Games 6

When we woke up, dawn was just breaking on the articfical sky. Rue was already awake, and I realized with a wave of guilt and a blush I hadn't taken my watch. She must have been up all night...

"I am so sorry," I rubbed my eyes, sitting up shakily, "you...you need to sleep."

"Well...I kinda dozed off a couple times," she blushed a bit herself, "but we have another problem."

She pointed up to reveal a hornet's nest...no, hornets were too easy. Katniss had taught me about these bugs...Tracker Jackers. My heart started pounding against my ribs. Maybe it was stupid, but I was terrified of bugs.

A lot.

And a tracker jacker nest sounded bad. Very bad. They were more deadly than any black widow or trantula. Fear struck me full force in the gut, climbing up my spine and striking my soul forcfully. My first instict was to run and hide, but we were in a tree and I would fall and die.

That, and Rue needed me.

"What're we going to do?" I whispered smartly to her, and she bit her lower lip.

"We climb down. Slowly," she put her feet on some hidden natural footholes on the trunk, "and then we run."

"And when we get to the ground, we focus on not dying," I finished for her, slinging on the pack and following her carefully.

Now, I may be small and ambile. And I may be in somewhat good health. But I wasn't a very good climber, even with the improvment I'd made in my training. She was treking ahead of me, and I couldn't help but smile my pride.

She would win this thing. I could see it now.

"Here," she sat on one of the lower limbs so I could catch up, "you ready to run for your life?"

"About as ready as I'll ever be," I accepted her outstretched hand, balancing with her on the branch and gripping tight.

In a split second, we'd jumped to the ground and were making tracks. We were both fast, so we could keep at each other's pace and she wouldn't have to worry about my slow self. We ducked easily, her pack thumping against my back, and I felt on air. Like I was free, like a bird, and nothing would ever hurt us...

Something whizzed by my ear, and I came to screetching halt. The underbrush slid out from under me, and I went sliding into the mud. She instantly stopped, more easily than I had, and knelt to my side to help me up. In that second, the thing buzzed past my ear again and narrowly missed our heads.

"So you're the little District 12 slave everyone's talking about," Clove was there, a pack of arrows over her back and a notched bow in her hand, "pity...you're scrawny."

That stung, even though I didn't know her and instantly didn't like her. I scrambled my way to my feet as Rue's eyes scanned the trees for one large enough to escape him. But the only one available was the one with the nest, and that obviously wasn't an option. So we were against an armed older girl with no weapons.

Just our luck.

Before before she could shoot us through our hearts, another figure shielded us. He was bigger than her, and I reconized him as her partner. Cato, wasn't it?

"Spare the blonde slave," he chuckled, like this was all childsplay, "kill the other. Blondie could be of use to us."

Rue and I exchanged glances. How could I be of any use to them? And there was no way I'd leave Rue...not yet. The time was too soon. I gripped her hand again and started to back away slowly.

"I'd never help you two," I inched to stand as a shield for my friend, "if she dies, I die."

That statement would usaully get the speaker killed brutally. But unlike at the other Hunger Games, they didn't kill us both. Cato actually laughed and scooped us both up easily, like we were grain.

"Alright, we keep them both," he smirked to Rue, "you're pretty good with forest elements, aren't you, sweetheart?"

The day quickly melted into night. The other Careers were asleep, and I was scared silly. Rue was pressed against my side, and we both sat in a small huddle together, clasping each other's hands tightly. Cato, Heather, and the other boy were all asleep, and Clove was watching us like a hawk.

"You two are worthless," she snorted finally, turning her attention to the endless darkness around us.

The anthem played, and I stared at the tributes murdered and Clove's expression. It was obvious these Careers had killed these poor kids...and I had an unsettling feeling we'd be next.