The 55th Hunger Games

Chapter 14

While I wait for Aponi to return, I begin to enlarge the snow cave so that it will fit the two of us. I have dug it down to the cold earth so we will not have to sleep on the snow. The roof isn't very stable. If someone were to step on it during the night it would cave in, but it will have to do.

The sky is dark when Aponi finally returns. I smile at her, glad that she is safe. She smiles back and complements my snow cave. I suggest we stay outside until the sky lights up, showing us if any tributes have died. She happily agrees and sits down in the snow with me.

"Did you hear any cannons go off last night?" I ask her.

She shakes her head. "No. The wind was so loud. I don't think anyone would have."

I nod. I want to ask her another question, but I am not sure whether I should ask it. After a moment of contemplation I decide to, because it will not stop bothering me if I don't.

"Aponi do you know what happened to your district partner?" She looks at me, but I can't read her expression. "I just saw you escape the bloodbath together, that's all."

Her face falls in sorrow, as though she is remembering something terrible.

"I'm sorry," I say when I see her expression. "You don't have to answer. I was only curious."

She shakes her head. "No, it's ok. We were together, but the Careers found us at dawn after the first night. I woke up and began to explore the forest. It was so beautiful, and I'd never been in one before!" She exclaims, her face lighting up in happiness.

Then her face darkens again. "But Kedeth was still sleeping when I left. Then as I was exploring I heard laughter coming from our camp. I went back quietly and hid in the bushes." Her tone turns distressed. "The Careers had come and Kedeth had not woken in time to escape. And oh, how they tormented him, Taslim! It was horrible! They are wicked, wicked people! I do not wish for one of them to win at all!"

I register several things about Aponi from her explanation. I now know she feels very guilty about her district partners death. This is also the first time I have heard her speaking about something fearful. Usually, she only speaks about happy things. It is strange, but her mood changes as her thoughts do. If she is thinking something happy, she is happy. If she thinks about something frightening, she is frightened.

The final thing I notice is that Aponi seems to have remembered my name. Did she take special notice of it back in the Capitol, or does she just remember everyone's name? I'm not sure, but at the moment she is frightened, and I have caused it.

"That's why we are going to win, Aponi. We will beat the Careers!"

"How?" She asks like a small child.

"We will outlast them. We will keep each other safe, and we will show everyone that we should not be overlooked."

Aponi looks for a moment as if she would like to say something, but then the sky lights up and the anthem plays. When it ends, the Capitol seal in the sky is replaced by the face of the dead District 3 girl, soon replaced again by the girl from District 8.

"Oh," Aponi sighs. "I liked her. She was very nice to me. She helped me tie knots at training."

I nod as the Capitol seal comes back on and the sky falls dark once more.

"Your district partner is still alive, isn't she?" Aponi asks.

I nod. "Yes, but she wants nothing to do with me, so we can't exactly ask her to join us."