Out in the Battlefield

Dare You to Move

❝I dare you to move, I dare you to move. I dare you to lift yourself, to lift yourself up off the floor.❞

 ~*~

My legs were numb as I zoomed past trees, my shoes crunching dried leaves as I did. I could barely feel the pain of the wound on my leg because I already got used to it.

The wind whipped my hair everywhere, though it was tied up in a ponytail. I wanted to stop running, but I was too paranoid, thinking that if I did, Anastasia and Trey would catch up to me and, obviously, end my petty little life right here and now.

I peeked behind me, checking for the two, but they were nowhere to be found. Maybe I should stop running now?

My eyes roamed the area before me as I slowed down to a jog, searching for a place to hide in. I may as well take a peek in my bag and search for food.

As I was slowing down to a half-jog and half-walk, I found a tree with branches high enough so nobody could see me. But it was too high for me, though. And judging from the wound on my leg which was still continuously bleeding, I couldn't climb up that high without losing almost every drop of blood in my body.

I tried finding other options. Those thick bushes to my far left seemed good, but I bet I would be spotted when I move, even just a bit. But I need for some place to hide. Now, or else I'll be dead meat.

I jogged over to the bush, immediately falling down to the ground due to exhaustion. My heart was beating fast in my chest as my eyes nervously glanced in every direction of the peaceful forest, searching for any signs of an enemy when I heard a distant high-pitched scream far off behind me.

I shuddered, images of that girl dying in different ways flashing in my mind, making me feel weak and more paranoid. What if I'm next? What if someone does end my life?

I pulled my knees up to my chest and leaned my back on the rough surface of the tree behind me, pain shooting through my leg, which I ignored. I had other things to think about.

When I was certain that I had calmed down, I pulled my bag off of my back and put it beside me. My hands shakily moved towards the zipper before I opened it and took a peek inside.

It wasn't much, though it wasn't too few, either. I bet someone else rummaged through it and got what they wanted before I found it. That explained why it was opened at the Cornucopia.

There was a rope, a plastic bag, a boomerang, which I didn't even know how to use, and a small container, with beef jerky inside. However, the food only filled half of the container. But still, whoever rummaged through this bag was generous enough to leave some food. I wonder who it was.

I toyed with the plastic container in my hands, turning it upside-down and watching the jerky fall to the bottom–or the top. I was in no mood to eat yet. My throat was dry and I didn't really feel swallowing anything but water–or in my case, my spit.

I knew that I needed to find water, though my legs were still aching from running. I'll just find some later, I guess. I can bear the thirst.

I put the container back in the bag and pulled out the boomerang, my hand running over its curve as my eyes kept sweeping nervously across the place.

I was waiting for sunset, my body obviously in no condition to do some search for water. Maybe if it's night already, other tributes will fall to sleep and I can finally rest too, without the worry of someone strangling me in my sleep.

Waiting for sunset was like waiting for the trees to walk, and who knows, with the technology the game makers possess, maybe they did allow the trees to do that?

Oh what in the world am I thinking? This is driving me crazy! I just want to rest.

I laid down on the ground, closer to the bush so no one would easily see me if ever they walk by. My mind was cloudy, and my eyes were drooping close. Every time my eyes closed, I felt like resting.

* * * * *

Something trickled down my neck, making me swat my hand at it, thinking that it was a pesky fly. But then I started feeling heat, and I realized that it wasn't a pesky fly I was swatting at, but my sweat. Then where was the heat coming from?

I didn't want to lift my heavy eyelids, but I just had to look at what it was. I can't stay put if I couldn't know wherever that heat was coming from.

Forcing them open, my eyes swept around the area, suddenly narrowing when I saw a bright light. A bright and very hot light. That light was familiar, and it was something I often saw back home, since houses were mostly made of wood. It was fire.

I forced myself to stand up, ignoring the pain of putting weight on my aching muscles. I had to run away again.

As I stood up, the sleepiness in my eyes quickly disappeared when I realized that the fire was already just a few feet away from me, and it was spreading. Fast. And I had to get away.

I ran, each step making pain shoot through my muscles, but I tried ignoring it. I felt like the fire was already behind me, though when I turned to look, it wasn't.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, but the fire seemed to be faster. I turned to see that it was just a few steps, and when I turned back around, the fire was already blocking my path.

'It's a ring of fire,' I concluded as I slowly spun around, inspecting the hot light around me. If I was made of ice, then I'm surely just water on the ground then by now. But I'm not, so I'm not yet melted.

I ran to one side of the circle, trying to find a way out. But the fire was thick, and I didn't think that I could run through it without getting burns. But aren't burns more okay than dying right here? But what if I'm really trapped? What if I would die here? What if I don't make it out alive? How about my dad and Alacia? They're waiting for me, I just can't...

Memories flooded my mind about my life at home, restricting me to think of a way to get out of the ring of fire. I thought that maybe life just hates me. Maybe I was just some burden whom my parents didn't want. Maybe finding some shelter really is more worth it than deciding if I should still live or not, because I'm just some person without worth.

The thick smoke was making it hard for me to breathe as it blocked the air away from my nose. I coughed, my chest starting to burn as I struggled to breathe. But what's the use of fighting to stay alive? I'm just a worthless and useless piece of space, after all.

Just then, I felt a hand grip my arm, pulling me away. Where, I didn't know. My mind was too foggy to process anything.

Then my body went limp, and my vision went black, and I felt so...relaxed and free, like I didn't have anything to worry about. I wonder if this is how it feels to be–? If it is, then I like it, though I'm not sure if I should. Should I?