Day 16 - Beast

There is a sense of finality over everything we do. It felt different when we shared bread this morning. It felt strange to walk around this part of the forest to make sure we were still alone.

The knife hits the tree right next to the other one. I sigh. I know it's not helpful to practice now in any way, but I just can't sit around any longer.

I walk over and carefully remove the knives again, when I hear Cyo's voice from behind me, "Val... come on. Leave the poor tree alone."

That makes me crack up. His attempts to break the tension, that hasn't left ever since Ayla's death, are, what makes me hopeful. It reminds me that we are still alive, that we are okay. With a sigh, I pull the second knife out of the tree and put it back on my belt.

I turn around to face him. "I know... I know. I just hate this. I don't want to wait around. But it's also pointless to just wander around."

Cyo walks over to me before responding, "Me too... but we don't really have a choice there."

Hesitantly I take his hands in mine and look down. "I can't explain... but I feel like there is something about to happen. I want to be ready when it comes."

I really don't feel good about this day. It's too quiet here in the forest. Not that it was ever loud in any way, but it feels like even the wind has stopped existing. It's way too much of a feeling that one might call 'The Calm Before the Storm'.

Cyo squeezes my hands and looks at me unsure. "Don't say such things... it makes it too real."

I look up to meet his eyes again. He looks lost, it almost makes me wince. I instantly feel this urge to protect him, to make sure he lives because I can't bear the thought of losing another person I love to the Hunger Games.

I try a smile and nod. "Okay..."

He leans forward and kisses me. It's almost like a peck, but it lasts longer. It's sweet, but sadly also bitter because of the situation we are in.

When we part, he smiles at me. Then suddenly his expression changes as he looks over my shoulder. I'm about to ask, but he is faster and pushes me away.

His move catches me off guard and I fall down onto the ground. Immediately I turn to see what's going on. I gasp, almost choke at the sight before me. A bear, huge mountain of a beast, pushes Cyo down.

I reach for a knife and throw it at the bear's neck, as it lunges over Cyo, crushing him with all its weight. The knife hits the bear, flushing it; it turns its attention towards me now.

Horrified I take a step back and feel something against my foot. I almost stumbled over Cyo's spear. Without thinking about it further I pick up the weapon. The bear now abandons Cyo completely and roars, taking a few steps towards me.

I swallow, realizing my hand is shaking, but I hold the spear tightly. This thing is for sure a mutt and will rip me apart however it pleases. I need to trick it somehow.

Now the bear lunges forward and I manage to dodge the attack. I take a few steps back until my back hits wood. No... a tree... Before I can duck again, the bear suddenly skips forward. All I manage is hold up the spear and squeeze my eyes shut.

There's another roar coming from the bear and I slowly open my eyes. The spear is embedded into the beast's chest, but likely not that deep. I start pushing it deeper, but that only seems to make the bear angry.

With nowhere to go the claw hits me full speed. Still holding onto the spear, I'm thrown halfway across the clearing. I can't help but cough. My side hurts, but I know I need to stand back up now or I'll be killed. I use the spear as support and stand up, the beast already walking in my direction again.

Desperately I sort out my options. Then it hits me - If it can't see, it can't find us so easily. As fast as I can, I throw knives at the animal's face, before it can come at me again.

Thank God, it worked! Without eyes, its chances are significantly slimmer. The bear flinches, throws its head around. The wild thing is disoriented, in pain - good.

Slowly, carefully I start walking over to where the beast attacked Cyo. I need to see if he is still there, if he needs me.

All my thoughts are for nothing, however, when the bear lets out a loud roar again. I spin around to see what's going on and release a breath of relief. Cyo is holding onto the bear's neck. He must have somehow managed to jump on its back.

Quickly I realize he doesn't have a weapon, so I scream out his name once and hold up the spear, attracting the attention of the mutt once again.

Cyo gives me a quick nod and holds out one hand. "Throw it!" I hesitate briefly, try to find the right angle, but then I just take the risk and throw the spear sideward.

The moment Cyo catches it, the bear freaks out and stands up, almost throwing him off. I can't hold back a scream and the bear goes back down. But now it starts running in my direction.

I am frozen in place for a second but then I bolt, leaving the clearing. The sound of my feet keeps the bear on my track, unfortunately. When I look over my shoulder, it's still there, keeping up the pace.

When I turn around again, I reach what I think is another clearing. As I break through the treeline, I almost fall. I stare down at blackness, a hole that is so deep that I can't see the tunnels below. For a moment I'm almost hypnotized by it, but quickly am back in reality when the bear breaks through the trees a few feet behind me.

He can't see... that's perfect! I quickly make my way to the other side of the hole and cry out, "Cyo, jump! There's a hole in the ground!"

Almost immediately a figure falls from the bear's back onto the ground - and not a second too early. The bear, motivated by my voice, storms towards me and falls. A dull sound from the impact fills the air - then there's nothing.

I look down briefly, then rush back over to the other side of the hole. Cyo has stood back up, spear in hand. One of his shoulders is bleeding through his jacket, ripped open at that spot - the bear must have bitten him or clawed it open.

As I'm still looking at the wound I hear him say, "Don't worry too much... it doesn't hurt a lot."

Now I look up to meet his eyes and sigh. "I know that's a lie... try harder next time."

Then I look away again and take in our surroundings. It's not a clearing, like I initially thought, it's a wide-open space, the river about as far away as the trees behind us. In the middle of it all - the Cornucopia, usually shiny and bright, but kind of dull under the cloudy sky.

And then I see it.

I see him.

Rex.