The Nuts
As I climb my way toward freedom, I'm embraced by Oscars touch. I reach out and grab his arm as he lifts me out the hole. He falls back and I fall on top of him. I can tell he was using all his strength just to pull me up.
"You saved my life!"
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. He pushes me off onto the ground.
"Hey, I don't swing that way Five!"
We both laugh.
"Seriously, I owe you one!"
I don't know what will happen from this point forward but I've decided Oscar is my friend.
"Good!" he says, "because I'm going to need you to repay that debt immediately."
I realize the vine he used to get me out the pit was tied around a tree not too far away from the edge. He wraps it up neatly and hides it under some leaves at the base of the tree.
"Come over here!" he calls to me, "you're going to scare away the goats."
As I get up, I feel the pain in my right ankle again. I limp over to where he is sitting.
"I think I broke a bone or something,"
Oscar then explains that if it was broken I wouldn't be able to walk on it. I take my shoe and sock off to get a better look. I don't see any bruising but it hurts a lot when I touch it.
"Damn Thales, put your socks back on!" says Oscar, fanning the air in front of his nose.
"I was running practically all day yesterday smart ass! Which reminds me, the boy from Eight might be around here."
"I saw the boy from Two around here yesterday, he had night vision goggles on his head even though it was daytime. What an idiot!" says Oscar, "but he was alone, not with the boy from Eight."
My throat goes dry at what he just says. I reach for my canteen and take a sip.
"Do you have water? It's kind of warm but it's pretty refreshing!" I say, as I immediately pass it over to Oscar.
He drinks a lot but I don't stop him and he seems grateful.
"When I saw those goggles, I figured I'd hide in the dirt. I kept digging and digging and came up with the idea for that pit. I dug all night and fell asleep in the damn thing!"
I'm impressed by how resourceful Oscar is considering he has no supplies.
"That was a risky plan! Just be glad the boy from Eight didn't fall in there while you were asleep!"
"I'm still alive, aren't I?" he snaps back.
We both smile.
Between the volcano, the beach, and the cliffs, I don't know where to begin. I want to tell Oscar everything I know but he speaks his mind first.
"We have to go save Winnie and Addis!" he says.
I remember that Addis is even alive, out there somewhere in the arena.
"The careers have them as prisoners!"
Just then, we see the girl from Twelve dashing through the trees. She is so focused on where she is going she doesn't notice us as she runs right past the tree we are behind.
"Get her!" screams Oscar as he begins to chase after the girl, "She has two backpacks!"