Thanks for the reviews! I want to thank the readers who gave their thoughts on what caused Amethine's leg to get all messed up. Honestly, they were all good and smart guesses (: I will reveal what caused the injury later. I want to thank Dancingchocolatesmudge for beta reading this! Please make sure you read the author's note at the end, there's an important announcement. (:
A response to one guest reader.
Amanda: Thank you! And thanks for telling me what you think! (:
The minute I closed my eyes, I expected myself to enter the afterlife. I could either see a bright light and what seems like paradise, or a crappy place filled with the things I hate. I wasn't sure about which one I would be in, but I'd rather be anywhere then in the Games, feeling the pain coming from my leg. I bet the poison has spread through my body like a wildfire, but knowing the audience and the Gamemakers they like slow, painful deaths.
I was wrong, very wrong. I didn't end up in the afterlife. I opened my eyes to be greeted by the horrible pain. I don't know how I couldn't feel the pain when I was not awake because it hurts like hell. I try to hold in a scream, but it involuntarily escapes from my lips. Marina holds onto my hand again, trying to tell me that it'll be alright. I'm still on the sleeping bag Sebastian laid me on, under the Cornucopia. The others gather around me, forming a circle.
I feel something sticky being applied to my leg. It doesn't help, because I can still feel the pain. Pain. This word is the reason why I am in agony. Not the word itself, but its definition. It means physical suffering or discomfort caused by an illness or injury. Some may not be able to bear it, others can tolerate it, but no one is immune to it. Everyone feels it whether it's physical pain or mental.
"It's not working, she's still screaming." I hear Sebastian say worriedly.
"Then what will?! We've tried everything!" Vinera screams.
After that sentence, we hear the beeping sound of a parachute. It lands next to my free hand, and Evan quickly unties the strings and opens the lid. He doesn't bother reading the note attached and pulls out a small, gray cylinder container. He unscrews the lid and uses two fingers to get some of the medicine out. He spreads it over my leg, over the useless medicine Vinera had just put on.
"You're fine, the medicine will help." Evan says.
"Does your leg feel better?" Vinera questions.
"I don't feel anything." I state. I don't feel anything! The pain is gone.
Everyone around me lets out a sigh of relief. "Golly Amethine, you had us scared there." says Caiden.
"But, I can't feel my leg." I claim.
"Please tell me you're kidding," says Vinera.
"I wish I was, but I'm not. I can't feel it, move it, nothing."
"Maybe the medicine only anesthetizes the pain," Gary states.
"That could be true. Good thinking, 9." Caiden utters.
Gary sneers at him for calling him by his district, not his name. "I have a name, you know?"
"Yeah, I know. I'm not as stupid as that idea you made the other day about the barns." Caiden replies.
"The Gamemakers must've put it there to make the arena look better," he mocks what Gary said.
"Stop it you two. Amethine isn't feeling well here, can we please focus on helping her?" Evan stops them. Caiden and Gary nod.
I sit up and look at my leg. I cringe at the red swollen, skin mixed with the black, charred part. I hope this medicine will get rid of this sick sight. I make myself look brave while I scan the wound. I can wiggle my toes, but not my leg. I stare at the wound with concentration and try to move it. Shake it, kick, anything, I just want it to move so there's hope that I can walk.
"It'll start to fade away quickly. You'll be able to move it in no time." Marina assures me. I smile. I hope that's true.
"Are you hungry?" asks Sebastian.
The last thing I ate was the Saibooke and we were at the stream for about thirty minutes. When Sebastian brought me back here, I fell asleep for who knows how long so I do feel hungry.
"Yeah, a snack would be fine." I suggest. I don't feel like eating a meal, just some dried fruit maybe.
Vinera hands me a bag of assorted nuts. Peanuts, almonds, and cashews with a sprinkle of salt sit in the bag. My fingers reach in and pull out a handful of it. I offer the others some and they refuse.
"First of all Amethine, how the heck did that happen to your leg?" Vinera asks me.
I shrug. "I myself don't even know."
"At the stream, didn't you stick your legs in the water?" she questions.
"Yes," I answer.
"Problem solved, the water is the problem. There was probably acid in it." she articulates.
"No, because I stuck both legs in. If the water is the cause, then both of my legs would be like this." I point to the wound.
"And we drink the water from the stream, so all of us would be affected by it." Caiden butts in.
Vinera furrows her eyebrows, thinking of what could've done this to my leg.
