The Real Threat- The Story of Foxface

The Games

"30... 29... 28..."

I position myself to run.

"15... 14... 13..."

I look down at the sparkling emerald ring May have me.

"3... 2... 1..."

I turn my attention back to the forest.

"Let the Seventy-Fourth annual Hunger Games begin!"

The 60 seconds are up. I run toward the forest, grabbing a few things that have fallen on the ground around the fallen tributes. A knife, a bottle of iodine, a canteen. I was about to scoop up a blanket that was clutched in the hand of a dead tribute, when I run into Katniss. My eyes widen and I run into the forest with my armful full of things. I finally stop. I didn't grab the blanket, but I do have some useful things. I need to find water. There's only one lake so far. It shimmers and it's a pretty one, but I'm sure it's not clean. I know the careers will kill anyone who comes there. The cornucopia is probably almost empty by now. I hear 11 cannons. Eleven. Thirteen of us left to play. I decide to head east until it's night to give myself something to do. Quietly, swiftly, I walk east, gathering roots and berries that I know are safe. A few leaves are on the ground, but the rest are on the tree. There's a large rock on the ground and I pick it up as an alternate weapon. I stop in my tracks as I hear footsteps heading my way. I scramble up a tree. It's the boy from 11. He sees my footprints on the ground. Then, he looks to the trees. "Thresh," I whisper. It's him. No, please, not him! I can't die! "Finch. I know you're there."

I fall to the ground. "Please, Thresh! Please! I have someone counting on me to get home and-" I say, but stopped by his voice. "Relax, Finch. I'm not going to kill you." He says. "What?" I whisper. "I know you've been spying on me. You're really stealthy, too. I know you've been spying on everybody. You've got a chance to win this thing, so I'm going to give you one. Just promise me one thing." He says. "Okay." I say. "If you come across Rue, please don't kill her. She won't hurt you." He says. "Of course." I say. "Thanks, Finch. Be more careful." He says, walking off. "Wait!" I call. "How do you know my name?" I ask. "You don't think 'Finch, the Avox from District 5' got around? Those District 4's tell everything. I hear Girl on Fire is calling you Foxface." He says. Foxface? Like how May calls me? "Is that her name now? Girl on Fire?" I ask. He nods. "She doesn't know your name. She calls you Foxface because you have fox-like abilities and, well... You look a bit like a fox." He says. "That's what May calls me." I whisper. "Who?" I look up. "Maysilee, she's a friend." I say. He nods. "I better get going now, Foxface. If you get in trouble, just find me." He walks off. I decide I should get going, too, and walk east again. When I come to a tree, I find a vine and tie myself in. It's cold, but I have to go to sleep anyway. I hear the anthem playing and look to the sky. A boy from 4 catches my eye. Weird. Careers don't die on the first day. Did he betray the careers? What did he do? Maybe I just shouldn't ponder on these things. I'm exhausted from walking so long.

I awake, cold and still tired when I see a glow in the distance. Why is someone making a fire when everyone else is asleep? As it grows, I see that it's too small to be just a fire someone started.

It's a forest fire.

I fly out of the tree, face first. It's a wind storm, and it feels as if I'm outside during a tornado. I grab hold of a branch. My vine had come undone due to the wind. I slip my knife into my belt and my bottle of iodine into pocket. It's too late to grab my canteen. I see it coming, though. It flys at my face and I catch it, but I stupidly let go of the branch and my back hits the trunk of the tree. Hard. I yell out in pain, and the wind howls in my ears. "Thresh! Thresh!" I yell, remembering him telling me I could find him if I were in trouble. I know it's too late for that. He's probably asleep, and besides, he can't save me from this. "Marvel! Marvel?" I yell, remembering our alliance if he outlives most of the careers. It's no use. He's probably asleep, too. No one can save me but myself.

I turn, facing a branch, and slip under it. The extreme wind makes me fly for a few seconds. I land on the cold ground. My knife has slipped and cut a long cut on my leg, reaching from my ankle to my knee. It's not that deep, but it still hurts, and I'm losing blood fast. I find a camera in the tree. "Help." I whisper, knowing that I have few sponsors and can only save myself. I see a amaryllis in the dim light when everything goes completely black.