Ch. 9: Ryan
I wake up feeling rested again, I now realize how great it feels to have Mary next to me. I am warmed by her and the covers, I know she is not up yet so I get up and move towards the dead fire. I stir up the coals and add some firewood on top and I soon have a fire going. Mary begins to stir, as I climb back into the bed. As she awakes I put my arms around her again and hold her thinking of how I almost lost her in the games. She fidgets a little at first but then seems to understand that I don't want to let her go. She lets me hold her for a few more minutes and then says we should probably go see if that turkey is ready yet. I feel my stomach rumble but I really don't want to let her go. She spins around to face me kisses me and tells me it's ok. I force myself to let her go and she gets up and checks the turkey. I get up and follow her to the hearth, and force myself to ask the question again. "Mary how are you still alive, I thought for sure I lost you in that cursed arena." She smiles at me and begins to explain. "After you guys left me thinking I was poisoned. It turns out it wasn't poisoned but covered with some kind of sleeping agent. When I awoke no one was around, not even you Ryan. I panicked and looked for your guys' tracks after a few minutes of looking I found them. I hurried after them only to find Raynor crying next to Audrie in a bad looking pool of blood. I was going to ask where you were Ryan but I assumed the alliance was broken. I looked around for your tracks as well Ryan. I found none but I did find away out of the arena, I took the way out moved north found this shack and have been here ever since." "What about you're tracking thing in your arm" I ask? "Well I cut it out before I left, that's why my arm is wrapped up" she replies to me, showing me her arm again. But what about, I start to say but she interrupts me by kissing me again. I feel like I should know more but I decided to skip it, she's alive and so am I and that's what's important to me right now. "So where should we go?" I ask. She is taken back. "Why would we leave?" "Because of that!" I say hearing it again in the background, a faint howl. She still just stares at me then she hears it, the faint howl. She looks at me horrified and all I can do is stare back at her. The howls are getting closer, I move over and start packing the turkey into a bag by the fire. Mary is stunned in place, so I do what Audrie did I walk over kiss her while holding her. She gets out of here stunned position and tells me there is a mace and bow and arrows under the floor board under the bed. I move grab the bow and arrows while passing the mace to Mary as I slug the pack over my shoulder. Then I hear claws against the door, we're going to need another way out of here! Mary puts out the fire and begins to climb out the chimney and I see that there are grips to put your hands on in the chimney, which is good because I couldn't climb without some help. I climb out of the chimney and I am on the roof of the shack, Mary is nearby and she says to come and look. I see them and I learn that were not going anywhere for a while.