𝐅𝐎𝐗𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 [EDITING]

sixteen

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I trekked through the bushes, my boots were absolutely covered with mud. I didn't know where in the hell I was in the arena, and I was tired. I had a rough sleep last night, mostly due to crying the whole night.

The air that morning wasn't cold and crisp like every other morning was before this one. It was hot and dripped with humidity, I could feel the stray pieces of my hair that weren't in the space buns already start to stick to my sweaty face.

I absolutely hated the heat, I much rather liked the cold. The snow. The rain. The frost. Cold weather was so beautiful. I liked to look at the blades of grass covered in millions of ice crystals. I liked to slide across ice covered ponds and stomp on them after I was done, making it shatter into a bunch of tiny shards of ice. I liked to pick up the fresh snow of the ground and throw it at my friends. I liked to let the snow fall on my nose and eyelashes.

I rubbed the my eyes, my vision had been a bit blurry because of my lack of sleep, and I felt like I could pass out right now. Maybe I could just lie down on the ground and take a nap...

The whole world seemed like a blurry oil painting, all the colours blending together and creating a whirlwind of emotions. I rubbed my eyes again, this time, it looked a bit less blurry then before. I felt my head spinning, and little black spots appeared in the corners of my eyes. My whole body started to feel like it was spinning along with my head. Every single inch of my body ached from sleeping uncomfortably and running all the damn time. I felt like I could just collapse right here and now.

I slapped myself in the face, and it was hard. My face burned with the pain, but at least I was more awake then before. I took the neon orange backpack off my back and pulled open the grey zipper. I took out the chunk of bread I had left, and chewed on it as I walked through the big and lonely forest.

I had been walking for quite a while, so the sun was fully up in the sky. It was much warmer then usual, and I was starting to sweat. A lot. I took off my coat and tied it around my waist.

-🕸-

It felt like I had been walking for days on end, but the sun hadn't really changed it's position, so I must have only been walking for an hour or so. I plopped myself down on the grassy, pine-needle-covered ground, my back against a tree. I sighed, my legs hurt, and I was sort of out of breath. I tipped my head forward, and closed my eyes for a moment, just so I could rest for a short while.

I let out a long breath, how long had I been in the arena for? I had lost track by now. Was it five? Ten? All I knew, was that there were only six people left, and I was glad. I was getting closer to ending this horrible game. Wether it meant me winning, or me being slaughtered by one of the other tributes.

-🕸-

The sun had set, and there still wasn't a star in the sky. Maybe the game makers had forgotten to put them there, or maybe they just didn't want them there anymore. No ones life's has been cut short today. Neither were any the next day. Or the day after that.

As I was laying in a tree, ready to fall asleep, something finally happened. "Attention all tributes, attention! Commencing at sunrise of the next day, there will be a feast at the cornucopia. This will be no ordinary occasion. Each of you need something, and this year, we plan on being very generous hosts." A voice boomed throughout the whole arena, and echoed around it.

The voice sounded like it was coming from the head game maker with the strangely cut beard; Seneca crane. The tone he had used was icy, but sweet at the same time. But... overly sweet. Like he was trying to hide something, or sugarcoating something. It also sounded like he was over eager, like he was exited to see teenagers fight to the death over a few bandages or something.

I stared deep into the forest as I processed what he had just said. "It's gonna be messy." I muttered under my breath. These kind of things were only done every three years or so, and they were almost like a second, and smaller blood bath. It was usually when no one had died in a few days, and the game makers and people of the Capitol were getting bored and needed more action.

I had caught a few more birds, and harvested some berries. That should keep me alive for a few more days, so I wasn't planning on going. I didn't really need anything at the moment. But other people did. I smirked as I thought of it. I had stolen from the careers, how hard would it be to steal from the others? There were only six of them after all, and most of them wouldn't even show up anyways.

Hopefully the bags at the so called feast wouldn't be full of something useless, I remember the year when people were absolutely starving and all they got in the apparently 'generous' feast was a stale loaf of bread and a few slices of cheese. I don't think the Capitol got quite the show they wanted that year, it was mostly people dying of starvation instead of any 'action', a.k.a innocent children slaughtering each other for rich people's amusement.

If I got up really early I bet I could reach the Cornucopia before everyone else and snatch a few bags, and then I could get the fuck out of there.