Thicker Than Water

72nd Annual Hunger Games

Her stylist was the last person to see her before she would go into the Games. Her outfit was light, it was thin.

"By the looks of it it's going to be hot in there, they haven't layered you at all," the stylist commented, Kallan just barely nodded. Her stylist was nice enough, she was trying her best. Saffreen, that was her name. She did and said what she could to help, but now it was beyond too late. There was a tracker in Kallan's arm, she was in Game attire, she'd be going in any second. "I'm sorry," Saffreen told her, which made the girl look at her. She nodded curtly as a kind of thanks.

"Thank you," Kallan muttered.

"Oh, I'm not sorry for you," Saffreen said, and Kallan looked at her, clearly shocked. "I'm sorry for any one of those kids that tries to stand between you and your brother." Kallan couldn't believe it, but it made her smile. "You got this."

"You believe that?"

"With all my heart," Saffreen promised, and Kallan couldn't help it, she hugged her. The stylist let out a surprised squeak, but pulled the girl in all the same.

"Thank you," Kallan said again, meaning it a bit more this time. Until a modulated, almost automated voice told the tributes to get in position. She finally realized her hands were shaking. No, everything was shaking. Her breath picked up, as she approached the glass tube that led to the arena. Saffreen stopped her, pulling her back for just a second, to give her one last hug. Kallan breathed out, but it was over too quick. She stood in the tube, and the door was closed. Saffreen gave her a small look of confidence, one she struggled to return. She felt herself struggling to breathe again, hyperventilating as the platform began to raise. She begged her body to stop, knowing that wouldn't help her at all right now. She needed to focus, she needed to win.

Her stylist was right, it was hot, and there was little protection from the shade. She began to register the terrain as she heard the countdown.

40, 39, 38, the area was swamp-like, the cornucopia appeared to be in the middle of a river. 34, there were a few trees, mostly coming out of the water instead of the ground, 33, and where there was ground, it didn't look steady. 32, the area seemed to get more coverage further away from the center, more trees, more shade. 30, but was the water salt or fresh? 29. Would she need to find water, could a sponsor send some? Many men seemed pleased with her performance thus far surely they wouldn't want to see her dehydrated. 25. She spotted a knife in the cornucopia, a spear, but she couldn't take them and she knew that. 24, she spotted Lochlan. He maintained his look of "I'm not getting out of this alive." 23, and what was worse, his eyes were trained on the cornucopia. 20, what kind of wildlife was in the rivers? If she had to, and she would, Kallan could catch a fish with her hands. 19, she couldn't decide which direction to go. With a few feet she could be in the river and she could be swimming. 18. If she got far enough away under the water they wouldn't be able to find her, and Birdy and Ornam probably could. 15. Finnick was probably watching her already, probably glad there was water around, and she was too. That's how his Annie won, by being a strong swimmer. It would certainly come in handy. And there were bound to be fish, and a sponsor could send a knife, or a spear, and—10–no it couldn't be ten. She could only imagine what Finnick was thinking, he understood the Games a lot better than she did when she watched. 9, she had only been nine, she was too young to feel that kind of fear, the kind of crippling fear she understood very clearly now. 8, no, don't try to swim. It'll cause a commotion, running is quieter. 7. She'd swim when she had to, and she'd outswim anyone in the arena. Including Lochlan, including Ornam, including Birdy. 6. You could only trust someone so far, and if it came down to it she knew they'd do the same to her. 5. And it didn't matter because she had to win. 4. She was going to win. 3, 2, 1.

The cannon sounded, and her feet had never been faster. All she saw was Lochlan go for the cornucopia, deliberately ignoring the advice a victor had given him. His funeral. One less life she had to worry about. The screams and sounds of various weapons entering various bodies became fainted, and all she heard was the cannons. It must've been 4 or 5 already but she didn't count. She'd find out when night fell.
She followed the advice, shelter, a hiding place. She started to fashion rope out of branches, and she set a few traps.