The Xatian Games (TXG)
Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games; All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.
Constructive criticism is always appreciated; Any flames will be used to roast marshmallows.
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour." - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
[A/N: Sorry if this chapter's a little "hot off the press", I'm a little rusty. Also apologies for the long wait. I've been back at school. :3 Remember to Read and Review!]
Chapter 4
The final drop of blood was spilt.
And then it was all over.
Marie had been walking for most of the night, following the subtle marks embedded in the soft earth and engraved into tree trunks. She leans up against a tree to catch her breath, and watches the remaining flames at the end of her torch flicker out, plunging her into the pre dawn darkness. After a half-hearted attempt to rekindle the fire, she plunges the flame-scorched end into the earth beside her and sinks down into a sitting position against the trunk. A wave of exhaustion crashes over her, and her eyelids begin to grow heavy. Little sleep to look after Will and a busy day had sapped her energy, and she could no longer fight it. She is sure she feels eyes on her as she drifts off into a deep sleep, but she no longer cares. Her group would move on in the morning, providing Will was well enough, and she'd most likely die there. She doesn't mind. She just wants sleep.
Meanwhile, Madelyn watches the sun rise from high in the branches of a tree. She hadn't seen Maddie for most of the night; she had gone to find water while Madelyn got a decent night's sleep. She sighs and begins to edge her way down the tree's trunk. Beneath her, a twig snaps. Madelyn freezes and looks down. On the forest floor, Jared is just meters away, poking at the area beneath the tree. He could see their footprints from the night before, but couldn't understand why they didn't lead away from the clearing. Madelyn smirks to herself and presses close to the tree trunk, replying on the leaves to conceal her. As Jared begins to plod away, he steps on the mushrooms Madelyn had been eyeing up for breakfast. Her smile drops and she flips him off as he exits the clearing.
Not far from Madelyn, light reflects off the surface of the stream in the early morning light. It catches on the tiny droplets of water that splash off the rocks, creating a myriad of rainbows which dance underneath Maddie's fingertips. She smiles to herself as she collects the sweet, fresh water into a container.
"Hello, little one." murmurs a deep voice from across the stream. Maddie looks up sharply. On the other side of the stream stands a well-built, dark haired man with strong facial features. He is smiling at her, but she backs away from the stream and pulls out her blade, taking no chances. "I'm not here to hurt you," he continues. "My name is Roelof, and it seems we are thinking with the same frame of mind." He steps across the stream and begins to move towards Maddie.
Marie's eyes snap open, and then squint against the late morning light shining through the trees. The blinks for a couple of seconds, confused, then realizes where she is. 'Unsafe' her instincts whisper, her spine tingling as if someone is watching her.
"Stupid!" She exclaims, getting up and brushing herself off. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Angrily, she kicks the trunk of the tree and begins to turn away, as an apple suddenly plunges through the air and smacks her on the head. Marie jumps and spins around, heart pounding. She picks up the apple, its shiny surface gleaming in the morning sunlight. It looks fresh and delicious. Her teeth pierce its crisp skin and juice escapes from the sweet pulp inside. She hungrily munches on the apple, tosses the core into a bush and looks up at the tree to see branches laden with the sweet, ripe fruit. Between the branches high up in the tree, something shiny catches the sunlight, dazzling Marie for a second. She squints to see what seems to be a round container attached to a parachute.
After what feels like ages of hauling herself through many thick, interwoven branches, and dodging falling apples, Marie finally reaches the top of the tree where the capsule is. She can hear a faint buzzing sound, but she concludes that the sound is distant enough to be safe to ignore. The capsule is engraved with the Capitol symbol, and attached to it is a tiny note;
"Apply three times a day directly to the wound."
-Anon
Marie opens the container stares at the small jar of white jelly inside for a few moments, confused. Had she just discovered someone else's sponsor? Then she realizes.
"Will!" she says out loud, her own voice taking her by surprise and nearly falling off the branch. It must be medicine for his injury. Marie wraps the parachute around the jar for extra protection, then noisily scrambles back down the tree, the delicate package clutched tightly to her chest. He was lucky to have someone outside of the arena looking out for him. The medicine must have been expensive
She lands heavily at the base of the tree, accompanied by a few apples that fall with her. She looks around at the apples, very aware that she doesn't have anything to hold them with. She pauses for thought for a second, then unties the parachute from the jar and ties it around her torso, creating a sling to hold the medicine and few apples. Satisfied with her haul, she begins to exit the clearing.
Suddenly, she becomes very aware of the loud buzzing above her, and the light streaming through the trees rapidly begins to fade. She curses under her breath as she watches the swarm of Tracker Jackers gather above her.
"Stay still and they'll leave you alone" Marie murmurs under her breath, frozen in place. She watches the genetically engineered bees swarm and buzz angrily, realizing that her clumsy movement had most likely just cost her life. "Fuck that, I'm running" she says, making a bee-line for the bushes. The noise increases as the swarm follows suit behind her, rapidly catching up.
Marie trips and lets out a blood-curdling scream as the Tracker Jackers reach her.