The Simpson's Hunger Games

Chapter 18

Back On Floor One:

Millhouse:

Exhausted, me and Maude stumble in the dark. I think this is the end for me, but I don't tell Maude. Instead, I quietly encourage her to keep on walking, as she lags behind for the hundredth time. It isn't until I feel like my legs will fall off from walking, do I finally collapse on the ground. Maude looks confused, and asks, "What's the matter?". I don't reply, but just take deep breaths, and concentrate on not passing out. Maude tries to pull me up, and when I stay firmly on the ground, she huffs in frustration. "Millhouse, this isn't funny! We have to keep going on, you said so yourself!", she shouts, slightly upset, worried about why I'm not talking. She grabs my arm, and tries to pull me up again, but I just wave her hand away, as if she were a fly. She sits down next to me. I frown at her. "I'm not going without you; I'd be mincemeat if you hadn't come and saved me at the Cornucopia!", she says, trying to encourage me  to stand up again. But I won't. I'm pretty sure I'll never get up again. We sit there for hours, Maude shouting and screaming at me to get up and move. Finally, as I predicted, she stood up. "Millhouse, I've had it! You're completely useless! From now on, I'm going on my own!". With that speech, she walks away, leaving me alone. I feel surprisingly calm, now I don't have Maude to worry about. 

However, Maude comes running back almost as soon as she left, carrying something. I peer at the strange object in her hands, remembering it from somewhere, but I can't place where I saw it. Maude runs up to me, panting from running. "Millhouse!", she says excitedly, "You'll never guess! Something's happened! Something good, Millhouse! You have to come and see!". I don't reply; I thought she had got the fact that I won't move, but apparently not. Maude sighs, and says, "I knew you wouldn't move easily, so I had to bring this to show you that you have to come.". She drops the object in my lap, and I realise for the first time what the object is. It's a parachute. It's a miracle that any Sponsors would like either of us, as all we've done in the Games is get bitten by Thoriumi, and avoid trouble. But we cut the power. I suppose Sponsors like the 'rebellious' ones. Chuckling slightly, I turn the parachute over in my hands, and try to open it. I ignore Maude's "I told you so"s, and find the lid, and open it. I tip open the contents, and Maude gasps. Inside, is a tiny bottle of medicine, some dried fruit, some wire and...a phial of red liquid. Maude instantly picks up the food, and stuffs it in her small bag. I take the medicine, and drink it, leaving the majority for Maude, who drinks it greedily. When I drink the medicine, I feel slightly better, but can't help thinking I would feel a lot better if I had some more. 

 Maude also takes the wire, and leaves me to look at the phial. There is no label, so I don't know what the liquid inside is. All I can work out, is that this is something I wouldn't like to drink willingly. Curious, I ask Maude where she found the parachute. She replies that she found it in the middle of the tunnel. Confused, I ask her to explain. "Well, I was walking along, and suddenly there was like, this hole, in the ceiling! I was so confused, Millhouse! I thought the world had started to fall apart! But, then I realised that there was light coming from the hole in the ceiling! Then, the parachute came down, and I ran instantly to find you!", she says. I frown. "Light?", I ask, and Maude nods enthusiastically. I consider my choices. I could either get up, and take the short walk to the surface at last, or I could lie here in the dark, until I die. On one hand, all I want is to get out of here, but on the other I have not forgotten Lisa. I could never leave her here, and I don't intend to. Maude impatiently taps her foot; "Well, are you coming?", she asks. I take a breath, making my decision. This won't be easy, and I know I could forever regret this. But, nevertheless, I give Maude my answer...

On Floor Two:

Lisa:

As soon as I have read the letter, my first challenge starts. I smell something that I haven't smelt since I walked past the factories in District 5. Smoke. I turn around, only to find the Cornucopia on fire, as well as all the surrounding red paper floating around. I gasp, and try to run, only to be met with more flames from the paper around me. Like all fire, this one spreads, and spreads fast. Soon, the whole clearing is ringed with the blaze, and I am completely trapped. I have to think of something quick, or I'll be done for. Suddenly, I hear a cry. I look to where the sound came from; the tunnel where I first found myself on Floor Two. I could swear I could see a figure behind the fire, but they are gone as soon as I register they are there. That's when I get my idea. The tunnels. I must head for the tunnels. I turn, and take a deep breath. I take a few steps back, then run up to the flame. I jump over some small flames, then sprint towards one of the tunnels surrounding the Cornucopia. As I run towards safety, a sound reaches my ears. Someone is calling my name. And I think I recognise the voice. I turn around, to look for the speaker, but a wall of fire already blocks my view. Reluctantly, I retreat into the cool, quiet tunnel, leaving the chaos that is the Second Cornucopia behind me.