The Capitol Games

Chapter 42

Addie calls out to the others, as Finnick, Mayra, Calla, and I begin swimming away. My body still stings a little from the burns and cuts, but salved and bandaged up now, I feel much better. Zeke catches my eye as he's entering the water, and I beckon him over.

I wait as me swims towards me. "You feeling better?" He asks as he approaches.

"Much better." I say, with a smile.

"I'm glad."

We swim side by side after the others, and I tell him about how the burn cream smells surprisingly good.

"No way, really?" He asks as we pad through the river.

"Really." I confirm. "It's probably super fancy stuff."

The forest fires are near out now, but the haze of the smoke still hangs in the air. It's past midday now, and I'm starting to feel hungry.

"We can't go out of the river right now, it's too dangerous." Addie says. "the fireballs could start any minute."

Sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, the woods are full of whooshing, crashing, and crackling. The ten of us stay in the water, braced to swim for our lives if any fireball comes zooming towards us. The sloping cliff-like bank provides good protection from anything at our backs, but if a fireball comes from straight ahead, our only choice is to swim out of the way. One time fireball did skid into the river, and another time a burning, falling branch come splashing and sizzling into the water, but we were good at dodging them.

The assault only lasted for a couple of minutes though, and pretty soon the whole forest was a light with dancing orange and red flames, and thick with hazy smoke. I decided that I hated the the smoke much worse than the actual fire. Still, looking at the burning forest scared me. I realise then, that the other remains tributes must also be closer to the river, or getting closer, anyway.

I'm about to convey my suspicions to my allies, but then realise that they've probably discussed this already, when Calla and I were in that realm of burning agony. I probably missed it.

About fifteen minutes after the fireballs, Zeke and Kylie volunteer to go hunting.

"Won't all the squirrels have hidden because of the fire?" I ask.

"Maybe," Keaton says. "But we spotted quite a few when we were on lookout. You know, when you and Calla were... healing."
"Oh," I say. "Alright, then."

All of us wait in the cool water, as Zeke and Kylie climb out of the river, and make their way onto the sloping bank. The haze of smoke hangs thick, and it irritates me, so I begin swimming. It's more drifting than swimming, because even though my burns feel almost completely fine, I don't want to over exert them too much.

When I emerge over the water for a gulp of air, Addie says cautiously, "Stay close to the shore!"

So I glide along the shore. Soon, Mayra, Finnick, Calla, Laython, and Addie are drifting along with me. Kace and Keaton swim along with us too, but they hang back a little, out of my earshot. We swim through the river for a while, its current so gentle today, that I barely feel it. What I do feel, is relaxed. Even through the forest is still burning, smoke still hangs thick, and Finnick and Mayra are anxious and on the lookout for any unfriendlies in the forest, I feel amazing. I frequently wish that Zeke would come back soon, so that I could float, talk, and laugh with him.

"Hey," Mayra says to me. She's facing me, and smiling at something behind us. "Look at that."

I turn to see what's making her so happy, and I see Keaton and Kace. They're floating in the water, arms clasped.