The Quater Quell: 50th Hunger Games

Chapter 19

         Night falls and Dean takes the first watch while we get ready for bed. He manages to shoot a large lizard type creature that we skin and cook. Larten volunteers to take the first bite to see if it is poisonous or not. He only takes a small piece, smaller than a child's fingernail. After 30 minutes, Larten is vomiting everywhere and has severe stomach cramps. Well. That answers my question form earlier. The only edible food in the arena comes from sponsors, or what ever was at the Cornucopia.  Larten echoes my thoughts out loud in between his violent fits.

       Despite my hunger pains, I manage to drift off to sleep.

    The sound of a faint cannon awakens me. That makes 24 tributes dead and 24 left. Wow. I have made it to the halfway point. Never did I imagine that I would make it this far. Maybe I do have a chance of making it our of here alive.

      I turn over and glance at Dean. He was handsome just like Walt. I notice that Dean was dozing off, so I offer to take over his watch. "Nah. I got it." Dean yawns. "Stop being so darn stubborn and go to sleep. I'll take watch." He shoots me a cricked smile and falls  onto his back, using his arms as a pillow. "Fine. Wake me up if you hear anything." He mumbles, and is snoring within seconds.

       The anthem flashed in the sky showing the faces that we will never see again. Only three flashed tonight. Three more that are out of this horrible place, and whose bodies are being shipped in wooden boxes that will soon be reunited with their  families. Death doesn't seem to bad when you think about it. You are out of this inconceivable place of starvation, war, dictatorship and most of all, the Hunger Games. 

      Yeah, I'm sure it doesn't feel pleasant when you die, but I've always liked to think that in your last few seconds here on earth, you are probably at peace. The pain goes away and you are filled with warmth while a bright light grasps your hand and leads you into your permanent sleep.

         Truth is, odds are that I will be finding out how that works pretty soon.

            Morning comes sooner than I had hoped. I can't ignore the cramping in my stomach any longer. When the boys wake up, we are going to have to figure out what we are going to do. I check my pack and eat the last of my dried fruit and berries. I take a small sip of my Capitol enhanced water. It helps trick my stomach into thinking it is more full. Larten wakes first and kicks Dean awake. This pisses me off. "Why'd you have to do that? He didn't wake you up, ya jerk." "Im hungry. We need to keep moving and find food." He glares at me. "Don't you know that there is no finding food! There is no food here. We're screwed unless we manage to find a pack full of biscuits or get a parachute." Dean spits why rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

        "Wait a second. The feast! Usually they always have a feast at the halfway point. Usually its just  to draw us in  for another blood bath but I bet there will be food and water there." I excitedly say. "Yeah, probably....but I bet at least one of us isn't going it make it out alive." Larten spits back at me. "Well what the hell are we supposed to do? We are running out of options here. We cant hunt, we cant gather any plants to eat. We have nothing." Larten rolls his eyes but nods his head. "

      So what's the game plan then?" Dean asks. "Well, first they have to actually announce the feast. It should be sometime today actually. Then i'm thinking maybe Dean can give us some cover  with his darts while Lard and I run and grab our packs?"  Larten squints his eyes at me. I guess he didn't like my nickname. However, Dean and Larten nod their head in agreement.

          A few hours later we get the announcement we were hoping for. The feast will be at sunset at the mouth of the Cornucopia. We pack up our gear and sharpen what little weapons we have. Larten has two swords so he lends me one. With one last look at the little campsite we called home for a short while, I turn and head back to the cornucopia and pray that I will last the night.