The Hunger Games - Primrose Everdeen

Chapter sixteen

So, it's too hard for me to keep looking up who dies when and everything, so from now on I'm just going to be doing it my way. And could more of you comment? It's been the same person liking and commenting. And to you (I forget your screen name) thanks for actually giving me feedback. 

Something jabs my shoulder, forcing me wake up startled. I look over to see Rue. Just as I'm about to ask her why in the world has she woken me up, especially when it's so dark, when she presses her index finger to her lips to silence me. Then her eyes glare at the ground. Following her gaze, I look down. Since it's still dark, it takes me a while for my eyes to adjust to what she's staring at, but eventually I can see them. 

There are two tributes, resting on the pine-needled infested forest floor. One sits with his back against our tree, the other one - whom could be either a boy or a girl because I cannot make him/her out - lays asleep. Although it is not the Careers, it could very well be someone life threatening. Like Thresh.

I look back to Rue and and in a very, very quiet voice, she whispers to me, "Time to learn how to fly." What? People can't fly, obviously she must know this. So what does she mean? "Watch first, then I will teach you." For a moment, she stays perched on her branch positioning herself to "fly", I assume. And then it happens, just like last night except this time I get to see her more clearly, she really does fly, even if it is only for a short while. Then she lands expertely in a neighboring tree. It was all so short and noiseless that even the boy  taking guard hadn't noticed. Rue jumps back over and climbs up to where I am. "It's all about the landing. Anyone can jump, but only the select few can land. Just keep your arms extended and hands ready to grab." Rue rockets into the tree once more, leaving me with only one choose. 

My stomach twists nervously as I repack my bag. If I fall, I would only land five feet to the left of the boy. And if the fall doesn't kill me then surely the boy would. Yet, if I stay here, come morning I'll be easily noticable, which would also result in my death. My mind is made.

I look over to Rue who waves at me to come. And I do. But not nearly as graceful as Rue did it. My landing is terrible. Before I can get my grip I snap a few twigs before securely grabbing onto a thick branch, the bark burries into my handing, hurting terribly. The rib that I injured will training cries out in pain, pain that needs to be ignored.

"Could you please be quiter?" Asks Rue rudely. I can't balme her for being flustered, but she's past that. Past agrivated even. Not quite furious though. I guess she is just exhausted like I am.

"I'm sorry. It isn't that easy." I snap, angered by the fact that she expected me to do it effortlessly like herself. With this she calms down and just barely has the time to apoligize. 

The sleeping boy - I can now see his short cropped hair which tells me that he is a male - stirs then wakes. "Rye," He begins, speaking to his ally. "What was that?"

"Nothing. Probably an owl or something." At the sound of their voices, fully awake and allert, we freeze, refusing to even breathe. 

"Oh, okay. Thanks Roland." Says Rye, who I now remember as being from District Nine. "I'm going back to sleep."

Roland, from District Ten, stops him from falling back to sleep. "Wait, I need sleep too, you know." He says stubernly.

Frustrated, Rye sighs. "I was only sleeping for like what? Two hours?!" The argument exculates as quickly as a swordfish can swim, and soon weapons are taken out. Even though we could easily escape over the sound of swords clashing we stay glued in our spot. Every once in a while, I hear a grunt or a shriek. Finally, after a good ten minutes, Rye keels over dead. His canon blasts loudly and the other boy runs off. 

The blast, the death. It all reminds me too much of my father, dying down deep in the coal mines. And just like Rye's death, the Capitol was to blame. Those mines have terrible working conditions and always have the miners in danger. I want to crumple to the ground and weep. Not holding back a single tear drop.

Rue has to shake me back to my senses. And even when I am back to reality, I'm shaking like crazy.  With one hard look, Rue must see the fear in my face because she embraces me in a friendly, carring manner. It takes me a minute, but I finally hug her back. "We're safe. It wasn't you. We'll be okay." Rue lets go of me and climbs down the tree. Gingerly I follow her. Once I reach the bottom of the tree trunk, she studies me again. "Hey, I'm just as shook up as you. It's worse here than on T.V." At that I get back on track. No doubt every camera is focused on us right now. Sponsors watching our every move eagerly, seeing just how well we will react. 

"Right," I say, more mature than ever before. "After all, we are in The Hunger Games."

I know, it's short, but it is my secound upload today. And I'll try to upload again tomorrow. Maybe. Okay, bye.