The Fourth Quarter Quell

Hunger Games Day Five Part One

DJ Fitz's Perspective

If it weren't for Mike and Sophie remembering the poisonous plants, Isabella would be dead. Across the river from our campsite were flowers with yellow bulbs. Isabella, according to Mike, had been staring at them the night before. During Mike and Sophie's watch as Isabella and I were sleeping, Isabella had gotten up and tried to forge her way across the icy river. Mike and Sophie realized that the plants were venomous and went to stop her.

The minute I heard the story, I knew it was supposed to be suicide. Isabella had been saddened by the death of her crush and childhood friend, Logan, and didn't want to live without him. I don't know how she knew about the plants because she was in my training group and we hadn't visited that station. Maybe because she's from Five--a district of intelligent people--she knew beforehand.

You would think she would be cowering by a tree, possibly sobbing and shivering, right? Maybe with Sophie to attend to her and cheer her up?

Wrong.

Isabella was nowhere to be seen. She was persuasive, supposedly. Mike and Sophie had been wary of letting her stay up on the night shift alone but she said she would wake me up the second the two of them fell asleep.

Yeah, that didn't happen.

I guess she ran from the campsite so she wouldn't have to face an energizd scolding in the morning. She probably knew that Mike and Sophie were worn out from the day's events and were exhausted, letting her suicide attempt slip by.

Anyways, Isabella was gone and it was the three of us left.

"Where do you think she went?" Mike asked.

Sophie shrugged. "She probably just wanted time on her own. She didn't want to face us."

There was silence for a moment. "Do you think she's dead?" I asked.

Mike and Sophie shot glares at me. I gave them a look. We were in the Hunger Games; it was the most plausible possibility.

"Isabella's a strong girl. If she got in a fight, she'd win." Sophie stated hopefully but I heard the doubt in her voice.

"Keep in mind she was depressed from Logan's death and tried to commit suicide." I noted.

Mike sighed. "You have a point but we haven't heard any canons."

"We were asleep for half the day. I remember hearing at least one. What if it was her?"

"Guys!" Sophie exclaimed. I noticed that her eyes were tinged red. "Would you both just stop contemplating this? Isabella is gone. We don't know if she's dead but the more you talk about it and form theories, she might actually die!"

Mike and I shut up after that.

We walked for a while until we reached the waterfall. It was frozen but if you looked hard enough, you could see the water rushing underneath the thick ice. We sat on the bank of the frozen river protruding from the base of the falls and waited.

"Did you figure out the defect on your spear?" I asked.

"No, but he will." A menacing voice said.

We turned and shot up from our seats. Standing by the treeline was that blonde freak that attacked us in the start of the Games. Chase Woodley.

He had a smirk on his grimy face and was tossing his dagger inbetween his hands. The last time we fought him, he had a sword. Maybe he lost it? I didn't know but I nocked an arrow at him anyway.

"Go away, Chase. We fought you once and we don't want to do it again." I said gruffly.

Chase laughed. "Oh, please. If you were so good at fighting, I'd be dead."