We still had plenty of fish from a few days ago that we continued to eat for breakfast. After that we decided to go looking for the other tributes. It had been a few days of just the five of us so I assumed the two boys had an alliance. It was chilly today so we had our coats wrapped around us tightly. We split up and searched around.
I was next to the mountain when I little avalanche came down. I stuck my trident into the ground and held on so I wouldn't get buried. The avalanche only reached my knees but it was still a bit difficult to get out of. Once I was out of the snow I began climbing up the ice on the rocks with my pickaxes and rope. The spikes on the bottoms of my shoes were very helpful in keeping my balance as I climbed. I figured I wasn't the only one to make this journey up the mountain because there was dried blood on the ice and rocks beside me. I wonder if someone slipped while climbing and cut themselves. It was probably the kid that got killed by an avalanche days ago.
As I was climbing I felt I vibration under my feet and gripped my pickaxes tighter. Seconds later it felt like tiny nives brushing over my bare skin as an avalanche cascaded over me. I took a risk in removing my hand from one of the axes to put my goggles over my eyes but it was worth it.
The avalanche finished cascading over me and I resumed climbing. I was still bad at climbing. I continued to feel rumbles in the mountain and would get dusted with snow continually throughout my climb. I started my climb this morning but it was already getting dark. I continued to climb through the dark with the help of my glasses.
My arms were exhausted and I was starving but I continued to climb as it was the only way to get anywhere. What felt like forever later I found a suitable ledge to rest on for the night. The boy knew I was climbing the mountain so they were aware that I may be gone for a while.
I looked over the arena and noticed how calm and beautiful it was. The trees were green and tall and the sky was full of stars. Finnick and I used to star gaze on the beach. It was definitely warmer on the beach than on a snowy mountain but the sky was mostly the same. I stuck my pickaxe in a rock and tied a rope to it then around me so if I fell I wouldn't fall to my death. I put my hands in my pockets and laid there for the rest of the night looking at the stars.
I woke up the next morning covered in snow and still tied to the rock. I carefully did some stretching before I began climbing again. It wasn't any different today. I continued to get blown by avalanche after avalanche and it was getting old. I don't think this many avalanches in a row is normal but I carried on. I was starving and the only reason I was still able to climb was because I was eating the snow. At one point I came across a little tuft of flowers and grass. O tore it out of the ground and ate it. It wouldn't do much but it would hopefully help my hunger for the time being. My hands were beginning to blister from constantly gripping onto the ice and pickaxes.
I nearly slipped as I sneezed and the rocks in front of me were sprayed with blood. I spit to make sure it wasn't coming from my mouth. I felt hot thick blood run down my face as I continued to climb. My nose was bleeding badly. I had some old bandage in my coat pocket that I stuffed up my nose but it was still bleeding. If I couldn't make it stop soon I would pass out.
I reached a flat ledge of the mountain and rested there. I tried to pull out the cloth stuck up my nose but it stung as I made my first attempt. It was blizzard like up here and I could barely see the arena anymore. I wonder if Avon and Parker were looking for me. If it took me two days to get to this point I wonder how long it would take them. I began snacking on my only source of food which was snow and a bit of grass.
There was faint rustling behind me and I pulled out my trident and stood at the ready. I still had my goggles on but they did nothing when It came to seeing past my outstretched hands. Suddenly a knife swung at me and I dodged it barely. I swung my trident and it collided with a body nocking it down. I pounced on the body and got a better look at the figure. I didn't recognize the boy so I stuck my trident against his neck.
"Where's the other kid?" I whispered.
"I don't know. Please don't kill me." He pleaded.
"Pick your poison." I snarled.
"P-please don't, I don't want you to kill me." He pleaded again.
"You were dead before you even attacked me." I said as I lifted him off his feet.
"Fine fine I'll jump of the mountain just let me do it."
"Okay." I answered slowly as I dragged him to the edge of the ledge. "Your on the edge now jump." I released him and he fell. I strategically placed him there so only his toes were touching the ledge so he wouldn't have a fighting chance.
The boy screamed as he fell to his death. I screamed over his voice to drown him out.
"NOBODY CAN HERE YOUR PLEAS JUST STOP SCREAMING!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Tears were streaming down my face as I heard the boy continue to scream. This was the moment that would make me go insane if I ever survived this arena.
A cannon went off to long after I threw the boy off. I must have climbed more than I thought. I saw the hovercraft come to my level over the boy and drop a claw.
Minutes later the claw came into view with the boy in it's grasp. His body looked mangled and broken. I watched every second of it until the hover craft left.
I sat there on the ledge completely numb to every felling physically and mentally. A shadow came over me and I opened my hands as a parachute fell into my lap. I quickly unscrewed the lid of the pot and a large meal was inside. It even had a fork with it. I found a note tied to the fork and read it.
"Top four keep going. I'm getting a lot more stuff to help just wait. -F"
I smiled and tucked it away close to my heart. I dug into the meal and it melted on my tongue like snow. It was an assortment of cooked vegetables along with some chicken drenched in a mystery sauce that tasted amazing. There was rice and nuts and fruit and a small cake on the side. My stomach had shrunk significantly over the past few days so I could only sample the delicate foods before I was full.
This ledge was much larger than my last so I didn't need to tie myself to keep from rolling off. I laid down and closed my eyes soon falling into sleeps arms.
I was rudely awakened the next morning by a huge pile of rope falling on top of me. I struggled to get out of the now tangled mess of ropes and got my out my meal from the night before. I ate the things that wouldn't mix well so my food would still taste good then tied the container to my belt. I untangled the rope and tied it around the head of one of my pickaxes. I stuck it into the rock and used my other pickaxe to hammer it in further.
