Revolt 13 | Y.Jw

| 29 |

By morning Jungwon was already walking around again, a normal temperature and only a bit sore in his wound. He almost seemed cheery, perhaps a bit too cheery for the circumstances. In fact I was pretty sure that if any tribute was nearby they would easily be attracted by his voice.

"You need to talk lowly," I reminded him as he managed to stretch an arm upwards and pick some fruit along the water stream.

"I just feel great," he admitted with a small laugh while I threw a berry in his direction, "have you... how much better do you think the medicine must be in the Capitol for me to immediately feel better after just sleeping?" he questioned and I let out a small laugh.

"Wait and see," I shrugged, "you might be dropping dead by tomorrow morning."

"I don't think so," he shook his head quietly, "I feel just fine."

"Mhm," I hummed as I glanced around myself, rushing down to some of the berry bushes near the water.

I sat for a while on my knees, picking out berries. That was at least until I heard a loud splash behind me and whiped around to see what was happening. Behind me, struggling to find his footing in the water stream, was the boy from District Eight. He was flopping his arms around and gasping for air, trying to move closer to me.

I was quick to crawl a bit backwards and up on my feet, rushing into the forest again to find Jungwon and our backpack. I didn't say anything as I quickly pulled one of our knives out of the backpack and ran off once again.

"Ji what in the world-" Jungwon started complaining, following after me, "oh..."

I had stopped a few meters away from the water stream, tightening my grip on the handle of the knife as I stared at the struggling boy in the water. Jungwon was quick to grab onto my elbow, preventing me from moving any further to the boy.

"Help... help me... please," he gasped between getting his head under water.

"Don't..." Jungwon whispered quietly at the very moment the boy from District Four appeared from between the trees on the other side of the water stream.

I watched in horror as the boy from District Four threw multiple small knives down at the boy from District Eight, who rarely ever poked his head up through the surface anymore. The water around him slowly turning red.

The boy from District Four had a feral look in his eyes as he threw the last knife and continued to stare at the motions in the water. Slowly the water evened out and became still again. Still and dark red.

"We're next," I whispered quietly and glanced to Jungwon as the canon went off and made both of us flinch a bit away from the shore. 

I was right. Immediately after the canon the boy from District Four looked towards us with a wild look in his eyes. I quickly took a step back and moved the knife in my hand, holding onto the blade. Ready to throw if needed.

I had never thrown a knife before, but I'm sure if the situation called for it I was ready to do so. At the slightest motion of me lifting the knife the boy from District Four looked over his shoulder, almost startled by a sound. Seconds only passed before he had turned around and started running back into the forest.

Before, I hadn't noticed, but now that the boy from District Four was gone again I could feel how fast my heart was beating and how scared I actually was. Jungwon's grip on my elbow loosened  a bit as he dared near the shore and look down at the dead body. He was quite quick to determine that the boy from District Eight was the cause of the canon. 

"We can't stay here," I spoke up and Jungwon turned to look at me with a small nod, immediately throwing his gaze towards the ground when he walked back to me, "if the boy from District Four knows where we are..."

"George will most likely be the last tribute standing with us," Jungwon murmured, "we can either welcome his presence now or continue running until we die or he dies. If we're lucky he takes the boy from District Five next before he moves to us."

"We need to warn Pedro," I shook my head immediately as Jungwon quietly managed to get the knife out of my grip.

"It's him or us," Jungwon whispered quietly, "I get that you're worried for that boy and that he has helped you and you have helped him... but now we're four left. Us, George and Pedro. Only two can win, and you have to be one of them. You hear me? You might not even be able to find Pedro before he does. He looked like a wild animal," Jungwon reminded quietly, "it is safest for us to stay here and wait till George returns. Hate me all you want for it, but that's final."

I watched quietly as Jungwon walked back into the woods. Shoving the knife down into his pocket. I was left behind at the water stream, a few berries scattered on the ground and a dead body in the water. We would not be able to drink from that water stream again.

That day the boy from District Eight would be the only one to die.