The Capitol Games

Chapter 13: Jungle

I bolt up on the soft grass, startled awake by a nightmare. My breathing is heavy, my eyes frantically scanning the cornucopia.
Beside me, Flávio is still asleep, head resting in a dense patch of clover. He looks peaceful, but how can he be when his sister-
His sister.
Oh my gosh, his sister! My eyes come to rest on her body. A festering wound, glazed eyes, and balmy skin. She was dead.
I haven't known Flávio very long, but I know he'll be sad. I carefully remove his hand from my waist and stretch before moving to Aiyana and sliding her eyelids over her lifeless, staring eyes.
I want to go out to look for food and flowers for Aiyana, but I don't want Flávio to think I've abandoned him. I sit at the entrance of our shelter and think of ways to assure him I'd be back. I sit there for what feels like forever before finally coming up with an idea.
I quickly stand and start stripping off my suit until I am left in a camisole and a pair of shorts. My feet are still bare from the night before.
The thought of Dart and the fight send a pang of hurt through my heart, momentarily pausing my motions. Takin a deep breath, I return to folding up my clothes, placing them in a nice stack at the edge of the cornucopia. I turn to Flávio, and without second thought, place a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"Sleep well. I'll be back soon, I promise." I whisper in his ear, moving a lock of hair from his sleeping eyes. I smile down at him before standing and venturing out into the jungle.
As I struggle through the dense forest, I glance behind me every so often, worrying for Flávio's safety. I turn my head to face forward again, and take another step deeper into the jungle.
Falling. That's all my mind is registering as my body is met with thick vines, slick leaves, as sharp rocks. As I tumble into the hole, I feel every scratch, cut, and bruise the greenery is giving me.
I let out a cry of pain as I reach the bottom, landing on my ankle at a sharp angle, my bones giving a crack as I land.
Tears escape my eyes as I look at the damage, my vision blurring significantly. I wipe away the tears from my eyes and cheeks then look down at my ankle.
No blood, that's good.
I reach down and gingerly touch my ankle, wincing at the pain, but not finding it too unbearable.
No swelling, good.
Relief washes over me, cancelling out some of the dull, throbbing pain. I grip a rock, and try to pull myself up. My hand slips on some moss and I collapse, falling on my ankle once again. I clutch my hand, red blood quickly coating it. I had sliced open my hand on the rock.
I attempt once more to stand, managing to lean on the thick trunk of a nearby tree. Wincing with every step, I slowly limp to the hill, then inch my way up from there on all fours.
I reach the top of the hill and use a vine to pull myself up, my hand and ankle burning with pain. I manage to find a little fruit on my trek back, some bluish-purple berries on a small cluster of bushes. I pick as many as I can hold before continuing on my slow and painful journey to the cornucopia.
I finally reach it, and fall to my knees just outside the shelter. I had found some mushrooms on the trip, adding them to my meager bundle of food.
Flávio comes out and crushes me in a hug, planting a quick kiss on my lips.
"I though you'd left, Darling. Then I saw your folded clothes an I knew you'd come back. I just knew it!" Flávio exclaims, releasing me from the bear hug. I laugh and spill the contents of my shirt on one of the larger patches of clover.
"I brought a feast." I joke, smiling as I pick up a mushroom.
"How do you know these aren't poisonous?" Flávio asks, worry suddenly clouding his previously happy features.
"In training, I spent most of my time learning about these foods. These are safe to eat. Watch this." I reply, tossing the mushroom at the wall, smiling as it falls, cooked to perfection.
"How'd you know this was heated?" Flávio asks, tossing Moore mushrooms at the wall.
"Heated is an understatement. On the first day here, my shoulder was almost burned to a crisp when the girl I was fighting pinned me against the wall." I reply, throwing two more mushrooms on the wall and separating the berries between the two of us.
"I'm sorry, I looked for some flowers for Aiyana, but I couldn't find any. I'm sorry about her. I wish we could've saved her. I wish we could've saved everyone." I blurt out, regretting the words as soon as they leave my mouth.
I watch as Flávio's face drops from his smile, tears quickly forming in his eyes. I crawl over to him and carefully wrap my arms around his neck, allowing him to cry into my shoulder. I stroke his hair softly, comforting him as best I can.
We stay like this for awhile, until the sun disappears behind the horizon. Finally, we part, brought back from our dreamland by our rumbling stomachs, reminding us both of this cruel reality.
"Shall we feast?" I ask, wiping my tears eyes, picking up a mushroom and holding one out for him.
"We shall." Flávio replies, forcing a sad smile onto his face and taking the mushroom.
Raisin them in between us, we smile weakly.
"Cheers!"