Rain pattered on the cave's roof. Through the mouth, I can see raindrops falling and refreshing the ground after days of heat. I ran my finger over my scar, feeling rough to the touch. Nothing relaxed me more than rainy days. Back home, I used to watch the rain roll down my windows and let the peace overwhelm me. Right now, I just watched the drops fall from the sky. I wonder how the other tribute pairs are spending this rainy weather.
Quaid and I kept watch through the night. At about one in the morning, the rain started to pour. Lightning flashed and thunder clapped when my turn to watch was drawing to a close. At that point I knew no tributes would be trying to find us. Who would trudge through a thunderstorm, only to climb a steep hill to get into our cave? Only the most desperate of tributes would do something like that.
We ate our food sparingly, trying not to run out food. We nibbled on all of our food selections and sipped our water. Quaid always tried cleaning my wound free of infection. It worked, for the most part. I knew I needed medicine to actually be sure that my wound is clean. Not just constant applications of a wet cloth.
Two days passed. No faces appeared in the sky and the rain finally started to settle down. We were running short on food and water, despite it raining for two days. "About damn time the rain stopped." He says, sucking the juice out of a blueberry.
"I know what you mean." I say, sipping from a water canteen. "I'm starting to go stir crazy from being in this cave. Also, I'm getting a little hungry." Quaid nods.
"How's your battle wound?" he asked.
"Fine. It's going to be a scar in a few days and it doesn't hurt anymore." I reply with a hesitant tone in my voice. Hopefully he couldn't hear it. I pick up one of my sponsor knives and through it at the stone. Sparks fly, but it doesn't lodge itself in the stone. I didn't expect it to. I was getting some throwing practice.
"Are you sure? It looks painful." He teased, playfully hitting my arm.
"It's so painful I can barely feel the left side of my face." I reply, playing along. He leans over and kisses the temple on my left side. Soft like a butterfly.
"Can you feel that?"
"Yes." I reply, pulling his lips to mine.
The rain completely stops when audio feedback can be heard. Our kiss breaks apart when I hear Chal Sherwood's voice. "Congratulations to the remaining six tributes. For your efforts to get this far, we invite you to a feast. We would like to see all the tributes there. That is all."
"Jada, don't go! You don't need to go to the feast."
"She can't hear you, Jace."
"I think we should go." Quaid says, starting to pack up weapons. "What if they have medicine for your scar? Or food for us? Or more weapons? We need to go." I rise to my feet and grab my knives.
"Alright. We'll go. I don't want to be the person who spills anyone's blood." I say, grabbing a bag to place my knives in.
"Why are you bringing those, then?" he asks.
"Smartass." I say and stand next to him. "Ready to eat?"
"More than I'll ever be." He says and we exit our home.
"Why is she going to the horn thing?"
"That's the Cornucopia, Jetta. It probably holds medicine for her scar on her cheek."
"Why is she going with that big boy?"
"He's her partner."
"Boyfriend."
"Jace!"
"What? They were kissing."
"I know. But you shouldn't say that."
I was crouching behind bushes. Quaid was in the same position as I was. The ground was still wet from the rain earlier today. We were right in front of the Cornucopia, a straight sprint towards the feast. I wonder where the other pairs are located. We are in the best position to get whatever is on the table. All we have to do is wait.
A white table rose from the ground and secured its place at the mouth of the Cornucopia. Three bags were placed on the table, each with the pair numbers on the bag. They looked to be the same size and color. The bag marked 1 & 10 was at the front, with 2 & 5 and 3 & 4 followed. I looked at Quaid and moved my eyes towards the table. His mouth made out one simple word. Go.
I nodded and sprinted towards the table. I didn't look anywhere but at my bag. I grabbed the sack and sprinted towards Quaid. My heart started to pump out adrenaline as I saw my golden haired partner. Whizz! A curved blade sword swung past my face. I turn to see a gladiator of a tribute. Camilla. Her feet weren't even on the ground. She was running so fast. She jumped on me and knocked me to the ground.
