"Can we eat him?" Peeta asks before I can. We need food.
"I don't know for sure. But his meat doesn't look that different from a squirrel's. He ought to be cooked…" Katniss starts, trying to figure how we are going to start a fire and hide it. I have the same question immediately too. But, good Peeta starts thinking out of the box. He takes some of the meat, puts it on a stick, and throws it into the force field. Maybe Peeta isn't a total idiot in the arena after all. We start to clap, but stop almost immediately. We keep frying up the rodent until the sun sets and it is time to go into our hut. We also fry some more nuts that Mags and eventually Katniss enjoy.
"How high was it?" I ask first.
"Um, really high."
"How long did I watch it before I shot?"
"Couple seconds."
"What was it doing?"
"Um, trying to find whatever it eats, insects, maybe?"
After a long round of this type of question and answer, we determine it is a tree rat. After a while, setting up camp and such, the anthem comes on and I draw in a deep breath. This will be hard. I know all of these people. Some of them are my friends. What happened to them? Will I see them in the sky?
Man from District 5, I knew that one; I killed him. Careers are alive that I could've guessed. I'm alive and so is Mags sitting beside me. Male from 6; I never knew him well other than he was a morphling. Cecelia and Woof. That one hits home hard. I remember watching Cecelia, when she was pregnant with her younger child.
"Hey, Cecelia!" I feel really bad for Cecelia. She is pregnant with her third child and she still has to be a mentor for the games. I try to talk to her as much as possible but we don't really have much in common. I have to be truthful; Cecelia is what I want to be. I want to have a family like Cecelia has done. I doubt she has fully recovered but she has to be pretty close. I watched her games when I was young.
Cecelia nods and sits on a chair because in her condition, sitting on tables isn't an option. Johanna kicks me in the leg lightly and I pretend to fall off the table. I find it best to take Johanna's actions lightly. She smirks and then turns her attention to Cecelia.
"You got a name yet?" Johanna asks Cecelia. Cecelia seems happier at the thought of her children.
"Well, if it's another boy, we would like to name him Davis. If it's a girl, I really don't know, maybe something like Drusilla." I hope it's a girl because I prefer that name a lot more. Plus, she already has two boys.
Her children at home that just lost their mother. If I get out of here, I make a promise to myself I will find them and help them in any way needed. And Woof, another of the most respected and well liked people of all of us and the Capitol. I think the Gamemakers just made their rebellion worse.
Both from 9, once again I didn't really know them all that well. The girl's name was Kaleigh but that's all I really know. Woman from 10, Lucille. She was so nice and eager to share with everyone. I liked her. Seeder from 11, one of the sweetest, strongest people I know. She proved that you can get around without drugs or alcohol after the Games. Gone, like that.
It is quiet, and no one moves. It is totally still until a silver parachute come floating down from the sky.
"Whose is it, do you think?" Katniss asks first, breaking the silence, which I'm thankful for.
"No telling. Why don't we let Peeta claim it, since he died today?" I suggest. Everyone agrees. Peeta picks the package up and opens the silk curtain.
"What is it?" Katniss asks. She examines it and passes it back to Peeta, who tries to blow into it like a whistle. I'm not sure what good that would do for us though. I take it next and try to see if it is some sort of weapon. That doesn't work either.
"Can you fish with it, Mags?" Katniss asks. Mags shakes her head and grunts something that sounds like no. Katniss gets it back around to her and rolls it around in her hand.
"I give up. Maybe if we hook up with Beetee or Wiress they can figure it out," Katniss suggests. That is the last thing I want to do, but I guess that might be the only way. But, I don't think our mentors would push us together like that. Johanna has them or she should.
"A spile!" Katniss exclaims, suddenly realizing it.
"What?" I ask, having no idea what it is.
"It's a spile. Sort of like a faucet. You put it in a tree and sap comes out. Well, the right sort of tree," she explains to me.
"Sap?" I don't know what that is either. We have palm trees, this is a new world for me.
"To make syrup. But there must be something else inside these trees," Peeta adds in. That breaks us all to our feet, heading towards the next tree. We drill into one with Mags' awl. Katniss puts it in. Nothing happens. Sigh. But then, a miracle happens and a drop of water rolls out and falls into Mag's palm. She holds it out again after licking it off. We take turns doing the same once we get a constant stream going.
Mags brings over a basket that is amazingly so tightly woven that it holds more water. We passed the filled basket around and wash our faces. It's a bit warm, but it's water and refreshes me like nothing else. Once we have all filled our thirst, we head back to camp and I offer to take first watch. They let me.
At the end of my shift, twelve bells sound. I look over to see if anyone was awaken, but just Katniss. "Mean anything, do you think?"
"No idea," I respond to her. I'm just as baffled as she. No one says anything so I tuck it away for later.
"Go to sleep, Finnick. It's my turn to watch, anyway," Katniss says. I lie down at the mouth of the hut, still attached to my trident and sleep immediately. I dream mostly of Annie, not how she is coping, but us back home. Our date a couple months ago, where we walked hand in hand on the shore but it started raining like crazy, so we had to run and take cover at some unused victor's house. It was fun, wonderful. However, it ends all too soon as I'm woken up with the shouts of Katniss:
"Run! Run!"
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