The Ninth Hunger Games

Chapter Four

I had pulled pine boughs over my dip in the ground. This made it kind of like a lean-to. I was now laying inside on my bedroll wondering what to do next. The decision was made for me by the sun setting. I got up to see how my neighbors would react to the dark.

Anikan and Giovanna had made a fire. They sat beside it, roasting something. Bread maybe?

The Girls, this was my name for the group of three who were beside the lake, had also built a fire. They were sitting around it, talking in low voices.

"But...what...you don't even know!" Was all I could get. I went back into my shelter and curled up into a tight ball. If I stayed very still, this night could pass in peace.

* * * * * * * * * * *

I was woken by sharp screams. I sat straight up, hitting my head on the roof of my shelter. I poked my head out, the cool, night breeze chilled me to the bone. The Girls were running for the barn. Nickolas and Morgan chasing after them. Nemo was staying behind to plunder the supplies that the Girls had left. Anikan was sitting in her circle, all alone. What happened to Giovanna?

"Come on!" Nemo yelled. "We need to make sure that no one else is here!"

Nickolas chopped at Marlee who screeched again, but kept running. He reluctantly turned back. "But, what if they have more stuff?" He asked.

"Forget them! We need to make sure no one else is here." Nemo said. He seemed to have forgotten Anikan.

I hurriedly tossed all of my stuff into my bag. Got to get out of here... I ran for the woods. I didn't get very far before I heard: "Nemo! Look at this!" I knew that they had found my shelter.

The Careers would be a good name for them. Nemo's smarts and Nickolas' district. Morgan is just a tag-a-long. I thought.

"What about her?" Morgan asked.

"District Three, Dummy," Nemo said. "She probably has some kind of shield around her. Come on, whoever was in this," I heard wood rolling. He must have kicked my shelter. "Can't be far away." They tramped off.

I let out a long breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I heard a cannon shot followed by the intercom/Gamekeeper's voice. "Marlee Durshee, District One."

So, that means that Marlee was Nickolas' first kill. Well, one less. I thought, before shouldering my pack and moving on.

It was very cold out here. I considered going back to my shelter but that spelled certain death. I kept going, and ran into Catalina.

"Why are you walking around out here?" She asked.

"Why are you?"

She frowned in reply. "You're coming from the lake?"

"No," I lied, "going towards it. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I was going that way myself. Care to join me?"

I nodded my head and we set off, back to the lake.

When we got there Catalina seemed to take everything in at a glance. "District Three...Anikan is pretty well protected over there...a fire ring? Somebody must have been killed. Oh, Marlee," I had never met a person who thought aloud. It was interesting.

"So where do we stay?" I asked.

"Up there," she said pointing to a tree.

I can't climb that. I thought, watching as she slowly started to scale the tree. When she made it to a thick branch she looked down at me. "Best chance of survival is up here." She said.

I nodded and began to climb the tree. I had never been good at tree climbing when there were no branches. She pulled me up onto the branch she was standing on. "We can go from here, to there," she pointed at another branch. "And from there to there." She pointed at yet another branch. "And from that one to the ground. Make sense?"

"Yeah," I said. If I were to fall while doing that, I'd be dead for sure. I sat down on the branch. "Good night I guess?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "Though I'd much rather be staying in that little shelter of yours."

"How did you know about that?"

"Why would you be going towards the lake while walking away from it?"

"Good night, Catalina."

"Night, Paris," she said, and I fell asleep.