Garden of Eden

Chapter 25

Dawn must still be a good couple of hours away when I wake up.

Turning at the sound of me sitting up, Haymitch sees that I have woken.

We change places as he sleeps and I take over on sentinel duty.

As I sit keeping watch, I shiver when a particularly strong gale of wind brushes by. Seeing as how there haven't been any deaths in the past two days, I can't help but wonder whether or not the Gamemakers are purposely bringing about the winds.

Maybe they hope that by making the arena as cold as possible, someone will eventually become desperate enough to light a fire.

It certainly seems like something they'd do.

Taking my mind off the Gamemakers, I try to think about anything else. That's when I realise that today will be day thirteen in the arena. I almost can't even be sure; keeping track of time is that difficult. Time seems to move differently in here than it does out there.

I sigh, staring around for any signs of movement. It's not that easy to do seeing as the wind is making the entire woods move.

Drinking water, I wait a little impatiently for morning, sitting restlessly with my mind all over the place.

I can't help but wonder what lies at the end of the arena. How long it will be until this alliance ends. When the next death will be.

Getting up quietly, I decide to take a walk to calm my racing mind.

I pace back and forth. After doing this for ten minutes, I am surprised to find that it actually works. My head clears and I try keeping it blank.

Eventually I'm calm enough to sit back down, watching as the sky grows lighter.

Despite my restlessness, I leave Haymitch to sleep. He can wake up on his own.

A very long hour later and that is what he does.

We eat some more wild boar and I finish off the other half of the mint cookie I'd been saving. Eventually, it is time to move again. We get our jackets and ropes first before going anywhere.

As the day progresses, the weather becomes perceptibly warmer. The wind even dies out. Encouraged by the warm weather, animals slowly begin venturing out of their shelters to bask in the sun.

Haymitch and I are careful not to let any of them get too close.

During our first break of the day, I decide to climb a tree to see how much more walking we have to do.

My heart sinks.

Despite our quick pace and the wide distance we covered yesterday, the huge green wall looks to be about a good days walk.

Climbing back down, I explain the situation to Haymitch.

He doesn't seem too deterred. "We better get a move on, then," he says.

With that, we resume our hike.

I strain my ears for sounds of a cannon, both hoping to hear and not hear it at the same time.

Another death means the bloodlust of the Capitol will be sated for the time being, and therefore no Gamemakers intervention. There's no telling what they will come up with next otherwise.

However, another death means there will only be four of us left. Haymitch and I would be that much closer to being forced to face each other.

But no cannon sound.