Beauty in Darkness

Chapter Nineteen

After a few moments, Cason let me go and we turned to face the canyon. "You don't think we can cross it?" Cason asked. I looked around and shook my head.

"It's too wide. How Metina even got down there is beyond me. Besides, we better go anyway. The hovercraft will be here to take her soon."

I heard Cason sigh and turned to face him. His face was sad and I walked over and wrapped him in a hug. We were all each other had in here, so we had to be there for one another.

"She was my friend's sister." He said, his voice tickling my ear. So he knew her. That's why he was so sad to see her be a tribute in the Games.

"She's okay now though. She isn't scared or worried for her life. She's in whatever her version of Heaven is, right?" I pulled away and wiped Cason's cheeks. The tears had already frozen.

"Right." I took his hand then turned back to face the woods. "Ready?"

He nodded and I nodded at Kenta who's tail started wagging immediately. He really was just like I dog. I imagined the Gamemakers to be mad at the fact we had turned their own mutt into a pet.

Suddenly, a thought struck me. What if they had Kenta do it for a reason? Were they saving him to attack us later? Was it for added drama? Was this all in their plan? I looked down at Kenta and sighed, deciding to hope for the best. But that's really not what you are supposed to do in the Games.

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I made the decision to go back to the cornucopia. Cason thought I was completely mad, but he didn't understand my reasoning.

"There is supplies there. More weapons! If you can get a trident then we actually stand a chance." I reasoned. Cason crossed his arms in front of his chest, refusing to budge an inch.

"It's suicide! The Careers are probably camped out there so it's practically a death sentence!" I sighed and rubbed my temples.

"The Boy Who Cried Wolf, remember?" Cason looked up at me, obviously having forgotten that plan.

"But that's for way fewer people. There are still loads in the arena." I sighed.

"What's your plan then? Just hide in the trees? We can't hide forever. Our hands have to get dirty. That's how this works! That's how all of this works!" I was talking louder than I knew was wise, but I couldn't help it.

"Akemi. I know that we have to get our hands dirty. Both of our hands already are! Why make them even more so?" I leaned back against a tree, continuing to rub my temples. I had hoped it would calm me down, but it didn't seem to be working.

"Because this is the Games, Cason. We fight. We struggle. We beat each other senseless for the Capitol's entertainment! We play by the rules and the same thing happens to us as what happened to Metina."

Cason sighed. "This Games is going fast. Really fast." I nodded. So many people were dead and it had only been three days.

"Who knows what might happen tomorrow. But we have to make it to tomorrow." I looked up at Cason and knew he was right. Going to the cornucopia right now would be suicide. But I couldn't just be idle.

"We can get close. How's that? We get close and scope the place out and we can decide whether or not it's safe to go in." I nodded and stood.

"We can make it halfway there today if we hurry." I looked over at Kenta. He had grown so much, he was higher than my waist. I knew he was defiantly a mutt now.

"What are you thinking?" Cason asked me uncertainly.

"I'm thinking....we might have a ride to the cornucopia." I said, looking over at the wolf who was watching us curiously. Almost as if reading my thoughts, he stood and started wagging his tail.

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We made it to the cornucopia by nightfall. I had anticipated several days' worth of journey, but Kenta ran so fast that we made it in no time.

Cason and I rode on his back, our faces close to his fur so branches wouldn't snap at us or snag on our jackets.

In the bitter wind they did little to keep the cold out. It didn't help that our leggings were practically soaked.

We stopped at a large tree that was sheltered by the others. Cason and I climbed it and I tossed Kenta down a small piece of bread. Our cheese was already gone and after tonight our bread would be too.

I curled up next to Cason and watched as the night sky lit up with the Capitol Seal. Metina's face shown briefly before being wiped away and replaced with that of the District Twelve people. I had barely talked to them but they had seemed nice. All skin and bones though. Not that different from me when I came in.

It seemed so unfair. Metina's death made me start thinking that. I remember what she had said. "I don't want to follow the Capitol's rules. And if saving you means breaking their rules, so be it."

She had so much hatred for the Capitol, even though her District was one of the nice ones who didn't have to worry about hunger or cruel Peacekeepers. At least, not that I knew of.

Why did she hate the Capitol so? I had wondered at the time, but now I could understand. They were responsible for all of this. For her death. For Velle's death. Hell, even for Karlo's death. All of us would have led great lives, but it is their fault we are in here with no means of escape except to kill our allies. Or friends. It wasn't right. And I'd be damned if I was going to let them turn me into one of their monsters too.