The Incoming Storm: The Tale of the 325th Hunger Games

Chapter 24

 When morning comes I eat my small can of corn. It's overly sweet and very watery, and I have trouble eating it just thinking about the last night. When I've finally choked it all down, I get ready for the day. My first priority is to find a water source. I want to clean myself a little and I need more water.

I also want to put as much distance between myself and the cornucopia as possible, even though the gamemakers seem intent on not letting me get too far away. Every time I think I found a way through the impenetrable mass of webs, I find myself face to face with a spider muttation. It hisses menacingly and I back off.

Around late morning, I run into a river. I cross it and take off my clothes leaving on only my black undergarments. I run the undershirt, pants, and jacket through the water, scrubbing them the best I can to get the dry red off. I tell myself it's only the tomato from last night, but deep down I know some, if not most of it, is Adore's and Hero's blood.

When I have scrubbed everything the best I can, I lay it out on the rocky shore of the river to dry in the sunlight. I dunk my head under the cool water to both cleanse my face and hair as well as my conscience. Under the water, I let out a scream, since under here the cameras shouldn't be able to hear me.

I come back to the surface and sit on the rocks to dry out. I water the clear water running by. I go into my backpack and take out the berries. I eat as many as I can, throwing the ones that are too mushy into the water and watching them drift down the stream.

When I feel dry enough, I check on my clothes. They are mostly dry, so I put everything back on. I tie my hair back into the ponytail and set out in the woods.

I hike only a little way into the woods when a spider mutation sends me fleeing back to the river. A whole hoard of them tramples trees as I go splashing back through the river.

Now soaked to the bone, I stare at the spiders across the river. They are retreating back. Not a trap, just setting borders. Off-limits. Clear message from the Gamemakers.

Instead of going back across the river, where the Gamemakers would surely kill me for not listening, I go just follow the river, slowly following its curve.

As twilight approaches, I find a nice cluster of trees close to the shore of the river. The branches are bare from webs, and they form a sort of cage that is protected from three sides while the water of the river protects me on the fourth.

I start laying out camp, hanging my backpack on a broken tree branch. I sit with my back against the largest tree trunk and eat some of the dry fruit and jerky. The fruit tastes a little funny from being left in with the meat for so long, but I can't really afford to be that picky with my food in the arena.

Shortly after the anthem plays, I get ready for bed. I push my back up against the tree and fall asleep sitting up with my hand on one machete while the other is connected to my belt.

I am jolted awake as a branch snaps close by. Footsteps on dry leaves slowly approach. Careful not to make a single noise, I scale the tree behind me. I hear them break into a run. I can only imagine it's the careers. If it's all three of them there is no chance I will survive the encounter. I wonder what it will be like to die...