FOUL GAME | the hunger games

17- TENDERNESS

TENDERNESS. 

"None. Take the kill, it's yours." I mutter through my lips. His soft features relax, now studying mine with close attention. 

"You are scared. Did they turn on you?" he asks while he stands up and extends a hand to help me do the same. What has just happened?

"Only her. But that's because I ran away. Did not feel safe. Are you safe?" I ask as I accept his hand. His grin and piercing eyes on mine make me shiver, but not in fear. 

"For you, it is. After all you saved our life. And don't worry, we won't hunt you down if you decide to leave. Just tell us so we don't look for you in vain. Let's go meet the others." 

Oliver caught my attention from the very first moment I saw him. His soft nature sends chills through my spine, but also makes me want to stay close. I wish we could have met in another universe, one in which we weren't in the brink of death. 

He looks skinnier, but unharmed. His allies are the girl from his district, Marie, as well as the girl from 7. They have formed a sort of camp in the wood section. There is a fire place, unused, and tree logs scattered forming a circle around it, which remind me of happy campsites. Marie looks like she is taking it the worst, with her white blonde hair now browned with dirt and big dark eye circles interrumpting her smooth white skin. Tiger-Lily, the girl from seven, looks stronger than before, with saddened eyes and freshly dyed red hair. Damn, her stylist was great. 

They don't look like they have been having the best time, at all. They can probably fit the three backpacks they carry on my big one and still have plenty of space. Oliver confirms this as he speaks.

"We aren't doing as well as your pack. Couldn't go back to the cornucopia for more. Our dried food ran out, and we still couldn't hunt. We don't know about this, you know, back in Eight everything is concrete grey. Had never even seen a rabbit before."

I take a look at Marie again. Her forehead is wet with sweat. 

"Marie isn'doing okay. She caught a fever first day and hasn't gone down. We don't have a clue what it could be." 

I place my hand on her forehead and she is scorching hot. I offer some of my dried meat for her and offer to hunt. As I stand up to go hunt with Oliver, I take a look at my new allies and my new camp. As much as I hate to say it, they look pathetic. People certainly didn't expect me to stray away from a strong pack and do charity work to those in need. But at least I'm alive, and that's all I need. 

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The day ended peacefully. No more canyons, in the safety of tranquil woods. Vaiana and the girl from six perished today. I was able to get some rest and sleep for a while, before I was awoken by loud moans coming from Marie. Oliver, on guard, runs up to her and holds her face.

"Do you know what it might be? Where have you been, what have you eaten?" I ask as I stand up and help if anything is needed. 

"We were in the desert the first day, before any of this started. She is the only one like this, though." I immediately check both of her ankles, and one of them has what looks like a snake bite. She has been bitten.

"She is poisoned. Snake poison." I say as I keep my voice down. There is no way in hell she is gonna make it. Why didn't she say anything before? 

She starts convulsing and I know it is over. I watch Oliver, who knows exactly the same, hold her as she moans in pain. For the next two hours, the unbearable plain of hearing her scream in agony as she slowly gets consumed to death is more painful than anything I encountered in the arena yet. There is nothing we can do. She gives her last breath at the break of down, making the canyon go off and a section somewhere in the arena break in havoc.