The wind catches my hair the moment my head reaches the surface and it feels good even through my tightly woven braid. Compared to the stuffiness of the launch room, it's heaven. The scene before me is beautiful and reminds me of District 7. Trees in the not too far distance, a shining lake, a meadow, and, of course, the cornucopia.
It's all so amazing that I almost forget Peeta, but there he is five Tributes down, smiling at me, and my heart melts although I know I have to toughen up.
I choke back a sob. Is this it? Will one of us die in the medley? What will we do if we run into each other? I know that he can't kill me anymore than I can kill him.
The counter has already begun it's countdown. 47 more seconds and that's it. I pry my eyes away from the only man I've ever loved and look through the pile of weaponry and food and find a shining bow with a quiver full of arrows. It reminds me of District 12, full of soot and filth, but quaint in its own way. The weapon is perfect for me.
Not many people know outside District 12, but I am brave enough to bypass the electric fence that protects the citizenry from wild beasts and escaped mutts to hunt. For years I constructed my own bows and arrows from crude wood and scavenged string and taught myself to hunt. I never miss.
With my eyes locked on my bow, I race off the metal circle the moment the buzzer sounds, Peeta in my heart and death on my mind. I'm fast but, I learn to my dismay, not fast enough. The fierce eyed girl from District 2 blindsides me and I duck to avoid her. I fall to the synthetic grass which doesn't stain my pristine clothes and by the time I'm up again I see that someone else has whisked away my arrows.
I stamp my foot. It's not fair! They were the only things I wanted and I know I'm the only one who can use them correctly. She took them just so I couldn't have them!
Halfheartedly I look around for anything useful and my eyes alight on a bright orange backpack. Looking up, I see that many have already fallen and I'm running out of time to get away. However a small consolation prize, it's something at least. But when I reach to pick it up, another boy does the same. I stare at him incredulously. I was here first, but I don't have to worry about him for long, because something sails into his back and red lights flash across his chest and he collapses in front of me.
Grinning, I pull the strap from his fingers and sling it onto my back before heading into the woods. Once enveloped in the safety of the trees, I look back and see that Peeta's nowhere in sight. Typical Peeta. More of a flighter than a fighter but if that keeps him alive I'm not complaining.
Turning away from the medley, I run deeper into the forest half hoping to meet Peeta and half hoping I don't. Which of us will survive? Which of us do I want to survive?
Before I can grow fatigued and sweaty, the buzzer sounds again, followed by a bevy of canon shots. I stop and turn back around toward the front and find bright red arrows on either side of me lighting up the trees to create a path back to the cornucopia.
I run my hand over my hair and find that even with all my running and falling it's stayed in place, thanks to the load of gel I heaped onto it earlier this morning. The avoidance of another hair mishap lifts my already high spirits. That was so fun! I haven't run around outside since last year's reenactment! The sun is light and warm against my skin and its smells wonderful out here.
When I'm reunited with Orion and all the other reenactors we watch a recap of the scene and giggle and compliment one another on our performances. Orion stuck the best to his Tribute. He completely bypassed the cornucopia and everyone else to run directly into the woods and out of sight. He was the perfect choice for Peeta. They are so alike, those two pragmatists. When Peeta shook his head at Katniss in the games it had become a huge debate about what he was trying to tell her. The prevailing theory is that earlier he had told her to ignore the cornucopia and head for the woods, advice, of course, only he took.
Once everyone had returned, the guide told us we had a free half hour before we would split up into our own groups and go to whichever reenactment scene we had signed up for.
Orion and I used our break to sit by the lake and tease each other on our acting.
"I was looking between you and the closest line of trees the whole time," he said.
I laughed as I let my hand drift back and forth in the water.
"I couldn't bear to look at you for too long," I said. "Too painful."
He laughed too and I had to turn away as the sun glinted off his blonde hair. He'd dyed it last night and would change it back to his favorite auburn when we got back Friday. It's kind of a boring color, but it's so Orion and I love it. I kept my hair burnt orange.
We were both wearing replicas of Peeta's and Katniss' outfits, made by Cinna and Portia themselves. Almost everything I wore nowadays was made by Cinna. No one could get enough of his designs but I was one of only a few who actually had them. His first season won't be out for another month.
When it was time to go, Orion leapt to his feet before offering me his hand. He was unencumbered by the recorder since all the reenactments were recorded by the same cameras they used for the Tributes. At the end of our stay they would give them to us for a nominal fee all downloaded into a disc. Before we leave he'll pull it out again so I can say a farewell and introduce a tantalizing hint of next week's video and oh is it tantalizing. Orion's not too fond of it, teehee.
A myriad of colorful arrows leads each group to their destination. Orion, our guide and I are headed for the tree where Katniss had her confrontation with the Careers and first saw Peeta again. It's a long walk and we're grateful for the built-in conveyor belt. With the belt's aid we reach the tree in no time. Everything is exactly as it was left, except for the tracker jackers, but even their broken apart nest is still laying crushed on the ground, giving the terrifying illusion that they'll be back any minute.
