and as I pick up a sand yellow bag far from the front of the Cornucopia, I see a sword, glinting below two fighting tributes. I race towards it,
snatching it from them before eitherof them can notice. I race to my right, towards the forest, when I feel a hand around my neck, pulling me down. Aqua holds a knif above my head, her knees on my shoulders, holding me down. I clench my hand into a fist and punch upwards, feeling my knucles connect with her nose and knowing I've done some - most likely minimial - damage. Still, she recoils, and I am free to stand up, hair full of sand, as I race towards the trees.
I keep running under the coverof the trees, putting distance between myself and the Cornucopia. As the noises of screams and battle become more and more distant, I slow. I'm not too much out of breath - having done 8 to 10 kilometer runs, that was nothing - and am able to catch my breath quickly. I look to see if I'll be able to find trees, but it's hopeless. Instead, I keep walking.
After about ten minutes of slow walking in a norternly direction, I see a medium-sized hole. It's dark, pitch black, and only big enough for one or two people. It's a cave. It's shelter. It's what I need.
I gather up some of the large, waxy leaves from the trees above me, and using some of the vines that are hanging from the trees, I tie them together, creatinga sort of curtain. I hang it over the cave mouth, and step back a few paces to make sure it looks natural, and not too suspicious.
I decide it does, and I crawl under the leaves and settle into the back of the cave.
I pull the bag off my shoulder. It doesn't blend in with the grey cave walls and green leaves, so I position my body to hide it. I pull out the objects inside. A dark grey sleeping bag that looks just big enough for me; some rope, which could come in handy if I need to climb a tree or even those dunes to the south; a long, thin water cannister, that probably doesn't hold much water; a handful of long, metal nails, which I have no use for;
and a small, silver tube, shiny and bright, with sharp funnel edges - a spile. I turn it in my hand and smile. But then my smile fades as I think of something I DON'T have.
Cole. He could of died at the Cornucopia. He could be lying dead in the sand, his throat slit or his head smashed open. I've left him. I promised.
And I broke it almost immediately. Suddenly, I feel tears spring to my eyes. I told him I woudn't leave him, and I have. I've broken my promise. But my broken promise does not just result in someone's feelings being hurt nd trust being lost - it could result in DEATH.
I am a horrible person.
I blink rapidly so as not to let the tears brim over. It's early, still, only about half an hour into the games, maybe an hour, but I feel exhausted. The cave is cooler than it was outside, but it's still horrible humid, and the air feels like it's sticking in my lungs with every breath I take. I have a feeling I'm breathing in more water than air, too.
I lie my head against the cave wall and try not to think of Cole. I lie still for a while, just thinking. Maybe I could just lie here, killing animals for food when necessary, or collecting fallen fruit from the trees, and just wait for all the other tributes to die. Maybe I can just lie and listen to the canon going off under the cover of rock and greenery, and allow this place to swallow me up, till I am all but forgotten. It would be an easy way to win. Too easy. The gamemakers would find some way to flush me out of this cave. Fill it with mutts, probably. Or LITERALLY flush me out. Flood the thing, force me out for air. Drive the other tributes towards me - BAM, entertainment. So the answer is no, then. I can not just lie here.
Suddenly, I notice the light that was seeping through the tiny gaps in the leaves has started to diminish. I fumble around the cave, packing my things into my bag, trying to make everything fit. I leave just the spile and the water can out, so that I can go and collect water under the cover of darkness. When it becomes almost too dark for me to see, I creep out of the cave.
There is a tree right next to me, so I decide to use that. I have all of my stuff attached to me in case I need it. I drive the spile into the rubbery wood, but still it takes me a few minutes to get a steady trickle of water from the tree. I hold my can up to it, allowing it to fill before I replace it with my mouth, taking in the warm liquid. And then I hear the anthem start.
I pull the spile from the tree immediately, shoving everything into my bag. I sit very near to the mouth of the cave, so near that, if I needed to, I could just roll straight under the leaves. But I know I won't have to. Everyone will be watching this.
I wrap my arms around my knees, sword still in hand, and watch.