"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.
YOU ARE READING
The Real Threat- The Story of Foxface
FanfictionThis is the (complete) story of Foxface, the one who was sly and clever, the one who was selfless, the one who was knowledgeable. The one who died. Most characters belong to Suzanne Collins.