Greater Games [A 72nd Hunger Games Fanfic]

Chapter 11

The sun beats down on me, what seems like unusually hard. My shirt clings to me, stained in sweat, and it's hard to breathe. I feel like I'm in a jungle. Even the fallen leaves on the ground are slick, the air is so moist from humidity. I am tempted to cut my pants to shorts, but I don't since it will only be cold again at night.

Felix hikes in front of me, not seeming uncomfortable at all. I wonder how he can do it, with the sweater on him and the pace he's going. I can barely keep up with him, and the green floiage, which seems to get thicker and thicker, is making me trip several times.

I am distracted by two hawks above me fighting when I trip on a fat tree root. The air is knocked out of me and it takes a moment or two to recover. I get back to my feet, already very bruised from all my falls, and try to keep my eyes on the ground ahead of me. I am so tired that when the time comes to hop over a log, it takes great effort and I stumble. My head smacks the ground with a painful, dazed feeling in my forehead, not to mention the excruciating headache. I try to get up, fail, then try to take out my water bottle, but even that takes effort.

"Let's rest," says Felix, and I'm thankful. pull myself to the base of a tree and close my eyes. A nap would be good.

"Let's have a croissant," suggests Felix, and that snaps me to attention. He takes the container from my pack and splits one. I take a half, and the taste is as good as ever. Nothing, absolutely nothing is more delicious than a croissant, and by far. I intentionally take a long time eating it, and lick every last bit of butter clean from my face and fingers.

Now that I'm a little stronger, I suggest we get going again. But Felix shakes his head. "No, let's rest a little longer," he says.

Out of nowhere, a thought enters my mind. What will happen if we're the last two tributes left? Will Felix sacrifice himself? Or will he turn on me? Will I have to sacrifice myself? If he doesn't love you, then there's no point in loving him back, I think. If he doesn't love you and tries to kill you, then you'll fight him. You kill him. Then you can go back to District 5 and be a star.

And if he doesn't try to kill me? What then? He kills himself and let's me live? That means I'd have to live with it for the rest of my life. Which leads to another question... would I sacrifice myself for him?

It's a selfish thought. I know I love him as much as he loves me, but death scares me more than anything in the world. Yes, I would sacrifice myself foe Felix. But by the way he loves me, I doubt he would even let that happen.

Felix stands up now. "Let's go," he says.

The Cornucopia is not very far off, but it is still another hour before we reach it, sweating and panting. A cold breeze, very unextpected, sends me from sweating to shivering, and suddenly I am zipping up my jacket. I am now grateful that I didn't cut off the ends of my pants. I guess it's just plain cold out on the cliffs.

Sure enough, a small campfire has been made, and the girl from 8 is sitting by it, warming her hands. By the looks of her camp, she's with another person. The Cornucopia has not ben quite emptied, and I assume that the girl and her companions are keeping it there as a place to store it all. But something is wrong. She looks very beaten, and if she was being backed, they would be on us by now. Whatever. Felix nods to me, giving me the signal of now.

He hands me the spear, since my accuracy is better with one than a bow and arrow. I position it, ready to shoot the girl from about thirty feet away. I raise the spear, knowing that I won't miss now that I can use the weapon of my choice. I have just released it when the girl from 6 crashes through the trees behind us, a knive poised in her hands. The spear clatters to the ground. She looks just as beaten as Girl 8. She sees the spear in my hand and Felix's knives, and a flicker of fear and doubt is in her eyes for a moment. She takes a step back, but regains her sharp posture.