The Wallaby
"Come on; let's head back to the pit!" I say.
We are both glad to be alive but it doesn't remove the look of defeat from our faces. I'm starving and Oscar must be even hungrier than I am. When we get back to the pit though, there is an animal inside. It looks like an animal I've read about before that hops around on two legs and carries its babies in its pouch, only much smaller.
"How are we going to kill it?" I ask. The pit is deep but not too wide. Trying to hit the animal with my slingshot is like shooting fish in a barrel. Oscar starts up a fire by using his glasses to direct the sun's rays to some dry leaves and twigs. It takes him a while but he finally gets it going. The meat is really thick and tender but I really wish I had some condiments. Where is my damn sponsor with some ketchup, I wonder?
It's probably midday and our morning has been full of events.
"We have to find a way to the top of the cliffs, before the volcano erupts! I say.
"I think there is a way up but we have to go to the volcano."
"Do you have a death wish?" I ask him.
"One of the careers thought it would be a good idea to toss some tributes into the volcano tonight. They have been rounding up people since the cornucopia."
"How do you know all this?"
"Addis told me," he interrupts, "I saw her near the cliffs this morning. When I told her you and I were allies, she seemed to trust me."
Wow! Addis is really stupid to have believed Oscar.
"Wait! Why didn't you guys stick together?" I ask him.
"She seemed to be running from someone; the last thing she told me before heading deeper into the forest was that they have the girl tribute from my district. They have Winnie and she is still alive. They may even have Addis now."
I'm almost sure they have Addis since she has basically zero survival skills.
"Forget Winnie!" I say, "she's as good as dead; we need to get up that cliff now.
Oscar socks me right in the lip.
"I told you Thales, you owe me!"
"I would have never been in that stupid hole if it weren't for you!" I yell.
"Yes, and I could have left you in there or better yet killed you, but I didn't!"
He wins the argument.
"And besides we can't just climb up the cliffs, I'll explain on the way but we have to head toward the volcano before nightfall."
I save a small piece of meat for dinner. Oscar covers up the pit with some leaves to make it blend in with the ground around it.
"We barely took down the boy from Eleven and he didn't even have a weapon," I say. "You better find some good sticks on the way!"
We both take a sip of water, leaving only a few sips left in the canteen.
"Oh yeah! There's a beach at the edge of the forest, don't go into the water," I say.
"This is the Hunger Games, do you think I'm a moron?" he says back as we begin our journey.
I'm starting not to find his sarcasm funny anymore, but he's right. He has already noticed the volcano, a possible way up the cliffs; how to start a fire, the beach, how to hide from the night vision goggles, and even caught us breakfast. He is definitely not a moron, but after the incident with the boy from Eleven, I wonder if he is a liability without his glasses.