Albany Rosewood- District 2 Victor

Chapter 17

  Once Maylee and the others are asleep, I decided to go to bed. I don't want to take my eyes off of the screen for a second, but at they moment it's just showing sleeping tributes. None of them have tried to start a fire, which is smart. I give the large screen one last glance before clicking it off and going to bed.
  As I get ready for bed, I think about the first day of the Games. There were eight deaths, which is normal for the Bloodbath. When they projected their images into the sky, I thought I was going to cry. All eight of those kids will never get to grow up, most of them didn't even make it to my age. Plus, it brought back memories of my own Games. There were eight deaths in the bloodbath then, too. I was responsible for one of them. I learned his name after the Games. It was Ivan and he was fourteen years old. And I was the one that ended his life. Fourteen years is not long, not long enough at all. And he was just one of the many that I had to kill to make it out of that arena.
I take a deep breath. Dwelling on the past won't help me or Maylee. I have to focus on just getting her through alive.
Which is something I can't do if I'm so tired that I can't keep my eyes open. I quickly brush my teeth, change into a light blue nightgown, and climb into the soft bed.
After a very restless night, I get up very early in the morning. I throw on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved gray shirt and then scrape my tangled hair back into a ponytail. A quick glance in the mirror shows me that I have dark circles under my eyes and that I already look worried. I attempt to rearrange my face into a neutral expression, but there's no point.
I hurry out into the suite and sit down on the couch. I click the TV on and sigh in relief when I see Maylee, alive, on the screen.
Maylee is sitting with Cael, Jasper, and Jett. They're sitting around a large fire and eating apples. They all have their weapons sitting in their laps, ready to jump up at a moment's notice. There are still some lethal tributes left. Zana is very dangerous, as is Brody. Lia and Nolan could also be a problem, since they're together and obviously very smart. Laguna is also dangerous, although she has little Farah with her, which could slow her down.
The screen changes, showing Caesar Flickerman. He is talking about the tributes' stats and about who died when and who was killed by who. I study the chart he has projected into the wall. No more deaths overnight, Jasper has the best odds of winning, with Maylee behind him, then Cael, then Jett. Zana also has good odds, and so does Ren, surprisingly.
Caesar is showing clips from last night when an Avox walks in holding a tray. The tray has two pieces of toast, butter, jam, jelly, a pot of tea, a mug, milk, and sugar.
"Thank you," I say. I hadn't even thought about eating anything, but my stomach has been grumbling. The Avox nods and leaves. I pour myself some tea and add milk and sugar. I sip it while I watch Caesar.
Soon, it returns to showing the Games. The Careers are standing around and talking.
"I think we need to go and look for tributes. We won't accomplish anything by sitting here all day," Jasper says.
"Yeah, I agree, but we need people to stay here and make sure no one takes our supplies. We have so much here, someone is bound to come and take some of it," Jett says.
"We shouldn't have both girls stay here," Cael says, receiving a look of disdain from Jett. "Nor can we have both people from the same district. Me and Jett will stay here, and Jasper and Maylee can go tribute hunting. Sound good?" Everyone nods, and Jasper and Maylee gather up their weapons and get ready to leave. Maylee takes a sword and she tucks a few daggers into slots in her jacket. Jasper grabs a scythe and a bow. He slings the accompanying quiver of arrows over his back and then heads in the direction of the forest. Maylee follows, and they walk along in silence until they're out of earshot from Jett and Cael.
  "Here's the thing, Maylee," says Jasper suddenly. Uh oh. What could he want? He sounds aggressive. "Last night, the three of us were talking after you fell asleep." I mentally curse myself. I should have told her never to be the first one asleep. "We don't think you have it in you to kill people. You only killed one tribute during the bloodbath, and don't think we see you flinch a little when we kill them. We won't tolerate weakness. If you can't pull it together, I will kill you before I go back to the Cornucopia." Maylee tenses, preparing to fight. "Oh, please," Jasper says. "I'm stronger than you and I can kill you in a heartbeat." Maylee doesn't change her stance, and after a moment of silence, Jasper rushes at her and pins her against a large tree. Maylee struggles to grab her weapons, but her arms are pinned behind her back. Jasper holds his scythe against her throat, drawing a trickle of blood.
  My breath catches in my throat. He can't kill her. Jasper sneers menacingly at Maylee, pressing the scythe a little farther into her neck.
  "You will kill all of the tributes that we come across on this little trip and you will show no signs of regret or hesitation or I will kill you on the spot. Is that understood?" Maylee nods fervently, and Jasper lets her go. They continue to hike through the forest.
  The camera cuts away from them, showing Lia and Nolan. They're in a cave that is situated at the base of a mountain. Lia is sitting on a rock, twirling her shoulder-length red hair, which is pulled back into French braids. Nolan is sitting on the damp cave ground, looking through a large backpack.
  "We have a coil of rope, a small knife, a water purifier, some dehydrated fruit, a bag of almonds, and a blanket," Nolan announces.  
  "Good," Lia says. "I say that we stay in the cave except to get food and water. We keep the supplies with us at all times, and we stay together."
"Sounds good to me," says Nolan. There's a long pause before he says, "Lia... I just want you to know that even it comes down to the two of us... I won't hurt you. We've known each other for four years and I would never do that. I just- I just thought you should know." Nolan looks down, his curly hair falling in front of his face. His expression is unreadable.
