Nightfall

Twenty

Katara stayed in her tree all afternoon, just watching as different creatures passed by her hiding spot. She could have killed some of those animals for food, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She had already killed one too many. In her mind's eye, Katara could see the beautiful deer prancing around the forest with his friend, not knowing the danger around him. She was sort of like the deer; the Gamemaster's had put her and many other kids in this game and watched as they pranced around the arena, not knowing if there were any danger around. What a strange world they were living in. 

Soon enough, night had fallen, and yet, Katara was still in the tree. She was scared and mad and upset. So many different emotions were rushing through her system, making her breath come in short spurts. The edges of her vision were darker than normal, and her heart was pounding against her ribcage. 

Katara gripped at the bark around her, the wooden pieces digging into her flesh. The darkness seemed to swallow her up, both in her heart and outside. She swore that her heart was going to burst out of her chest, it was beating that hard. What was going on with her? The anxiety coursing through her veins told her that she was having a panic attack, but why now? Was it because she was alone in the Games? She wasn't so sure, but it was an awful time to have one. 

The first time Katara had a panic attack was a few weeks after her mother had disappeared. Katara was heading home from school when these random girls brushed past her. They were chatting amongst themselves, but when the leader noticed Katara, she spun around. There was a smug grin on her pretty face when she said, "We all heard what happened to your mother. You know, it was bound to happen, but I think you should've left with her."

"Left?" Katara asked, glancing around her. No one else was around, which was a bad thing. "What do you mean left?"

"You didn't know that she was planning on leaving?" All of the girls pouted, but it was in a mocking way. Instead of anger coursing through her system, all Katara could feel was anxiety. Of course her mother wouldn't leave her or Sokka! "She was done with you guys and . . . left, I guess. How tragic."

Tears brimmed in Katara's eyes as she quickly shook her head. "No, that can't be true!"

"It is, though. I mean, who would want to stay with your family?" The leader giggled and the others followed suit. "I wouldn't." And with that, Katara was left in their perfume as they walked away. That was the first time Katara had a panic attack and it wasn't the last one. 

Katara sucked in a deep breath, closing her eyes. She let go of the bark and curled up in the fetal position, generating her mothers image in her mind's eye. Just the sight of her immediately calmed her down. She could feel the anxiety drain away from her body, and in it's place was exhaustion. Too many things had happened in a short amount of time and Katara was done with everything. 

---

Soft sunlight streamed into the tree roots, waking Katara up. It was warm out, but Katara didn't focus on it. It had been a couple days since she had last eaten, and her stomach was furiously growling. She hadn't gone this long without food, no matter how little they had back home. Gran-Gran always made sure they ate even if she went without. 

Katara crawled out of the tree, but she didn't stand up. Her best bet was to get lichen and moss, and that was found on the forest floor. At least she had remembered that or else she was in trouble. 

It was cooler on the forest floor and the shadows from the towering trees fell, making everything seem darker. Katara peered closely at the ground, brushing her hands over the sticks and rocks and leaves. She knew that moss grows in moist areas of forests and other places, and underneath the underbrush was a good place to start. She pushed away a section of the underbrush and grinned when she saw the familiar fuzzy, green moss.