"JADA!"
We rolled on the ground until I pulled my knife out. I knew she was one hell of a fighter. These knives might come in handy. I picked up Flitter's technique by pinning her wrists down with my knees. My knife was clutched in my hand and the sun glistened off of my weapon.
"You little bitch!" Camilla yelled at me with a deep voice. "Get off of me!"
I didn't respond. I placed the knife on her lips. Her eyes tried to hide the fear, but I could see through them. "It'll all be over soon, Cami."
"DEVIN! DEVIN!" She yells. I turn to my right and see a tan boy with a spear come out of the forest.
"QUAID!" I yell. A flash of gold runs towards the tan boy and his muscles ripple as his spear leaves his fingers. The spear claimed a victim in the stomach, and he fell to the grass. I look to the table and the 3 & 4 bag was gone. That was a good strategy. Wait until everyone else is fighting to get your bag.
I cut Camilla on the cheek and carved the word KILLER on her forearm. "You come after me; I'll put your head on a silver platter and send it to your family. You got it, Killer?" I spat in her face. She nodded, speechless. "Good girl. Get up and go!" She stood up and ran.
"I knew she wasn't gonna get hurt!"
I never saw so much false confidence in a person's expression before. I let Camilla grab her bag before we grabbed ours from the ground. "I saw Malloy and Hollis head that way. Let's go!" Quaid pointed to the left of the horn of plenty. I followed him into the forest.
"Run, Holly! Run!" Malloy's voice traveled through the forest. The point of a feast is to show the audience a death. One of the two has to die.
I ran towards the voices and heard another pair of feet, running away from me. After ducking a few branches and cutting down leaves, I saw Hollis twenty feet behind Malloy. I clutched the knife in my hand and let it fly out of my hand. My aim was for her back, but it hit the back of her neck. The brown haired girl fell to the forest ground and drowned in her own blood.
BOOM!
Malloy didn't turn around. He kept running for his life.
I walked towards the girl from District 4, lying on the ground. I kneeled down and soaked up the reality. Camilla isn't the killer. I am. I pulled the knife from her neck and clutched it. How can I be a farm girl a few weeks ago and become a killer in such a short time? "I'm sorry, Holly. I'm so sorry!"
I fall to my knees, tears spilling out of regret. Are the people in District 4 cursing at me? Or are they crying with me? "Jada, it's not your fault. The impulse to kill took over. It's okay, darling." He rubbed my back, trying to calm me. We move out of the way for the hovercraft to pick up Hollis.
"Daddy, Jada killed another girl!"
"Only two can live this year, Jada. Hollis was just another death." Quaid told me when we got in the cave. I clutched the knife that ended Hollis's life and the bag with our district numbers stitched on it. I placed the knife down and slid it away from me. I opened the bag and it confirmed what I thought was in there.
Beef jerky, water, dried fruit littered the cave floor when I dumped out the bag. A small, silver ball rolled beside me. That was definitely my medicine. Quaid picked it up, opened it, and rubbed it on my cheek. His warms fingers caressed my cheek, making the pain go away.
"Hollis is gone." He says. "You didn't mean to kill her. It was an instinct of survival." The pain disappeared and I could feel the scar going away from my face. "I didn't want to kill people during the bloodbath. But, my survival kicked in. Jada, you'll be fine."
When he finishes rubbing in my medicine, he pulls me onto his lap. His lips met mine, making me forget the dangers of the arena. This is the place, where I love you.
"I love you, too, Quaid." I say a late reply to what he said two days ago.
"You...do?" he was taken aback.
"Yes. You protect me from everything in the arena. You're my best friend here. Don't leave me alone. Not even for one minute."
He said the best eight words I ever heard from anyone. "You will always be by my side, beautiful." I closed my eyes and fell asleep in his protective arms.
A/N: I hope you liked it. I want to thank Eliseu27 for sharing my story on her FaceBook page, 'The Hunger Games Rebellions'. I want to thank all of you for reading and reviewing. I love you guys. :) Read and review on, guys!