I bury my face into Orion's chest and he wraps his arms around me protectively. His warmth and strength comfort me. Our guide chuckles and reassures us that all the dangerous animals were taken care of. There is nothing to worry.
Still, I don't let go of Orion for a while and continue to eye the hive suspiciously until the guide reminds us that we only have 45 minutes here. There are a lot of groups waiting for their turn.
I look up at the tree and remember how brave Katniss was climbing up that huge, entirely too natural and barbaric thing. And how smart Rue was in telling her to cut down the tracker jacker nest to kill her pursuers. Too bad it didn't do more damage, but then things wouldn't have been so exciting later on.
Of course we won't reenact that part. The only things I climb are stairs, haha. Instead, I wobble around, taking care not to step on any part of the nest. I look confused and even start to get something of a headache. I clutch at an imaginary bow, standing more or less in place until Orion, no, Peeta, rushes to my side. He grabs me and screams at me to run. I pretend I don't understand but really I just don't want to leave him. Even though it seems like he betrayed me, I know he hasn't. It was all a trick to protect me.
"Katniss, you need to run! Go!"
To make him happy, I stumble out of his arms and run away from him and my heart.
When we finish, I have a real headache and take out a light vicodin from my pack. Orion hands me a bottle of water and I down it. The relief is instant.
Stretching, I say that I'm hungry and Orion concurs. Our guide informs whoever on his com and soon we're led away by more arrows and another conveyor belt all the way to the meadow where our prearranged picnic waits.
It's lovely. We can just sit on the grass without worrying about stains or bugs, there are no disease carrying ants or flies that try to infect our food... if real life were more like this I'd have picnics outside every day! But I'm not a Tribute and this vacation is only for one more day and then it's back to the real world. Not that I'm complaining about my life. I love it! And I cherish every moment of it. I know that I'm better off than a lot of people in the Capitol, poor dears. Sometimes my father donates old, outdated clothing to those who are unable to avoid high fashion.
"So what's after this?" Orion asks as I swallow the last bit of my tuna roll.
"Rue's death and then a tour of the arena, but slow down, Gucchi, and let's just enjoy our picnic."
"I can't help it. I'm getting antsy."
I notice that he's nearly finished with his meal while I'm barely halfway through mine.
"You know Orion, a little rest here and there doesn't hurt."
"But we already sat around the lake for 30 minutes!"
I sigh.
"Well I want to finish my meal in peace. And if you want me to be happy you'll slow down, admire the scenery and tell me I'm beautiful."
Orion looks around and finally quiets down, not so much because he's awed by what he sees but close enough. He is, after all, a film buff. Doing that oh so old fashioned thing where you make a rectangle with your fingers, he spins around, looking at that piece of wheat and that floating cloud this way and that, taking mental notes on cinematography or whatnot.
I too sit silently, taking small bites of my sushi, trying not to let it get to me that he forgot to tell me I'm beautiful.
But after Orion finishes whatever he's doing, he plops down beside me and looking straight into my eyes he says I'm still the most beautiful thing he's ever beheld then kisses me full on the mouth.
The rest of my lunch is quickly forgotten, but I wasn't that hungry anyway.
Rue's death is recreated with the help of another guide who does an excellent job of playing a corpse. I sob over her quite dramatically, if I do say so myself, and if my makeup weren't waterproof I'd look a horror. And then we're whisked away to key scenes in the arena. I take down everything the guide says about Katniss and Peeta, to be doled out to my viewers here and there. Most of it I already know from my uncle who worked closely with Seneca Crane before his untimely accident, poor dear, but I never miss an opportunity to learn anything new about one of my favorite Victors.
By the end of the afternoon, we're so tired and sore that Orion and I both pop a Vicodin and head straight for the massage parlor. I don't know how the Tributes do it. All that running around. Well, even the majority of people in the Capitol spend quite some time on their feet getting from place to place but I guess they're used to it. I don't know what I'd do without my car.
Back in our room, I'm laying sprawled on the bed with Orion watching a movie when my mom calls.
"Hello dearest, are you enjoying your trip?"
"Yes, Mommy, I am! Just wait until you see the recordings!"
"I can't wait. But the reason I'm calling is because I wanted to make sure your favorite food is still seafood, right?"
"Of course! Why?"
"Oh, your father wanted to know."
"What?"
"You know your father, always paranoid."
"Paranoid?"
"Nevermind. I'll see you tomorrow. Hugs and kisses."
"Muah muah."
"What was that?" Orion asked.
"My Dad wanted to know if I still liked seafood."
"Hm, he's never asked you about your food preferences before, right?"
"Of course not, haha. I wonder what's gotten into him."
"Maybe he misses his daughter and is planning a surprise dinner."
"Hm, maybe."