress looks at me and says, "Can you climb down on your own?"

I nod. "Yes, don't worry about it..." He hesitates but then he climbs down first. I carefully leave the branch we're on and stop at the one underneath it. It's not too far to the ground, but I'd still have to land on both feet to not injure the healthy leg. I swallow.

I'm about to jump when Cypress stops me. "Wait... don't. Go down slowly and I'll pull you the rest of the way."

I know I need his help but I don't exactly like the situation. I look down insecure, Ayla rolling her eyes. I bite down on my lip before nodding. "Okay..."

Carefully I hold onto the limb and let my feet down, dangling in the air. Soon I feel Cypress hold my waist and he says, "Let go... I got you."

His touch makes me feel all kinds of things and quickly I let go of the tree. Cypress carefully lets me down onto the ground and looks me up and down, to make sure I'm okay. I thank him and that silly grin of his is on his face again. "Why are you red all of a sudden, District 2?"

I roll my eyes. "No... I told you to stop this!"

Ayla interrupts our conversation, "Shut up and move. Cypress, we need to go before someone finds us here."

Cypress shakes his head. "We should make a new alliance. We need them against Breeze and Rex."

Ayla stares at Cypress in disbelief. "No! They are careers. They'll side with the very people you just mentioned."

"Let's join forces for tonight then. It's getting dark. Tomorrow we can always part ways again."

Ayla hesitates, but then she nods. "Fine... but tomorrow you leave." She glares at Marlon and me.

We nod. I don't feel like arguing with her. Arius was right when we watched the reapings - she's a cold bitch.

Slowly we walk away from the tree, me more leaping than anything else. Marlon tries to assist me but I shake him off. He shouldn't feel responsible for me in any way. We don't go too far anyway. After about ten minutes Ayla stops and looks around. She nods and puts down her backpack next to a tree.

It's not a clearing and the spot doesn't stand out in any other way - perfect for trying to not draw any attention to you.

We sit down too and all set up camp in silence. I steal a glance over at Cypress and Ayla every now and then. They don't have sleeping bags but blankets that seem to be good enough - sponsor gifts most likely.

Marlon sets up his sleeping bag a tree over from me.

My foot starts hurting again as I sit down on my sleeping bag. I'm about to turn to Marlon to ask him if he is alright when a small parachute lands in my lap. Attached to it is a container that I unscrew right away. It's cream, medicine.

I carefully untie my boot and take it off, gritting my teeth. It hurts but I don't like Ayla to know that. My pants are ripped away halfway up my shank from the attack anyway so I don't have to remove them.

I look at the wounds taking a shaky breath. The images of my brother's body flash before my eyes again. I push them away forcefully and start applying the cream. It's soothing immediately so I finish quickly and put my boot back on.

I quickly stuff the left-over cream inside my backpack afterward.

The fallen tributes are shown in the sky soon after that and we all eat our canned food in silence. The only one being killed that day was Conan.