with maya // hunger games [re-writing some chapters]

Chapter 9

I look up at the rosy sky which are the colours of Lady Pamela Carol and Antoine Rivoire roses.

I stop redoing my fishtail knee-deep in the sea. 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 

Nine, huh?

That's quite a lot. I sigh as I tug at the knot in my hair with a spiky shell and again, redo my fishtail.

As soon as I tighten the leather hair band, with beads and assorted shells October/Helan gave me, (Before she left for the games) and make my way to shore, clutching the shell still.

Suddenly I feel a sharp zap and something seeping up my arm. Then pain. And reddening.

I swear under my breath and drop the lionfish/shell.

I run to shore and snatch shrubs from a shrub bush and wrap my sting.

I mix aloe vera and another gelly substance to help ease the pain and reddening. And to help me get better.

To be honest, I don't know, but I remember having a sting when I was young and how my next-door neighbour (who actually lives opposite us) had to rush over get the shrubs and mix something that I don't know and something else I don't know.

I think I got the gelly substance and the shrubs right but not the aloe vera.

Oh well.

I hear some crunching and whistling and Pecan steps into sight, carrying some bamboo to weave and some kinda chicken.

"How'd it go?" 

"Nicht so gut" she frowns, "I got a groosling and thats it-"

"You speak German?" I cut in 

"Oh yeah, my mums German. Anyway I got some bamboo to make shelter and set up some snares."

She plucks the groosling and prepares all the herbs, berries and roots, whilst I carefully weave a tent which can open and close with a shake.

It's very complicated. 

By nightfall, we have the tent completed and the groosling slowly roasting on a spit inside the tent, where theres some sand plastic and mud over the bamboo flooring, so the Careers won't see the lazy amber glow and kill us.

Brutally.

Finally the groosling is cooked.

We share it and immeadiately, the first piece is swallowed.

The second piece is shoved down my throat because its one of the best meat I've ever tasted.

Its tender, juicy and fatty.

There's alot of oil in it, when you bite it, it explodes in your face.

The skin is nice and crispy and the roots, berries and herbs compliment it perfectly, sweet and salty, not overpowering the groosling.

Okay I'm done asdfghjkl; I better get a job as a food critic.

lol no. But that was a good meal for the first night.

As the sapphire sky approaches, we get ready for the night. I find a rockpool where we distill water and clean our hair and faces.

It feels so good to be in a place like home again. 

I take a shell and fill it with the glacier cool water and gently coax the hot coals to sleep, under the cool blankets of water. Then I dispose of it- I keep the coal, charcoal and spit.