One Fell Swoop { A Banana Bus / Hunger Games Story }

Chapter Fifteen - The Night Comes Down

"Lui, please don't get lost. If you can't find your way back to me, then how will I be able to find someone else who waits on me hand and foot?" The sun had set from the sky and Lui threw a stick at David's head. This only made David laugh harder at the smaller man's feigned anger.

"Shut up you asshole, I'll be back as soon as I can be, I just need to find us some water," Lui tried to be angry at David, but they were only joking around with each other. With those words, Lui hugged David and set off from their cave to find a water source.

Lui thought back to what occurred only minutes before, David's teasing nature and Lui throwing a stick. He smiled fondly, he'd barely been away from him for ten minutes before he found himself missing his companion. In any other circumstances, Lui felt their camaraderie would have strengthened throughout their lives, and potentially could have flowered into something more.

Lui forced his mind away from that topic, he couldn't dwell on his emerging feelings when it was bound to end badly. Exhibit A: Brian and Brock from District 10. Textbook definition of star crossed lovers, and Lui didn't want his and David's names to be associated with that term.

Lui was stuck in his thoughts for what felt like half an hour until he reached a slow flowing stream. It was so slow that the water was almost stagnant, a faint odour rose up off the green water. If there was anything Lui remembered when it came to survival, the number one rule was to follow water upstream to where it will be fresher. He started to climb up the hill, it was more of a slope than anything.

After hiking for several minutes he reached the top and his stomach dropped. There was a camp here with a campfire still burning. Various weapons and tools lay around the fire, including knives, ropes, and flasks. Lui zoned in on the flasks, they could be filled with fresh water, he could take two. He swivelled his head quickly, looking for other signs of life and movement. When everything looked clear, Lui bolted to grab two of the plastic flasks. He unscrewed the cap off the first one when he felt that it was empty and plunged it into the flowing water. As he was halfway through filling the second one he heard a deep voice shout, and Lui's stomach dropped for a second time.

"Hey, you! What do you think you're doing?" It was the bigger man from District 3, Tyler, and he was stalking towards Lui at a terrifying pace. Three other men stood back and watched the ordeal unfold. Lui dropped the half filled container but kept the full one with him, got up, and started sprinting away. One vial of water was better than none, right?

Lui barely got halfway down the hill before Tyler tackled him and pinned him to the ground. Lui threw the flask at his head, trying to knock him out, but it backfired when Tyler swatted it aside and started pummelling Lui with his fists. Lui howled as searing pain and heat was showered down upon his small frame. He started to wriggle underneath Tyler, trying to free himself, and eventually his right arm slipped free. He swung a fist at Tyler's jaw and it landed harshly. It was Tyler's turn to wince back in pain, and Lui seized the chance to run for freedom.

He didn't make it very far, black spots were clouding his vision and his entire body ached, but he just kept limping on.

"Hey! Get back here!" Tyler shouted from behind him somewhere, he couldn't tell anymore. Then, there was a blinding pain right in his temple, probably Tyler's fist again. Lui was too disorientated to stand up anymore, so he collapsed to the side. An even worse pain collided with his other temple, he landed on something sharp. Was it a rock? Lui tried to not let the black spots cloud his vision, but soon he succumbed to their darkness.

***

David's eyes snapped open when something landed on his forehead. It crawled down the side of his face and he frantically swatted at it, trying to get the creeping sensation away. He watched as the critter, a moth, flew away from him and outside of the cave into the dark sky.