Storm: A Hunger Games Story {Book One of the Storm Trilogy}

Eight

Wherever the victim was, it wasn't close to us. We would've heard it. Since they already displayed the dead tonight, we will find out who's cannon that was tomorrow.

The next morning, everyone woke up early. I didn't get a wink of sleep. The air was clear, and the sun was shining brightly. We ate breakfast, which was brief. We were running out of food, and water.

"We should probably go back to the river today and get some more water." Galen suggested. We all agreed, and set out for the river.

Nothing about the woods seemed off today, which might be even more unsettling. For all we know, the gamemakers are planning a big event to wipe the rest of us out. I knew by this point that the Capitol was getting bored. There had to be something brewing.

The sunlight was bouncing off of the river, causing the water to glisten. I bent down to fill my canteen, and looked deeper into the water. There were no fish or signs of life in the river. Maybe the gamemakers didn't deem it necessary to create a completely believable forest.

The four of us settled by the river once again, our weapons at the ready. I divided the berries from yesterday so we all had an equal amount.

I noticed that Aaron's normally bright blue eyes seemed foggy, almost like his body was trying to protect him from seeing the reality of what was happening. He ate his berries quickly, and then sat quietly.

"What's on your mind Aaron?" I asked him, away from Hazel and Galen. He shakes his head, and tells me he's fine. I know he's not fine, but I don't pry. I drink the rest of my water and refill the canteen.

The wetsuit didn't help us in this circumstance. The blazing sun scorched us inside of the tight black suits. I rolled up my sleeves and pant legs to try and cool off.

"So, who's cannon do you think that was last night?" Galen asks. I shrug, not caring who the cannon belonged to.

"Probably either the girl from ten or the boy from eleven." I reply. I looked around, making sure no one was around us. There were now nine of us left. I kept my eyes open, still afraid after Lia and Maddox.

I felt the ground rumble a bit. Were they causing an earthquake? No, that's too easy.

"What the hell is that?" Hazel points out something coming out of the forest on the other side of the river.

"Shit." I whispered. They were mutts. They had wolf-like features, but even from afar I could see they had eyes like a snake. We grabbed our things and started running. I wish I had some throwing knives right now, I could take them all out.

The four of us were pretty fast, and we thought we could outrun them. I knew we couldn't. I had two knives in my possession: the big knife I took from Maddox, and the knife from the cornucopia. I threw the one from the cornucopia at one of them, and when it died, another one popped out of the ground.

"HELP ME!" I heard someone scream. I turned my head to the left and saw the girl from 10 being torn apart by the mutts. Her screams were so agonizing that I had to run with my fingers in my ears.

I thought we were getting away from them, but they were too fast. There was one gaining on me, and my mind began to show me images of the people I need to survive for. My mother. My father. Mason. Trina. Wes. Aaron. It tackles me to the ground, but I stab it. Galen helps me up, and we keep going.

"Shit!" I heard Aaron yell. There was a mutt on him. I leapt onto it, rolled over with it under me, and I stabbed it. I got up quickly to help Aaron up, and noticed he had a huge gash on his shoulder.

"Aaron, you have to keep moving. Come on." Galen helped me run with Aaron until we noticed that the mutts were receding. We stopped to catch our breath and to figure out where we are.