Safe and Sound || Hunger Games

Chapter Sixteen - Trust Mockingjays ||PART TWO||

Nothing happened as I walked through the forest, the birds sung and the small mammals ran about around me. Even though this arena was built for a bloody and gruesome war between children, it still was quite beautiful. There were many birds and creatures and wonderful plants. The birdsong seemed to cheer everything up a little bit, which I was slightly grateful for. The songs of the birds reminded me of my mother and father, of the fact they wanted me to be a mockingjay. But now I wasn't going to be any old mockingjay, I was the Flaming Mockingjay. And I was going to fly.

I walked for another hour, possibly two, before I came across something. I stumbled over it slightly and quite literally. Once I had regained my balance, I went back a few paces to see what had tripped me up. I bent down to see a throwing knife, glinting slightly in the sunlight. I knelt down completely and picked it up, examining it. It looked rather unused, not so much as a scratch on the blade or handle. Somebody must have dropped it while passing through this part of the forest. I was about to put it back down again, when something went whizzing past the side of my face, slicing a couple of centimetres right under my eye and onto the side of my nose I instantly felt blood pouring down my face as the knife fell in front of me, the side of the blade covered in my own blood. As an instinct, I stood and turned while I nocked an arrow into my bow and fired it in the direction it came from, at the person that had nearly hit me. The person ducked, but not quick enough. They were sliced across the shoulder. As they stood up straight again, clutching their shoulder with one hand and holding a knife in their other, I gasped.

"Grayson!" I exclaimed. Grayson straightened up completely then squinted at me, just before his jaw dropped. His eyes widened in fear and he looked like he as about to run. He looked behind him at the arrow, which was lodged in the tree behind him. He then removed his free hand from his shoulder and looked at it. It was covered in blood. Now my jaw dropped. "Grayson, I am so, so sorry." I said, but it wasn't enough for him. He turned and ran. I had to admit, he was definitely very quick. Already, he had disappeared into the trees, faster than Caritta. I groaned and scooped up the knife he had thrown at me, just in case it was a way I could get him back.  I then ran forward, pulling my arrow out of the tree as I passed.

I had to run faster than usual in order to just catch sight of Grayson, who was very far ahead. My legs were crying out in pain as I tried to catch up with the boy. I gritted my teeth and pushed myself, needing to reach him. The Games have changed him. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind, but it came back. He will just kill you when you get to him. I couldn't help it, tears started to well up in my eyes. Maybe it was because the pain under my right eye had started to kick in or I had just realised I had lost the boy that gave himself blue hair. I shouldn't have grown attached to him; attachment always results in pain. This time, it was also physical.

I ran through the forest after Grayson, the tears stinging my eyes and the blood smelling and tasting metallic as it ran down my cheek and side of my nose, into my mouth. I clutched onto my bow with my left hand and Grayson's knife with my right. My backpack and quiver felt heavier than they should have been. I didn't want to be crying like this, for the whole of Panem to see, but the physical and mental pain was just a bit too much for me to handle.

I cut through the undergrowth, the thin, whip-like branches clawing at any exposed skin. I had to catch up with Grayson, I had to say sorry and, most importantly, I had to team up with him.

We had run for about ten minutes and I was beginning to give up hope. He was just so far away. I couldn't see him. I was about to stop running, when I caught sight of a black and orange backpack and the familiar mop of messy, brown hair. He was quite a way ahead, but now I felt as if I could reach him if I tried.

"Grayson!" I called out as I dodged trees. He either ignored me or he didn't hear because he kept running, "Grayson! Stop, please! I'm sorry! I want to be your ally!" I shouted, desperation filling my voice. "Please, you don't have to do this alone!" He certainly heard that because he turned and caught sight of me. As I sped up and neared him, I saw that he was poised ready to run at any minute. But I wasn't going to let him go so easily.