I wake up feeling lonely. Missing my sisters. Missing Mani. I eat some fruit in his honor. His zapper saved me.
I hear movement and lie still. People are moving near me. I recognize the voice of the boy who slashed me. As they move closer, I ascertain that they're setting up base on level 10. The same level I'm on.
They decide on a spot, then move lower to hunt for meat. I wait until I can't hear them, then I slip out of hiding. I want to see their stash, maybe help myself to something. I creep over to the interior. A boy is standing on the edge, his back to me. It's the one who slashed me. He's peeing off the edge. I have to kill him before he kills me. I run up behind him and he hears me and looks over his shoulder, still relieving himself. His right eye is covered by a makeshift eye patch. He yelps as I shove him, sending him flying.
The cannon sounds as I pick up his bag, and I take off. I find a tree going up to 11, so I climb up. More carefully, I walk along until I feel very isolated. I stop and look into the bag. I find four cans of fruit, and a water bottle. There are clothing items I don't need, and some rope. Also a small first aid kit.
The Careers still have food. And I need to travel light. I fill up a bag with the extra clothing and water bottle. I add some rocks to it. Then I creep over to the interior, and drop it down into the water. Level 4 is under 15 feet of water now. I can see why the Gamemakers included the daily waterfall, there is not enough iodine in the world to purify the floodwaters.
I try to look at my wounds in the reflection of the sword. They're all red. If I survive this, the Capitol will fix them for me. I hope. I dab on the remaining medicine, and then there is no more.
I continue creeping around, until I'm at the opposite side of the interior, far from the Careers' spot. I hear a cannon. One less person to hide from.
"I want to go home," I say softly. "I don't care how much District 8 smells, I want to go home. My parents may be drunks and I may have to work myself to an early death, but it has to be better than this. I wasn't part of the rebellion, this has nothing to do with me. I want to go home."
That night, I go back to my hiding spot in the upper branches. When the Panem anthem plays, I stick my head out and see the projected faces of two boys. I reckon there are five of us left.