I am in misery
There ain't no other
Who can comfort me
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me
Girl you really got me bad
You really got me bad
Now I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna get you back
-Misery by Maroon 5
I woke with a jolt the following morning. Something kept badgering in my head, something important. It was like a scene, playing over and over again. But it wasn't as haunting as the first time I heard it.
"Titus. I think his name is Titus."
The name sounded familiar when Trey had said it and now I remember why. Mags had warned me about a tribute named Titus. She said that his mentor was genuinly worried. For the other tributes.
"You ok there?" Trey asked.
His voice made me jump again. "Yeah." I nodded slowly. "Just a uh...a nightmare." I lied, looking at the morning sky. It was unnaturally grey, full of clouds, light peeking in some areas. "Is it the er, morning?"
He nodded. "Yes. We're going to need to stay put today." He said softly. "We have these things in District Twelve called a 'flash storm' where lightning strikes with no rain. It strikes moving objects more often than the still."
"That's really stupid." I frowned. "And unscientifical."
He raised an eyebrow. "Unscientifical?" I shrugged and nodded. "Maybe but the Capitol found a way to do it."
About an hour later the lightning started smacking the ground around us. We couldn't move that much, like he said. I was beginning to get restless; I heard noises, I felt shock. And all we did was sit there.
And stay still.
Do nothing.
I swear, I was going to lose it.
The only eventful thing of my day was when a single cannon fired. Just one, around midday. And when it came the end of the day Ebony's partner was up in the sky. But the flash storm continued throughout the night. Finally I got some sleep.
I was first to wake up in the morning. The sky was bright blue, all the clouds were gone. No more flash storm. "Trey!" I shook him furiously. "Trey! Wake up!"
He opened his eyes groggily. "Ten more minutes..." He mumbled, turning on his side. I flicked his ear and he sat up straight, banging his head. "What?" He hissed, rubbing his head affectionately.
"The flash storm is gone!" I cheered. He rolled his eyes and went back to lay down. I smacked his arm for good measure. "And I thought we should hunt. Dried beef and apples wont last us long."
"You woke me up for this?" He grunted, shaking his hair clean from the sand.
"Would it have been different if I woke up screaming 'Trey! Jessa found us we got to run!'?" I asked him, standing up. I whipped out one of the knives and polished it clean. Well, cleaner than it already was.
He scowled at me. "Yes, it would be completely different." He joined me standing up too. "What are we going to be hunting anyway? It's nothing but a bunch of sand and palm trees." He scooped up some of the sugar sand in his hand, letting the grains slowly run down his fingers.
I rolled my eyes. "You have no idea how stupid you sound. Where there's palm trees and sand there's an ocean. And where there's an ocean there's fish." I say slowly, like I was talking to a three year old for the bazillionth time.
That shut him up. I felt a wave of triumph wash over me but I didn't press on it or rub it in his face. I had to remember at any time he could snap at me or I with him. "We should hide our supplies so no other tribute could steal it." I suggested.
"We have yet to see another tribute since day one." But when I glared at him he reluctantly agreed. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess we should. We wouldn't want to take any risks."
I smiled and helped him camoflauge the bag and supplies with sand and palm leaves. I even put a coconut on top for good measures. If I was another tribute, I wouldn't suspect a thing. Although, I probably would steal the coconut. I took the two knives we weren't going to be using and hid them in the ground. If a tribute steps on it, they won't be able to run.
I held my knife lightly, preparing to step out of our hiding place. I put one foot out and immediately one of Trey's hands was covering my mouth and the other one on my waist. He dragged me back to the tree. In the frenzy of it all I dropped my knife. No other weapons were on me.
Oh my god, this was it. Trey was going to kill me. He's got me unprotected and vulnerable to the dagger strapped to his belt. I tried to take a deep breath but it was muffled against Trey's hand.
But instead he ordered, "Don't move." His voice was barely above a whisper, and he kept his right hand on my mouth so I wouldn't scream.
I kicked down on his foot. The suddeness of it made him release his grip. "What is going on?" I hissed agrily.
He pressed his finger to his lips in an attempt for me to lower my voice. "We've got company." He said in a hushed tone, solemnly. He pointed the same finger to the beach.
I peered around the tree to see what he was talking about. Indeed, we did have company. I think it was the girl from Ten, and she was trying to make an attempt at fishing with a pathetic excuse of a spear. She was thin and weak. She was who Trey was worried about. "What the hell? We could fight her off." I whispered back to him.
