The Capitol Games

15: Sponsors

   As the sun rises, I walk to Treva. I don't want to wake him, he looks so peaceful. I know I have to. He can't sleep through this.
"Treva," I whisper. His eyes flutter open slowly, and I smile. "Good morning. Sleep good?"
"After you woke me up? It feels like I just closed my eyes," he yawns. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I smile, sniffing the air. I thought I smelled smoke a minute ago, and I still smell it. "Treva, pack up." I order.
"Why?" He asks. He must smell it too, because his face becomes alert. He begins to hastily roll up the sleeping bags and I stuff the rabbit from yesterday into Treva's full bag. I roll my bag up and shove the sleeping bags in.
I see flames begin to lick through the roof. I swallow a scream. I won't let myself bow out from smoke. The flames engulf the house in a flash, and I make the awful mistake of inhaling. My lungs feel like they're burning, and I can't take another breath.
The flames burn my arm, and I scream the most piercing, injured scream I've ever let out. Treva looks at me, helpless, as I crawl to him with my axe and the bag of sleeping bags. I feel the flames engulf my leg, and I start to cry.
"Treva," I manage. It comes out barely audible, but Treva pulls me through. I make it out the door on my back, my legs and arms burning. I cough, and a bit of smoke curls out of my mouth.
"Aria! Aria, oh my god, you're okay, right?" He asks. I cough as tears stream down my face.
"Yes," I squeak.
"We have to get you somewhere, maybe by water. Can you walk?" He rushes. I feel dizzy, and I try to stand. I immediately fall to the ground, and I drop my axe.  "I have to carry you."
"Treva, you don't have to," I cough. He slings the bag over the same shoulder as the other and straps his sword to his belt. He picks me up wedding-style and runs away from the burning house. My lungs sear in pain with every breath I take. My head hurts, and I feel sleepy, but I don't let myself fall asleep in fear of passing out.
I feel my eyelids droop, and black dots stain my vision.
"Aria, don't fall asleep," Treva orders.
"I know. I know," I say, managing a little more voice. Soon, it takes over, and I black out. My mind becomes foggy, and I drift into an infinite abyss.

🔅🔅🔅

"Aria?" A wet voice asks. My eyelids open slowly, and Treva smiles as he lowers me into a bed of something rough.
"Am- am I okay?" I whisper.
"You should be fine. It's been a long time. I found us someplace in the woods by a river," he explains, and I look around at the silent stream weaving its way through the tall evergreens and the rocky shore. Treva unravels the sleeping bag from the bag he packed, and lays it down in a bush with dark green leaves making a small opening, looking just big enough for a person. He stuffs the other sleeping bag and the supplies in there.
"Well, it's a pretty good shelter," I admit. I look at my arms, raw and red. My uniform sleeves were almost long sleeves, but the sleeves are ripped off at my shoulders. I roll up my pant leg, and my leg is bloody and awful. I try not to throw up, I look so terrible.
"It's not half bad," Treva shrugs. I hear a thud on a rock, and Treva runs over to find a little can on a parachute.
"What's in it?" I ask excitedly.
"I don't know. If you'd let me open it, then I would," Treva laughs. He pops the top off, and it's medicine. "It's for you."
"What?"
"Take a look," he says, handing me the canteen. I take out a small note.
Stay alive. I know you have it in you.
~K
"It's from Katniss," I mutter, half in shock. I pull out a grey tube of something.
"What is it?" He asks. I unscrew the lid and squeeze out a green liquid. Ointment.
"Burn cream?" I guess. I rub some on my arms and my legs. It feels like a relief on my arms, but feels like I'm being burned all over again on my legs. I clutch the moss-covered dirt as I strain against the burning. Treva takes my hand, and I squeeze it without thinking.
"It's okay. That must mean it's working," he whispers. I restrain myself, and calm down to the sound of his voice, going on in a soft voice about after the Games, our family and going on a normal life. I finally force myself to un-clench my fists from his hands.
"I'm okay. I'm okay," I say. I crawl into the bush and listen to the sound of Treva walking around, the stream, the animals rustling around. The sound of leaves cracking under someone's feet, and the sound of a sword blade. Wait...
I scoot out of my hiding spot with my axe to see Twyla holding Treva in a headlock, and Treva is unconscious, a cut across his temple. Twyla is covered in cuts, bruises, and a gnarly, gushing gash over her calf. Half of her face looks red and sunburned, but she looks solemn.
"Twyla?" I exclaim.
"It's not like I wanted to," she mutters, and thrusts Treva to the side into the creek, face-first. I manage all my strength and dive into the river, Twyla grabs hold of my ankles. The river is surprisingly deep and clear, so I can easily see Treva bobbing down the river. Twyla digs her nails into my leg, and I kick something that feels bony. I swim as fast as I can towards Treva, and I catch his leg.
I shove us above water and take huge gasps of air, and Treva wakes up slowly. I take his his head in my hands, and he takes giant breaths.
"Treva! Treva, you're okay!" I sigh. He catches his breath and pulls me close.
"Are you?" He asks.
"I'm fine, but you're not!" I exclaim. The water picks up, and starts to get louder. I look over, and there's a waterfall. That means extreme pressure and a drop off.
"Treva!" I latch onto him, and the waterfall launches us down into a lake, hundreds of feet below.