Chapter 8: Fear is Not the Right Word

Iris' POV

I shiver as the air temperature dips into a cold degree for the nighttime air. The sky is dark and depressing without a moon. There was no light shed onto the arena.

I lean back onto the bark of a tree. I was high up in a willow tree, on one of the small islands. No one had found me yet, which I was thankful for. But, I had only managed to get a small knife as my weapon. But, I did manage to swipe a backpack from Faith, the District Eight Tribute.

It was hard to imagine that one day had already passed in the Hunger Games and I was still alive. I was sure that I would die at the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. I was lucky that I got out in time, but I didn't have that much time to cross the river. So I ended up on one of the small, little islands. I'm surprised no one has found me yet, even if I am way up in a Willow Tree.

I take a deep, shaky breath, the air from my longs visible because of the cold outside air. I wrap my arms around myself, because even the heat absorbing outfit I have on cannot keep my warm. I finally realize that I should look through my bag.

So I turn and open up the small, blue bag. I search through it with my very numb fingers. I smile when I realize there are a water bottle and a small bag of crackers. I dig deeper to find some chemicals to clean the water so that I can drink it. But that's about it.

I frown at my tiny bag, wishing that it had more. Maybe a better weapon or maybe a blanket. But what I need right this moment could not be found. I sigh and hug my legs to my chest, trying to keep warm. I close my gray eyes and hope and pray for some warmth and sleep. I refuse to die from the cold.

But then, suddenly, I hear footsteps. My eyes flash open and I see a small light waving through the heavily dense island. It was hard to get around this island with as many trees and undergrowth as it did, which is why it made me a bit safe.

I narrow my eyes as the people come closer. I feel an emotion sky rocket through me as I notice the Careers. This emotion…well, fear is not the right word to describe it. Because this is everlasting, always sitting in my stomach until it rises up, more powerful than ever. Fear is not the right word.

"Come on," Growled a voice as they come into view, "we need to keep going."

"Aw jeez, Zach," Sighed a voice I recognize as Kellie, "it's the middle of the night and it's freezing, why are we going through with this?"

"We need to check the islands, see if anyone is on it," Zach argued, his voice firm.

"He's right," Gray agreed and I shiver at his voice, "I saw that little bitch come into here."

"Who? Iris?" Ash from District Five laughs, "Are you afraid of a little girl, Gray?"

"You know what she said to me!" Gray snapped, fully furious now, "And it's not just that. A little girl shouldn't be able to survive through this. She thinks she's such a smart ass and I can't wait till I kill her with my own hands."

"Not to mention she stole that backpack from me," Kellie snarled, "That could've been some useful stuff!" I notice that Kellie is limping and that she has something wrapped around a wound on her leg. I smile knowing that someone must've done that to her. "And get that partner of hers, Sage. Both the Tributes from District 11 I would love to see dead."

"Exactly," Melissa from District One agreed, "We should try and find her and Sage. But the others are still out there, not as many died as I would've wished."

"Wait," Zach stops right below my tree. I freeze, horrified thinking that he might have seen me, but his head tilts up to the sky, "I think I hear something."

The others look up also as do I. I start hearing the anthem and then a picture shows up on the screen. It's the picture of the people who died. First it's Megan from District Nine and then May from District 10. Two more pictures show up with Lucas from District Eight and Daniel from District Twelve. They were right, not many people did die as usual.

"Four people," Zach growled, shaking his head, "That's pathetic."

"Well, let's find some people to kill," Gray said, stepping forward and then looking up the tree, "And I know right where to start." He smiles viciously as he spots me.

I gasp, knowing I have been found. I grab my backpack and knife and try to jump to the other branch. But, the moisture on it makes me slip. So I hang there, my arms wrapped around the branch and my legs dangling in the air. I could practically hear the Careers' excitement at finding me.

I'm yanked down to the ground and I slam hard with a thud. Gray is standing over me with Kellie by his side. The other Career's are staring at me with bloodthirsty eyes…

"Nice to see you again," Snarled Gray. I try to keep my fear from showing, and I grip the frozen ground with my hands.

"Oh look," Kellie purrs, leaning down to face me eye to eye, "A little present. Let's unwrap her shall we?"

The Careers bellow in laughter, and the fear inside me dies down to be replaced by fury. Fury in getting caught, fury in being sent here, fury for now knowing that I could die on just the first night. But I refuse. I refuse to let that happen.

"What?" Zach steps forward, his gaze menacing, "Got nothing to say?"

"No," I say slowly, my voice so harsh, so cold, it doesn't sound like me at all, "But I think this will say enough."

With the knife still in my hand after the fall, I reach back and throw it at the first person in sight. It's Ash from District Five. He screams in agony as it pierces his head and blood comes pulsing out. I'm horrified with what I have done for just one second, before running.

