Caged | The Hunger Games AU ✓

xxii. resurrection

twenty-two - resurrection

- - - ➳

something has shifted in the air. i know it the instant my eyes open to a dewy morning sunrise, and i discover the sleep deprivation finally caught up to me. i actually slept, and for a while, too.

the orange sky is peeking through the leaves above and bathing us in a warm glow. i massage my stiff neck and turn to the branch beside me to see that matthias has fallen asleep as well. his head is resting limply against his shoulder in what is probably an extremely uncomfortable position. his lips are parted and eyelids flutter occasionally.

i stretch, feeling my back crack as i do so.

"ah, that is disgusting."

"you don't like the sound of cracking joints?"

"i think it's gross."

everything reminds me of either carly or asher one way or another. even the way matthias is sleeping makes me smile a bit, remembering how carly would say he looks stupid and then throw berries at him. i should probably wake him up.

reaching over as far as i can without falling out of the tree, i tap matthias on the shoulder. he stirs, sleepy eyes opening slowly. he sucks in a deep breath and stretches his arms over his head with a yawn. he blinks and turns to me. "did you sleep?"

i nod and he seems pleased with himself, as if it was his doing. which it probably was. his voice had lulled me to slumber quicker than i could have imagined.

matthias yawns again, his hair sticking up in all directions. i chuckle, untying the rope from around my thighs. "c'mon, sleepyhead. we need to get moving."

matthias grudgingly throws the rope down to the ground and climbs down the trunk after me, landing on the soil with a soft thud. he pulls out his sword and i unsheathe two knives.

"ready?" i ask. he nods, still looking exhausted. i sigh, face him, and quickly press my lips against the soft flesh of his cheek. his breathing hitches and he's wide-eyed when i pull away.

"what was that for?" he wonders when he finds his voice.

i smirk. "needed you alert. looks like it worked."

matthias's face flushes in embarrassment and he grumbles under his breath, following behind me as i walk.

we aren't out for long when i no longer hear matthias's feet behind me. i stop, turn around, and discover he's staring in complete shock at something, mouth open in a gape.

"son of a bitch," he mumbles beneath his breath. "carly!"

my heart stops. i rush to his side, finding what he's looking at.

carly is rigid as she stands with her bow poised, a scowl on her heart-shaped face. her blue eyes search the area around her. she doesn't seem to have heard her name. my heart swells with joy until i notice something that causes the happiness to evaporate and turn into suspicion.

i grab matthias's wrist tightly. "matthias." my voice comes out in barely a whisper.

"what?" he asks, just as quietly as me.

"look closer."

his eyes squint at her, and he seems to catch my drift. carly is in tip-top shape. her clean, blonde hair is in a perfect ponytail at the crown of her head. there's not a single scratch on her face. she doesn't even seem to be in any form of pain, mentally or physically.

and then she sees us.

the moment her cold eyes lock with mine, i'm positive something is wrong. normally an insult would fly out of her mouth like, "i told you idiots not to look for me," but there's nothing. not even a speck of recognition flickers across her stony face.