𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 ✔️

Chapter 33 - Persephone

^Nelly from District 12

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Chapter 33

POV: Persephone (District 5)

Time: Day 8

Tributes Remaining: 16

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I can't believe I left Carlo by himself. I can't believe Ada would do something so cruel to us. I can't seem to believe anything anymore.

I was able to scoop most of the healing cream from the dirt onto my raincoat, allowing me to carry it into the cave. I try to apply healing cream onto Carlo's wound, but I'm worried that the dirt in it will infect it and do even more harm.

"Thankfully Ada bought into the threat... And good thing I didn't actually have to shoot the bow," I say mindlessly as I work. I'm not sure she actually bought my threat of shooting her with my bow, though. She probably knows she could kill me in an instant.

Carlo doesn't respond, so I keep talking. "This healing cream is one of the most expensive they have. We're lucky Ada left us at least a small bit. Hopefully, it'll be enough."

Carlo speaks for the first time since the attack. "We don't have food, Seffie. Or water, or weapons... It's over for us. This is it."

I shake my head, trying to fight the despair lurking in the back of my mind. "No, it's not, Carlo," I say. "We have sponsors. And we're hidden in here, we can pick berries or something. They haven't sent us anything yet. Now's the time."

Where are our sponsors now? What happened to our mentors? Isn't their job to keep us alive?

"How many sponsors do you think we have, Seffie?" Carlo says bitterly. "There's nothing in it for Capitol people to invest in us. We're going to die. Ada almost killed both of us."

He's given up, hasn't he? It breaks my heart to even hear him speak. If he doesn't want to live, there's nothing I can do to save him, no matter how hard I try.

"They love an underdog," I say quietly.

As if on cue, a pinging sound can be her as a parachute gently lands outside the mouth of the cave. I grab the plastic case, cracking it open. Hopefully, there's some healing cream inside that isn't covered in dirt.

There's no healing cream inside. Instead, I pull out a serrated knife. I'm very confused by the gift. Maybe they sent the wrong gift by mistake?

"This is not what we need," I say angrily.

"It's not what we need, it's what you need," Carlo says.

"What?"

"Listen, they've clearly given up on me," Carlo says, his eyes dark. "They could have sent food or medicine and they sent us one knife. I can't use that. You can: to hunt, to defend yourself."

"Don't say that," I say, shaking my head. What's going on? "I'm doing my best here."

"They've given up on me!" Carlo continues. "And they should. I'm going to die sooner or later. You should have too when you saw Ada."

That's what breaks me. "I didn't give up on you then and I won't do it now," I say, gritting my teeth. "I have medicine for you; you are going to get better. I don't want to hear it. After all these years we spent together, you suddenly want me to abandon you now?!"

I don't wait for him to respond. I grab the serrated knife, exiting the cave angrily.