Chapter 82: Close Encounters

Gale gets the invitation to Effie's soiree that afternoon. He is surprised and little confused at the invitation. He hadn't really had any contact with Effie since the trip back from District 12 after the wedding and isn't sure why she would want to see him. They have nothing in common, apart from Katniss and Peeta, and Effie must know that he isn't the 'party' kind. Gale is all business most of the time and that leaves little time for socializing, especially now. Paylor is keeping a watchful eye on him, ensuring his loyalty to the Capitol remains intact, and he hasn't given her any reason to doubt him so far. This way he can access information that might help Katniss and Peeta, and hopefully bring this nightmare to an end.

A thought suddenly strikes him…he has nothing in common with Effie except Katniss and Peeta. Maybe this is an attempt to pass information to him from District 12 and Effie is the one who is going to help do that! She had been allied to them in District 13, reluctantly, but Gale knew she cared for her Victors and had a real soft spot for them after all they had been through. He wondered who might have engaged Effie in the battle and could only think of one person. Haymitch. He wasn't under House Arrest. Maybe he had been able to travel to the Capitol and deliver a message. Gale needed to find out and the only way to do that was by accepting Effie's invitation. He requests permission to attend and is given leave with the proviso he bring another Peacekeeper with him. Gale has no choice, but he picks his companion wisely and makes arrangements to visit Effie the following evening.

Ebony has begun to walk across the snow covered landscape after securing her backpack and putting her glasses on. The snow is deep and her progress is slow as she sinks one foot at a time into the Arena's terrain, looking for a possible exit. The top of the mountain is a narrow shelf and Ebony heads to her left to look over the edge. Just as she reaches her lookout point a face suddenly appears in front of her. It's a boy, about 16 years old, with a grey woollen hat and damp blond hair peeking from beneath its edges. His blue eyes look startled and his mouth opens in the shape of an 'o' as he realizes he has met his fellow, and now sole, competitor. This tiny, pale, dark haired girl is the only thing that stands between him and his chance at life. He pulls himself up quickly as Ebony realizes she is now in a new fight for her life, not one with nature, but one with a flesh and blood person who also wants to survive.

Mustering all the strength she has left, Ebony does the only thing she can think to do, and shoves him backwards, hard, with both her hands. He slips back, but manages to catch himself before the fall can take him over the side and to his death. Ebony knows she is too weak from hunger to fight him and turns to run, but before she can take two steps he launches himself at her and brings her to the ground. She has fallen on her back with her knees planted in his chest and moves herself sideways to bring her feet into a position where she can force him off her. He looks into her eyes with a killer instinct, just before Ebony's foot slips to his groin and she kicks him hard with her heel. She doesn't need to force him off her now as he rolls to the side groaning in pain.

It is a fortuitous move and one that gives Ebony the chance to escape again. She could pull her ice pick out of the backpack and finish him that way, but that would take time, time she doesn't have and she knows the exit can't be far. As she struggles to take several more steps away from her attacker, Ebony suddenly feels something shift beneath her feet. It causes her to sink further into the snow, but just within her reach she sees a gap open up in the arena, a gap that surely must be the exit from the mountain, and her salvation. Snow begins to tumble into the underground entry as it widens to take the size of a single person into its mouth. Ebony can see steps leading into a dark cavern and doesn't hesitate to run the few feet to its welcome jaws. The tribute behind her is getting to his feet, but adrenaline drives Ebony forward and she jumps into the gap just as he tries to grab her again. Falling down the first of the steps in her haste to escape, she sees the entry snap shut and her vision of the final tribute is lost, but not before revealing the look of terror that must have been in her own eyes as she tried to escape. Suddenly, she hears the rumble of an avalanche begin. Ebony has found the elusive exit and is on her way home!

Lorcan and Ottilia have rested and Lorcan decides to check his snares. There is a rabbit and a squirrel which they can cook for their dinner later, which means they now have food for the next day or so to keep them going. The stream is becoming more narrow and Lorcan feels that they are coming to the end of this part of the Arena. The woodland is thick and it is much cooler here. Lorcan tells Ottilia to wait at the base of a tree while he climbs it to see whether there is any sign of the exit from higher up. When he gets to the top, he can see the part of the Arena in the distance where the tornado has cut a swathe through the trees, but for the most part all he can see is trees, and the stream they had been travelling along so far. Just before Lorcan climbs back down he notices a more unusual looking tree. It catches his eye because it is flowering and this is not the usual time of year for blossom trees to flower. There is something about it that makes Lorcan think it might be a sign, but it is a long way in the distance and he and Ottilia will have to travel away from the stream to reach it. He decides they don't have much choice and quickly climbs back down to tell Ottilia what he has seen. She is excited to think they may have found their way out of her worst nightmare and gives Lorcan a big hug. She holds him like she never wants to let him go and Lorcan holds her, too. Maybe they will be able to survive after all.

Katniss and Peeta had held each other close all night. They had made love more than once, both in passionate recognition of their survival and also in an effort to stave off their demons. The fabric of their relationship could be delicate at times like these, after everything they had been through. The Games were forcing them to revisit memories of their past…the good, the bad, and the heartache that had brought them together. Their love had eventually overcome that heartache and given them a very real and very deep longing for one another. That longing had brought hope and helped Katniss and Peeta carve out a new beginning. Their love and longing had reached the heights again last night, but daybreak invited only misery as they faced into the reality of the Games again. Peeta hoped that Haymitch had been able to make contact with Gale. Katniss hoped that Peeta knew how much she loved him.