The Mentor - A Hunger Games Story

9 - DURING

Haymitch had to admit, the games were almost easy with Maislee. They traded rests, split their rations, and moved with ease up the mountains. Haymitch was faster and more in shape than Maislee, but she knew more about survival. She showed him ways to distill water from the creeks and rain, and Haymitch instantly felt better with more access to water.

Haymtich urged Maislee to follow him to the edge of the arena, towards the barrier he had seen.

"I'm not sure if now is the time for your intellectual curiosities." Maislee whispered. They were laying in the dark, having just witnessed the third day's fallen tribute slideshow. There were only ten of them left at this point. The tributes had died quicker than previous years, but Haymitch figured twice the amount of tributes - twice the rate of killings.

"It's not just an intellectual curiosity." Haymitch retorted back. They were laying hidden under a large bush, which was tucked behind a boulder. This was the most uncomfortable spot they'd found yet - rocky and uneven.

Haymitch had volunteered for the first watch, so he sat up and positioned himself against the boulder so he could see to both the right and left of them. Maislee was lying to his right, tucked closer to the boulder.

"Imagine if we guaranteed no one could come towards us from behind. It would completely remove the element of surprise from any attack. And the odds that anyone would even make it that far towards the barrier are low."

"How do you know that the capital won't send things after us to keep us from getting there?"

"I don't."

Maislee shifted onto her elbow, a small smile on her face. "Are you saying you don't know something?"

"Shut up and sleep."

"I'm trying but this spot sucks. My jacket isn't even working as a pillow." She tried to fluff her jacket more, but they were thin and not puffy. "I don't know what else I expected, being locked in a battle to the death, but c'mon sleep is important."

Haymitch didn't respond, knowing this was how Maislee operated. She usually just spoke most of her thoughts allowed, and didn't need responses. If he tried to offer a solution, she would bite his head off and say that he was 'mansplaining'.

She shifted around for fifteen more minutes, clearly not having luck at falling asleep.

"Do you," Haymitch paused, knowing she would probably bitch at him. "Do you want to lean on me at all? I'm pretty comfortable where I am so I don't plan on moving anytime soon."

Maislee went up to her elbows again, cocking her head to the side. She started to scowl, but it softened almost immediately. "Um, yeah that might be comfy. If you're sure you're okay with that?"

"Yep. I was the one who offered."

She mimicked him in a high pitch voice and slid over to him. She awkwardly lowered her head onto his thigh.

"This is intimate." She said after a moment.

"In your dreams, Donner."

"Oh, that would be a nightmare, Abernathy."

Within three minutes she was asleep, lightly breathing out of her nose.

Haymitch leaned his head back on the boulder, trying not to move his body too much. He tried not to think about how their audience was interpreting this moment. He figured the capital idiots would romanticize every single thing that happened in the arena. Because there was nothing wrong with wanting two under-age traumatized kids to fall in love when they were inevitably both going to die.