Butterflies Of Death
The second day of the arena picks up exactly where we left off. Viewers glimpse the action that they may have missed over night. My father, who has not gone to bed, tells us with wide eyes about how the girl from District 6 died.
"The squirrels got her. They ripped her apart," he explained much to my horror.
We take our seats, feeling well rested and anxious for the action to continue. The commentators explain that twenty-nine tributes remain. Ten of the survivors are Careers, who scour the route toward the mountain. The arena shines bright and songbirds sing overhead.
Suddenly a cannon blast goes off. A male tribute drops dead, his hands cupped to his lips. Remnants of the water from the stream trickle out of his unmoving fingers.
"It must be poisonous," comments my mother with her hands rose to her mouth.
The boy is lifted into the air by a hovercraft, a frozen expression of horror on his face. In the distance, the other tributes watch with indifferent expressions. The camera shows many lakes and clear streams throughout the arena. Are they all poisoned?
"What can they drink?" asks Alfie.
"There's water back at the Cornucopia and the rainwater appears safe," answers my father.
"Did it rain?" I question.
"Yes and only a handful of tributes captured it in some way. Smart kids."
The morning brings three more deaths. A girl, tortured by hunger pangs, reaches for an apple and falls dead by the first bite. Ten minutes later, a boy tracing wild game smells a flower, which must emit a deadly scent for he falls too. However, nothing compares to the disturbing death of the remaining boy from District 11. He wonders into a field of flowers and meets a group of butterflies. All it takes is a glance. The butterflies turn deadly, stinging him until his screams bring a savage boy who runs through him with a spear.
"How many are left?" Alfie's voice rings out from under a shaking blanket.
"Twenty-five," my father's eyes look wild.
"Why don't you get some sleep, dear?" persuades my mother with a hint of hysteria in her voice.
"I'm fine."
The day ends with the camera on Haymitch. He continues on his path away from the mountain-a smart move considering the amount of Careers waiting to slit his throat. The Careers are menacing. Merciless. They stab a panic-stricken female to death in a heated frenzy. Come night, six cannon blasts symbolize the dead. Their unemotional faces hang in the sky like fallen stars.
My mother has to force us to bed at the conclusion of the anthem. Alfie trembles under his blanket, too scared to look at the carnage. That night, I lay awake for hours. I could hear the television in the parlor updating with new developments. I could hear my mother's pleas to my father, begging him to come to bed. At one point, I drifted off, only to wake up screaming. My mother runs into my room, holding me until I give in.
"Effie. Sweet Effie. Everything will be okay. You are safe. You'll always be safe, my darling," she promises me.
I listen to her calm words and close my eyes. I am safe. I will always be safe.
The third day shows the living tributes in a new light. Instead of portraying frail, weak children, the audience meets confident, resourceful men and women. Haymitch continues away from the mountain, only to lose his sense of direction after a squirrel attack. When he realizes this, however, he spins around quickly. A butterfly stings him and he runs back into the forest.
Maysilee Donner reveals her weapon-a blow dart. She resides near the crystal stream, making use of the poisoned water for ammunition. A girl tries to attack her, but Maysilee proves herself and shoots a dart into her neck. The Careers on the mountain reach a disagreement and temporarily split up.
The camera pans over to Haymitch. He stands on one side of the forest, facing a boy from District 3. The tribute screams and lunges at him, a machete branded over his sandy hair. Haymitch bravely sidesteps his confronter. The tribute looks confused for a split-second, only to find Haymitch's knife lodged in his abdomen. With a look of malice, Haymitch pulls the knife out of the boy and kicks him to the ground.
"You need to sleep," I break my attention from the television and watch my parents.
My father is beyond talking. He sits perfectly still, his eyes wide and circled by bags. Stubble dominates his cheeks. When addressed, he simply stares in my mother's direction. She gives him a look of true concern, and my father goes back to the television.
By the conclusion of the third day only twenty-three tributes remain. Ten Careers and seven other tributes hide on different parts of the mountain. The other few, including Haymitch and Maysilee, roam the forest. The cannon rings and the anthem plays. Dead children hang in the sky.
"How long do you think this will last?" asks Alfie.
I look over toward my father, expecting an answer. He answers with a loud snore. My mother gets a blanket and places it on top of him.