They leave Ash all on his own and it's not long before I hear his canon. I try to push that picture of him, with the knife in his head and his screams of agony as his blood comes rushing out, as I run for my life. The rest of the careers are on my tail, getting a good start. They can run faster than me, they have longer legs, but I have agility.

I run through the most difficult terrain with the most undergrowth beneath me. My breath comes out in gasps as I push forward, my gray eyes wide and adrenaline pulsing through me. The terror that grips me inside accelerates me and when I see the river water ahead, I begin to think that I may have a chance.

That's until I feel my self ripped from the ground and tossed up into the air. I'm hanging there, my head towards the ground, with my right foot caught in a snare. I struggle to get out, but with each desperate movement the snare just keeps getting tighter and tighter.

Gray comes over to me with the rest of the Careers. Their cruel smiles grow wider with satisfaction and they pull out their weapons. I then notice that Melissa has a small sword. Well, small for her since she is 18, but just the right size for me. The Gamemakers had put that there for me, trying to lure me to it so that I would be killed. They knew all along what would happen.

"Nice try," Gray snarled in my face, "But it looks like you'll be joining your mother now."

And it's just that very sentence, which sends me off. The terror suddenly disappears and I look Gray right in the eye with dead, cold, rage-filled eyes. It's then that we both know that he said something wrong, but he doesn't admit to it. He just smiles at me harshly, raising his long bow.

"Sweet dreams," He hisses.

And just as he's about to release, I hear a large snap! I gasp as I plummet to the ground, slamming hard against it. The Careers' eyes widen with shock and fury as they see a person come out of the bushes. It's Paul from District Seven. In his hand is an axe, a very, very sharp axe. He tosses it in his hand as if it's a play toy, his blue eyes dark and cold as he stares at the Careers.

"Who goes first?" He hisses, raising his axe.

"You want to try and take on all of us?" Melony from District Three hisses, clutching her own blade.

Paul just shrugs and says, "If you say so." Then, he swings.

I gasp in horror as I see him swing and strike Melony right in the chest. She screams and drops her own blade. I dive for it and pick it up, ignoring how her blood is spilling on me and she collapses right there. She clutches her chest, her eyes wide and her screams of agony filling the forest. I want to cover my ears, I want to shut my eyes, I just want to run but somehow I can't. I'm locked there with horror and dread as I see the girl slowly, so slowly die.

Melissa screams with rage and raises the sword in her hand, running towards me and Paul. I jump up and swing my own blade, a dagger, to block hers. Of course, it's much smaller than a sword, what I really need, but it helps. Paul then slams his foot into her side and she crumbles down, obviously a weak point. She drops the sword and I grab it before tossing the dagger to Paul.

The others realize they have lost this battle, so they begin to run. Melissa follows, limping along. Gray and Zach are the last to leave.

"You better watch out!" Gray snarls, "We'll be back." Then he runs, but Zach stays.

"You have killed two of us," He says, his voice a low hiss, "So that leaves you two to be the repayment." But then he turns and leaves.

I can't bring my self to look at Melony. She's still alive, but her struggles are getting weaker and weaker. I crumble to the ground as I replay what the things I've just seen. How horrifying both Melony's and Ash's deaths were. Finally, Melony's canon goes off.

I open my eyes to see that her body is still there, but Paul has retrieved his axe. He hands me the dagger which I put in my now extremely dirty backpack. I hold the sword in my hand, knowing my face is pale as a ghost.

"We have to leave," Paul says, his voice steady and calm as he pushes his auburn colored bangs to the side, "they need to retrieve the body."

I just nod absently, standing to my feet and shakily go over to shore. I look across, knowing I'll have to get over there soon, but not really feeling up to it. Paul comes over, wading in. He looks back at me expectantly, so I soon follow.

It's a bit tough for me at first since I have more items this time than when I had to swim to the Cornucopia. But I manage, and I'm thankful that my mother had once taught me how to swim when I was young. I'm a little rusty and I struggle a bit, but it's better than not knowing at all.

Finally, we reach the other side as I see the slope incline. I know that I'll have to go in deep into the forest, but going up hill this late will be horrendous. Then I see Paul starting to head into the forest.

"Wait," I say. He turns and I continue, "Thanks, back there. I would've died without you."

Paul just shrugs and says, "I didn't really do it for you, I just wanted to Careers to pay a bit."

"Oh," I look at my feet and look up and say, "Allies?"

But then he shakes his head, "I work alone."

I frown, knowing it'll be better if he sticks around, but I don't argue as he turns and heads into the forest, disappearing from sight. I sigh as I'm stuck there on the sand, not knowing what to do with my body dripping wet. And the cold doesn't help much either. So I move up into the forest, moving as far as I can until the slope becomes too much. I collapse on the ground, panting, and just wishing I could rid myself of the horrible scenes I had just seen. But I know I can't, and I know there are more of those to come.

So I scramble up another tree and lean back, just wishing and hoping that things might get better. But I know they won't.