The MCYT Hunger Games

Chapter 16

PoV: Cub

'Cub?'

'Yeah?' I glance over at Scar from where we're curled up next to each other, safe. 

'Do you... regret stealing from Etho and Joel?' 

'I don't know.' I reply honestly. The conversation we overheard rises in my mind again. Another reason to hate the Hunger Games. 

Everyone in here is still a person. A human. They don't want to be here either. No one deserves to die. None of us. 

And yet, we still will.

Scar shifts closer to me. I put an arm around his shoulder as some kind of comfort. 

'How hungry are you?' I ask as my stomach growls again. We still haven't broken into our food supply, only our water. I can tell he's considering lying for a second before he answers with a sigh.

'Starving. And... I imagine you are too.' I nod, and grab the bag with our food in it... there's some bread that doesn't look stale. I break it in half, giving the larger half to Scar. We both eat. It's dry, growing slightly hard, but it's still food. It's enough to satisfy the hunger eating at me. 

'I needed that...' Scar mumbles. I nod in agreement.

'Yeah... we did...' I close my eyes. It's growing dark. I don't think anyone's died today. There'll be no names in the sky for us to regret barely recalling.

'How's your arm?'

I try moving it. It doesn't hurt as much as earlier.

'Improving. Your leg?'

'Also improving.'

Silence. I try to find anything to talk about.

'How was District 12?' I come out with. Scar shrugs.

'I had Jellie.' Is all he replies. 'My cat.'

'She... Tried to volunteer for you.' I remember with a small laugh. Scar laughs back.

'Yeah, she did. Great cat. Smart.'

'You should've snuck her into the Hunger Games. Like I snuck in CJ.'

'I didn't want her to get hurt... But knowing her she'd travel until she found me here anyway.' Scar gives a fond smile. I smile back, stifling a yawn. It's still caught, and Scar sighs.

'Sleep.'

'You need sleep too. And we can't both stay awake... Not with Etho and Joel planning to ambush us at any point...'

'You took the last shift. I'll stay on watch. And I'll wake you if anything happens... ok?'

'Fine.' I close my eyes again, too tired to argue with Scar's logic. 'Stay safe, ok?'

'I will.'

And I let myself drift asleep.

Cannon shot. 

I wake, lying on the ground. 

Alone. 

Where's Scar?

WHERE'S SCAR?!

'SCAR!' I yell his name, scrambling upright... what happened? Where has he gone? It's morning. It's the next day...

He bursts into view, eyes wild, terror filling them. Relief floods me.

'Oh my goodness... Oh my goodness... you're alive...' 

'The cannon shot.' He realises quickly. 'I'm so sorry... I was just seeing if I could find any food while... you rested...' Scar runs to my side, where I'm still recovering, falling next to me and pulling me into a hug. I hug back. The cannon still rings in my head. 

'Who... do you think died?'

'I don't know.' Scar replies. 'I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have walked off... anyone could've come and found you and... and...'

'Scar, I'm ok. It's fine.' I insist. 'Everything's fine.'

'It might not've been...'

'Scar, everything's fine. Seriously. Just... let me stand, and we can go looking for some food together.'

'Yeah... ok.' He lets me go, helping me to my feet. 'But I'm so sorry...'

'Stop apologising or I'll start making a list of times you do.'

Scar gives a guilty laugh. I smile back. 

'Come on... let's see if the Capitol has given us any food that isn't in our bags of stuff.'

We head out our makeshift camp, me with a sword and Scar with his bow. I note how much is leg has improved already, though he might've learnt how to hide it and he's still limping slightly. I track the route behind us, aware we're heading vaguely - but not directly - towards Joel, Etho and Lizzie in search of food. But there's no animals here at all... no birds, rodents... Nothing. Even the trees are free from fruits or any leaves we recognise as being edible. 

'Why wouldn't they give us any food here? They always provide food for tributes.' Scar questions with a frown, seeing the same. 'There's... there's no reason why they shouldn't...'

'Maybe they want us to get desperate and go after other people's food.' I reply. It's the only explanation I can think of. 'And then fight each other... the Capitol doesn't like explaining itself anyway. I mean, they shove 24 of us in a death game to die every year.' I give a small laugh. 

'It'll be ok...' Scar tries to placate me by saying. 'We do have the other food anyway. And we can steal more from-'

Cannon shot.

We both freeze.

'Did that sound... Closer... To you?' Asks Scar slowly. I step closer to him, sword ready for an attack...

'LIZZIE!' Joel's scream breaks through the silence. 'Oh my goodness... ETHO, ETHO, COME NOW PLEASE!'

Scar glances at me. I give a small nod, creeping over in the direction of the yells... I catch a flash of pink through the bushes, Joel sat next to it. A crash, probably Etho joining them... So the cannon was Lizzie. Who refused to kill in the careers. Who's probably really nice...

Stop dwelling on it. You know no one here deserves to die...

Signalling for Scar to stay where he is, I climb up the tree overlooking the grizzly scene. There's no one here that could've killed her... No sign of blood... I have to see what happened. Stop it from hurting Scar...

Lizzie lies, sprawled on the ground, seemingly unscathed but definitely dead. And, barely visible in her hand, a bunch of blood-red berries.

Poisonous.

A moment later, Etho gathers them up, carefully pocketing them. Joel's crying. Neither of them have noticed me. Something in them has gone. Their anger. Their aggression. Their inhumanity.

I slip back down the tree and back out of sight.

'Poisonous berries. Joel and Etho must've sent her to gather food.' I hit the ground, turning.

My blood turns cold.

Scar's not there.

A yell.

And a moment later a cannon fires.

:)