TWO

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Has she woken up yet?"

Everything hurts.

"No, not yet. But she's still breathing so.."

I can't bring myself to peel my eyes open.

"See if you can wake her."

A gentle hand lightly shakes me and I let out a small moan. The chuckle is close to my ear and when I force myself to open my eyes, Marvels' grey eyes are watching me.

"Morning," Marvel waves, then looks behind him.

Cato is standing, looking down at us, a sword still in his hand. There's a pretty evident sting on his neck, along with his cheek, but they aren't nearly as bad as Marvel's, who's left cheek is swollen like a balloon.

"How long have I been out?" I wince as I sit up, the stings on my hands are like small beads.

"Two days," Cato walks closer and hands me a water bottle.

I graciously grab it from him and pour the liquid on my face before gulping half of it, "Where's Glimmer?"

Marvel's eyes cast to the dirt and he sighs, "She uh... she didn't make it."

My stomach twists imaging the pain of dying from all those stings. My guilty conscience feels bad for the pretty blonde girl, but my reality sets in and reminds me that it's just one less person I have to kill, "Oh. I'm sorry."

"We weren't really that close," Marvel shrugs, looking at me again.

I don't respond, instead I nod and sip on some more water, glancing up at Cato who's inspecting his sword, "I gashed Peeta. He ran back to get Katniss most likely. He's probably dying somewhere in the forest. Surprised he isn't dead yet."

"Maybe you didn't get him-"

"I know where I hit him." Cato cuts Marvel off and sends a sharp glare. Marvel raises his hands up in defensive way then goes back to pulling out some grass.

"Hey guys," an unfamiliar voice pops up, "I finished the mines. Let me show you how to avoid them."

The shaggy brown-haired boy looks me and raises his eyebrows, "What?" I ask.

"You're awake." He tilts his head at me.

"You are?"

"District Three," Cato interjects, pointing at the boy with his sword.

"He's here why?"

"I'll show you." Three says, walking away. Cato and Marvel follow in slow pursuit, and I cautiously follow.

When we exit out of the tent they had set up, there's a pile of our things dead center of at least forty different mud hills, "What the hell?" I rub my hand and wince.

"I dug up the mines and reset them. Which means they are all active and you need to watch your step."

"So show us how to avoid them," Cato motions towards the mines and crosses his arms.

"Alright," Three nods, then turns to face the mines, "watch carefully."

His movements are swift, jumping over certain hills, pausing to re-direct his feet. Watching him makes me nervous, especially since one small miscalculation could set this entire thing off and we'd all die.

When the boy gets to the supplies he raises his hands up, "See! Easy!"

Cato and I look at each other at the same time, but I'm the first one to break eye contact. Marvel is the fist one to follow-up his footsteps. He easily makes it to the supplies, but my still wary self refrains from trying. Once the two boys hop their way back over, we all settle back inside the tent and go over some ideas. It's strange not hearing Glimmer's perky voice chime in every now and then, almost eerie that she died only two days ago just a few miles away from our camp. I can only imagine what her friends and parents are thinking right now.