DAY SIX

In the morning I wake up and find Sadie already awake, carving noughts and crosses into her branch.

'Morning team' Sadie announces as I open my eyes. 'This is what I have been doing to pass time here, do you want a game?'

'Sure' I respond. I lack logic and common sense, and miss blindingly obvious opportunities, so maybe this isn't the game for me but it makes time go so much faster.

Sadie is remarkably intelligent, she beats me in every single game. We've played about 30, there's now no more bark on the tree to physically calve anything understandable into.

'So, what's the plan of action today, boss?' Sadie chuckles.

'I have no idea, I just do things spontaneously' I reply, for some reason in a Capitol accent. 'How are you doing on water? May have to pop to the pond in a bit?'

'I have a little bit, but I will need more'. She informs me.

To the pond it is then.

I slide down the branch of the tree and hit the floor, I signal to Sadie to come down as I am safely on the ground. She's incredibly agile and does everything with such grace and ease, but not this time. About three metres from the ground she slips and free falls down the trunk. However, it's not a text book fall by any means, as she falls the left side of her body stays in contact with the trunk and I wince as I hear her gasp, knowing that she knows she cannot scream.

She hits the floor and her breathing becomes shallow and for a moment I panic, worrying that she may have broken something and become unfit to stay in contention.

'I'm fine, it's fine' Sadie tries to convince.

I bite my lip as I'm not sure what to say. I've just seen her fall out the tree in the most painful way I can imagine, but her response is so bizarre that I can't even think of a decent response.

I walk around to have a look at the left side of her body. Her trouser leg has been ripped quite badly, and underneath is an almighty graze.

'How are you not screaming?' I ask, astonished 'Grazes are so much more painful than cuts' I continue in the same shocked voice, thinking of the time when I was playing a game with my friend Rupert a few years ago, when I fell whilst running full speed and took all the skin off my right hand, arm, chest and leg.

I pull out he pot of potent jelly the sponsors sent in yesterday and hand her some.

'Here' I say 'Try this, I used it after I got caught in the acid rain, my feet, hands and face were a mess'

'Acid rain?' She enquires 'It hasn't rained at all, let alone acid'

'Sadie, I promise you there was acid rain yesterday, it's on camera, the whole of Panem saw, I sat in a cave screaming because I felt like I was on fire' I reply

'Maybe it's one of the game maker's booby traps, they love them'

Then, the conversation about acid rain reminds me, surely the water won't be safe to drink even with my Iodine?

'I've just remembered, what if the acid rain has contaminated the water, do you know anywhere else?' I say with a matter of urgency.

'I thought we were heading for my water source anyway' Sadie replies with a giggle.

As we walk around we see a patch of flowers, beautiful, bold colours that shine out that really make you forget that not far away is a desert.

'They're pretty' I say, starting conversation as for the last 10 minutes or so not a word has exchanged, just the sound of heavy breathing as we dehydrate.

'What a goldmine!' Sadie exclaims, 'These are Nasturtium, we can eat these!'.

She grabs handfuls and handfuls and tells me to join in as we stuff our bags with them.

They're delicious, we lose conversation again as we both gorge ourselves on the low fat treats. They remind me of the rocket that grows in our back garden, both in flavour and spice, and when I run out of them from my hand, I have to turn to the collection in my bag as I cannot stop eating them.

Note to self, remember these if you get home I tell my self.

We get to the pond and It's breathtakingly beautiful here, big bright flowers, clear still water, glistening rocks and a majestic water fall.

We walk over to the water fall and fill up our bottles. There's no need for iodine this time, the water is fresh and running. I take a large gulp and sigh as it's the best feeling in the world and the cold, soft water passes down my oesophagus.

'This waterfall reminds me of the waterfall me and Connie used to play in when we were younger' Sadie says with a slight smile of my face.

Oh Connie. I let out a small sigh as I think about her.

'She's going to be so proud of you' I say, but Sadie only shrugs.

