The Very First Hunger Games

Chapter Sixteen-

Chapter Sixteen-

We decide to make our way westward because it's closest to where we saw the tribe run into the shrubbery. The goggles make it crystal clear for us to see, but it didn't help us from dehydration.

"We need to find water soon or we won't survive the night." I tell Jake, feeling sharp pains in my ribs with each step I take. My lungs fill up each breath but burn when I release it.

"Here." Jake glances in my direction, with a worried expression and bends down so I can grip onto his back. When I do, I hand him our pair of night vision goggles and he guides us into the forest.

I feel guilty for making him carry me and I can't help but let a tear fall knowing I'm holding him up, "I'm sorry." I say to him.

"Don't worry about it. We need to make it through tonight like you said, and I really need you." He adjusts me from time to time and we make our way through. Almost spontaneously a small but distinct chime comes from the sky. I curiously look up and see night skies and bright stars. But I also see a shadow of a floating object making its way towards us.

"Jake is that a bomb?" I whimper, tucking my head into my chest to soften the blow of what is coming.

Jake laughs for a second, "No silly, we got sponsored. They showed me a model of this in the training center. It's a parachute for us." He grabs the parachute and studies it. He opens a silver metallic capsule and out pops a small, circular bottle of glass containing a liquid. I could feel his relief as he lets out a loud sigh and reads a small note that the capsule held. "It's from Attis. He gave us water." He pops open the bottle. I jump off his back and hug him. "We're going to make it." I whisper, excited as can be. He lets me sip from it first. At first it hurts to swallow but the payoff is amazing. I already feel myself recovering from dehydration. We take turns sipping. He does, then I do. All until the bottle is empty.

"You should really get out of here."

"Jake, what are you talking about? I'm staying right here." I reply, puzzled.

Jake places his arm in front of me and I hear the blade of his trident slide against the sheath as if being drawn, "That wasn't me." He says softly, through gritted teeth.

"I'm warning you guys." The voice says louder, "This is your last chance."

Jake passes me the goggles and I put them on, staring around. I see a slight movement in the bushes and I draw one of my axes. Right when I make eye contact, I get tackled down by somebody.

Jake tries to pull him off me, and I struggle to push him off. He puts his hand across my neck and squeezes. I take my axe and try to raise it for the kill. He smacks it out of my hand. Jake takes his trident and knocks the guy out with a swift smack to the head.

"Finish him off babe." I whine, Getting up and brushing dirt off of my ensemble.

"We can't kill him yet." He says, "He might know something about the tribe."

I pass the goggles to Jake and he puts them on, "Help me tie him up."

Jake slices off a long vine from a tree and ties up the tribute with it.

"Now what. This isn't going to help anything. Even if he knows something about Chase, Garnet or the tribe, they'll probably make their next move before he wakes up." I imply.

We search his bag that was left hidden in a bush. Luckily we found a flashlight so we didn't have to switch goggles back and forth. But almost an hour later the tribute wakes up.

"Where am I?" He says groggily. He tries to struggle out of the vines but they are too tough for him.

"Calm down." I say, "We don't want to hurt you but we will."

He struggles more and I shine my flashlight into his eyes, "I said stop."

"What do you want from me." He sneers.

Jake furrows his brows, "What District are you from and what's your name?"

"Ryder. District nine." He replies, out of breath.

Jake crosses his arms, "Do you happen to know the District four, twelve, or five tributes?"

"No." He replies, "I swear, I don't. I know nothing about them."

I look at Jake, "I think he's lying."

"Or if he isn't lying he just isn't any help." Jake takes his trident and stabs him in the stomach, "Plus, he tried to hurt you."

The cannon blasts. Thirteen tributes remain.

"But when he attacked me, he was soaking wet. Perhaps he already found a water source. Maybe there's one near here." I smile, hopefully.

"Then let's get going. Perhaps we should go towards the force field." Jake says, taking my hand.

"Okie dokie." I reply, chuckling.

We go through the rocky terrain and reach a nice stone landscape with a stream rushing through it. Excited and hopeful, I walk over to test the water. To my advantage, it's spring water. I turn around quickly and leap into Jake's arms. I kiss all over his face and smile, "We found it! We found water!"

"Yes, we did baby." Jake smiles, "Yes we did."

I run over to the water and throw our bags and Ryder's bag onto the stones right beside the steam. Unzipping each one, I pull out the canteens and fill them up, taking deep gulps, then refilling. Jake sits beside me and drinks until he's fully hydrated.

"I'm so glad I have you here." He says to me, "It's nice having allies but you're the only one I truly trust. I'm not going to lie and say that we didn't jump into things fast. But to be perfectly honest, I feel like I've known you all my life." He wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me in to his side.

I rest my head on his shoulder and take a sip from the canteen, peering across the horizon into the lush landscape of trees and glistening stars.

"If only we were never here." I reply, "We would all know everything would be okay. We would have a life. We would buy an amazing house. We would be able to do everything we wanted."

Jake smiles and rubs the back of his neck with his other hand, "The problem with that is we wouldn't have met each other. That's the only thing I will take away positive from these games. Even if it means my death, I die by your side. I'll die by somebody who cares and who loves me."

"You won't die." I say, "You're strong. Way stronger than me."

He sighs, "But that's where you're wrong, because when it comes to you, you might as well just step on me as if I'm an ant. I will never ever harm you. I just can't bring myself to do it. The only person I would harm if it was you and me is myself. I don't want you to be in a situation where it's the two of us and your best friend either. But I do know that if we're to make it out these games together than we need to make it out for a purpose. Dead or alive."

"If one of us lays their head down in these games, the other won't be able to function." I reply.

Jake kisses my head, "Then we don't function. We let them know what they've done and we don't let them forget it."

"But I want you to function." I reply.

He looks at me, "But I'm not going to be the one that has to... you will. Just remember I always love you."