The Third Annual Writer's Game: Roots

Cogito Ergo Sum | Males

District Five - Leo Tolstoy

  Leo Tolstoy sat alone in his cave, his light breathing audible in the echoes which reflected from the stone that encompassed him. The rain outside had long drawn to a halt but the arena was still drenched and destroyed, constant droplets of water falling from the tree branches in the forest. Leo had used the water to wash away the blood that had begun to stain his clothes and hands, especially from the dead ally which he had since dumped in a deep corner of the stone den. Now, however, he did not have to look for water. It had come looking for him.

The silver parachute that had covered the gift looked as if it had been spun directly from strands over metal, glinting in even the thinnest and dimmest beam of light. It had entranced Leo almost more than the gift itself, but his attention had quickly been sparked by what gift had been hidden with the mesmerising material – water.

The bottle was made of a clear plastic without a single flaw, allowing Leo to hold it to his eye and stare right through into whatever was hiding in the distance. He was smart enough to know that he needed to save it more a moment when water might be scarce but he was also weak enough to pour a drop onto his tongue just to see – it tasted as clear as it looked, filtered and purified just like the water Leo had grown to love in the Capitol. It tasted different to the river water he had been scooping into his mouth with just his hands. Somehow, it was more refreshing.

Reluctantly, Leo placed the bottle back on the rocks beneath him and sat on his hands to make sure he did not touch it. The water, even if it was only water, was a special gift that he wanted to cherish. He wanted to save it till he truly needed it, savouring the taste and the refreshing sensation as it quenched his thirst. At that moment, there was so much water outside that it would have been a stupid mistake to drink from the bottle – Leo did not want to make any more mistakes.

His clothes and hands finally free from blood, Leo could taste the victory that had come closer just as he could taste the water. The dead ally that he had disposed of in a corner was something that Leo saw only as an indication that he was one more tribute closer to becoming the winner. It was impossible to decide a leader in a Games that really had no ranking until the final victor was revealed, but Leo was beginning to hope that he was somewhere near the top. He could do it – after all, someone believed in him enough to send him water.

Although his willpower was strong, Leo could not sit and wait for the right moment to drink his new present. He relented and reached out to grab the bottle. Unscrewing the lid took little effort, the boy pulling himself to his feet and standing at the mouth of the cave whilst tipping the contents of the bottle into his mouth. The taste of Capitol water, so unlike the tainted river water he had become accustomed to, was enough to bring a smile to the otherwise emotionless boy's face. It was only water, but it was something from beyond the arena which was enough to remind him of home. It tasted like safety. It was something special from a period in his life where Leo was not a hunted prey animal, trying to stay alive by taking out as many of the tributes who dared to come near him as he could. He had liked the Capitol – it was freedom, within the restraints of safety.

There was no true freedom in Panem, of course. That was something Leo had discovered he quite liked about the Games. The thought sprung to his mind as he swirled the water around his mouth with his tongue. There were trees in the distance as he looked out of the mouth of the cave, and he could easily just make the decision to run forward and explore them if that was what he wanted to do. He could move into the branches and climb as high as he dared, or he could simply explore the dark and damp ground beneath them. He could walk back to the river and dive underneath the strong current that had washed away all of his feelings as the Games started, or he could retreat back into his cave and wait for a moment where he truly felt like leaving. He could take his knife and go hunting for another tribute that would ultimately let themselves be betrayed by him – Leo had the sudden ability to make his own decisions, a freedom he had never felt before.