Beauty and a Beast

Chapter 9

Only the District 9 boy died in the mudslide. We're getting closer and closer to becoming the final six tributes.

What happens when allies turn on one another, you may ask?

Mayhem.

We've got two other tributes to find first, but it would be easier if we weren't given so much space to dwell in. Which is why our morning search is a bust.

As our day wears on, I see something I didn't pay attention to before. Marius isn't himself. His eyes are bloodshot red, his face, gaunt. I know for a fact he's been eating and drinking just as much as us, so I wonder if he has an infection. He walks slower than he used to.

"Are you okay?" Lily asks him.

"I'm… fine…"

"Don't lie to me."

I forgot how bossy Lily can get. Comes with the territory of being eldest in your family, I guess.

"Hey, District One, did you take my spear?" I hear Hal say to Link.

"No, District Two," Link replies bitterly. "I don't need your spear when I have my bow and arrows, and a club. You must've lost it. Not that I'm surprised."

"You calling me dumb?"

And there goes the male camaraderie. I'm not sure Hal and Link had it to begin with, though.

"No, I'm not calling you dumb, District Two. I'm just saying, sometimes guys like you don't use their heads; they prefer using their-"

"Oh, are you jealous because I got laid before I died and you didn't?" Hal argues. "That's a good reason for taking my spear."

"Listen loud and clear: I. Did. Not. Take. Your. Spear. You left it over by the fire. See it?"

"Right," my district partner replies, like a light bulb just went off in his head.

Lily's been eavesdropping on their conversation, too, and she rolls her eyes in my direction. "Boys."

"Tell me about it," Andrea agrees. "My brother's the only guy in my life. I see other guys, and… ugh. Don't even get me started on my first and only boyfriend. Scumbag."

Andrea had a boyfriend? Hard to believe. I think I know which one of them broke it off.

We've been all over the arena since the mudslide happened, and now that we've set up camp again, I can relax.

It gets better when I see a tribute's bag lying in the distance. They must've died without the bag on their person, since the hovercraft didn't pick it up.

Score!

"You guys," I say to my allies, "I'll be right back. Saw something interesting…"

They acknowledge me faintly, but- with the exception of Lily- they obviously don't care where I go.

I have to die sometime, right?

Anyways… I slink away from our camp and towards the bag, shifting my eyes around for any sign of a tribute. Not a soul is in sight.

Yes! The bag's all mine.

There's a pretty good haul inside it; a rope; a bag of granola bars; an empty water bottle. How could someone leave their bag out? I wear mine all the time, even when I sleep. There's no excuse for dying without it.

Whatever. More for me!

I stuff these items in my bag, giddy with happiness. I won't share this with anyone; why should I? They know I have a great chance of-

Oh, crap, that hurts.

Hurts so badly.

What? Did somebody just whack me in the head?

They hit me again.

And I black out.

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"Enobaria! Can you hear me?"

"Lily?" I ask.

She comes into view, and relief is written on her face.

"W-what happened?"

"You were knocked out," Hal replies from behind her. "Somebody ransacked your bag. Obviously, they didn't wanna kill you."

"But they tried. What did they take? Please tell me they didn't take my clubs or my sword!" I demand.

"No."

"Thank God. They weren't aiming for weapons 'cause they've got their own," I reason.

"That won't help when you're starving later today," Andrea points out rather happily.

Enobaria, you dumbo.

Did I really just fall for such an easy scam? Phoebe and Brutus tried to warn me that it might happen if I'm not using my brain…

I must be more exhausted than I thought.

Don't worry, I think to myself. You can hunt animals and drink water by cupping your hands. Our food supply's running low, anyways.

"We're gonna get walking again," Link says. "Maybe we can find the one who stole from you, Enobaria. Come on."

But Lily is frozen to her core. She's kneeling over something and won't budge an inch.

"What's the hold up?" Hal asks her impatiently. I move for better view, which is when I see that the object of her attention is a body.

It's Marius.

I've never seen Lily so pale with fear. "He's not breathing. But maybe some part of him still works. If nothing else, I wanna stay with him…"

…until he's gone, I answer in my head.

"How about this," Link suggests: "We'll go find water and food, and you can watch our stuff in the meantime. Keep your partner company."

Lily nods gratefully. "Yeah, that works."

"I'm staying, too," I find myself saying.

Andrea and Link share amused glances, like they can't believe I'm wasting my breath on Marius. They don't know that I'm from District 4 originally. But Hal knows, and he nods along with Lily.

Marius makes for a quiet companion. It's really coming. Like a thief in the night, another tribute will soon be taken.

Three minutes are all he has left. Then his cannon rings out.

Death is a curious thing. It recalls memories of the deceased, memories that you thought were buried deep. That's what happens to me when Marius dies.

Back in District 4, Marius was an awesome fisherman. He could reel them in faster than anybody I'd ever seen. He fought like a champ when it counted, didn't complain when he had to kill even though it clearly bothered him.

Deep down, I won't pretend it doesn't bother me, either. Because it truly does.

Had you fooled, didn't I?