Ice Cold Fire// F. Odair

9

Chapter Warnings!!: Use of foul language, B!ood and Gore, Murder, Snow!!!!!, Weapons

Day 3

It had been three long and grueling days since I entered the Hunger Games. I had managed to evade any direct confrontations, taking refuge high in the trees and using my survival skills to stay hidden. The forest had become my sanctuary, and I moved as silently as the shadows, never knowing when danger might be lurking nearby. The days had been punctuated by the cannon fire that signaled another tribute's demise. I had taken down two more of the tributes, reducing the number to eight of us left, as I had led two tributes into snares, causing them to hang upside down until their brains filled with blood, which I then cut the rope off their legs, making them fall in a sicking crack on the floor.

It was two girls, from districts 5 and 8. They were useless in my eyes.

Those encounters had been brutal, and I could still see the haunted expressions of the fallen in my nightmares. But in this deadly game, it was either kill or be killed. And I swore the game makers a show, I had to keep my act up. With only eight left, the odds were narrowing, and the Capitol audience was surely eager for more action. However I was determined to stay hidden until the right opportunity presented itself. The arena was a merciless place, and I would do whatever it took to survive and make it back home.The solitude gave me time to think, to plan, and to gather the meager supplies I could reach from the trees.

I had begun to slowly walk towards the river between the trees, as the game makers thought a rainstorm of hot blood was funny. I approached the river stream cautiously, my once pristine white bow now a sickening shade of red from the blood rain that had drenched me a few hours earlier.

I needed to wash the blood off, not just for the sake of cleanliness but for the irritation that the capital seemingly wanted to make my innocence fade faster than my little act could keep up with.

As I knelt by the water's edge, I dipped my trembling hands into the cool stream, trying to scrub away the stains on my clothes. The water darkened, carrying the evidence of the violence that had taken place in the arena. I was lost in my thoughts when I heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. Startled, I snapped my gaze away from the water, turning my head in the direction of the sound, and my heart skipped a beat as I met the eyes of Jillian from District 10. We hadn't spoken since the day we had become friends in the training room, and seeing her now, under these dire circumstances, was a shock.

Jillian's eyes widened in recognition, and her expression mirrored my panic. It was clear she was just as afraid of being discovered by another tribute. We had both been playing the waiting game, hiding and trying to avoid the violence that surrounded us. I quickly wiped the water from my face, hoping to regain some semblance of innocence, but the bloodstains were stubborn. Jillian did the same, though her face was still streaked with dirt and sweat from the days in the arena. In the silent understanding that passed between our locked gazes, we both knew that we had to be cautious.

In the Hunger Games, alliances could be dangerous, and the line between trust and betrayal was razor-thin.

Her fingers tightened around her weapon, her knuckles white, as she regarded me with suspicion. It was clear that the brutal environment of the Hunger Games had eroded trust and turned every encounter into a potential threat. Seeing her reaction, I quickly realized that I needed to defuse the situation. Slowly, I raised my empty hands in a gesture of peace, palms open to show I had no intention of causing harm. My bloodstained attire and the white bow turned red were probably unnerving, but I wanted to convey my sincerity."I won't hurt you, Jillian," I said, my voice soft and reassuring. "We were friends in the training room, remember? We can help each other, just like back then. We stand a better chance if we watch each other's backs. Clay traded me for the careers, fucking idiot if I have any say in it."