One Lucky Winner

Chapter 60 ~ Newt

Day 6
6:47 PM

We walk silently, the smell of pine and smoke strong. Earlier today, we decided to do some walking, and we haven't stopped yet. We haven't come across anyone at all either. It's been boring, yet kind of nice at the same time. It provides silence and thinking time; things I need these days.

The woods we're in are hardly woods anymore. Last night there was apparently a forest fire, and the gamemakers put it out. The fire took away all of the pines needles off the trees, so this part of the woods consists of just dead trunks now.

My surroundings look like something straight out of a horror movie. Everything looks haunted. The trunks of trees, the darkening grey sky, the snow, and my visible breath because of the cold air. Oddly, I kind of like it.

I wander away from Thomas and Hermione, and they do the same. We all examine the forest, looking around at the scene. We don't know the cause of the forest fire and we're all curious, so I guess we're trying to find clues.

The smell of smoke is strong, despite there being no actual fire. My nose burns and I start to get a headache. I walk around and look at everything, taking it all in. The thing I hate the most about the games is the curiosity. I wonder what happened. I wonder what started the fire. I wonder why it happened. I just wish I could know these things, even though they would provide no benefit. I'm just curious.

"Footprints," Hermione's voice says from behind me. I turn and look at her and she's staring at the ground behind me. I look behind me and see crisp footprints, leading away. I didn't notice them before. They look rushed, as if the owner of the prints was scrambling away.

"Yeah. I wonder who's," I say, staring at them.

She puts her foot beside one of the prints and looks at me. I walk over and do the same. The footprint is smaller than mine. About the same size as Hermione's.

"A girl," she says to me. "Tris or Katniss."

I don't know what to say to this, so I just stupidly nod.

"Check it out," I hear Thomas say. He jogs over to us, holding something long in his hand.

He gives it to me. It's an arrow, from a bow and quiver.

"Katniss," Hermione says, looking at me.

Thomas nods, holding back a smile far as I can see.

"These prints must be her's," Hermione says. "She went that way." She points at the footprints we found.

"She must've been involved with the fire, then," I say.

"Maybe she was the one who started it," Thomas says.

"Or she was a victim," Hermione says quietly.

"Should we follow them?" Thomas asks.

"No," Hermione says quickly. "The fire happened last night. She could be anywhere now. And, I don't really want to kill her. She's nice."

"Oh, trust me. I don't want to kill her either," Thomas replies. I look at him and smirk and he returns it.

We continue walking. Hermione takes the lead, Thomas is second, and I take the rear.