The First Annual Hunger Games (Book 1)

11. Allies

I set up the tent inside my cave, working on it until the anthem starts playing. I pause and go to the entrance. In the sky the symbol of the Capitol shines. Pictures of the fallen tributes start after it. First the boy from 3 who was killed right in front of me, then the boys from 4 and 5, the girl from 6, the boy from 8 who was killed by the bombs, the girls from 9 and 10, and the boy from 12. Eight in total.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I realize Roxen's still alive. He deserves to stay alive, he deserves another shot at his life. But we all do, none of us asked for this.

Since the sun's already down I decide to put my plan into action tomorrow. I go into the tent and ball the extra clothes into a pillow and lay on it. I wonder if I'll be able to sleep. I close my eyes and pretend I'm home laying next to my sister in our bed. Soon the image coaxes me to dreams.

I wake to the sun just slipping over the horizon. Today's the day I'm going to put my plan in action, but I don't know if I can go through with it. I get killing someone out of self defence and I think I could do that, but this plan would have me kill them without them even knowing.

I sigh and decide to stretch and eat before I do anything. I take a swig of water and grab a protein bar. The taste is bland, but everything is compared to the food I've been having the last few days. I stretch all my muscles until they're nice and loose.

"I found a cave in the canyon wall this morning so I'm thinking there might be more," I hear a boy say. He sounds far away.

"Let's keep an eye out. You look on that side and I'll watch this one," I recognize this voice, it's Kestrel from 7.

I grab my weapons and peak out of the cave, the other boy is Alto from 6. I back away from the edge and try to slow my breathing. They're going to find the cave, I need a plan. I look around and my eyes land on the tent. I guess my plan can work in here too.

I pull the tent out from the wall and crouch behind it, my axe at the ready. It's another minute before I hear them again.

"Up there," Alto says. "Think we can climb up?"

"I've climbed trees before, how different can it be?" He pauses. "I'll go up and if there's nothing up there I'll come down, but if someone's there they'll have to have a rope or something," I curse myself, I left my rope in plain sight, "and I'll toss it down to you."

"What if they kill you first?"

Kestrel answers immediately. "Then you run." The other boy doesn't say anything and the sounds of climbing come to my ears. It takes Kestrel two minutes to reach the entrance. "There's a tent up here," he calls down. "And a rope."

I hear the rope hit the ground outside and cringe, any moment now. It takes Alto a few more minutes to climb.

"Did you check the tent?" He's out of breath.

"No but if someone's in there they haven't made an appearance." I hear something metal, must be a weapon. They unzip the tent slowly and let out a sigh of relief when they see inside.

"All their supplies are in there," Alto says.

"You keep watch," Kestrel says. "I'll gather the supplies." I hear him get in the tent.

My knees start to hurt from my position. I try to kneel quietly, but my shoe scrapes the ground.

"What was that?"

"Go check it out."

I hear a deep breath and some muttering from Alto. Just before he rounds the corner I understands the words. "Please be animal. Please be an animal." He comes around the corner and I stand.