The Hunger Games | Rilaya

The Feast

I make my way back up the stream, following the path back to Auggie's hiding place near the lake. I don't see any signs of the other tributes. Either I'm the first one to come or they've already positioned themselves in hiding places.

I nervously fiddle with the bow, waiting for dawn to come. If I don't make it back to Riley, we're both dead.

Just as the first rays of the sun come up, the ground of the Cornucopia splits in two. A round table rises up, four backpacks varying in size on top of them. I let my eyes rake past the two large black ones with the numbers 2 and 11 on them, the medium-sized green one with the number 5, finally setting on the tiny orange one with the number 12.

Riley's medicine.

As soon as the table clicks into place, a figure darts out on the Cornucopia, grabs the green backpack, and speeds off. Foxface! Of course she comes up with such a clever and risky idea. And there's no way anyone would want to hunt her down, not when our own packs are still on the table, open for anyone to take.

I know I have to get to the table next. The other three wouldn't hesitate to take the orange pack. I sprint for the table, sensing the danger before I can even see it. I'm able to deflect the knife with my bow, turning around and sending an arrow at Clove.

She manages to prevent it from being a fatal hit but the arrow still punctures her left arm. Unfortunately, she throws with her right arm.

I make it to the table and grab the tiny orange backpack. I turn around just as Clove slams into me, pinning me to the ground.

"Where's your girlfriend, District 12? Still hanging on?" She smirks.

"She's out there now. Hunting Cato." I snarl, hoping that I was at least somewhat convincing this time. For good measure, I scream "Riley!"

Clove slaps her hand over my mouth, looking around to see if I was telling the truth. When Riley doesn't appear to save me, she turns back to me with a sickening grin.

"Liar." She says. "She's nearly dead. Cato knows where he cut her. You've probably got her strapped up in some tree while you try to keep her heart going. What's in the pretty little backpack? That medicine for Lover Girl? Too bad she'll never get it."

Clove opens her jacket to reveal an impressive array of deadly knives. "I promised Cato if he let me have you, I'd give the audience a good show." She selects a curved blade, waving it around in front of my face.

I try to escape from her grip but it's no use. Her lock on me is too tight.

"Forget it, District 12. We're going to kill you. Just like we did your pathetic little ally...what was his name? The one who hopped around in the trees?" Clove pauses, pretending to ponder. "Auggie? Well, first Auggie, then you, and then I think we'll just let nature take care of Lover Girl. How does that sound? Now, where to start?"

"I think we'll start with your mouth." Clove says. "Yes, I don't think you'll have much use for your lips anymore. Want to blow Lover Girl one last kiss?" She mocks, her lips curling into a sneer.

I reply by spitting in her face.

She flushes with rage, wiping my saliva off her face. "Alright then. Let's get started." She snarls.

But before she could even touch me with the knife, something yanks Clove off my body. And then she's screaming at the top of her lungs, her voice hysterical.

I'm stunned, unable to process what was happening. Was it a wild animal the Gamemakers sent? Did a hovercraft pick her up into the air? Had Riley somehow come to my rescue?

It was none of the above. It was the gigantic, monster of a man that is Thresh. He was holding Clove like a rag doll, the flips her around, flinging her onto the ground.

"What'd you do to that little boy!? You kill him!?" Thresh shouts.

I jump back, startled by the sound of his voice. I've never heard him scream. The most was a mutter.

Clove scrambles back, fear evident in her eyes. "No! No, it wasn't me!"

"You said his name! I heard you! You kill him!?" Thresh narrows his eyes. "You cut him up like you were going to cut up this girl here?"

"No! No!" Clove grows pale when she sees the stone in Thresh's hand. "Cato! Cato!"

"Clove!" I hear Cato but he's too far away to do anything.

Thresh brings the rock down against Clove's skull with a sickening crack. One look at the dent and I knew she was a goner.

Then Thresh whirls around, turning to me. "What'd she mean? About Auggie being your ally?"

"We teamed up." I answer, still shocked at what had happened. "Blew up the supplies. I tried to save him, I did. But he got there first. Marvel."

"And you killed him?" Thresh demands.

"Yes. I killed him. And buried Auggie in flowers. And sang him to sleep." I ramble on.

"To sleep?' Thresh asks.

"To death. I sang until she died." I gulp. "Your district...they sent me bread."

There's a pause, filled with silence.

"Do it fast, okay Thresh?" I ask, closing my eyes.

But when nothing comes, I open them in confusion.

Thresh lowers the rock. "Just this one time, I let you go. For the little boy. You and me, we're even then. No more owed. You understand?"

I nod, no longer trusting my voice.

"Clove!" Cato's voice is much closer now.

"You better run now, Fire Girl." Thresh says.

At his command, I get up, bolting away from the Cornucopia, away from Thresh and Clove and Cato's voice.

After a few minutes of running, I hear the cannon. Clove has died and Cato will be either on my trail or Thresh's.

I make it back to the cave, dumping the contents of the orange backpack down on the ground and grabbing the box containing a needle. With no hesitation, I press the needle into Riley's arm, pressing down on the plunger.

Then I pass out from pure exhaustion.