Johanna Mason- 68th Hunger Games (EDITING- ON HOLD)

Chapter 14

I woke up cold and shivering. I sat up and gazed outside of the cave. To my surprise, it was snowing. I looked around, then shakily took out my backpack from it's hole in the ground.

I unzipped it and rummaged around. My hand felt something soft, and I pulled it out. It was my jacket Hope had given me before I went into the arena. I pulled it over my body and zipped it up. I was warmer on my torso, but my head and ears were freezing.

I pulled the hood over my ears. It would have to do for a while. I had nothing else to put on my head to make it warmer.

I sat up and grabbed my axe. I took a deep breath, then plunged into the snowy arena. It was light snow, but it was still cold. And I couldn't tell whether it was nighttime or daytime- it was too cloudy to tell.

I stood up, then suddenly got a pain in my ankle. I winced from pain. I might've sprained it while running from the bears. I would have to stay off it for a while, I thought. Great.. right when I needed to be out the most, is when I get a leg injury.

I limped over to a thin pine tree, and raised my axe over my shoulder. I swung it down and chopped a branch on the tree once. It made a small nick in the bark. I swung it more until the branch let out a creek. I dropped my axe to the snowy ground and took the branch in my hands. I twisted it until it came loose.

I took the axe and the branch in one arm. I held onto trees for balance with my other hand. I walked to my cave, and threw the branch and axe inside. They landed with a thump against the hard dirt. I dropped to my knees and crawled inside.

I had dry roots that I tore out of the ground. I also reached and tore off some of the lichen that hung for the door, blocking out little cold.

I reached inside the backpack, and took out the precious, few matches. Carefully and slowly, I put the lichen in a little pile inside the branches that I'd snapped. I made a little tepee, putting the dry thin stuff inside. My fingers were stiff from cold, and I had to rub them together to get warmth back to them.

I took out one match, and held it across the striker. I took a deep breath and drew it sharply across. It lit, and I immediatly threw it into the dry lichen. It caught fire, and then caught the branches on fire. It was a small, dry fire, but I needed it to be like that. I can't have the Careers after me, so far into the game.

No smoke came up from the fire, but it was warm inside the cave. It heated the small area. Most of the space was taken up by the fire, which stood against the wall. I was near the entrance, near the cold. But I had to sit here or else the wind will blow the weak fire out.

I put that on my things to do- make a proper door for the cave.

I sat there, warm and relaxed. I was hungry, but not hungry enough to go back outside into the cold. Besides, I have to take care of my weak fire.

Then a thought occurred to me. This was my only change to cook actual meat for a while. I will have to cook and catch something quick, before my fire and embers die out. It was sort of funny how things could go so smoothly and greatly, and then turn badly into a mess. Like right now.

I added a little more of lichen and roots, and grabbed my axe. I zipped up my jacket and put my shoes back on. I crawled out into the harsh weather. I blocked the entrance with some pine branches, so the wind won't blow out the fire. It is odd and stands out against the dirt and grass, but it was temporary until I get back. It will have to do.

I stood up and gazed around. I rubbed my cold arms and walked into the forest. The snow was barely higher than the bottom of my boot, so that wasn't a big problem. But it is starting to get harsher. The wind is howling and racing through the trees like a wolf pack.