Better than One
The next few days seemed to drag on forever.
At first, the drama of the morning sustained the Capitol blood lust. I even got a call from President Snow.
" Whose idea was the Tracker Jackers!" President Snow bellowed.
" Um...errr..." I gulped. " Mine."
"Well..." President Snow growled. " Good work." The line went dead.
I smiled, very proud of myself. Soon, that pride drained out of me.
The hours were long and seemingly dragged on. The Careers, Peeta, and Katniss lay motionless, dead to the world.
I turned to watch the other Tributes. Thresh was sitting indian style, hidden completely by wheat. The Crippled boy was hidden in a very, very small cave. Mindy Crawford, the sly girl from 5, was picking all the stash of food she could want from the Career stash, having cleverly figured out the mines. And then there was Rue.
Rue kept walking by where Katniss lay, but never ever went to close. She would watch for a bit, then sprint off for berries, only to come back a few hours later.
Bored and tired by the end of a pointless day, I went to sleep, not even bothering to turn on the TV.
I slept in until noon. Waking up, I yawned and stretched like a cat. I clicked on the TV. Nothing at all was going on. The Careers and Katniss were still dead to the world. Pain had aroused Peeta, but he had simply camouflaged himself in the mud. Doris Nightly was going on about fashion and Caesar was snoring next to her. It was time to spice things up a bit.
Marching into the Calamity room, I called in a groggy Levi Crocket. I had a plan. There was an animal, brain set to follow controls inside this control room. It was a gigantic Bearbore. It had the gigantic body and face of a Bear, with the fast legs and tusks of a bore. It was hidden deep within the wheat. Levi took the controls and it began to move. I watched the screen before me as the beast sprinted quickly through the golden wheat, accelerating while a bloodthirsty look filled Levi's eyes. The Bearbore followed his every command and then it was right behind Thresh Underwood. Thresh sensed it first, and turned And with precision shot blows with a long axe. The Beast bled. Levi made it fight for hours and then, as we could see the perspiration drenching Thresh's clothes, I made him hit the kill switch. Literally. The Beast coughed as a small explosion inside it ruptured its heart and it fell dead to the ground.
After that, the day was long and boring. I slept even longer. Then finally, Katniss woke up.
I turned to Rue's screen. Rue was walking toward the small ditch that Katniss lay and then stopped. Katniss wasn't there. Hesitant, Rue began to spread out. Then she saw Katniss, I could just make Katniss out in the far corner of her screen. Rue accidentally stepped on a twig which snapped.
" You know, They're not the only ones who can make allies."
Rue seemed as shocked as I was. But Katniss knew what she was doing, and she made an alliance.
To hold the building excitement for the audience, I ran into the Calamity Room, dragging the Cannon. Then I commanded, " Rudy Fletch, District 10." The crippled boy was still in his cave. I pressed a brown, square pad and the entire cave collapsed. I heard the EKG scream as the boy flatlined and I tapped the Cannon, the following boom announcing the death to the remaining Tributes.
Calmly I walked out and turned around to Katniss's screen, satisfied with her new alliance.
That night, in my bed, I clicked on the screen. Doris Nightly was going on and on about the new alliance and how the Careers were just about to wake up. The screen turned to Katniss, who was just explaining her plan.
The next day couldn't arrive quick enough. At dawn I walked into the Main Room and took a seat at the table. I watched the groggy Careers and waited. Then, the plan took action.
I turned to Katniss's screen. She was just outside the Careers base. But she wasn't alone. Turning to the screen from Tribute 5, I could see Mindy Crawford in a branch, spying on the careers. I turned again and saw Rue finishing up her first fire. I watched her hesitate, waiting until she heard the Career footsteps. Then she raced on and made the second fire. When the Careers saw the second fire's smoke, they started after it.
Something moved in the corner of my eye. I turned and watched as Marvel, who had been constantly shaking since Glimmer's death, stole a spear and rope from Cato's backpack, and then wander into the trees. Suspicious.
I turned to Mindy Crawford's screen, who had stolen some food and was now running back into the trees.
Then on Girl Tribute from 12's screen, Katniss stood up. She shot an arrow at the pile.
1...
2...
3...
As the third hit, apples tumbled out onto the land mines...
And the whole world went to hell.