Garden of Eden

Chapter 18

Having slept several hours, I wake with a start. Sitting up, I feel my erratic heartbeat pounding against my chest. Sweat gathers on my head and tickles down my neck.

"Nightmare?" Haymitch asks from where he sits. In the dark, I can just make out his profile. He leans against his bag, casually tossing his knife and catching it with the precision of an expert.

"It was-" I stop, not even able to remember what my dream was about. If I did in fact have one at all.

I shake my head. "In any case, I can switch with you now if you want." I'm probably not going to be able to get back to sleep even if I tried.

Nodding, Haymitch puts his knife away before lying down.

I then begin keeping watch.

Staying on sentry duty quickly becomes boring and so my mind inevitably wonders.

Before I can stop myself, I'm suddenly coming up with a list of things I'll never get to do should I die here.

The foremost on the list, for some reason, is marriage.

I'll never get to do any of the little traditions involving weddings that District 12 has.

I'll never get to wear the lovely wedding dress my mother wore and has been saving for Meredith and me for our own weddings.

Usually in Twelve the bride rents a white gown that's been worn countless times before.

Seeing as my mother's dress was handmade many generations ago and handed down throughout the years, Meredith and I are spared having to rent a gown.

Anyway, the groom would wear something clean that isn't mining clothes. Then the couple would go to the Justice Building and sign some forms before being assigned a house. Relatives and friends gather for a meal and cake, if it can be afforded. Even without a cake there is always a tradition song the congregation sings when the new couple crosses the threshold of their new home. Then the real ceremony begins when the couple make their first fire, toast a bit of bread, and share it.

I snap out of these thoughts as it becomes almost too painful to think about. Forgetting the list, I become positive and come up with a list of the things I'll do if I ever get out of here.

Dawn approaches slowly. Several times I almost fell asleep at my post. I was only able to keep awake by getting up and walking several circuits around the shrubbery we hide behind.

I'm sitting, watching the surrounding area, when Haymitch wakes.

"You're up early," I comment.

"Couldn't sleep," he admits.

We remain like that in silence for a little while until I suddenly get an idea. "Want to watch the sunrise? It's really beautiful."

"Sure," Haymitch finally replies.

Gathering our things, we climb a tall tree. As we reach the top and push our way through the branches, we are rewarded with the sight of the rising sun.

The sun looks almost white as it emerges from the horizon. The surround sky is a gorgeous wash of colours. Slowly the sleeping world begins to wake as the sun rises higher and higher.

We decide to eat breakfast in the tree, seeing that we are already in it.

As we eat, Haymitch frowns slightly. "These biscuits won't last forever," he says.

There is silence as I slowly come up with something, applying logic to my reasoning.

"We should hunt."