Behind Those Violet Eyes ▸ Hunger Games

Chapter Thirteen: Cyra Merison

Chapter Thirteen:

Cyra's POV

All I remember about that morning is that I was freezing cold. My hands shook, my feet shook, my body shook.... I think even my hair was shaking from the cold. I began to pull my sleeping bag tighter and tighter around myself... Until I slowly realized it wasn't cold out....It was hot. Burning. Hot.

I hadn't done very much since Casey had died. I was really upset. Casey had been.... Well, my first friend. Ever. In my life.

Back in District Four, I hadn't been the most popular of people. I wasn't able to make friends very often, because they were afraid of my eyes. When I was younger, people thought I was crazy, or on some kind of drug that was making my eyes that color. I promised them it was natural, but they didn't believe me in the slightest. Much of my younger life was spent curled up under the slide on the playground, sketching ocean patterns in the sand.

"Freak!" Lola Crasment shouted at me. "She's got a druggie mother.... She's not like us!" her large group of friends snickered behind her on that day back in 4th grade.

"Let's NOT be her friend..." Sandra Marks replied, giggling and flipping her dirty blond hair over her shoulder.

I began to quickly pull at my braid, trying to put my hair down and flip it out of my face, so they wouldn't be able to see how dark it was. Lola and Sandra simply laughed and led the rest of the girls away from me.

"Don't touch her!" Sandra shouted behind her. "You might catch a case of FREAKY GIRL!"

I think now they are sitting in their posh leather chairs, laughing at me, and  watching me curl up and getting ready to die.

But that's why I really wanted to see if me and Casey would make it out of the arena alive, and together. Four of us could come out... An upside. Downside.... forty-four other tributes would die along the way.

Anyway, back to the fact I was starting to burn up. I'm not even joking here..... My sleeping bag and other scattered items around my campsite were on fire.

I jumped up quickly, realizing this wasn't a natural fire, but one caused by the Gamemakers. Pushing back on my feet, I tried to run to the water, but the instant I got the idea, another wall of even hotter fire sprung from the ground blocking my path.

I backed up quickly, when a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the way of the ever growing fire.

"Come on!" the voice shouted. It was a guy's voice, smooth and soft. I obeyed the voice and continued to run faster, and faster. He began guiding me up hill, as the fire was growing even more intense as we ran. I felt the heat nipping at my ankles, as I continued running.

Catching my breath, we slowed down for a moment, I caught a glimpse at the guy who was running with me. He had dark hair, and olive skin. Knocking me out of my trance was another crash of fire, coming in from the left. It was building and it was the hottest and highest flame I have ever seen, or felt in all of my life.

"Keep running!" He shouted taking my hand again. I'm sure I looked rather small next to him. Yes, I'm about 5'9, but he was well over 6 ft.... At least. He gripped my hand tightly as we continued away from the fire.

I pushed forward, though my legs were begging to ache from all of the running. He led me down a hill, and through thick woods. So thick you couldn't see the tops of the trees, or even a single beam of sunlight. We kept going through the woods. I think we must have ran about six or seven miles before I finally realized that I could no longer feel heat. Or smell smoke. Or see flames.