Jabberjay [The Hunger Games]

Chapter Fourteen

     My head jolts to the side, blinded by the light as my reflexes cause my arm to raise. Before I can send a knife flying out in front of me, the beam passes me by and I hear Malo's voice, "She's not here."

     Malo stands in front of me for a moment, shining the light down at his boots. The light from the flashlight travels up his body and allows me to see him as my fists clench. He stands above me, momentarily looking down at me. We lock eyes before he walks back in the direction that he came from, keeping the shine away from me. I am having a hard time reading his body language, and an even harder time comprehending his reasoning. "She is too smart to venture out into the swamp, it is too risky looking for her at night in here. I don't want to end up like Alanis," the voice of Malo explains.

     "Let's stick with the others and take her down as a group," Ripley snarls back at him, the anger in his voice fuming.

     Malo and Ripley head back towards the forest and leave me alone with the chorus of toads that croak harmonies. I am in complete shock and struggle to comprehend what just happened. He saw me, he had to of. The light was literally gleaming in my face, and now he is directing the others to search away from me? Whose side is Malo on? Why is he protecting me? I just weakened his alliance, he probably lost a few betters in the Capitol because of this. In a very passive way, he has saved me. The Malo that I knew in the Capitol is still here with me in the arena. The puzzle that is Malo Revel keeps proving harder and harder to solve. My heart warms for a second, but I quickly extinguish whatever feelings that arise.

     I need to take advantage of this time because every second away from the Careers is a blessed one that I cannot take for granted. I need to get away, and that I do. It takes me about an hour to avoid alerting other tributes of my location, but eventually, I find my way out of the swamp and into a part of the woods that is quiet. Traveling through the dark is ominous, but I suppose that fits the theme of the night. I have my first kill, Silica, a Career who was tied for the highest training score this year. Does this even count as my first kill though? I suppose in the complex of the Games, yes. However, this is my second. I will never forget the adrenaline that I felt after my first, a sickening but accomplishing feeling. I shake my head, trying to free myself from the morbid thought that murdering someone could feel justified. Deco Talli was trying to murder me, so I consider that self-defense. Silica was planning on murdering me but had not tried yet. Killing her was still self-defense though, right? One could argue that any kill made within the Hunger Games is self-defense because for me to survive they all need to be dead.

     After searching for a while I find a decent place to lay for the night. A ditch in the ground that would hide me from anyone roaming the area. In order to see me, you'd have to come pretty close to the ditch which I have disguised with some fallen tree branches. I stare into the night sky, connecting the stars for a while. I imagine the sheer shock that the other tributes will feel once Silica's face appears in the sky tomorrow night. I bet everyone in the Capitol is talking about me, all kinds of buzz around my name. Maybe this will even help with my sponsors? The two steps back I made when I let Lark run away from me, I made up the next morning by allying with him. Now, I'm one more step ahead after killing Silica, and then add another step for surviving the aftermath. My brain eventually tires out and I drift off, replaying the night until I slumber.

     The next morning, I cannot get Malo off my mind. The rush from last night kept me sidetracked enough to not deal with the thought of him. I begin to feel guilty because the bare minimum that he deserves is my thoughts. I eat a pack of crackers from my backpack, staring into a tree in the distance, getting lost in the bark. As I chew, I create a list of things that Malo has done for me. Held me twice, once during the interviews and then when we slept together on the eve of the arena. Comforted me countless times. Openly shared his thoughts with me during training about the dynamics of the other tributes. Handed me a dagger that I used to kill his ally. Carried me to the Career camp when I was weak. Supplied me with medicine that I desperately needed. Kept my hiding place secret when I was being hunted. That is all that I can recall at the moment, but I am positive that the list goes on.