He shook his head and pointed again. That's when I saw exactly what he was talking about. Titus.
He was in the clearing where the freezing forest met the blazing beach. He was walking slowly and quietly closer to the girl. A sword was raised in his hand, prepared to kill anyone who got in his way. His eyes were bloodthirsty for the kill. He already and a huge gash in his shoulder blade crusted with dry blood. He kept moving towards her soundlessly but she finally saw him.
She tried to run away, but stumbled back and fell over. "Please." She begged in a raspy voice due to lack of water.
Titus laughed maniacally. "Why would I spare you?" It looked like he gained some weight. He towered over her easily. "You're Cordilla, Tye's partner, aren't you?" His voice was clouded with some recognition.
She nodded weakly then raised her voice to a terrified scream. "TYE! TYE!" She repeated, tears swimming down her cheeks. But it was no use. The crazy boy, Tye, wouldn't be able to make it to her in time. This was how she was going to die.
Titus lashed out, stabbing the sword in her lower abdomem. She screamed in pain but her eyes rolled back instantaniously. Next to me, Trey quickly turned his head. But he was able to witness deaths, I saw him. He saw something that I didn't catch onto that fast.
I felt my stomach clench. I tried to turn my head but my eyes were glued to the scene. I felt my hand cover my mouth, stifling a gasp. This wasn't supposed to happen. This stuff never happens. Well, not in the Games anyway.
He sliced open her chest. The cannon finally sounds and the poor girl is dead. But Titus isn't satisfied with it. He leans in and ferociously starts to eat her flesh. Piece by peice he just bites into her skin and swallows it. He stops when the hovercraft comes to collect Cordilla. Her agony is over, she can rest in peace.
Blood drips from his mouth. I get to the point where I can't watch anymore, lean over, and vomit anything that was still in my stomach. I groan, ready to pass out from lack of water. Trey catches me as I fall but he's still watching Titus carefully. If he finds out we're here, we're dead.
"We should go back to the forest." Trey frowned at the idea. "We're not the only ones on this beach and I'm more than positive Titus is going to stay here until her destroys every last tribute on this half of the arena."
I nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I just wish...we...had...some...water." I gasped breaths between words. The idea just popped into my head, I just pray I have some sponsors.
Almost at the last word a silver parachute fell from the sky. A medium size flask full of water appeared at my feet. I reached down gingerly and took two mouthful sized swigs. I passed it over to Trey and comanded him to drink. He took the bare minimal and gave it back to me to put it back in our bag.
We waited until the coast was clear. It took about an hour until Titus decided to go east as apposed to our west. We moved quickly and silently, running instead of tree jumping. As we got closer to the Cornucopia we could both smell and see the fire from the Careers. We crawled up a pine tree, resting there until the anthem played. Cordilla's face was alone tonight. Trey made me sleep in the sleeping bag tonight. He said he was going to take watch.
I want to trust him badly but it was hard. He was eyeing Cristan with deep hate. I know he wants to attack. To kill him brutally and painfully until he was pleading and screaming in agony. I just hoped for his sake he wouldn't do it.
You couldn't imagine how heavy my eyes felt. It was too hard to just close them and go to sleep. I had the constant fear Titus was going to find me. That he was going to kill me in my sleep. That Trinity was going to see.
"Serenity! SERENITY!" Trey's voice screamed in pain. "Leave! Run! Go! Get far away from here!"
I turned my head to the sound of the screaming. Titus was leaning over him, carving letters in to his chest and stomach. He groaned mercifully, his lungs slowly contracting air in and out. He shut his eyes and clenched his fist. It was too much for him.
"No!" I cried back. I leapt onto Titus's back, in attempt to get him away from Trey. "Get off him! Stay AWAY from him!" I dug my fist into his huge head.
Mindlessly, simply, he flicked me off him and went back to inscripting Trey's body. Trey continued to moan in agony. Then Titus stood up, he was done. The word written was 'Dinner'.
I screamed in horror. Titus quickly turned to me and threw me to the ground. My head banged against the ground. I could feel my skull cracking. He tore open my shirt and did the same to me. I couldn't help but cry in pain.
He was done much faster without the distraction. The word on me was simple but yet it had so many meaning to it.
Lost.