The Great War.

XVI

"Requiescat In Pace."

Back home, I used to have a cup of coffee with milk for breakfast every morning. I recall the routine, remembering that from the moment I place the milk on the stove, I never take my eyes off the pot because if I get distracted for even a miserable moment, it will start boiling, making a mess in the kitchen. Similarly, I feel that if I let my guard down for a fraction of a second right now, the alliance will blow up, and things will go terribly wrong for me.

Wandering through the woods all night was nothing but a waste of time and energy. We hadn't come across any tributes; the only thing we discovered is that the lake is not the only water source available in the arena—a stream winds its way through the forest.

We thought that sooner or later, the other tributes would take the risk of returning to the Cornucopia looking for supplies, especially food, and we would hunt them down there. But now that we don't have anything left, it's time to devise another trap before the Gamemakers take matters into their own hands again. I feel the tension rising between Marvel, Cato, and me. We stop to rest at dawn, but I refuse to let my guard down for a single moment.

Since there's no reason to go back to the Cornucopia, we'll continue searching the woods until we find another tribute. Cato claimed that the cut he inflicted on Lover Boy should have killed him, but it's been about four days since the tracker jacker attack, and his face has yet to appear in the night sky. That means he's still alive. I'm sure that Cato was hallucinating due to the venom, and his memories may not be entirely accurate. Perhaps he didn't make the cut where he thought he did.

I decide to wade into the stream because I can't stand the stink of blood and sweat on my clothes any longer. I walk away from my allies, who have set up an impromptu camp in a clearing. The atmosphere is tense, but not enough for someone to attack first. I know that we all share the same concern, and that is the boy from District 11. We'll likely have to defeat him as a group.

I place my backpack on the ground, and the first thing I do is take off the hairstyle Nouria had made for me before the Games began. I gather about seven hair ties and set them aside to use later, I won't recreate my stylist work but I need to keep my hair out of my face somehow. Before stepping into the stream, I refill my water bottle. I strip down to my underwear to wash my clothes, ignoring the cameras that are likely watching my every move. The odor is a hundred times worse than any sense of shame. As I submerge my jacket, the water in the stream turns red. I make sure to wring out each garment thoroughly after removing it from the water and lay them out on some rocks to dry under the sun.

The water is cool, refreshing, and makes me feel a little bit better. I make sure to keep my eyes on the vest loaded with my knives at all times. Once I remove the products that have been in my hair for days, it regains its silky texture. The swelling from the tracker jacker stings has reduced, but they burn when I submerge them in the cold water. My whole body is covered in small bruises and scratches, and I realize that perhaps the nutritional bars don't do much after all, as I can see bones protruding in places where they didn't before. The scarcity of food is what pushes me to keep going to end this before I run out of supplies. I emerge from the stream and sit next to my clothes, basking in the warmth of the sun. It feels nice and cozy. I take advantage of my solitude to eat a little and rest because I won't find peace if my allies are around.

"Come on," I tell myself. "Just a little bit longer, you've got this."

A small container attached to a silver parachute falls from the sky. I smile, understanding that it's a gift sent by my sponsors. I stand up to catch it. It's small but heavy. I uncover it and delicately touch the surface of what appears to be an ointment. It smells like mint and is white in color. Since I don't have any severe cuts or burns, I assume it's for my stings. I apply a small amount of the medication, almost afraid, to one of the wounds on my arm, and the relief is almost immediate. Within minutes, the swelling has almost completely disappeared.