Are The Odds In Our Favor? ~Cato~

16. Day Six

Pain. Unbearable pain.

That's what I feel right now. And I don't mean the headache I have.

The last time I felt this kind of pain was when my grandma died. And that lasted for weeks. How long is this going to last?

I knew him for a week. That's all. We weren't even that good friends. But there was this connection between us. I was so happy when I saw him behind those crates, but so sad at the same time.

I plop a berry into my mouth, but spit it out due to the bitter taste.

The sky has been gray, on the verge of raining all morning. I stayed in my sleeping bag for a few hours after waking up. I didn't have the energy to move, but my grumbling stomach forced me to get up.

A small bird hops out of a bush. It stares at me, tilting it's head. I throw a berry at its feet. It pokes it with its beak hesitantly, but ends up eating it.

Why can't humans be like animals? Live in peace, kill only when necessary, not for entertainment. That would be nice. But sadly, it's not like that. We live in hatred and war, without any freedom whatsoever.

I've decided to explore the arena a little bit. It wouldn't hurt to know my surroundings, plus I could find some better shelter than a tree. And a water source.

My wrist has turned various colors in the past few days. I have bruises all over it and it feels like I'm breaking it again every time I move it. If it doesn't heal well, it could end up really bad.

The cut on my head has nearly healed, leaving a small scar. I honestly forgot that it was even there. The leaf fell off probably after a few hours and I didn't feel it since.

I push myself reluctantly to my feet, wiping my nose on my sleeve. I've developed a cold that has progressively gotten worse over the days.

The wind blows lightly as I walk slowly through the forest to the little pond. I refill my water bottle and gulp it down. This I repeat a few times before putting the full bottle into my backpack. I was dehydrated from all the crying, but now I feel a little better. Physically, at least.

I walk away from the pond in the opposite direction of the tree that I slept in. I grip my bow firmly, just in case, as I walk through the silent forest. I hope I don't meet anyone. Yes, there is only a few of us left now, but that also means that they are the strongest, or at least very good at surviving.

I wonder what's Cato doing... No, don't think about him! Having him in my mind is only gonna make things worse.

Something rustles behind me, but when I turn around, there's nothing there. Then I notice something move behind a tree. I pull out my bow and aim at the tree.

Oh, it's just another bird. It's quite rare to see a bird back home. I don't know why, they just stopped existing after the war. Or that's what they told us at school. Maybe they're making some kind of bird army. No, that just sounds stupid.

Something blond flashes behind another tree. That's no bird. But if it's a tribute, why haven't they attacked me yet? Unless it's..

I slowly creep towards the tree, my hands shaking from the force of my grip on the bow. I just get a glimpse of the icy blue eyes, before I turn on my heel and run away.

"Jeneah?! Please, wait!"

So now he has the audacity to stalk me? And he thinks that'll fix what he's done and make me forgive him. I'm not saying he's an angel, but to stoop that low?

My head starts to pound and I slow down a bit.

Light rain starts to fall from the gloomy sky as I walk through the forest. Something buzzes near my ear and my head jerks around, just to see a small mosquito. I hope its not poisonous, but I'd rather not risk it. I quicken my pace and the buzzing stops.

After a while I stop and drink a bit of water. Because of the clouds I don't know what time it is, and I feel like I've been walking for hours. It's possible that I have, but it also could've been half an hour.

I sit down and rest my head on the trunk of a tree. My eyelids flutter as I try to not fall asleep, but zone out quickly.

The heavy rain wakes me up. I look around frantically, not knowing where I am. Then I remember. It's not dark yet, thank god, but it's getting close. I shiver as big rain drops hit my body.

"Attention, tributes, attention! Commencing at sunrise, there will be a feast tomorrow at the Cornucopia. This will be no ordinary occasion. Each of you need something, desperately. And we plan to be... generous hosts."

I wince at the loudness of the voice. My eardrums nearly exploded! Okay, that's maybe a bit dramatic, but still. Hearing something that loud after everything being so quiet can be a shock.

It starts to grow dark fast and I still don't have anywhere to sleep. After walking around for a bit I finally give up and climb up the nearest tree. I can't really let myself sleep much anyways, because I have to get up early for the feast. I hope there will be some medicine for my wrist, because it's been killing me all day.

I close my eyes and slowly fall asleep.

I'm sorry that I haven't been writing, I had a lot of schoolwork and a busy schedule, but I'll try to post more often. Also, thank you so much for 400 reads! It means so much to me. Anyways, happy reading!