In the Games.

Fishing

Once we get to the lake, we walk into the water. “Okay, so now what?” Alamar asks. “You’re joking, right? You’ve lived in District Four your whole life, but you don’t know how to fish?” I look at Alamar. “Well, some people don’t know how to fish… like the people who make nets,” he responds, teasingly. “You didn’t make nets, though. If you made nets, you probably wouldn’t be in the Careers right now,” I laugh. “Okay, fine. Maybe I do know how to fish.” “It makes no sense at all why Griffon would pick you for me to teach. I guess he’s not as smart as we assumed.” “Ha, I guess not.”

“So now what? They think you’re teaching me. I have to look like I actually don’t know what I’m doing. How about you demonstrate, and I’ll copy you. I won’t hit a fish though, that would make it too suspicious.” I nod, telling him that’s a good plan.

I stand motionlessly in the water, patiently waiting for a fish to swim by. After about fifteen seconds, a medium-sized fish swims next to Alamar. I wait until it gets to me, and then promptly throw my trident at it. It hits perfectly. I grab my trident, the fish attached to it. I pull the fish away, and throw it onto the shore where the water won’t hit it. “Your turn,” I say.

He nods, and then stands still as I did before. He waits about ten seconds then throws his trident right next to a fish, barely missing it. The fish quickly swims away in shock. Alamar runs to get his trident and takes it out of the water. When he takes it out of the water, there’s only seaweed on it. I laugh. I know he meant to do that, but I still find it hilarious.

I continue laughing as Alamar awkwardly stands, holding his trident. I keep laughing until I hear a splash by Alamar. I turn to see what it was, but it was a big mistake. Once I turn around, water is splashed into my face. I gasp.

“You did not just splash me.” “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t,” Alamar says smugly. I glare at him evilly. “Oh, it’s on!” I yell at him. I begin splashing him too, but he’s stronger than me so his splashes are larger than mine. Eventually, we’re both drenched in water and exhausted.

“Alamar, we’re supposed to bring back food, you know. They’ll kill us if we don’t.” “I know, I know. We’re just having a bit of fun. It’s not very often that you can have fun in the Hunger Games.” I roll my eyes.

We continue fishing for what seems forever, taking a few breaks to kiss or splash at each other. Alamar faking his fishing techniques, and me easily catching a dozen or so fish. Once Alamar catches two fish, we leave the lake. We both grab the fish on the shore. There’s probably enough fish here for a whole District! We reach the Cornucopia, laughing.

“What’re you so happy ‘bout?” Griffon asks. I stop laughing, but can’t help the smile that creeps onto my face. “Alamar is terrible at fishing. He caught only two fish, while I caught more than a dozen.” Catia smiles at this comment. “That’s so weird, though. You’d think he’d be good at fishing. He is from District Four,” she says while chuckling a bit.

Alamar and I sit down. “Well, all we gotta do now is cook them,” Alamar says, “I’m not doing it, I’m too tired.” “I’ll do it,” Tiffany suggests.

~*~

We begin eating the food after Tiffany cooks it. It’s not as good as fish from district four, but I guess it’ll do. We continue to eat as the Capitol anthem blares loudly, almost making me deaf.

They show the pictures and districts of the dead. Everyone calls them “The Dead”, but I don’t. I call them “The Forgotten” because they really were forgotten. Maybe not by their families or in their districts, but everyone else forgets. No one really cares about them. Once you’re dead, you’re dead. Who cares right? None of them had a chance to do anything in life. Most of them were so young, only 12 or 13 years old.

I stare up into the night sky and watch the faces of the dead, innocent people. The same kids the careers had said that they killed. The last one is still yet to come. I hope it’s not Primrose. The last person up in the sky- to my relief- is the boy from 5.

I just sit there in silence as everyone eats their fish. Somehow, I feel like I am home. Like I’m camping out with some fellow classmates, eating the fish that we just caught. I feel like I’m going to go to sleep tonight and wake up back in my room at the Victors’ Village. I feel like I’m going to wake up and find Adrian waiting outside the house for me.

But no, that’s not going to happen. What’s going to happen is I’m going to die. If not tomorrow, the day after. Like I said before, Alamar will win, I will die. I won’t be missed; at least not by Adrian. Adrian probably hates me now… no, not hate, despise. I’m with Alamar. I kissed him on live television. I told him that I love him… also on live television.

“Rose.” Alamar saying my name is enough to snap me back to reality. “What?” I ask. “You okay?” he asks with true concern in his eyes. I nod, “Yeah… I’m fine.”

He crawls next to me and burrows his nose into my neck like a puppy. “No you’re not,” he says with his arms around me and his head on my shoulder now. I smile at this act and run my hand through his hair. “Well I’m fine now,” I say smiling. He snickers softly and adjusts his position so he could lie down, his head in my lap.

I continue running my hand and fingers through his tangled and unruly hair. I stare at him while he falls asleep. When he does, I lift his head, and move my legs. I gently put his head down on a folded blanket and put another blanket on him. I do the same to me and soon, I fall asleep.

So here's another chapter for ya. I'm so so sorry that I haven't updated in forever. I'll be updating a lot more now since it's officially Summer and there's no school!!! Well... comment or vote if you like! Love ya'll!!!

~Crystal