Liberosis - The Hunger Games

15

Thorn and Beck worked on covering our tracks as I led Elsie by the hand and down to the ocean water. "We'll go out and check your snares today," I tell her as I cup my hands and pour some water over her hair, "you'll have to help us all out, we'll get caught inside them otherwise," I joke.

The girl lets out a soft giggle, splashing some of the water around her. So childlike, so innocent, twelve is too young to die. Beck and Thorn soon join us in the water, our weapons and packed bags sit on the shoreline. This feeling, the water crashing around my thighs, my friends laughing and splashing in the sea. My feet digging into the sand, this felt like home.

We stay in the water so long that my skin begins to wrinkle, we leave the water and bask in the sun for a few minutes allowing our wetsuits to dry. It wasn't blisteringly hot but I knew the game makers would eventually ramp up the conditions to kill us off if the time came.

My hair still sat in matted braids, riddled with sand and saltwater. They were conditions I was used to back at home and I was glad my hair had stayed in this long. I decided not to do anything about it as I sling my pack over my shoulder, "This is really heavy," Elsie said as she handed me my weapon.

I smiled and twirled the weapon in our hands, back in my district they started us off with the heavy ones straight away to wear us into them. Finnick and I could barely carry them at the age of seven and look at us now, trained killers.

Elsie gripped my hand tightly as we began to trek through the jungle, Beck took the lead and Thorn stayed to the back. Sweat was heading down the back of my neck as we reached the first snare. A chicken-like bird stood entangled in the trap, it has orangey-brown feathers, I could guess it was edible.

The next snare came along about fifteen minutes into our expedition, we found a strange, furry creature that resembled a brown rabbit. It was probably enough meat for the next few days. We have several more snares throughout the foliage, but taking too much food would weigh us down. The group of us agreed on checking one more snare before we filled up our water canisters.

The jungle was dense, strangle colourful birds flew in flocks over our heads and the growling sounds made me feel cautious of predators. I gripped my trident tightly, the cool of the metal relaxing me as we continued on our walk.

"There's another snare further inland," Elsie pointed at through the trees, "Between these three flower bushes, I saw some rabbits around there, we might find something there," she concluded. For a twelve-year-old she was very observant, I was glad to be allied with her.

We reached the area where Elsie said she had placed her snare, Thorn, Beck and I stood on guard around the bushes as the young girl clambered through them and over to the other side. "Where do you think the Careers are?" Beck asked as he flipped a knife back and forth between his hand.

"It doesn't matter, if they find us, we'll be ready for them," Thorn shrugged in response, I appreciated his high spirits, he didn't realise how dangerous they could be, even without their food.

A frightened squeak from the direction of the bushes caused us all to draw our weapons, "Elsie is everything ok?" I ask the young girl, peering through the bushes.

She doesn't say anything, instead, she climbs out of the bushes, holding the thin wire of the snare between her delicate fingers. What used to be the circular part of the snare had now been cut so that it was a long wire, but most terrifying was that it was covered in a glossy, red colour.

Blood.

"You think it was a tribute?" Beck asked, taking the wire from the young girl's hands.

"No, a bunny rabbit pulled out a pocket knife and cut itself free, of course, it was a tribute," Thorn sassed, snatching the snare from his hands.