The Wunder Games-A Hunger Games Fan Fic

The Wunder Games 16

Brit emerges from her bush laughing.

"And she sticks the landing," she jokes.

"Shut up," I snarl, "The Careers could be ten yards away."

"No," Brit corrects me, "They're at their camp by the sea. I think that was your boyfriend's idea."

"Garren's not my boyfriend," I say, trying to contain my temper.

"You two were always talking in the Capitol," Brit points out.

"Yeah, well," I decide to steer away from this subject, "Where's Hunter?"

"Off somewhere," Brit mumbles.

"You ditched him?"

"You ditched Garren."

"He's with the Careers! They're all pigs, the lot of them! Would you want to be on their team?" Brit considers this for a moment.

"No," she finally says, "But-"

"We need to make an alliance," I interupt her, "Just you and me."

"You took the words right out of my mouth," she comments. And I laugh.

Brit takes off her pack and empties it. One of the items is a rolled blanket. We lay it out. She also has a warm loaf of bread and a container filled to the brim with hazelnut goat cheese. That's it. Nothing useful.

"I had to get away from the horn quickly," she explains, "There was so much blood. Last time I saw Hunter, he had a huge gash across his arm. I feel bad about leaving him now."

"We can find him if you'd like," I say, breaking off a piece of bread, spreading it with goat cheese and stuffing it into my desperate mouth.

"Hey!" Brit snatches the bread away, "That's my food. Didn't you get any?"

"Only dried berries," I reply, reaching for them.

"Oh," Brit mutters, "Sorry. Never mind." And we both eat about half of the loaf together, barely digging into the goat cheese. "You really mean it? We can find Hunter?"

"Yeah," I say, "When it get's lighter, we'll head out." 

At the crack of dawn, Brit and I fill up our packs and set out into the forest. This isn't the type of forest I'm used to. It's all pine and oakwood. There are jungles at home and that's where I practice climbing trees. We walk for hours on end until the ground starts to slope.

"We're reaching the ocean," I say.

"How can you tell?" Brit asks.

"If the ground is sloping, for one," I explain, "Also, I can smell the sea." Brit sniffs the air.

"I can't smell anything," she comments, "We can't be that close."

"Only about a half a mile away," I say, "And remember, I've lived by the sea all my life."

"Right," Brit says, "Olivi, how old are you?"

"Fourteen," I say, "Why?"

"Just wondering," she replies, shrugging, "I'm sixteen." And we walk on together. About ten minutes later, Brit dives to the ground.

"What is it?" I gasp. She comes up with something in her hand. It's a small chain.

With a bulb of sand.

My hand immediately flies to my neck, but my necklace is still there.

"It's Hunter's chain," Brit whispers.

"That's odd," I say, "I have one just like it." And I hold it up.

"That is strange," she murmurs.

"Did he tell you he's my mom's cousin?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says, "The night before we were put in here. But don't you know what this means?"

"What?"

"It's a sign. Hunter is near by!"

Psssssst! Pssssssst!

"What was that?" I growl, instantly loading an arrow into the string. I listen harder. There's that sound again.

"Olivi!" Brit hisses, "Look!" 

And I see him. Hunter sits deep among a gnarled knot of tree roots, ivy and small bushes almost cloaking him completley. I lower my bow.

"Hunter?" Immediatley, his finger flies to his lips. And then he points at something in the distance.

************************

It's the Careers. They're approaching from downhill, making more noise than a stampede of buffalo. I should have heard them first. Hunter falls back into his camouflage. Brit's seen them too. She's drawing her knife.

"No," I whisper, "Fighting is our last resort."

"Then what do we do?" she whimpers.

"Up a tree," I respond, "It's the only way."

"I can't climb trees," she says urgently, "There are no trees in District Nine. Only fields. We're wheat." 

"Well," I snarl, "You're gonna learn." We find a large tree with many branches. I help hoist Brit up and jump up after her myself. She climbs very carefully, finding the broadest crooks in which to place her feet, never taking a risk. We're high enough by the time the Careers reach the peak of the hill. They set down their packs, whip out flasks and take long gulps of cool water.

"Should we camp here for the night?" Amethyste asks.

"Yeah," Antonius replies, "This is a good place."

"What about our stuff by the sea?" Brite asks.

"Don't worry about it," Antonius growls, "No one can going strolling towards them without being speared down. We've got trip wires, tiggered blades and the works." 

"So why exactly are we leaving camp?" Garren inquires.

"To kill off the weaklings," Antonius says, "They don't deserve to be in this game. It will be more interesting when they're gone."

"Like your little friend, Garry," Amethyste purrs, snuggling up close to him. I want to puke.

"Olivi's not weak," Garren snarls.

"How do you explain the score then?" Antonius says. Garren doesn't say anything. Good. He's keeping his word. Amethyste is pulling his arm around her. Brite and Antonius glance at each other awkwardly. I want to string my bow and send an arrow through Amethyste's neck. I want to squeeze her head into pulp. I want to-

Wait. Shut up, me. Am I feeling jealousy?

A scary thought is accuring.

Am I in love with Garren?