𝐅𝐎𝐗𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 [EDITING]

fifteen

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The sun had started to set and I was still sitting on the same rock I had been when I came here. I had gotten up a few times to get more water from the river, but I was still there. In that marsh. It was quite peaceful, I didn't really want to leave it to be honest. But I had to, I needed to sleep, and I couldn't just sleep on the muddy ground could I? I started to walk away from the river and the marsh, and walked towards where the trees were, so I could find somewhere to sleep
tonight.

As I walked, the ground became harder and less wet, there were no longer any bull rushes or small frogs around. I would miss those frogs, they were cute. That was actually the first time I had ever seen a frog in my entire life. I looked around the forest, there weren't any trees that looked suitable to sleep in. Either they weren't sturdy enough, or the first branches were too high up on the tree trunk to climb up. I could just stay away tonight, maybe I could even risk starting up a fire.

Suddenly, I heard a rustle in the bushes to my right. I whipped my head around to see what it was, hopefully it wasn't one of the tributes. I heard a high pitched squawk come from the bushes. "What the fuck..." I laughed under my breath. I took one of the knives I had out from my pocket and gingerly took a few steps closer to the swaying bush, careful not to make too much noise; I didn't want whatever was in there to come running out.

Something stepped out of the bushes. It was a ring-necked pheasant. The bird was pretty big, most of it's feathers on its body were a dark chocolate brown colour. The pheasant's head was covered in sleek navy blue feathers, and red feathers around the eye. It's long feathered tail flitted up and down a few times, almost as a warning.

Before the big bird could fly away, I shot the small dagger out of my hand. The blade landed straight in the bird's chest, and it let out an ear piercing screech. The pheasant flailed around before fully dropping on the ground, it was totally motionless. I picked walked up to the bird and picked it up in my arms, I wrenched the blood covered knife out from it's chest and wiped it on my shirt a few times, taking all the blood off of it.

-🕸-

The sun had almost fully set and I had gathered up some sticks, ready to start a fire and roast the pheasant. I gutted the bird and stripped it of its feathers. I took one of the two matchboxes out from my bright orange backpack, and took out three of the wooden matches. I scratched the first one on the side of the box, and it burst in to flames immediately. I threw the match in the pile of dry sticks, and a few of them lit on fire, I did the same thing with the other two matches I had taken out and soon, I had a blazing fire.

I skewered the pheasant and roasted it over the fire, as soon as I knew it, the pheasant was cooked. I ate as much of the pheasant as I could until I felt as if I would explode. I took the container that used to be filled with bright red raspberries and stuffed as much as I could of the leftover bird into the container. I put out the fire so no one could track me using the smoke or the light of the flame.

The fire illuminated everything around me with a soft golden glow, making everything seem cozy and comfortable. It made me think of home. When in reality, it was everything but that. The Capitol emblem appeared in the sky, and the anthem started to blast throughout the arena.

Marvel's face appeared in the sky first, finally one of the careers was gone. He looked back at me with a empty smile and hollow eyes. I didn't feel that bad about him going, he seemed pretty stuck up, just like Cato and Clove. Glimmer was like that too, but I could tell she wasn't like that in real life. It was just for the cameras. Maybe it was the same thing for the other careers, but I guess I'll never know.

The next face that appeared in the sky made my heart absolutely drop to the ground. It was Rue. The small girl's chestnut brown eyes stared back at me, they looked fiery and filled with passion and anger, and her sweet smile was just so innocent. She had so much ahead of her. She had so much to do. She had so many things to experience. She was going to become someone amazing. She had a future. She had a great future. My hands started to shake, this was the first time the hunger games had actually felt real, and not like a simulation.

I felt the same feeling I felt when I lost my mom. Like my heart had just lost a part of it and I would never find it again. I felt like there was a hole in the middle of my stomach and it wouldn't be repaired. It felt terrible.

My face was soaked with tears. I can't believe I got that attached to someone I had known for less then a day. Goes to show how much of a good person Rue was. She was only 12 years old, and her future was taken away by some sick game to entertain rich people.

I slept on the ground that night, taking a chance, and hoping that I wouldn't be killed in my sleep. By one of the tributes left in the arena, or by some strange animal the Capitol created for the games.