The Second Annual Hunger Games (Book 2)

Seven

I couldn't stop shaking my leg all through dinner, even as Fergus and Sybille told me about training. I can't stop shaking my leg now as I watch the clock in my bedroom. It's 9:27 and I can't leave until 9:35. I calculated the time for me to get out of the building and ride in a taxi to the edge of the city.

The hard part will be getting off this floor. Avoxes stand posted in the main room all night, but luckily none of them stand in the hallway. If I'm quiet I can make it to the staircase that leads both up to the roof and down to the main floor without the avoxes knowing. Then I'll have to get out to the street and grab a taxi. Piece of cake, at least compared to the Hunger Games.

The minutes tick by at a snail-like pace, 9:28, 9:29, 9:30, 9:31, 9:32, 9:33. At 9:34 I get up and pull my hood over my face. I stand by the door until the clock finally reaches 9:35. I'm out the door and down the hallway in seconds, only glancing back once to see if anyone heard me. Then I'm on the staircase and racing down it, all the way to the main floor.

I peak out the door and find a sole peacekeeper patrolling around. I sneak out and roll behind a table. The door to the street is on the other side of the floor and the peacekeeper stands in the path to it.

I move to another table slightly closer, but not enough to really help. I need a distraction. I look around and the only thing I can find a pencil. That's just great. I gaze back at the way I came and smile to myself. The elevator.

I get into a good position, make sure the peacekeeper isn't watching, then throw the pencil at the button for the elevator. It barely hits it. The elevator dings a few seconds later.

"Huh?" I hear the peacekeeper. He walks over to it as I move to the other side of the table. Then I'm bolting for the door.

I don't look back until I'm down the street and around the corner. I take off the hood and blend into the crowd. I walk another block and then call for a taxi.

"Can you take me to the Garden of Time on the edge of town please?"

"Sure thing." The taxi driver makes a u-turn and speeds off away from the center of the city.

I watch out the window as the buildings decrease in height and become more spread apart. I can almost pretend this is part of the districts if I try hard enough. There's less people with less extreme outfits, although, they're still much too cheery.

"Here we are." The driver pulls up to a curb.

I hand him some money that I had brought from home. "Keep the change." Getting out, I look around. There's not much.

The area is mostly deserted. A sign in front of me says, "The Garden of Time," and I head toward it. From the looks of it the Garden of Time is very time-worn. Past the sign is a path of overgrown weeds. They crisscross in every direction, attaching onto the stone pathway and taking up every inch of dirt.

As I walk further in, I hear a clock strike ten. When I look around I find no one. I sit on a bench that creaks and groans. What if this was just some trick? Or maybe the note wasn't actually a secret message, although, I don't know how anyone could actually pick flowers from this garden.

"Aldera." I turn around and see two figures in hoods. They lower them as we approach each other.

"Rye. Inala. I wasn't expecting both of you."

They each hug me. "I'm glad you figured out our message," Rye says.

"Me too. I was really confused at first."

"Come dear," Inala puts her arm around my shoulder. "We'd like to show you something."

She leads me to the center of the garden and taps her foot three times on a stone that looks especially full of weeds. The weeds are quickly pulled to the side and the stone slides over. Underneath is a dark staircase. Inala goes in first, then me, then Rye. Once Rye enters the stone goes back to its former place.