The Third Annual Writer's Game: Roots

Panem et Circenses | Females

District One - Crystal Caverly

Crystal stood beside the base of a tree, staring at the makeshift shelter she'd built on the ground for herself earlier. She was grateful she'd paid some attention to the trainers who'd been assigned to her in the Training Center now. Even if it did mean getting her hands dirty. And her clothes still had dried blood on them from Eton; she'd have to clean them later at some point. But that wasn't the worst of her problems, no the worst part was the hunger that now gnawed at her gut, reminding her the last proper meal she'd had had been two days ago.

Used to three meals a day, Crystal found herself surprised at how much energy simple tasks took when there wasn't enough food. Quite stupidly, the pack she'd taken had only contained a few pieces of food, which she'd eaten immediately. Her stomach grumbled loudly, and Crystal scowled at it. It was hardly her fault that the idiots who provided the packs didn't give enough food. Her lips curled in distaste as she realized she'd have to go hunting for food. God, what am I? Some kind of caveman? Crystal shook her head at the thought, blonde hair waving wildly as she did so. Then she stood, brushing dirt off of her clothes disdainfully.

She took a chance to look at her surroundings once more. It was, as she'd noticed earlier, very normal, very boring. Trees and long, twisting vines were everywhere, making the entire world look like it was made of nothing but green leaves and brown trunks. Close to the ground were various shrub bushes, with blue and black berries peeking through the green. There was no hint of deer or rabbits for food, but she could see squirrels moving with surprising speed out of the corner of her eye. She grimaced at the thought of eating one of the brown rodents, and immediately decided she would find a rabbit, or something better. She might be in the arena, but there were still standards to be upheld.

Crystal grabbed the pair of daggers she'd collected from the Cornucopia and set off through the forest, looking for any sign of her prey. She walked slowly and silently, her mentor's words echoing through her mind: swift like a rabbit, sly like a fox. An odd phrase to be sure, but useful to remember.

A flash of dark brown caught her eye, and Crystal froze at once. She swiveled her head slowly in the direction of the brown blur, cursing silently as she watched a fat rabbit hop away. Briefly, she considered attempting to throw one of her daggers at it, but dismissed the idea quickly. Despite her excellent aim, the rabbit was too far away for her liking. Her stomach growled again, reminding Crystal that she needed sustenance, and she huffed impatiently. She racked her brain, trying to think of a way to catch food quickly, but none came to mind. She hadn't trained for this part of the Games much; she'd been more focused on her fighting skills, rather than wilderness or hunting.

Fat lot of good that is now, she thought petulantly. She wished that she was back at home, where she could snap her fingers and get food brought to her. Unfortunately, there was no one here she could command. Crystal's head tilted to the side suddenly as an idea came to her. There might not be anyone here to listen to her commands, but there were other people. People, who might have food she could steal. Of course. Why should I do any work when they can do it for me?

Crystal's lips curved into a smile and she set off again, this time looking for tell-tale signs of human life, rather than rabbit. As she walked, her stomach rumbled periodically, and the beginnings of a headache started. Though whether that was from hunger or not was debatable. At last, she saw the distinct, billowing shape of smoke, and the acrid smell of wood burning filled her nose. A smile crossed her face, making her seem much friendlier than she really was.

She couldn't see exactly where the fire was coming from, so Crystal took advantage of the myriad trees around her. Moving silently between them, it wasn't long before she discovered the owner of the fire. A small girl, maybe 14 or 15, with long red-brown hair that tumbled past her shoulders. Crystal analyzed her swiftly, pursing her lips as she decided the girl would be of little threat to her. No, this girl would be easy to kill. Her eyes swept past her, to the fire that had first attracted her attention. It was small and had lots of smoke, but what really drew her attention was the small rabbit that was speared on a stick above it. The brown haired girl was holding the stick, turning it over the fire slowly. Crystal smiled, slowly pulling her arm back in preparation to throw.