The 76th Hunger Games

Chapter 19

     "You shouldn't have come here." Says the boy from District 1. I raise my arm to shoot him, but I realize I left my crossbow back at camp. Damn... I draw my knife uncertainly and he smirks. "Leave or I'll just kill you now." He says, almost amused.

"We're not moving." I say firmly. He grins and lunges. I raise my knife to protect myself, but it turns out I don't need to. The end of a silver spear rips through his chest and is jerked backwards. He stares down in horror and falls to the ground, to reveal Mason standing behind him with a bloody spear. The boy's cannon fires and I stare at Mason. "How did you get here so fast?" I wonder. He glares at me, grabs Clove's hand, and walks away quickly, dragging Clove behind him. I grab the tent pack and scurry behind them. I trip over some rocks but make it to the camp without falling over. I throw the tent down and collapse on it, panting.

     After catching my breath I climb up the tree with the tent pack and set it up there, on a very sturdy fork of branches that three people at a time can be in without falling out of the tree. I pull the rope from my bag and use it to tie down the tent carefully. I set the sleeping bags in there and jump down from the tree, satisfied with my work. Clove stands and yawns. "I'm going to get some berries. I saw a blackberry bush when we were heading back to camp." She announces. She collects all her knives and runs into the bushes. I sit down about a metre away from Mason and throw a few pebbles into the water. "What did she tell you last night?" Mason asks, startling me.

"Hm? Oh, nothing." I lie.

"I'm serious. What did she tell you?"

I hesitate. Should I tell him? Will he be angry at Clove for telling me? "What happened when your fifteen. With, you know, your family." I admit. He looks away and doesn't speak for a few minutes. After a while, he turns back.

"What exactly did she say?" He asks.

"She just said that your father killed a Peacekeeper and got the death penalty, and how they killed--" Mason cuts me off. "That's enough." He says.

"Do you want to stop talking about it?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"You make me sound petty and weak." He says, not angrily or jokingly, just monotone. I turn to him.

"But I don't think that." I say. He sighs.

"I would hope not." Mason says, so soft it's almost a whisper. I open my mouth to say something but Clove bursts through the bushes with a basket full of blackberries. "I'm back!" She announces, plopping down between us. "I brought blackberries!" She says, handing me and Mason one each. I pop mine in my mouth and almost sigh with content at the tangy, juicy flavour. I try for a smile and realize the sun is quickly setting, and the temperature is dropping. I'm glad we risked getting that tent. I rub my ears, which are pink and cold to the touch. I notice some cotton blowing through the air and see the tree it's coming from. I bolt upright, proud of my new idea. I turn to my two allies and grin. "I'm going to make us some hats!" I announce.

"Can I have a pom-pom on my hat?" Mason asks.