I sent the long rope down by the foot so I could measure how long it was as I dropped it. Once I was done sending the rope down I packed up my stuff. I spent the next hour psyching myself out for the drop. I finally climbed down and griped onto the rope. I wrapped my hands around the rope and held tightly. My legs were woven loosely around the rope as well.
"Three-"
"Two-"
"One-"
"Go!"
I dropped quickly but stopped every few seconds so that I didn't pick up to much speed. I knew that if I did I wouldn't be able to stop myself so I didn't try to have too much fun.
I was dropping down the rope for hours. By the time I was close to tree level it was midd day. Once my feet hit the ground I was wobbling from the quick change in altitude. I fell to my knees and threw up whatever I ate this morning. I realized I still had the bandage stuck up my nose and I tore it out.
I stood up a few minutes later and tried to walk. It was strange being back on the ground again but I managed to stay on my feet. I quickly regained the ability to run and started tearing through the woods in search for Avon and Parker.
I shouted their names are the top of my lungs but I got no answer. I was running around in the woods for hours. the sun was setting and I was getting really drowsy. I continued to search but I was now going at a very slow pace. I remembered that I had food so I sat down and ate something. I finished off the vegetables. Now all that was left was the chicken and rice. With my replenished energy I resumed my search.
I really shouldn't have but I stayed up the entire night calling out for Avon and Parker but I never heard a sound in response. I took another food break as the sun was rising. I gave up on the woods and went out to the field.
As I walked I saw two figures by the cliff standing with there backs to me. I broke into a sprint towards them. It had to be avon and Parker. There were only three other people in this arena so at least one of them had to be avon or Parker.
As I neared the boys turned around hearing my clanking as I ran and I saw that it was Parker and Avon.
Avon dropped everything and ran to me. Our bodies collided and he lifted me into a bone crushing hug. He set me back down on the ground but didn't hesitate for even a second to press his lips against mine.
Just as fast as the kiss came, it left. Avon backed away and Parker gave me a hug. I began to tear up and collapsed onto my knees. My feelings were cascading over me like an avalanche and I was beginning to struggle to breath.
"Y/n it's okay." Avon said as he pulled me into his arms. He held me there for a while and soon after Parker joined the embrace.
A few hours later I shared the remaining food I had left from my sponsors then Avon asked me a question.
"What in the world were you doing that took you three days?" He asked.
"I was climbing the mountain." I answered.
"How did you get down?"
"Finnick sent me the longest piece of rope I have ever seen and I just slid down it till I got back on the ground." I answered again.
"Why did you even go up in the first place?" Parker asked.
"I thought there was someone up there so I climbed up. My hunch was correct and I threw the kid off the mountain." I said.
"I'll admit we were really scared that cannon might have been you." Avon said.
"Then we remembered you could probably strangle someone in your sleep so we figured you were the one responsible rather than the victim." Parker added.
"Yea well I let him pick his poison and he chose to jump so I just threw him off first. I wasn't going to take my chances Incase this kid was smarter than he looked." I said opening my food and offering it to the boys. They took it graciously and ate the chicken and rice.
I laid on my back in the grass starring at the sky. I remembered what Avon did when I returned and my eyes went wide. Was Avon in love with me? I wasn't in love with him I was in love with Finnick. It's the first time I said that in my head and it felt like home. I thought about how president snow was trying to make it look like finnick wasn't in love with me and vice versa. Was this a trick or did avon actually mean it.
I crawled over to Avon and sat next to him. I played what I was going to say in my head a few times before I leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"Was that kiss real or fake?" I whispered.
"Fake." He whispered back without changing the direction he was facing.
"Good. Listen you already know about finnick and I. Snow wants us apart. You played a good card but the games not over yet." My voice slowly became more seductive as I continued talking.
"Why do you always talk in riddles?" He asked.
"Because it's fun when everyone's listening." I said inching my face forward.
Avon met the gap and we began kissing. The act was entirely fake but if I knew any better I'd say he was a good actor. After a few seconds we stopped. Hopefully the capitol and most of all president snow will be satisfied for the time being. I could just hear Cesar flickerman laughing and jumping up and down at what Avon and I just did.
"That looked like a lot of fun you guys maybe you should invite me next time." Parker said sarcastically. The three of us erupted in uncontrollable laughter that left us rolling on the ground for too long. It felt good having my ribs ache from laughing to much instead of because of malnourishment.
The rest of the day flew by with fits of laughter as we sat around cracking jokes about the capitol citizens we saw. Towards the end of the day we got a parachute of food from parker's sponsors. Finnick said I had a lot of sponsors so I wondered why he wasn't sending food for me and avon. He was probably upset that I kissed Avon. Now I felt bad for Finnick. Watching me go through this must already have been torture for him and then I had to go and kiss another guy.
I laid on the ground to go to sleep. I closed my eyes but all I could see was Finnick. Tears were rolling down my face as I tried to sleep. Both Avon and Parker tried to come and comfort me but I just pushed them away. I really wish love wasn't so painful. I didn't love Avon. I was madly in love with Finnick odair and I was only 15.
I couldn't fall asleep fully. I was thrashing all night and screaming. I had woken up a few times to find myself crying out for Finnick. I was at my breaking point with these games. I wouldn't let myself imagine what would happen if Avon Parker and I were in the final three but that thought had become a reoccurring one. Life was too cruel. The worst part was I could only be broken by one thing. President snow knew my weakness was Finnick.