The Simpson's Hunger Games

Chapter 29

Lisa:

"First thing's first", Nelson starts, "We need to find somewhere to sleep." I nod in agreement. We've been travelling through Floor Four for a few hours now, the light growing slowly dimmer. After Nelson refused to carry her, Terri hasn't said anything. I can feel her scowling into my back, as Nelson leads us. The District Two tribute continues, "Now, I don't know about you Five, but we've been camping along these passages as we go along. One of us kept watch of course...in case any idiot decided to show up.", he chuckles slightly. A shiver runs down my spine. It doesn't sound like those poor 'idiots' didn't live to pass the next bend in the tunnel. "Well? Where should we camp?", Nelson asks me impatiently. I'm surprised he's asking for my opinion. It's as if he respects me. I frown, before answering, "Well, I don't know. Maybe somewhere where we'd be ready for anything that would try to attack us." Terri huffs, and pushes past me, and whispers something in Nelson's ear. He shrugs her off, and mutters something incomprehensible. We may be working together for now, but we will clearly never be trusted allies.

We finally find a place to stop to get some rest. Terri empties out her bag, to reveal two tightly compacted sleeping bags. They fit neatly into a bag each. She unties them both and lays them out on the floor. I look at the two sleeping bags enviously. I gently place my own bag on the ground, and sit next to it. I take out my water bottle, and take a drink. I've leaned to take food and drink in moderation now: I don't think I'll leave anything to waste ever again. Nelson starts a fire for warmth with some matches, yet another luxury. Unable to control my curiosity, I ask him where they got so many Sponsors from to provide them with all these resources. Terri laughs, and answers for him. "Well, we got a lot from the Cornucopia. The Gamemakers were very generous this year", she snickers, "We got a lot of parachutes too. Sometimes, when we found another tribute,  we'd steal their stuff." I roll my eyes. I always thought I wouldn't put the tributes above murdering and stealing. However, Terri decided to horrify me even more. She points to the sleeping bags. "Guess where these came from?", she teases," Only from your District partner and his girlfriend!". Terri cackles, clutching her stomach. My forehead creases. Girlfriend? Does she mean Maude? The District Twelve girl? I distract myself by thinking any further by helping Nelson with the fire.

 Terri produces some dried fruit from her bag, and reluctantly shares it around. Nelson gobbles it down hungrily, but I savour the slightly bitter taste in my mouth for a long time. I'm sure I can see Terri take an extra piece of fruit, but I don't comment on it. The last thing I needed was a fight. Exhausted, I don't volunteer myself to take first watch, although my first instinct is to not fall asleep in front of people I don't trust. Nelson grumbles that'll he'll take the first watch, and insists that I take the second. He says nothing about Terri. Terri lies down on one of the sleeping bags, and falls asleep instantly. Nelson gestures to the second one for me to sleep on, and I take it hesitantly, but gratefully. I have a dreamless sleep, which turns into a living nightmare when Nelson wakes me up to take the second watch. 

Sighing, I give up my bed for Nelson, and sit beside the dying fire. I whisper to Nelson that I'll wake him in a few hours. He grunts in response, and his snores fill the tunnel within a minute. I don't bother to defend myself with a weapon; I doubt any intruding tribute has made it to this floor yet anyway. I sit in the dim light, my head tilted forward onto my chest. Despite the rest, I'm still tired. I glance over at Terri, who is no longer sleeping, and staring at me. Starting slightly, I wonder how long she's been looking at me. She gives me a sarcastic smile, "So, you haven't taken off yet? Or murdered us in our beds?". I shake my head. "You know it's only a matter of time...", she continues,"...Before you turn into one of us. Slaughtering your way to the top, nothing getting in your way." I think of what she said earlier about stealing Millhouse and Maude's stuff, and see red. I turn to face her, hissing maliciously, "I will never be one of you. People like you make me sick! If you got out of your selfish little world, maybe you would see that there is actually more to life than the Hunger Games. There is more value to someone's life than something that is in your way to winning a suicidal bloodbath. I've noticed that your other Career friends missing. I bet you and Nelson are the only ones left. Did it hurt when your friend Sherri was killed in front of your eyes? More likely it didn't, as you were probably the one that murdered her!". 

Terri lets out a screech of rage, and possibly pain. If I was a few weeks younger, I would feel guilty that I hurt someone like that, but now I could hardly care less. The Career springs at me like a cat, with claws outstretched. Before she even reaches me however, she flies into a coughing fit. I stare silently, as Terri retches and gags. I see some scarlet spots on the floor where she chokes, and I look away quickly. She whispers, her breaths ragged, "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be alive! It was me who suggested that we find you, and it was me who spotted you in the river. Don't ever say I'm selfish; I have other priorities apart from myself, which is more than I can say for you, Lisa Simpson!". She falls into another passionate fit of coughing, finally waking Nelson, who sits up, and watches her numbly, like me. We watch as she vomits the contents of her stomach onto the bare floor, blood accompanying the little food she has consumed. She looks at us, and says rasping, "Oh joy! I have an audience (!)". She ducks her head down again, as she chokes for the third, and final time. Heaving, she lowers her crouching body to the ground. She closes her eyes, and mouths something unintelligible. Her body twitches for a few seconds, before the cannon finally goes off. 

A melancholy feeling hits me, as I look at the dead body of the latest fallen tribute. An enemy, but my first ally...