Well, I'll be going out of town, so I might not get to update for a while...

I was thinking about the arrangment...and then I realized that the way the arena in this fanfiction is arranged might be slightly different from the one in canon...

^shrug^

Rose POV

I looked at my leg for a bit, trying to figure out how I was supposed to get a piece of wood, about an inch into my skin, out. I dug through my bag, and found my first aid kit. After looking around a bit, I found a pair of tweezers. I took a few breaths, and grabbed the head of the twig, and pulled, and then let out a yelp. Biting my lip, I tried again, faster this time. I got about a fourth out before I couldn't take the pain.

Maybe I should ask someone else to take it out. Right now, it was my bodies reaction to stop with the amount of pain. Someone else could take it without worrying about the pain I suffered. But who?

The only one I knew was Katniss. Could I trust her? Approaching her might mean my death, but if the twig stayed in longer, it could get infected, or such things like that. My medical knowledge isn't that strong.

I put the tweezers away, and packed up. I stood up, and started to walk, then immediately stopped. My whole leg stung when I put weight on it.

I let out some curses that I probably shouldn't have known at my age, then sat down.

This was going to take a while. I grabbed two sticks, and cut them so they were the same length. I took the parts that were cut off, and then I tried to figure out how to get them on top.

The duct tape! I grabbed my bag, and t hen started taping epically. Soon, after a bunch of tape, I had fixed some crude crutches. I started to walked, and was amazied to find that they worked pretty well. Not as good as I want, but well, it was something. Beggars can't be choosers, after all.

I started walking, then stopped. Where was I supposed to go? Looking up, the sky was darkening. I might as well wait for tomorrow.

I looked around, then found an open spot on an elevated around. I walked over, unrolled my sleeping bag, then laid down. I looked up at the sky, now filled with the national anthem. It continued for awhile. I listened to it for a bit, then zoned out. It ended, and I got ready for sleep.

Sometime in the morning...

"RUN!"

"TO THE LAKE!"

I jolted awake, as screams and shouts filled the air. Someone, no, some group of people, have been attacked. The only ones that have formed an alliance at this point, are the ones that tried to get me to join. The question was, who would mess with them?

I could only think of a few people that would do something to them, Katniss being at the top of the list. Well then, I should head over there, shouldn't I? By the sounds, they seemed pretty close.

I packed everything up, grabbed my makeshift crutches and started going as walk as I could. The screaming had stopped by now. For all I knew, by the time I got there, everything would be over.

After around an hour, I reached it. No one was here anymore, yet it was clear that people had been. There was blood on the ground. Actually, a trail of blood. Something that looked like puss was also on the ground, as well as something that I think used to be a bee nest. Listening to my surroundings, I heard buzzing. Yes, definatly a bee's nest.

Wait, bees? That seemed to easy. Maybe, tracker jackers.

Either way, no one was here anymore. Now what? I could go look for Katniss again, or maybe I could try to take the twig out again. I decided on the second.

I sat down, and got the tweezers out again. I grabbed it, took a few deep breaths, and repeated the word 'speed' in my head. I tensed, then lifted my hand as quick as I could.

"GAAHHH!" I screamed, then looked down at my leg. Just a bit more. I tugged again, and it came out. I sighed, relieved. I took out some painkillers from the first aid kit, rinsed the wound with some water, then bandaged it.

It still hurt when I walked, but now I knew I wouldn't have to put up with it much longer. I smiled.

My joy was short-lived, as I heard footsteps crash through the forest.

The Careers had heard my scream.

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