The 67th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 10

With a groan, I opened my eyes to the darkness around me. I didn't know where I was or how i'd got here, but all I remembered was this weird dream I had where my brother died...

Slowly, I came to my senses, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, the last of the tears I'd cried for Albert. I had never known a life without my brother. I didn't know if I could go on. I knew I didn't want to.

I grabbed out my flask from my bag which Al had given me, and drank. I felt more dehydrated and exhausted than what I did before he'd gone to the cornucopia. Was it even worth it?

I stood up, letting my body adjust for a minute, before trudging through the tunnels. It felt as if i was in maze; a dark and never-ending maze.

After a few hours of wandering helplessly, I leant against the wall and buried my face in my hands.

"Are you lost?" I heard a voice say.

"A little." I said, trying to be nice, but instead it just came out as a drunk slur, wondering who would be talking to me in the arena. Father always said hiring voices for was the first sign of madness.

I looked up to inspect were the voice had come from, squinting my eyes at the familiar face of Mist from twelve.

I smiled as she sat down against the wall oopposite.

"Have you got water?" she asked shyly.

I handed her over one of my flasks. I was going to point out that it was warm and dirty, but i doubt she cared. She took a small sip, obviously trying to be gracious and polite, but as she tried to hand it back, I shoved it back towards her, insisting that she drank more.

"I saw your brother face in the sky." she murmured, wiping the excess water from around her mouth with her sleeve.

"Oh." I managed, feeling a pang in my stomachs at the sound of someone else talking about Al, my dead brother.

"Sorry." she whispered.

"It's not your fault." I say, struggling with the conversation.

"I just want to say thank you..." she said, shuffling her feet.

"what for?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Helping me in the cornucopia." She said, flushing red.

"That's nothing." I replied, still thinking of Albert and how much better he'd be in a situation like this. Kindness just came naturally to him. it should be me dead, not him. "I'd rather you get away than any of them from two or one."

"Easier to kill me than one of them." she nodded, almost agreeing.

I didn't reply, but instead just tipped my head back and shut my eyes tightly, wanting the day to end.

***

Mist and I set of from our spot after we'd both slept for a good few hour, ate some of Albert's food, and drunk the remainder of water, before setting out through the tunnels.

Mist told me about her family back in twelve, who lived in the seam, which I guessed would be their equivalent of the border, and about her dad and older brothers who worked in the mines, while her mother and sister stayed home and did jobs around the town, like washing and cleaning.

"How did you learn to swim so well?" I asked, remembering the first few moments in the arena a lifetime ago.

"Sometimes it used to flood, and my father dug an enormous hole and lined it with plastic sheets and stones, so the flood water would flood inside and the seam kids could learn how to swim." she smiled . "No point asking you how you know."