Sea Of Secrets [1]

Sixteen

   The last few days it's been raining and storming non stop. The rain had been dripping into our small cave, and we've been trying our hardest to stay dry, but all our attempts to keep the water out had failed.

   The liightning had made the cave erupt with light , only leaving us in darkness for a few moments at a time. The thunder has made everyone quiver and hide, even the birds won't dare talk to one another. Sometimes we see sparks, and the a faint glow of light and know that a tree nearby has been struck by lightning.

   Our sleeping bag and my blanket is hardly enough to keep the both of us warm. We huddle together every night, trying to warm our small bodies. Both of us have lost a good amount of weight, and that doesn't help either. My long hair - which usually keeps me warm - is wet and stif from the cold weather.

   For two long days, we wait for the rain to stop so we can go and catch some food for us to eat. We only have berries , nuts, and some bird meat left. Our bodies filled with its own kind of thunder, only this time not in the sky, but in our stomachs.

   On the second night, it pours heavily, and the small opening in the cave walls trickle in water. We drink it, not bothering to purify it. Any water is good water at this point. The days have been so long and dark that we couldn't tell if it was midday , or twilight. The anthem told us that it was night.

   We pressed our ears to the cave walls, trying to hear if there are any new deaths. I peer through a small opening and find a picture of Thresh, looking strong and mighty. Even dead he could send shivers down my spine. Now only four of us are alive.

   "It's Thresh" I yell over the thunder, and know that he is now with Rue.

   "Now it's just Foxface and Cato" Katniss hands me some nuts and continues to talk "Foxface is quick , very quick. She can outsmart us all combined. Cato is a career so he won't go down without a fight"

   "How can we outsmart Foxface?"

   "Maybe we can get Cato and her together someway, and then they can go at it" Katniss shrugs, not knowing what else to say. We both don't know much about the other two, but what little we do know about them can get us killed. I chewed on the nuts thinking about a way to maybe kill them, using their own tricks against them, but I came up with nothing. "Let's sleep, and hopefully this clears up. The game makers can't keep us from fighting each other forever"

                                {~}

   When I woke , the sounds of birds came clear in my ears and I smiled up happily at the shining sun. It was about time that I could see at least a few feet in front of me. With all the rain, I couldn't even see the trees that were right next to our cave.

   "I was just about to wake you" Katniss looks up at me and smiles. The sun has raised both of our moods, knowing we can now go hunt for food.

   "I'm starving" I say as rolling up my sleeping bag. "This should be called the starving games" I laugh at myself and so does Katniss. She rolls her eyes at me and braids her hair over her right shoulder. After me cutting it, it looks a lot healthier.

   Before heading out, I eat a few berries and munch on mint leafs to try and quiet my stomach. The fish and wildlife will become scared of sudden loud noises, and we won't be able to get anything.

   "We should maybe split up, one of us staying by the cave, and one traveling a few feet north. I'll stay by the cave and you go north to try and catch some mockingjays, you always seem to get more alone" Katniss nods at me and heads up. We'll use Rue's call if we need each other. We promised to be back before nightfall so we can have enough energy with all the food we have caught. We won't be able to hide forever, and tomorrow we will be heading out to see if we can find Foxface or Cato. Maybe they teamed up together, maybe they are coming after us too.

   I sit quietly for a few minutes before I begin to see fish coming to the surface. They must be just as happy as I am that the sun is out. For a while I don't catch any, just taking in the sun and thinking over what I would do if I won. I would be alone in a big house, no parents , no little brother to keep me company. Katniss would have to go back to her District , to her family. She would be happy, I would be lonely. Sometimes I envy her, knowing she has much more then me. Yes, my District is one with more food , more riches , and hers isn't. But she had much more then me. She has love, she has family. She has something to look forward to when she goes back. I have Finnick and Mags, but Mags rarely talks, and I doubt that Finnick likes me for more then a piece in one of his games.

   The cannon goes off in the sky and I am ripped from my thoughts and into reality. The fish have gone back into hiding , and I take my knife out.

   There are now only three of us, and maybe Katniss had died. Panic floods through my blood as I realize that the cannon might have been hers. I bolt into the woods where she was, and I call for her through the mockingjay signal. No one answers me.

   "Katniss!!" I call out "Katniss!"

   A hand covers my mouth from behind and I am frozen with fear. "Shut up" Relief floods through me as I hear her voice. "It wasn't me, it was Foxface"

   I turn around and hug her sweating body. All of my envies go away and I cling to her. "I thought it was you" I whisper. "I thought it was you"