The Past. 74th Hunger Games: Training
"Hey? Thresh?"
I knocked at his room again, until he opened up. Then I stared at his big, still face, shivering in the corridor, in a soft Capitol nightdress. It was my first night in the Training Centre. First night sleeping in the Capitol.
"What?"
"I...I was scared. I've got brothers and sisters, so I never….slept in a bed on my own before."
He'd barely spoken on the train. Then the Stylists had prodded, picked at, pampered and hair-pulled us all day in a frantic rush. I felt sick as a twister, but Thresh showed all the feeling or weakness of a rock. I had to stand there and search his face, before I saw muscles underneath tensing with bitter sorrow.
His room was fresh and white as every room on our floor. He bundled me into an untouched bed, without looking. Then he slumped in a chair.
"Too soft for sleeping." He muttered, staring out the giant window. We were up so high, the lights stretched through miles of darkness. It would've felt like flying, if we'd been free.
I tried to sleep. Then I trotted over to Thresh, wrapped in the bed sheets. I sat in the chair with him, resting on his chest.
"It was too cold. I'm still scared…please?"
With a sigh, he put his arms round me, warm and solid with strength, "Please yourself."
I sighed back. I'd never been so close to a real Boy, but I felt quite peaceful. My own Mama had told me to not trust Thresh, but I'd been alone all day, with Capitol folk chattering in careless voices, staring like I was a bird in a cage. Living alone without trusting, in that weird, glaring world, until it rushed me to my death–it was too bad for me ever to bear
"Oh Thresh. What're you…going to do?"
"In the Games? Try my best to not play them."
He was staring at the dark city of lights in the window–I still felt safe, but didn't dare ask him anything else. Pa always told me to comfort anyone suffering. Anger was clear in Thresh's eyes now. He was suffering like me.
"Thresh? Thank you."
Used to tough beds, we were soon both asleep.
–0–
The next evening, Mrs Seeder and Mr Chaff got us watching old Hunger Games. We'd seen live Games every year, but watching them there scared me more. Mrs Seeder tried to hold me, but I didn't like her. Mr Chaff smelt of so much booze, I wouldn't go near him. So I snuggled against Thresh, as we watched all the death and betraying. Like the night before, he didn't speak much, or push me away. I could sleep on my own that night.
The evenings after that, Thresh started practise-fighting with Mr Chaff. I just heard lots of crashing as Mrs Seeder and me talked in another room. I got to like her a bit. She was kind, just very harsh about it.
"Nobody's won the Games without killing for almost fifty years. The Gamemakers always use mutts or hazards to flush out anyone who does nothing but hide. Yes, Rue, it is unfair. But making friends can be a bigger talent than hiding. You could find a strong ally for protection." Katniss's face flashed in my mind–but somehow I was too nervous to say.
"What about Thresh? He's my District partner, he's strong…"
"True, but he draws attention, and you'll still be needing to hide. Besides, could you kill him at the end?"
"Mrs Seeder, I could never do that."
"Then let yourself be killed so they can win. Just remember that your family will be watching you die. Those are the choices, if you want to ally with anyone, Rue. Think about it."
Thresh still didn't talk, or not to me; we certainly never did the same kinds of training. Somehow his looks got even more silent with passing days.
–0–
The evening after interviews, we took the lift up to our floor; Thresh headed for his room. I went after him, hung on his shirt.
"Thresh, I feel worse than the first night, I can hardly breathe. Please can I sleep with you, once more…?"
He pushed me away. I stared at his giant back, wide-eyed.
"No. You be strong, girl."
"I…can't. I could be strong for my sibs, even for that stupid interview…but what can I do? What can I do, so I don't die? Thresh, I want to–"
"Tomorrow, I gonna run far as I can. Find a place I can defend, and stay there. You better run the other way, Rue. After that, I hope we never see each other alive again!"
He roared out the last words; his eyes were the most fearful thing I'd seen. He was a Tribute. Tomorrow, we were going to the arena, all to kill each other. I ran for my room, threw myself on the great empty bed.
I'd never caught Mama crying; I'd guessed she'd had to cry her tears away. That night I made a start on crying all my weakness out.
