hope in our eyes || 37th hunger games ✔️

The Battle Within Our Hearts

Lily

 A tiny creek without fish swims by us, water flowing from it quickly, as opposed to my falling tears. I can't stop staring at the picture that Aspen gave me before passing away.

His body must've been picked up by a hovercraft by now; Eisley and I gave him and the Careers the space, retreating back to this place, but we haven't stopped grieving yet. Aspen was the center core of us all, the main leader. Well, he never really bossed us around like Hazel, but instead tried to get us together and settle arguments. Now, I really wish Aspen was here; Eisley and I just can't get along.

Eisley suddenly picks up a rock and throws it, barely missing my head. "Why'd that stupid asshole have to go?"

"Don't call him that, bitch!" I yell at her. "If you want to join him, then why don't you fucking kill yourself now, brat! I'm sick of dealing with you, anyway!"

"Shut up!"

"Will not!"

"Fine! How 'bout we split up and never see each other again? Treat this like the actual Games and fight each other to the death when we see each other again?!" Eisley growls.

"Sounds good to me!" I fire back, eyes blazing. "Bye, won't miss ya!"

"Same to you, jackass!" She smiles sweetly.

Both of us stand up, staring daggers at each other for an eternity. Our eyes fiercely gaze at each other like fire and ice, trying to outlast their opponent.

"Well?" I ask. "Aren't you gonna go? I ain't got all day, sweetheart."

"Nope," Eisley shrugs. "You're the one who's going to leave, Lily."

"FINE!" I shout. "This argument is useless anyway, and I hope to leave for an area without any actual idiots like you." Then, I pick up a bag of supplies and a couple knives, turning and running in the direction of the cornucopia, my old tears returning.

I don't stop fleeing until my right arm slams into the hard gray metal of the cornucopia, which is when I pause to catch my breath, realizing how tired I am. I clutch my stomach, the place a cramp has formed, sitting down on the soft cool grass and forming a plan, but only one idea forms in my mind:

Kill Eisley.

Kill the little devil who I always hated. At first, when I joined the alliance, I was okay with her, thinking she was just that annoying joker you ran into every once in a while. However, I realized she was so much more. Eisley was, and still is, an urchin who always managed to win arguments and get people to do her bidding, and got angry-super angry-at sometimes the strangest things in the world. And speaking of strange, that's what she sometimes was.

That's when I notice my breath getting ragged and face turning red, so I take a couple long breaths in an attempt to calm down. The last thing I need is me becoming ballistic over a tiny delinquent and accidentally killing myself out of madness in these Hunger Games.

I start thinking of what to do. According to all the cannons I heard in the air before, there are only three people alive: Me, Eisley, and Mackenzie's district partner from Eight; I think his name is River.

Grabbing a knife, I jog into the nearby woods, unrealistically hoping to catch a stag or a boar. After a million tries, I retreat back to my camp with just a squirrel and a lizard. Whatever, it's not like I'll share this with anyone.

I finish my meal very quickly, taking the bones and scattering them off in a trail somewhere far away to mislead Eisley and River, then return to the cornucopia, crouching down at the dark entrance.