Later, as evening neared, Linnet and I stumbled upon another abandoned campsite.
A weak, tiny fire was still burning, but there were no signs of life.
"We could stay here for tonight," Linnet suggested. "It seems safe enough."
I nodded my assent and dropped our supplies, glad to sit down.
Linnet created a meal of crackers and edible berries he'd discovered along the journey.
"If only you had Crystal's bow," Linnet mused. "Then we could have a proper feast."
"Don't be too optimistic," I warned. "I'm not that good."
"I beg to differ," Linnet continued with a smile. "I bet with more practice, you could be better than Crystal."
"OK, that's pushing the boat out way too far," I laughed.
It felt good to laugh, even somewhat alien. There was no room for laughing in the arena, unless you were a Career.
"I've been thinking," Linnet began, using our matches to start a stronger fire.
"Was it hard?" I teased.
Linnet grinned. "Shut up. You remember that summer where we went to help my father on the docks? Well, he showed me how to tie all different kinds of knots. When I asked him how he'd learnt them, he told me our ancestors had used them to create traps."
"Where are you going with this?" I asked sharply.
"Harper," said Linnet softly. "They created traps to frighten and sometimes kill their enemies."
"You think we could do it?" I gasped. The thought of murdering another human being, no matter how terrible they are, sickened me to my core.
"Yes," Linnet replied firmly. "We know they're coming after us. Eventually, we have to fight back, right?"
I nodded slowly, comprehending the idea. "It won't kill them for certain?"
Linnet frowned. "Why do you care?"
"Because I'm not like them, Linnet!" I exclaimed, rising to my feet.
"Neither am I!" Linnet insisted. "But we have to do what we can to survive! And I'm going to keep you alive, Harper! No matter what it takes!"
I blushed and dipped my head, ashamed. "I know, Linnet. I know."
Linnet sighed. "I can do this; you just have to trust me."
"OK, Linnet, I trust you," I resented, casting him a sorrowful glance.
Linnet ignored my meaning and set about fumbling with his materials.
I warmed my hands by the fire and gazed up at the sky. It was almost night; the anthem would be playing soon.
Linnet abruptly got to his feet and left the clearing, muttering to himself. I shook my head dismissively at his odd behavior. I'd grown accustomed to Linnet's surprising antics.
Suddenly, the anthem blared out across the arena.
"Linnet, look!" I called, but he didn't return.
I watched the Capitol sear appear as a hologram in the night sky, and it showed the faces of those who had died today.
The girl's from District 3 and 10.
I gulped, ridding myself of the haunting image of 3's bloated corpse.
The hologram vanished and left the arena in silence, save for the insect's chirping.
"I saw," said Linnet, dropping down beside me. He'd scrawled measurements across his palm using chalk.
"The girl from 10 must've been this morning," I said distantly, wondering how she could've died.
"Perhaps Ace killed her," Linnet mused, as if he could read my thoughts.
"In the state he was in, I'm amazed he could even lift his sword," I snorted.
"You weren't saying that when he was about to kill you," Linnet grumbled.
I frowned at him. "Hey! We got some supplies, didn't we?"
"It wasn't worth the risk. I could've lost you," Linnet murmured, eyes filled with sadness.
I blushed and averted my gaze.
"Anyway," Linnet continued briskly, changing the subject. "How can Dallas still be alive? I swear I saw Ace stab him at the Cornucopia."
I shrugged. The idea hadn't crossed my mind. "Perhaps we found help, made an alliance, or his sponsors sent him some medicine."
"Everyone loves an under-dog," Linnet chuckled, referring to Dallas's hidden talent emerging once he entered the arena.
"I don't," I said shortly.
Linnet paused for a minute. "I've taken all the measurements, the area is perfect, the trap will be concealed. I'll start making it tomorrow morning."
I nodded. "Just think about what I said, Linnet. That's all I ask."
.
Bronze poked at fire with stick. It was tiny compared to their grand fire last night.
The jungle creatures called to each other in their alien way, and Crystal was fascinated just listening to them.
"What sort of bird could that be?" Garnet mused.
"A macaw, I think," Crystal replied.
"How did you learn all this?" Ace wondered, eyes bright with interest.
"My father thought it was necessary to teach me, and I'm glad he did," Crystal explained, a hint of sadness in her hazel orbs.
Ace snorted and rolled out his sleeping bag.
"You're not sleeping in the tent tonight?" Crystal asked, surprised.
"The view's awesome out here," Ace replied, lying on his back and gazing at the stars.
"And the view isn't awesome in there?" Crystal teased.
Ace grinned. "You won't miss me too much, will you?"
"Perhaps I'll come and join you," Crystal laughed.
Bronze jabbed his spear-head into the flames and watched as the iron turned luminous orange.
"Touch it, I dare you," Garnet sniggered.
