The Fifty Fifth Annual Hunger Games

The Sixth Day

"Hey Sterling," Chanel greeted the boy like she does everyday despite him not hardly having the strength to respond. "We got some more soup and you need to eat up."
He nodded weakly and she smiled, helping him sit up a bit. She held out the canister with what was left and he took it with shaky hands. With more food and water, he was getting strong enough to sit up and hold things, but that was about it. The infection was only getting worse and though it was spreading slow, it had almost engulfed half of his lower leg by now.
"Thank you," he muttered hardly above a whisper but she grinned.
"You're welcome! Let me get you some more water." She bounced off, overjoyed that he had finally managed to speak to her other than just grunts and hoarse groans of pain.

When she came outside, Lyssa and Levie were preparing to go foraging for more food. Although the sponsorships were picking up, it still wasn't enough for all of them.
"Where do you think you're going?" Caster stopped them with his disapproving voice.
"To look for food? What do you think?" Lyssa responded sarcastically.
"We're fine for now. That's not necessary."
"Yeah. For now." Caster frowned as Levie used his own words against him.
"It's not like you two even know what to look for anyway."
They both turned to face him, angrily.
"Excuse me?" He had a point, but they weren't going to take it lying down.
"I could help! I know enough," Rosilee piped up but Caster scoffed.
"Stay out of it, twelve. Plus that dick from one is still out there and probably waiting for some naive little girls to go out there."
"Naive little girls?" Levie gaped at his abrasiveness.
"I took him down last night, what makes you think I can't do it again?" Lyssa countered, crossing her arms.
"Last night you had Jack's help and he still got away so I wouldn't be boasting that just yet." He rolled his eyes. "Just wait until tomorrow and one of us guys can go with you."
"We don't need your protection, asshole." Lyssa shoved him as she walked back inside the cornucopia, still planning to go later, no matter what he tried to do or say.
He rolled his eyes again as she walked away. "Come on princess, will you help me with these fish?"
"Why don't you get one of the guys to help you? I'm just a naive little girl, remember?" She scowled and followed Lyssa, dropping her belt of knives to the ground.

When the others were occupied with sorting through remaining supplies, Lyssa set out around the back of the cornucopia. She wasn't letting that ass with a superiority problem get in her way this time. She swung her sword in circles as she walked through the clearing and to the trees. Sure, maybe going alone wasn't the greatest idea, but her pride was getting the best of her. She had an empty pack slung on her back and was picking every berry and mushroom she found, not exactly knowing how to distinguish the ones that were safe to eat. But surely someone would know when she got back.
She was humming to herself and bent over to pick some nuts off the ground when a body met hers, forcing her to the ground. She yelped and managed to flip onto her back, the scrawny girl from District 5 straddling her with a crazed look in her eyes. She brought the small blade she had in her hand down and Lyssa twisted so that it just caught her shoulder.
Flipping the girl off her, she scrambled for her sword, but when her abdomen was exposed as she reached, the girl rammed the dagger into her side twice. She screamed and in her fury, she tackled the girl, pinning her arms with her knees and putting all her weight against her throat. She thrashed for a few moments before finally going limp.
Lyssa rolled off her and ripped the knife out of her side. Fuck. For fairly small wounds, they were bleeding a lot. She grabbed the pack and slung it back over her shoulder before grabbing her sword and stumbling a bit as she headed back towards camp. Black dots started swimming through her vision as when the clearing was in sight. Her legs were getting weaker and she had just barely made it out of the trees before she collapsed.

As the rest of the group finished counting up the supplies, Caster sat next to Levie against the metal of the cornucopia.
"If you're not here to apologize, I don't want to hear it," she told him bluntly.
"I'm sorry," he followed instantly.
Her eyebrows shot up, genuinely not expecting him to actually apologize.
"You don't have to look so surprised, princess," he chuckled. "I didn't mean to insult you. I was just..." he sighed.
"Just what?"
"I was worried about you. Prosper is dangerous and he'll be even more dangerous now that he's so pissed. And especially dangerous to us," he looked down, not wanting to look in her eyes as he tried to explain himself.
"You were actually worried about me?" she smiled slightly, watching him avoid her gaze.
He nodded. "You've grown on me a bit, princess."
"Well..." she turned his head so he faced her and kissed him gently. "I have you, don't I?"
He grinned when she pulled away and then kissed her cheek. "Of course you do. What would a princess be without her knight in shining armor?" He could almost hear the people in the Capitol crooning over them already, but he shook the thought away. This wasn't about them.
"Where is Lyssa anyway?" Levie asked, looking around. And then she heard it.

Having heard her scream, Chanel and Levie ran to her side when she emerged from the trees. Jack followed, axe in hand in case she was followed.
"Killed... her..." she muttered.
"Help me get her up!" Chanel ordered Jack but Lyssa shook her head.
"Little bitch got me good," she chuckled painfully before breaking into a coughing fit. When she pulled her fist away, her knuckles were spattered with blood.
"Lys, we can help you," Levie insisted, still trying to get her to sit up.
"No. I'm just dead weight at this point. Make sure one of you is the victor ok? Don't let that asshole win." She gestured back towards camp, referring to Caster.
The other girls laughed sadly and nodded.
"For you," Chanel tapped her nose playfully.
"You should... let me go now..." her breathing was getting more and more ragged with every passing moment.
They nodded and sat back, giving her some space.
"Make sure... to give my sister... a wave.... on your tour...." she struggled to get out as her last breath left her lips.