The 100th Hunger Games

A Change

Chapter 15

Lidia's POV

The wind whistles as we all stand there in fighting stance. I don't know where to run; I'm cornered. The only way out is to take a dive off the cliff. Sparkle takes a step toward me and I take a step back, knocking pebbles off the edge. I'm getting ready to take out my sword when Jess tackles me. Next thing I know, he and I are falling at full speed toward the freezing water.

I hit the water hard making it feel like pure cement, but that's nothing compared to the sudden cold of the water. I feel it wash over my whole body, turning it numb. I can't find Jess and I have no idea if I'm even going to make it to the surface.

The water is carrying me farther downstream and my lungs are burning for oxygen. Before I get any deeper in the water, arms wrap around my waist and bring me to the surface. I turn my head to find Jess. He paddles us to land and helps me into a nearby cave.

“A-a-are you okay?” he asks me.

“Yeah... I think so. How about you?” I try to ask through the trembles that keep erupting from my body. “Do you think they'll find us here?”

“We'll be safe here for a while, so you should get some sleep while I try to find some food for us,” he says.

He hands me his blanket and heads to the opening of the cave.

By the time I wake up it's already late afternoon. I grab the blanket and am walking outside toward the lake when I bump into Jess carrying four fried fish on sticks. He hands me one and as I take it from him, I notice the pinky on his right hand is turning blue. I gasp and drop the fish on the ground.

“Oh god, Jess, I think you’re getting frost bite!” I say, holding his hand in mine.

'I guess fingerless gloves aren't going to help” he says.

I take off both my gloves and put them on over his.

“I hope that helps, at least some.”

We eat our fried fish, and then leave the cave. Now I only had to think of a way to find Tara and Ryden. We go to the last place I saw them, but they aren't there. I hope the careers didn't get them.

We start walking away from the mountains remembering that Tara is a good climber, so she would most likely hide in a tree. I notice the wind changing directions and I look up only to see Capitol planes dropping things into the arena. Bombs are the first thing that pop into my head. Jess grabs me and we drop down to the ground and cover our heads.

After 10 minutes we stand back up noticing that nothing has happened.

“So, what did they drop into the arena?” I ask Jess.

He shakes his head, “Whatever it was I don’t think we should go find out.”

We're walking away from the trees again when the ground starts to shake. It feels like the arena is actually pushing us. By the time I know what is happening, Jess and I are already tumbling toward something. All of a sudden the ground stops moving and my back hits something hard. My head is still spinning from all of that, but I can hear voices coming closer. I stand up quickly and aim at the voices with my bow. I'm sure if I shot right now I would probably miss. Jess is standing next to me with his sword out, ready to attack. I let my breath out when I see that it's Tara and Ryden.

“Finally, we’ve been looking all over for you two!” I say.

“So have we!” Tara exclaims.

“I hate to break this up, but what’s that?” Jess says, pointing at a black box with an antenna sticking out of it.

We all circle around it just as the voice of Claudius Templesmith comes on. “Most of you have probably noticed the little black box you’re standing next to. Now before you start killing each other, let me tell you this: we are going to knock you out for about 30 minutes to make some quick adjustments to the mountains where your feast will be held. I suggest you just enjoy these 30 minutes of rest. That is all. Goodbye.”

Just as he finishes his last words, the antenna sprouts out of the box and I started getting dizzy. My eyes feel heavy and everything goes black.

When I come to, I look around and everything seems the same as when I last I looked at the mountains. They are huge with snow white tops. If it is snow free down here I can only imagine how cold it is up there, but that is where our feast is going to be.  I'm shaking as I stand up, my legs feeling like they have been asleep for ages.

“Nothing's ever simple around here,” I say to myself.

Then I feel filled with terror as I hear the rustling of leaves getting closer. I try to shake everyone awake, but it’s no use; they're all still knocked out. I grab my bow and start getting closer to the sound. Then I see her. A girl, I’m not sure from which district, but she’s picking up leaves and twigs. I start stepping closer to her. I accidentally step on a stick and she looks up at me in terror.

“Please don’t shoot, I’m not trying to hurt anyone; I’m just trying to find my brother!” she tells me.

“Who's your brother?” I ask her.

“Dylan.”

I heard that name before. He was that other boy that was with the careers. I start to feel bad for the girl. That’s just how I was when I was looking for Jess. She looked young, maybe around 13.

“If you want... Maybe me and my group can help you find him,” I say, not fully trusting her.

Her eyes light up. “Sure, thank you.”

I turn my back to start walking back where I left the others when I realize I should make her walk in front of me. When I turn around for a quick second I see her coming at me with a knife. In seconds I’m lying on the floor with her on top of me, her knife pointed to my neck.

“Sparkle said if I kill you, she’ll let my brother go.”

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~E.A