The First Annual Hunger Games (Book 1)

13. The Water

I tell the boys to go to sleep and that I'll keep watch. I remember the dream I had and I don't know if I can sleep after it. I sit on a low tree branch, my feet dangling over the edge.

I don't know what the dream could've meant. The sunny beach with all the different versions of me seems impossible. My family was happy and so was I. Maybe if the war and the games had never happened we could be. I could be. Now after what I've seen, what I've done, I'm not so sure.

The island that I was on seemed like more of a reality. The tributes were either dead or they wanted to kill me. The crowd the bird lead me through doesn't make sense. The people looked like how I feel; depressed, angry, maybe a little hopeless. I wonder who they could be.

The sky begins to brighten and soon the sun emerges. I hop out of the tree and stretch my legs. I put more lake water into the filter and wait for it to be cleaned.

Eventually the boys stir and wake up. Kestrel offers to make some breakfast and I don't object. I lean back against the tree while Kestrel fishes and Roxen starts a fire with some wood we found that won't make smoke. Once Kestrels caught a few he comes back to us and he and Roxen make a good team while making breakfast.

"It's ready Aldera," Kestrel calls to me. I snap out of my daydream and look back at them. Getting up, I approach the fire. Kestrel hands me a rock serving as a plate with a nicely cooked fish on it.

"Thanks." I take a bite. "Wow," I say with my mouth full. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were from four."

"I just caught it, Roxen was the one who cooked it."

"Nonsense," Roxen says.

"It's very good," I tell him.

He only shrugs and takes another large bite of his own fish. "So," he says once he's done. "What are we doing today?"

"This is it." Kestrel tosses a few fish bones aside.

"You just sit here?" Roxen asks. We nod. "You don't go scout out the canyon or sharpen your weapons or look for a new spot?"

"This is probably the best spot in the arena," I say. "There's no point in giving it up."

"You could at least, like, go swimming or something."

"Be my guest." Kestrel gestures towards the water. Roxen stands and walks towards the water. "It is pretty hot, maybe it would be good to cool down." Kestrel stands too.

"I'm not going in there," I say. "My stylist put my hair into this perfect... whatever it is and if I go in there it'll be ruined."

"We're in a competition fighting for our lives and you're worried about your hair."

"I'm a girl, get used to it." I cross my arms.

"Fine. Stay in the heat." Kestrel turns around and takes his shirt, shoes, and socks off. He then runs towards Roxen who's only in up to his knees. Kestrel crashes into Roxen and they go tumbling into the water.

"Dude!" Roxen yells when he recovers. "I was not ready for that."

"That was the point." He steps closer to Roxen and whispers something to him. Roxen nods. They seem to sit there for a minute and then burst out of the water straight towards me.

"Oh no." I stand and run for the tree, climbing as fast as I can.

They climb up after me and Kestrel grabs ahold of my foot. "We've got you now." He tugs and I slip out of the tree. Roxen catches me. I squirm but his grip is too much for me.

"Come on guys," I plead. They walk me to the water. "At least take off my shoes."

"Hold on, Roxen." Kestrel pulls my shoes off along with my socks. "Proceed." Roxen strides deeper and deeper into the lake.

"What if I don't know how to swim?" I make one last attempt.

"Let's find out," Roxen says and lets go of me.

I just have time to take a breath before the cold water surrounds me. I open my eyes and look at the fish swimming by. The water is so clear and it seems to bring clarity to my mind. I'm in the hunger games fighting for my life, yet I'm having some fun with these people that could be secretly plotting my death. I look over at them. Roxen and Kestrel are to my left, shaking with laughter. How could they want to kill me and prank me in the same day. I shake my head and swim to the surface.

"You guys are jerks," I say above the water.

They're still laughing. "Don't you feel refreshed, Aldera?" Kestrel asks.

I don't admit it, but the water does feel nice. I splash Kestrel mid-laugh. He spits the water out and sloshes water back at me. It soons turns into an all-out war. We spend the next few hours in and out of the water, sometimes splashing, sometimes just relaxing.

When we're finally done I change into the spare clothes I got from the cornucopia. The boys have to wait for theirs to dry, which won't be long under the sun. I take the headscarf off and lay it out to dry. I sigh and take the ponytail out of my hair, feeling it bounce right into a sopping afro.

Kestrel goes to the mouth of the canyon to make sure no one's coming and Roxen sits on a log. "I can braid your hair if you want," Roxen offers.

"You know how to braid?" I ask.

"I used to do my sisters hair all the time. It was a lot like yours, thick and hard for her to manage. I picked up a few tricks."

"Okay." I sit in front of him and feel his finger begin to weave through my hair, the action soothing me. "My mother used to do my hair when I was little, but she stopped when I got old enough to do it myself. It was always something that I looked forward to."

"I'm sure she'd love to do it again once you get out of here."

I stay quiet for a moment. "You're still rooting for me and not yourself?"

"I told you already, you'd do more good out there than I could." I shake my head. "Hold still," he says gently.

"Sorry." I stay quiet until he finishes the braid.

"All done."

"Thank you." I move to sit next to him. My skim over the landscape and land on Kestrel sitting in the tree closest to the canyon. "What do you think of him?" I nod toward Kestrel.

Roxen looks up and stares at him for a moment. "I don't know, he seems nice enough, but, in light of the circumstances, that might not be enough. He might be willing to do anything to win."

I nod. "I'm pretty tired so I'm gonna try to get some sleep before it's my turn to keep watch."

"Okay."

I stand and climb up to my little nook in the tree. It isn't long before I drift off.

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, I've been super busy with school. Did you like this chapter, tell me what you think in the comments. Can Aldera trust anyone, even Roxen? Do you think she can win. If you liked this chapter please give it a vote. Thanks for reading!