Cayce's Game 97: Hills and Valleys: Battle of Bows and Arrows

Into Hills and Valleys

Day One

I hugged Lorry for what I was sure was the last time the next morning and she walked away trying to be brave but had tears in her eyes. Bentley shook my hand and even gave me a half hug.

"Thank you for believing in me, Cayce, and for helping me," he told me seriously.

I nodded, feeling he'd fare better in there than she would. "Of course, Remember to use your best judgment on the bloodbath. I told Lorry to run and hide. Good luck."

"I'mma need it," he said with a snort as he walked off for loading in the hovercraft.

I found my own way to the survivor-victor lounge this time, where Everett was trying to guess who would try to kill Justin and Gen first because no one liked them. So far, popular opinion was on Mason.

Slate looked up at me. "Or Bentley."

"Bentley's not a bad guess," I admitted, skipping sitting and just pacing. "Heard him mumbling about it this morning."

"What's that?" Brooke asked, walking in and sneezing twice. "OK, who overloaded on room spray?"

"It does smell awfully strong," Cheryl agreed, passing her the tissue box.

Rich had a different opinion. "It straight stinks. A fart would smell better." We all burst out laughing at that, though Cheryl looked disgusted.

Vera walked in after having hurt her ankle yesterday coming down the stairs. "Ow, ow, and ow. What's the joke?"

"Room smell and farts," Jenna reported, rolling her eyes.

Vera sniffed the air and coughed. "I don't like either."

"Pray for anything but a wheatfield," Wheatley said when he came in a minute later. "Sea, desert, forest, meadow, mountain, anything but a wheatfield."

"I hope not, for Rye's sake," I agreed, Slate now trying to push me to a chair or to, "At least stand still, Gazelle."

I cackled as Birdie and Tanner came in, Birdie telling him, "--legit punish you. Sandy from Four got hit for getting here right at 8:00 and someone, not sure who, was laid out on the floor last year. Stay in this lounge."

Everett leaned toward him. "Cayce surprised the world by being super early one day and Peacekeepers said if they saw him outside the lounge they would whip him."

Tanner looked horrified. "Oh my God."

"I wasn't," I assured him, still not admitting I was the one laid out. "But yeah, they're serious about that."

He licked his lps. "I can go in this room, the main lounge, the bathroom, and the lunchroom, right?"

"And the library." Vera pointed in its direction. "Good place to decompress. I hid there last year because I'm deathly afraid of birds after being attacked by hawks and eagles in my Hunger Game."

"Ugh, those gulls," Tanner groaned, leaning against the wall. "Stu-unk. Poor Benny got the worst of it stabbing them all."

"Great news!" George bounded in the room and we all spun to him, eager for good news on a majorly depressing day. "Rose and Reed are good to go! Reed knows where to find food and how to tell poisonous plants from nonpoisonous plants, and I witnessed Rose tie a good knot in her shoelace!" We all laughed and clapped at his having better tributes this year.

Tanner stared at him. "I don't get it."

George flipped a hand at him. "Don't worry about it. Just old frustrations of mine.":