"After my rather scorching experience today, I'd rather not," Bronze replied with a smirk.
The Careers had had no luck in finding a stream or river, so they'd decided to call it a night and set up camp.
Crystal whimpered as she admired her arms. They bore swollen, red welts, which were gradually reducing.
"You're still perfect," Ace assured her.
Crystal smiled, and it was so serene that it took Ace's breath away.
"How do you do it?" he demanded.
Crystal blinked in confusion. "What?"
"Dazzle a man just by smiling?"
Crystal grinned. "Honestly, I don't know."
Ace shook his head fondly.
"Right, I'm beat!" Bronze declared, dropping his spear and retreating into his tent. "Sweet dreams!"
"Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Crystal giggled.
"There probably are bed bugs in this wretched jungle," Garnet grumbled, using a blunt dagger to comb her curly, purple hair.
"You could just use my comb," Crystal suggested.
"I'd rather not, thank you," Garnet replied bluntly.
Crystal hid her amused smile. Garnet was so defensive.
"I think I'll turn in, too," Garnet decided. "Try not to die in your sleep."
"I'll do my best," Ace chuckled.
Garnet gave them a dismissive wave and joined Bronze in their tent.
Crystal rolled out her sleeping bag beside Ace and lay beside him.
"I want us both to get out of here," Crystal whispered.
Ace stared at her in shock. "Sparkles, it can't happen. You know that."
Crystal sighed. "Yeah."
"I often think about how things could've been if… you know," Ace trailed off.
Crystal understood. "Me too. But in the end, you'll kill me anyway, right?"
Ace grimaced. "I said not to go there."
Crystal scowled. "Fine, I suppose all I am is pleasure to you."
Ace grinned. "Mostly."
"Gee, thanks!" Crystal snorted.
Suddenly, Ace pulled Crystal over to him. Crystal rested her head on his chest, listening to his rhythmic heartbeat.
"I suppose now isn't the right moment to tell you I want to have sex with you," Ace mused.
Crystal laughed. "It most certainly is not!"
"But you will anyway, right?" Ace teased.
Crystal matched his grin. "I'll think about it, Acey boy."
"I don't care what you do, just keep it down!" Bronze complained from inside his tent.
Ace and Crystal giggled like little kids caught doing something naughty.
"What do you say? Can you rise to the challenge?" Ace taunted.
Crystal winked and straddled him. "Count on it."
.
The next morning, I awoke to a hammering sound.
Curious, I wrapped the blanket around me for warmth and stumbled through the trees.
Linnet had successfully created his trap, and was making the final adjustments.
"Mind your step!" he warned. I halted.
"I can't see anything!" I complained.
Linnet grinned. "That's the idea."
Carefully walking over to me, Linnet explained how it worked.
"I used the wire so if someone trips on it, it triggers a layer of netting to fall on them. I've concealed the netting into the canopy. Also, I've attached the rope to the netting, and when the rope is pulled, sharpened logs slide out of the holes in the trees. Don't worry, I doubt it will harm anyone, but it will certainly scare them off."
I nodded, impressed. "Nice job."
Linnet smiled. "Thanks, the Careers are probably searching for us now, so I'll stay and look out. You grab some breakfast."
"Crackers, yum," I grumbled, marching back to our campsite.
.
"Come on, sleeping beauties!" Bronze yelled. "Rise and shine!"
Crystal moaned and shifted out of Ace's hold, sweltering under his body heat.
They were fully clothed, thanks to the frosty night air, but Bronze knew what had gone on.
"I'm impressed, you were relatively quiet," he teased.
Crystal flushed and shook Ace awake.
"Compared to the previous night, anyway," Garnet added, practicing her aim.
Crystal shimmied out of the sleeping back, found her weapons and stretched tiredly.
Ace was on his feet immediately, gathering any necessary supplies for the trek.
"Leader mode, activate," Crystal murmured under her breath.
Bronze grinned.
"Right, ready?" Ace yawned.
After several hours, the Careers came across District 3 girl's camp.
"Someone's been here," Crystal noted, pointing at the recent footprints.
"Let's head that way," Ace ordered.
They hiked against the searing heat, and Garnet smelled smoke.
"We must be close," said Ace excitedly.
Crystal strode ahead with Bronze.
"Hey, look! A clearing!" Bronze called.
He and Crystal lurched forward.
"Shit!" Garnet cried, tripping.
"What the fuck?" Ace yelled as a sheet of netting dropped on his and Garnet's heads.
Crystal halted, completely stunned.
"Wha-" Bronze's voice choked off.
Crystal turned to her district partner, and her blood-curdling scream silenced even the wildlife.
Bronze had been impaled by a log, directly through his heart.
.
this was unbelievably hard to write:'/
i love bronze so much, killing him off was awful, but only one comes out:/