I know what that shrug means. It means she's aware that we may not get any further then this so it's irrelevant as to whether we come 5th or 24th. In fact, I would rather have died 24th I think. I feel worse every time I think about it. I don't want to get her hopes up. I desperately want me or Sadie to go home, but I hope she's still in tact with reality.

Sadie talks about the first time her and her sister first went to the market on their own without parents, and the happiness and pain in the eyes in oh so obvious.

'I remember looking at her and thinking, you are the best sister in the whole entire world' she finishes, as her voice cracks and tears stream down her face.

I need to make the conversation happier. I think desperately of all the happy memories me and Connie have, there are so many, but one sticks out more than the rest. It's not the happiest, but it certainly makes me laugh every single time, without fail.

This one time, me and Connie decided to go for a walk in the meadow. It had been raining cats and dogs for weeks on end, but on this day it was Sunny. Beaming hot sunshine. We both knew though that the meadow was waterlogged, so we both knew that we needed boots on.

As we stepped onto the porch at Connie's house, she put on her left boot fine, but as she put on her right boot, she lost her balance and stepped off the porch. Trying to regain her balance, she veered to the left, and then to the right, clearly with no control what so ever. Out of no where, both of her legs twisted outwards as she pivoted 180 degrees and fell in a bush.

By the end of telling the story to Sadie, I am laughing so hard I doubt Sadie would have even understood what I had just said, but she's laughing just as hard as I am. In fact, we both laugh so hard that we cry, at points I can't breath, but it's such a good feeling.

For the whole time I have been in the arena, I have felt scared and on edge, but this evening, I feel relaxed and calm. As I sit down, overlooking the old pond at the forest with the sun shining through, I manage to forget about why I am here, and that there are people who will kill me. I feel so relaxed that I just fall asleep.

most burst into tears, it is almost like a final farewell. The chances of us seeing each other again are slim, alive, even more so. I bite my lip and climb down from the tree. I offer one final way and then turn quickly and don't look behind. It seems cruel and I don't want her to think that I don't care, but I know that if I look behind and see her on her own, I will want to stay with her, or cry. Or both.

So once again I am on my own, and even though I was with Sadie for just a day, it feels strange. I feel lost almost. I head towards the bond, trying to follow the marks I had left on the trees but I soon realise that it has changed. The game makers have marked trees which lead me to the cornucopia. To the careers. To my death. I'm not stupid though and walk in the opposite direction.

I eventually reach the pond. Or, at least where it was. It is now dried up, with a few swampy bits. Clearly the game makers have it in for me. I don't know what I've done, but they don't want me to win. After all, it would be a disaster if a skinny boy from the district that mines coal were to win.

I need to find water. I take both water bottles out of my bag and sip the one which is most full. It's about a quarter full, but thats not enough when I'm already dehydrated.

I sit down and sulk on the bank of the former pond, when I hear a little song being played. I turn around, and there is a little silver box attached to a parachute. Sponsors. Hallelujah. I pace over to it and open it up. In there, is a small bottle of water and a note.

'When it Rains, look for Rainbows, when It's dark, Look for Stars, Spike x'

What in Gods name is that supposed to mean. Well, I know what it means when you are in a bad time, but how is that going to help me find a water source. None the less, I thank him and take a sip.

Now that I am in the final six, I decide to practice my spear skills. I don't intend on using them unless I have to, but it's a time killer and thats what I need right now. I still have an aim. When I'm not under pressure. The spears are consistently hitting the tree, and more importantly, the targets I carved into the tree with my knife.

As I'm doing this I hear through the trees a four note inclination sang by the birds. It's a message from Sadie. She's safe. I sit down and smile. I send her the song back so she knows that I am okay too.

For the whole time I have been in the arena, I have felt scared and on edge, but this evening, I feel relaxed and calm. I have no idea why but as I sit down, overlooking the old pond at the forest with the sun shining through, I manage to forget about why I am here, and that there are people who will kill me. I feel so relaxed that I just fall asleep.