Mailey's POV #12
I wake up to a loud clang. As quickly as I can, I climb out of the crevice and pull my knife out from my belt. Deanie has her back to me but I see her pull her hand back and in the moonlight see its covered in blood. I panic and run in front of her. The snake clamps on to Deanie's neck for dear life. I bring my knife to the snakes mouth and wedge it to open wider. As the snake releases Deanie's neck I grab the snake by the side of the jaw and as I hold it to the ground I shove my knife in it's head. I recognize the colour from a lesson I had in school. Its one of the most poisonous snake in the capitol. I crawl over to Deanie.
"Deanie!" I scream. She looks up at me blankly and her eyes close. Her back falls against the volcano and her head falls forward. I look over her body quickly then I take my jacket off and crawl towards her. "Deanie. I can't loose you." Think Mailey, think. I remember something I read in a book. I have to suck the poison out of the wound.
I push Deanie's head as far as I can and bring my mouth to her throat. My lips wrap around her neck and I begin to suck. I feel my mouth is full so I quickly move my head to the side and spit out the venom. I bring my mouth back and taste her blood. Don't die. I bring my head back again and spit out some more venom. The sun begins to rise and I can see the wound. I run over to the flask and run back to Deanie. I pour the water on the wound and wash most of the blood away. I take a sip of the water and spit it out. I feel the tears rush down my cheek as I bring my mouth to her neck and suck more of the venom. I spit it out and no more venom comes out.
I look down at her neck. Even if there isn't anymore venom in her system. She could die of infection. The wound is so big that I could fit my finger in it. I look down at my shirt and rip the hem of it. In an instant I wrap the hem of my shirt around her neck. Blood soaks through just a second later so I hold my hand on her neck and apply pressure. This should stop the bleeding. The sun comes up bright and I see the paleness in her face.
"Deanie." I croak through tears. I let my head fall forward and hold it there by burying my face in my hands. "Come back." My head darts up. I haven't heard the cannon. She's still alive. We can still make it. A smile plasters on my face. We can do this. I look at her neck and see that the bleeding has stopped a bit. I grab my coat from the ground and roll it up into a pillow and pull her body on the ground. I rest her head on the coat and stand. How long can she possibly last like this? Not much longer. We are down to the final 6. No matter what I have to protect her. At whatever cost. I know that may go against what we promised, but in order for us to break the Capitol we not only have to Break the Capitol's rules, but our rules.
"Attention Tributes." I hear a voice from no particular area of the arena begin to talk. "As a treat from the Capitol we are holding a feast at the cornucopia for you tributes." He pauses. "Each one of you desperately need something. Each one of you can get it at the feast. Happy Hunger Games." I look down at Deanie. They have something that can heal her wound. "May the odds be ever in your favour." I quickly haul her body in the crevice. She will be safe here while I go to get the supply. If I die in the feast, it means we both die. I'd rather die trying to save the person who has saved me, than to sit here and watch her die.
I place my knife in my belt as I walk to my machete and stare at the direction of the cornucopia. I look back at Deanie and begin to walk. My machete hits vines that are in my way and I walk strong through the trees. I have to be strong. I have to be strong for Deanie, for Cleasy, for Bear, for my parents, and for the future. Although I think about Bear, Cleasy, Deanie, and my parents. I don't cry. There is no room for crying when your fighting for what you believe in. You can't let anything be in the way, there can't be any distractions.
I crouch in the bushes just on the edge of the clearing where the cornucopia stands. In front of the cornucopia I see a steal table that holds 5 bags. Two for 1, one 2, one for 4, and one for 7. The only thing I desperately need is for Deanie to heal. Its labeled under my bag because I know that Brody is still alive out there. I don't want to run into Brody. He will rip me to shreds. I wait for several moments and nobody appears at the table.
I step out of the bush with my machete ready. I am stopped by Pierce, the girl from 1, running to the table. Before she can make it to the table her fellow tribute comes running behind her and pins her to the ground. They roll over, and over, and over hitting each other in the head a few times. I stand in confused at the sight of two friends killing each other. The boy stops the game of rolls by elbowing her in the jaw and pins her to the ground yet again. He brings his fist down to her fist a couple of times and a cannon sounds in the distance. He looks up around him and grabs both of 2's bags and runs off. I take another step and see Brody charging for the tables. He quickly reaches for the 4 bag and then runs off into the tree with it.
After a couple seconds I check all around me and then sprint for the table. Two bags left. One labeled 2 and the other labeled 7. As I get closer and closer to the table I keep scanning all around me. I grab my bag and hold it under my arm and hold my machete in my hand and sprint around the table and run towards the volcano. I am about half way to the trees when the collar of my shirt brings me to the ground on my back. I look up to see the boy from district 7. He doesn't give me a smile but holds a knife at his side. I move around under him trying to escape but can't. His knees hold my arms at my side. I look to my left and see the machete close to my hand. I inch closer and closer as he taunts me with the knife. My hand grips around the handle as he arches the knife up. I bring the machette up with force and jab it into the back of his leg. He screams and then jumps off me quickly. He stands with his hand on the handle ready to pull it out of his calve. His face contorts into an unknown face as the pain goes up his body. He gives up with the handle and tries to throw a knife at me I dodge it. I don't want to kill him, but I can't let Deanie die either.
"What happened to your axe?" I yell as I pull the knife out of my belt and throw it at his face. The knife is embedded in his left eye and it is all I see as I watch his body fall heavily on the ground. His cannon blasts and I walk over to him quickly and pull the machete out of his calve. I turn around and pick up my bag from the ground and throw it over my shoulder and leave him, his bag, and my knife. My walk seems longer than it should because I thought of the boy's face when I killed him. He was scared. He was dead.
As soon as I see the volcano come close I run fast. I jog over to the crevice and pull Deanie carefully out of the crevice and lay her down just outside of the entrance. I look down at her, she's in bad condition. She is sweating and is pale. Her chest still rises and falls normally. I drop the bag from my shoulders and dumped the items out. A syringe falls on the ground, a small tin, and a piece of paper. I look at the paper and read the instructions quick. As quickly and safely I could I unwrapped the fabric from Deanie's neck and opened the tin and rub the smelly lotion onto the two bites on Deanie's neck. I put down the tin and grab the syringe from the ground. I pop the cap off the sharp end and inject it in Deanie's arm to the nearest vein.
I drop the syringe and sit back and look at her. I grab her hand and wait.