"Why don't we figure it all out tomorrow. I'm sure by that time, Amethine's leg will feel better." Gary suggests.
"We need to find out what did this to her now. If we don't, then all of us will get affected." Vinera argues. You gotta admire her stubbornness.
"Okay, but how are we going to solve the problem detective Vinera?" Gary asks sarcastically. I expected someone to laugh at his remark, but it doesn't happen.
Vinera scowls at him. "At least I'm trying to help. You just want to do nothing and sit on your lazy ass." she spat.
"I'm lazy? Caiden didn't even want to go to the stream this morning! He lied about his feet being sored just so he didn't have to go!" he raised his voice.
I don't hide the shocked expression on my face. Gary was listening to me and Caiden talking this morning? Did he automatically know that Caiden was lying, or did he see him wink at me? Vinera sends a questioningly look at Caiden, who is glaring at Gary.
"When Sebastian came running with Amethine in his arms, I helped! I looked through everything for anything that could've helped her. And what did you do? Oh yeah, you kept telling us 'Guys, let's face it. She won't make it.' You didn't even join the rest of us and search through the supplies for any useful medicine." Caiden hissed.
Once he finishes they all face me. If it weren't for my leg I'd have my hands wrapped around Gary's neck. I glare at him. "You were just planning on letting me die?" I ask. It shouldn't offend me, but it does sting a bit. If it is possible to feel mentally stung. I was in pain and he just watched and waited for me to die, not trying to look for anything that would give me time.
I look around for my spears. There at an arm's reach to my right, but I might need to extend my hand more. I quickly glance at Gary, then stretch my arm out to get my weapon. Just a little closer…
It's just an inch away from my fingers, but a boot appears atop of the sheath. I look up at Evan. "Move your foot." I demand.
"No. Calm down, Amethine." he says.
He bends down and picks up the sheath and slides the sling into his shoulder.
"You better be a fast runner because when my leg gets better, I will run after you quicker than a lynx." I threaten.
"You don't need to get mad at me, I thought you were going to die." He replies with no expression.
"You didn't even try to find a way to help me!"
"Judging by the look of your leg, I didn't think there was anything we could do." He retorts.
"Say whatever makes you feel less guilty, Gary. I suggest you sleep with one eye open tonight."
"Why? What could you do with that leg?" he asks, looking like he's about to laugh.
"Don't laugh. It's not wise to underestimate me."
After a heated argument, and I mean heated, Vinera, Sebastian, Evan, and Caiden jumped in and stopped everything. I cursed Gary, called him and his family every name in the book. He was unruffled by my words, but he did shoot some things back and went far when he called me by the nickname Caesar Flickerman created.
But now, it's over and we're eating dinner. Evan had me sit and eat my food far away from Gary. I'm sitting on my sleeping bag in the Cornucopia and Gary is sitting on top of a box, next to the tent. Sebastian heated up a fish and vegetable dish. He and Marina seem delighted by this delicacy, either it's because they love seafood because they came from a place that produced it or it reminds them of home.
When I finish my food, Evan takes my bowl and sets it on the black crate where we usually put our used utensils. I grab my pack and pull my flask out. I'm taking a drink from it when I notice something. The small note that came with the medicine is sticking out from under the edge of the sleeping bag next to me. Fortunately, it's not too far away so I pull it towards me and read it.
We don't know what the heck did that your leg, but this will surely help. Be generous of the amount you apply onto your wound because this was not cheap. Be careful Amethine and May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor.
-C, G, B, and A.
I can imagine all of my mentors being gathered around a computer, figuring out what to say in the note. Gloss would've urged us to stop fighting, Beryl would've told me to watch my back with my allies, Cashmere would've suggested that I keep an eye on Gary, and Axin would've just burped and tell me to try my best to not get killed.
"Gary, Caiden, and Marina will take the utensils to the stream and wash them. Don't forget to take everyone's flasks." I tell the others.
"Even though she's injured, she's still bossy." Gary mutters as he puts his bowl on the crate.
"What was that, 9?" I ask.
"Nothing."
"That's what I thought."
Okay, I have created a poll! The question is: Who do you think should be the first to die in the career alliance? I will decide who goes first, but your votes might help me make a decision! I want to thank the readers who submitted reviews! Thank you Amanda, Clato02, GreenPokeGuy, Euridite-DauntlessGirl, BeatsInAllegro, and Dancingchocolatesmudge for reviewing the last chapter! (: Please don't forget to enter your vote in the poll! May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor (: