Broken Toys - Johanna Mason x fem reader

Chapter 7 - Never Fading Sounds

Relief filled my entire being when I spotted the giant forest. 

As soon as the countdown was over, Rue grabbed a bag laying near her, escaped into the forest and then onto a tree. 

The main screen was showing the blood bath. Cannon sound after cannon sound drowned the battle cries of the tributes. It seemed like it would never stop. After last year's almost non-existent bloodbath, this year's appeared to be even more brutal. 

I concentrated back on Rue who was checking out the items inside her bag: a water skin and an additional pair of socks. That would be extremely useful! Rue's strategy was to stay off the ground as much as possible. Hence, being able to carry water with her was a huge help. 

Rue put the items back into the bag and explored the rest of the forest. Of course, she stayed on the trees to prevent anyone from noticing her. She was even more silent than me as she was lighter. No one should be able to spot her up there. 

After a short while she picked something up from the ground, but I could not detect what it was. She built herself a slingshot and now I could finally identify what she had picked up. It was a sharp rock she could use like a knife. Pride filled me to have such a smart and skilled younger sister. 

She went on jumping from tree to tree until she found a small lake, at which she filled her water skin, drank everything up and refilled it, before climbing back up. While she had been at it, she had also picked some of the berries. They were very sweet and delicious. We had a lot of them back home, but had just really been able to eat them since we moved to victor's village. 

The first night settled in and I noticed that Rue was freezing. She used the extra pair of socks to warm her hands. 

Soon later the hymn announced the fallen tributes. The girl from district 3, the boy of 4 and 5, both tributes from district 6, both from 7, the boy of 8, both of 9 and the girl from 10. A lot of deaths for the first day but nothing surprising. The first day usually brought the most victims with it. 

"Not bad", Johanna startled me. She was standing right behind me. 

"Since when are you standing there?", I questioned, my heart rate way too fast. 

"Since my tributes died. So, a few hours", she replied casually. 

"Why didn't you say anything?" 

"I did. More than once, but you didn't notice. You were too concentrated on your sister." 

Johanna sat down beside me. Chaff had chosen to use an armchair. Somehow, we did not come along that well or rather we never tried to. 

"You should sleep. It's unlikely that something happens during the first night after the bloodbath and you need your rest for looking out for her", Johanna advised me. 

I wanted to protest but she was faster: "I promise you to wake you up if there is even the slightest danger in sight." 

Johanna did not wake me up as I did not even sleep a lot. The worry was too insistent. 

I looked up at Johanna as my head was resting on her lap. Nice picture to help with our fake relationship. 

She was absentmindedly stroking my head, while attentively watching over Rue's screen, though Rue was asleep and nothing was happening. 

I smiled softly at that. It felt great to know that I could trust Johanna.

On the next day Rue carefully observed the other tributes from above. It was quite amusing as they did not even realize that they were being watched.