The Present. 74th Hunger Games: Day 11
The cornfield stalks were twice again as tall as me, and all kinds of lovely colours. It was like the cornfields at home without the work, a perfect place to lay down and rest forever. But I had to keep going. I pushed through the thick corn, not trying to be quiet. Soon I reached a cleared space around a big stone. Someone had sat against it, he wasn't there now.
"Hey? Thresh?" The corn rustled behind me, like wind, "Just let me talk..."
"Better run, girl."
He could be lynx-quiet. The voice was flat, but I didn't dare turn around.
"Seems you're doing well. You can get food from the corn. You can hear anybody coming, and get behind them. You must have water, if you're still alive. But you need weapons, don't you?"
"Don't tell me what I need."
"I will tell you, there's a spear, a big knife and a bow with arrows, hidden under leaves and earth, about a mile south-east of here. There's twigs nearby in the shape of a bird."
"...for that, I let you go, this time. Now get."
"Don't you want to know how I killed three Careers to get those weapons?"
"Lying."
"No. I killed them with Katniss, the girl from Twelve. We were allies. I showed her she could drop a Tracker-Jacker nest on two of them. Then I used the leaves to cure her stings. She shared meat with me. We slept with each other, two nights. And we blew up all the supplies at the Cornucopia–you must've heard that. That's what allies can do. But then Katniss...it was the Career from One. I killed him, but I couldn't save her.
"With Allies, or without...I don't think I've got much hope. I don't much want to survive with what I've done and seen. But I don't want you to die. I want to help you survive–I want to be with you, Thresh. How about it? You...were kind to me before."
"If the two of us were left. Then what?"
"I told you, I don't want–"
"Don't you say that! SHUT UP!" His hands gripped me, spun me to look him in the face. "I told you not to follow, and you still came! I told you already, I got no help I can give!" His eye blazed against his hollowed face as he shoved me down to the ground. Even Cato hadn't looked so fearful. "Now, get out of my sight! GET!"
I got my breath, and stood up.
"You can't scare me away, Thresh Robinson. Nowhere else I can go. I want to help you go home, whatever happens to me. I don't care if you beat me, use me–"
"–kill you?" Thresh's anguish was a rictus plain on his face, "I could do it. And how I could ever go home, when I'd killed a little girl?"
"You'd be crueller to send me away than kill me right now; after the Tracker-Jackers, they might not kill me quick."
"Do I even have a choice?"
"…that's what you wanted, right? Not to play their Game for them, to be your own man? Well, I made my choice, and I can tell you, it's hard. Takes more strength than hiding up a tree, or in a field…Thresh, I'm sorry. Please?"
He glared at me, but I stood and stared back, on the edge of tears. For long minutes, Thresh stared up through the forcefield a mile above us, at the free blue sky. Then he looked back and his eyes were calm as I'd ever seen.
"Okay, Miss Rue. You got yourself a friend, that's a promise. Only I'm not fighting to win this Game, not ever. And sorry for yelling, and pushing you, I shouldn't ever have–"
I went up and hugged Thresh like I had to keep from falling.
"Don't worry. Doesn't God say we should forgive each other?"
"Yeah. And He say we should help each other. I'm sorry, Rue."
He knelt down and put his arms round me. They felt so strong, I went warm all over, with my heart singing away inside.
–0–
Me and Thresh walked quickly through the woods. He found the weapons and pulled them out, whistling softly. I looked away. Now came the hard bit.
"We should get to the riverbank–"
"Rue, I can't climb no trees. Cornfield's safest for both of us."
"Thresh, I found Peeta Mellark by the river yesterday–the Twelve boy? He's our ally too, though he's hurt, too bad to move to the cornfield yet–"
"What?" Thresh shot up, towering over me again, "You sly little skunk, you never told me! I'll said I protect you, but what's Twelve to me?"
"Katniss…liked him, and she saved me. And he's hurt. I want to help him, and if you don't, you can leave me for the Careers!"
"Oh no. I promise I protect you, and the Twelve boy is danger. You coming with me, if I gotta drag you on a rope!"
As his hand went for my collar, I turned around and ran.