The 73rd annual Hunger Games

Chapter 26

Oakley POV:

I wake up screaming, my heart pounding, and my face sticky with either tears or sweat. I look around frantically, extremely confused as to why I had woken like this. That's when I remember the dream I had, reliving last night. I flop back onto my sleeping bag as I realise everyone's staring at me. I lie on my back with a sigh, not like I'm getting anymore sleep, in fact. I'm surprised I got any sleep. It took Felix a good hour before convincing me to go to bed. He sat beside me as I drifted off to sleep. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without him. I hear footsteps coming towards me and find Wade and Athena standing over me.

"Morning sunshine." Wade smirks, Athena punches him in the arm "Ow! What was that for!"

"Shut up, you idiot!" she rolls her eyes.

"Uh. I was just playing." He looks at her. Athena gives him a look and he stalks off.

"Are you ok?" She smiles slightly.

"I'm fine. Just a bad dream." I look around. Lillian isn't in her sleeping bag and it looks to be around 6 am. "Where's Lillian?" I ask her.

"Oh. Umh, well. She kinda left us in the middle of the night, you could say."

"You killed her?" I look up at her, she looks uncomfortable.

"Ya..." She says awkwardly.

"I don't know how you guys can kill so easily." I look down to the bandages on my hands. "I mean.. Lillian sure but, just random kids."

"I don't know. I guess when you've trained your entire life for this moment, and it's there. I guess you just gotta take it." She shrugs.

"Right."

"I mean. Haven't you trained for this?" She asks.

"No, I wasn't trained. I don't know, I just needed to know how to use an axe." I smile.

"Oh ok."

"Ya." I stand up and give her a slight smile. "I'm gonna go get some food." I slowly walk over to the fire. Everyone's there. Well, obviously except Lillian. Felix walks over to me. His arms outstretched. I walk into his embrace. He smells of sweat and woods. What we all smell like. His arms are still strong and feel safe, Like they did before the games.

"Are you ok?" He whispers against my cheek.

"I-I-uh- I guess." My face pressed against his chest. "Just a dream."

"Ah, I see."

"Are we going together?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, when we split up? Are we gonna stay together?"

"If you would like to."

"I don't think I could manage without you,"

"Well, isn't that nice."

"Hardly."

"What does that mean?" He asks, pulling back slightly to look into my eyes.

"Well. I feel bad for having to rely on you for comfort."

"Mhm." He wraps a finger around my hair. "Well, I don't really mind. I like having you around."

"Ya?"

"Ya."

"Good, because I won't be leaving you." I smile at him.

"Perfect."

I let go of him and walk to grab some dried fruit. I casually snack on a piece of this dried white fruit. It has a tropical yet slightly nutty taste. I walk back to my sleeping bag and sit on it. I eat all my fruit then wait around, bored. But that's when I realise.

"Oh my god!" I jump up. Everyone looks at me.

"What?!" Felix exclaims.

"You good there?" Athena asks.

"No! I just realised something!"

"What!" Athena exclaims.

"Hudson is still alive."

****

We're all saying our goodbyes now. I walk up to Athena and give her a genuine smile.

"I'm gonna miss you." I wrap my arms around her.

"Me too." She whines.

"I wish we didn't have to part." I add.

"It was our having to kill each other."

"I know." I sigh. We pull apart and walk away. I say goodbye to Wade.

"You kill her. And I'll kill you." I give him a look.

"Ok then." He smiles. I give him a quick hug.

"Good luck."

"You too." I grab my bag and head to Felix. We make our way towards the woods in the opposite direction that Wade and Athena go. We walk for a good three hours. Never once bumping into another tribute.

"Where should we go to find shelter?" I ask him.

"I was thinking a cave?" Felix doesn't turn around to talk to me. He keeps his eyes forward.

"Perfect." It's getting late now and the sky is darkening. I have a feeling that the gamemakers have something up their sleeves. "We better find one soon. It's getting late."

"Oh there!" Felix points across this stream. There's a cave that looks to be perfect.

"Perfect timing!" We cross the stream just as the anthem begins. Only Lillian is dead. Which means that Hudson is still alive. And there's six of us left. Felix and I manage to find a cave. We settle down and eat the meat that Athena split for us. The Anthem plays as we eat. No new deaths. We settle down into our sleeping bags and try to fall asleep. It starts to rain. Like really rain. I wake up in the middle of the night because of the thunder.

"Felix? Felix?"

"What?"

"The thunder. It's so loud."

"Come here." I scotch over to him. He kisses my check and neck. The thunder has calmed down and sleep overcomes me quickly.