There's another long pause, then Lia says, "Nol, you know I wouldn't hurt you either. You're my best friend. And nothing can come between us. Nothing." Nolan looks up at Lia and she comes over to give him a hug. They hug each other tightly, Lia resting her head on Nolan's shoulder. Nolan closes his eyes and they stay like that for a while, just holding each other.
There is nothing romantic about their embrace, however. They share a bond similar to the bond that Maylee and I have, and I feel a sob rise up into my throat. So many lives lost, so many people torn apart. I take a shuddering breath as the camera cuts away from Lia and Nolan.
  Next, it shows Jessa and Zeke. They're sitting in a small cave that's higher up in the mountains than Lia and Nolan's. They have no supplies with them except a curved piece of tree bark filled with water.
"Zeke," Jessa says in a small voice. "I'm hungry."
"I know, but we can't get any food right now. I don't want you to get hurt. You'll have to wait a little while longer. At least we have water, right?" Jessa nods meekly.
"Zeke?" she says. "I don't want to die."
"Me neither, Jessa. Me neither."
The camera changes to a different tribute- Zana. She is perched on a thick tree branch about 15 feet up. She has a sleeping bag, a bow,  a quiver of arrows, and a backpack. Her long, black hair is pulled into a high ponytail and her dark eyes are fixated on the ground around her. She is holding the bow, and arrow already ready to fire.
  After a little while, Darby, the girl from District 11, walks by Zana's tree. Darby looks scared and jumpy. She is biting her bottom lip and pulling on her pigtails anxiously. Zana pulls back her arrow and takes a moment to aim.
I hold my breath. I'm about to witness one more fatality of the 62nd Hunger Games.
Zana releases the arrow, shooting Darby through the neck. Darby lets out a gargling scream and writhes around on the ground for a moment before falling silent and still.
Boom. Darby is the ninth casualty.
The camera cuts away to Ophelia, who is hiding in a tree, far away from Zana, with only a canteen of water and a pack of dried fruit. She is peering around, her blue eyes wide. She is on guard, ready to move at a moment's notice. She looks as if she hasn't slept all night because she has dark circles under her eyes.
  After a minute or two, the camera switches to Ren, the boy from 11. He has a pack of knives, and he is throwing one at a squirrel. He hits it, then he picks it up and begins to walk. He reaches a secluded spot in the forest. He's in a small clearing hidden by tall bushes and small trees. Ren uses a flint and steel to start a small fire in some twigs. He uses a knife to skin the squirrel and then spears it and roasts it over the fire. He stamps the fire out and eats his squirrel.
  Next, the camera changes to Laguna and Farah. As I suspected, they are together. Laguna managed to grab a bag of apples, a water canteen, a waterproof blanket, rope, and three knives. She is tossing one in her hand while Farah eats an apple. They are behind a large rock the base of the mountain. They are fairly close to Lia and Nolan, from what I can tell, but I don't think they know.
"Farah, we need to go and get some water. We drank everything that was in the canteen. You stay here, I'll go. There's a stream that's not too far from here, I saw it on my way up here," Laguna says.
"But... what if someone comes and sees me here?" Farah asks, her eyebrows contracting worriedly.
"I taught you how to throw knives, you should be fine. Besides, it's unlikely that anyone will come here." Laguna hands her one of the knives and picks up the canteen. "I'll be back in just a minute. Just stay here, and stay quiet." Farah nods, and Laguna gives her a small smile before setting off.
I hope no one comes for Farah. She seems nice, and she's only 13. Then, I mentally chide myself. I can't become attached to any tributes. I just need to think about Maylee. But how can I not care about the others? They're people with lives, too.
Next, the camera cuts to Brody, the strong boy from 10. He is holding a large rock and trying to sneak up on a squirrel to kill it. He takes a step and the leaves crinkle, and the squirrel scampers off. He must not be very smart if he's trying to kill a squirrel with a rock. I also doubt that he's gotten water. If he doesn't find some soon, he'll end up dead of dehydration.
The camera shows Dexter, the boy from 9. He has a sword and is walking through the outskirts of the woods, right next to the mountains. I grip my mug of tea, which has long since gone cold. He is getting very close to little Farah's hiding place. He keeps walking and then comes to the rock she's hiding behind.
  "Well, well. What do we have here?" Dexter says maliciously. Farrah's brown eyes widen in fear. She stands up, holding her knife. One knife is hardly a match for Dexter, who much bigger than her and has a sword.
  "Laguna!!!!!" Farah screams. "LAGUNA HELP!!!"
  "Oh, so you have a friend? How far away is she? She can't have really wanted to help you, if she left you here all alone. Everyone here is in this for themselves, kiddo." Dexter takes a step towards her.
Suddenly, he shoots his arm out, creating a deep gash in her arm. Farah screams again. Blood pours out her arm, staining her windbreaker and dripping onto the rocky ground.
"LAGUNA! PLEASE!" Farah shrieks. Dexter grins maliciously, ready to deliver the lethal blow.
Right as he is about to kill her, Laguna comes running back through the woods. Dexter turns to face her, and that's all it takes. Farah stabs him in the back, and he stumbles forward, shocked. He collapses in a heap on the ground.
Boom. And this time I'm not sad.
Laguna runs to Farah and helps her wrap up her arm with a windbreaker. She gives Farah a hug, and then the camera switches once again.
This time, it's back to Maylee and Jasper. And they've found another tribute.