Ceres flings her backpack up first, and then starts to crawl upwards, slipping a few times on lose bricks. She reaches out for the railing, hoping it doesn't give out on her and quickly pulls herself up. It's a hassle to get up there, but at least now she had a clearer view of the terrain. There's a small opening on one of the walls that allows her to look out, and there's a few gaps in the ceiling. She must take advantage of the daylight now before it's gone and she's in complete darkness.
She begins to strip, trying to shake off the thought that someone was watching her get naked. But, these were the Hunger Games. She takes out the jacket from her backpack and drapes it across herself, careful not to brush against her burnt skin. Ceres uses the canteen bottles she had stolen to wash away the mud from her face and hands. Even after three days, she's surprised the hair on her body hadn't grown back out. Apparently keeping the tributes clean was necessary for entertainment. At least she's glad that her cycle has been momentarily stopped by the pills given to her.
Thanks to her sponsors, an ointment had been gifted to her earlier in the games, making the cuts on her shoulder heal rather fast. The damn mutts had gotten to her, and if it hadn't been for the boy from her own district, who sacrificed himself for her by pushing her off the building, she would've been their meal. Ceres feels bad not knowing the boy's name. She uses the same ointment on the cuts that are on her face, wincing at the slight sting.
She looks down at her two missing fingernails, grabbing the gauze from her backpack and wrapping them up. The skin underneath is still tender, she tries not to think too much about it as she lets out shaky breaths. There's no doubt they're broken. Nightfall is upon them, the hot temperature drops to a cool breeze that still manages to find her inside. Her clothes are still wet, if she were to wear them, she'd be susceptible to hyperthermia.
A little bell chime goes off somewhere near, and she knows it's a gift. She zips up the jacket and peeks out through one of the cracks in the wall, trying to locate the white parachute. It lands right inside the the building, and she feels as if luck might be on her side. Compared to the small container the medicine had came in, this one is bigger.
A shirt and a pair of pants lie rolled inside. They're identical to the old ones that are now covered in mud and wet. Inside is a little note:
Stay warm.
Perhaps her sister had sent it. Or a kind enough sponsor. She slips on the clothing, content that she won't have to sleep with cold tonight. Before she can doze off, she hears a loud scream in the distance. She snaps up from her sleeping position and snaps her backpack back on, adrenaline ushering her awake.
A cannon goes off.
Three left.
The next two tributes must be close to one another, the arena's night sky suddenly awakens in light. The scorching sun penetrates through the cracks and holes of the building, Ceres knows it's almost time for a victor. She carefully climbs back down to the first floor, looks around but finds nothing but bricks and stones. If her opponent was male, she'd be at a disadvantage with strength. Her dagger was only good enough for close combat, and that was something she was trying to avoid.
Ceres has no time to check her minor injuries, but she concludes they're now simple scars. Her burns still ache, but whatever strength she still had was keeping her going. She's scared, she's so fucking scared. Her heart is threatening to burst outside her ribcage, but she pushes aside her fear. If she succumbs to it, she'll be dead in the blink of an eye. She takes her time climbing out of the building, trying to come up with some sort of plan. Her mind is blank though, the thought that there's only two more kids left, that she might have to kill them. Or worse, be killed.
00: WHITE NOISE
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