Dear my wonderful fans, readers, and reviewers: I apologize again for not updating. The past few weeks have been filled with more sickness, a death in the family, work, Camp NaNoWriMo, and birthdays. I want to clarify that I'll never forget about this story nor leave it unfinished! If I don't update for a while, it's usually for a very good reason. :) Thank you for being patient and for loving my story so much! I'm now back!
29
Vixenette had endless energy.
On and on and on they traveled, barely speaking because of Vixenette's apparent shyness. Prim stayed as alert as possible despite her fatigue, despite the agony in her head. Dizziness. She couldn't seem to think straight and found her mind drifting away into no-man's land every half hour or so. She'd be easy prey right now.
As they walked, she let her mind drift into a dangerous place of thinking—of longing. She thought about being home with Mom and Buttercup and Katniss, worrying about small things like whether or not Katniss and Gale would get caught hunting, or what Katniss's wedding dress would look like.
Family. It was all Prim cared about.
She never really understood this about herself until now. "Home" could be found wherever family was. Is that what prompted her to start befriending tributes? Because it gave her a sense of family? Safety? Home?
Prim once overheard Katniss and Gale talking about Mom. Katniss had a tough time loving Mom after Mom had her breakdown from Dad's death. Gale told her, "You're born with your family. It's your choice to love them the way you should."
It was the first time Prim had internally disagreed with Gale. Yes, she was born into her family…but family could be found everywhere, in Prim's opinion. Why did she have to be connected by blood in order love people the way she should?
"Do you have family, Vixenette?"
Vixenette startled as though she'd forgotten Prim was there. She shook her head.
"No one?"
Another head shake.
What had happened to her family? Maybe people in District 5 weren't allowed to stay with their families. "Why not?"
Vixenette started making some hand gestures, but then glanced over her shoulder at Prim. "Electrocuted. Power accident. I live alone."
A lump choked Prim. Vixenette's family was electrocuted? It seemed every district had its own horrible accidents—District 12, mine collapses. District 5, electrocution accidents. "I'm so sorry."
Vixenette shrugged and surged forward. "We will reach your tribute friends tomorrow. Let's find a place to sleep. Then you gather food."
Prim's dizziness increased at the idea of going out and gathering food for the two of them. Was that why Vixenette wanted her as an ally? Because she didn't know what was edible from nature? She was just a scavenger?
No matter, Prim would help. Vixenette was taking her back to Peeta and Rue. Prim owed her.
They found a fallen log and Vixenette set to burrowing beneath the soft dirt, just like a little fox. Prim dragged her feet and gathered berries with bleary eyes, not paying too much attention to their colors in the forthcoming darkness. She stripped one whole bush of dark berries and wrapped them up in a washed cloth bandage. Those could be for tomorrow, so she wouldn't have to scavenge more.
She returned to the camp with a paltry gathering of nuts, berries, and mint leaves. She'd grown used to the aching call of hunger in her belly. Maybe that was why she was so tired—lack of enough food. Oh well. Mint leaves would serve to trick her stomach into feeling full. Katniss worked that out when they were starving at home. Prim used to hate mint, knowing it wasn't real sustenance.
They didn't start a fire. The sun set fully, but the moon reflected the puff of air that caome from Prim's mouth every time she breathed. This night was colder than previous nights. Body heat would be a precious gift tonight.
Still chewing on the nuts, Vixenette crawled into her small burrow, shoving her giant round pack down by her feet. Then she scooped dirt over herself and closed her eyes.
Prim stood staring at her, feeling exposed and alone. No body heat tonight. How had she been foolish enough to think Vixenette would become instant family like Rue and Peeta? Tears burned her eyes, but she swallowed them down. She needed that moisture to stay in her body—keep her hydrated.
She dug her own spot under the log, getting dirt caked under her fingernails. It wasn't as deep as Vixenette's when she climbed in, but by that point her fingers had numbed from the chill. The anthem played and the face of the boy from District 3 hovered in the sky. Prim crawled into her burrow and scooped the dirt over herself. It was cold, like getting into a bed that'd been sitting beneath an open winter window for a few hours.
Shivering, Prim forced her eyes to close, trying not to think of the crawlies beneath the dirt or the dirt crumbs sneaking down the collar of her coat.
Morning came with a shake. Prim startled with a gasp. Vixennette removed her hand from Prim's shoulder, then jerked her head toward the forest. Time to go. Prim's muscles were sluggish and her head like a frozen fishbowl. A headache pounded behind her eyes, reminding her of Marvel's betrayal and the new chill in the night air. She needed food. They needed water.
Vixenette started walking, slinging her awkward pack over her shoulders. No mention of food. Prim envied her ability to function off so little sustenance and hydration. By noon, Prim was certain the Gamemakers were enacting a new plan of torture. The sun had grown hot—hotter than an overhead bonfire. She couldn't swallow anymore, but Vixenette trudged on. If only Prim had the small water bottle.
She stumbled. Vixenette didn't stop. Didn't seem to care.
A flash of anger hit Prim's heart, followed closely by surprise at herself. How could she be angry with Vixenette when she was taking her to Peeta? Why was it so easy to continue caring about Marvel when he only wanted to kill them all, yet with Vixenette it didn't come naturally at all, even after she watched over Prim post-Marvel's knock-out?
"River." Vixenette climbed a few rocks and there they were at the river. It was flowing again as though the Gamemakers had never dried it up or scorched it. Prim fell to all fours at the bank and lifted water to her mouth with her cupped hand. The freshness, coolness, pressed back the headache and thirst like a rejuvenating poultice.
She stared into the calm pool of swirling water, allowing it to hypnotize her, drawing her out of the Games for a moment. A waver of color interrupted the flow of cool darkness. Red. Vixenette, above her.
Prim whipped her head around just as Vixenete shoved her face under water.
.
.
To be continued...
Please leave a review and let me know what you think of this story so far! Follow the story for updates! Thank you! :-)
(New posts every week, sometimes sooner.)
~If you like my writing, please check out my own dystopian book, A Time to Die (by Nadine Brandes), on Amazon~
How would you live if you knew the day you'd die? Parvin Blackwater believes she has wasted her life. At only seventeen, she has one year left according to the Clock by her bedside. In a last-ditch effort to make a difference, she tries to rescue Radicals from the government's crooked justice system. But when the authorities find out about her illegal activity, they cast her through the Wall - her people's death sentence. What she finds on the other side about the world, about eternity, and about herself changes Parvin forever and might just save her people. But her clock is running out.