rising from the ashes || a hunger games story

chapter fifteen

willow's pov

the walk back to the cave felt longer than the walk to the cornucopia. it probably felt longer due to the fact that my whole arm was throbbing and my shoulder was burning. it felt like it was on fire. i'm positive that crystal's pressure on my shoulder did something but i wasn't going to check until i got to the cave.

arriving at the cave, i was so desperate to sit down that i carelessly pushed the rock into the cave. it made a loud sound but it was quiet enough that if you were 20 feet away, you wouldn't have heard a thing.

i jumped into the cave, out of breathe. i wanted to sit down so badly but i blocked the entrance with the rock before i did anything. i sat down next to finn, who was still asleep.

i laid both backpacks in front of me. i grabbed finn's first. i opened it up and i saw a container at the bottom of the backpack with a cotton bandage wrap on top of it. the wrap was more than we needed. the container had a paper taped on the top of it. i looked at it and it said "stab wound ointment".

i laid the container next to me with the wrap on top of it. i then grabbed my backpack. i was curious onto what was inside of it. i see the same set up that finn's backpack had in mine. i grab the container and let the wrap fall to the bottom of the backpack.

i look at the paper and read it, "hail injury ointment". i didn't think i was going to need anything for the bruises. i don't think they're that serious. that's when i feel something trickle on my shoulder. i move my jacket over and i see a red stain on my shirt.

i move my shirt over and i see that my shoulder is bleeding. the blood was pooring out of the middle of the bruise. i hear someone take a deep breath in next to me. i turn to see finn looking at me, sleepily.

i gave him a soft smile, "i got the medicine." he lets out a sigh, "i'm so glad you're safe." i motion for him to turn over so i can treat him wound. i roll the pant leg up and grab finn's ointment.

i open the container up and put some ointment on my pointer finger and middle finger. i place the ointment onto finn's cut and i can hear his breath hitch. "i'm sorry, i know it burns." i say as i finish putting on the second coat.

the bandage has glue laid out on it so i grab the bandage wrap and wrap the sticky part of the bandage around his leg where the cut is. once i finishing wrapping his cut, i can hear him let out a sigh of relief.

i move away from his leg and sit next to him. he turns himself around and sits up. "what did you get?" he asks me, looking at the backpack with the number 12 on it. "medicine for the bruises."

he grabs the container that holds the ointment for my hail bruises. he opens the container and looks at me, "let me?" i nod at him. he put the container and the lid down and unzips my jacket. he removes my right sleeve and moves my shirt sleeve above the bruise.

he inhales sharply, "what happened?" "crystal tackled me and she found the bruise. she put pressure on it. she was talking about how they killed june and falcon took her off of me and killed her. he asked about june and what happened. he spared me." i say, looking at finn.

"i'm so glad he did." he says, looking into my eyes. i can see that same look of love in his eyes. he grabs the container in his left hand and put ointment on his right pointer and middle finger.

he gently places the ointment onto my shoulder and i feel a burning pain that's worse than the pain of the actual bruise. i squeeze my eyes shut and feel tears in my eyes. i soon feel the cloth on my shoulder. i can hear him ripping the cloth and he put pressure on the cloth so it sticks to the layer beneath it.

then i feel him kiss my forehead. "it's okay, that was the worst one," he says as he pulls away. i smile at him. he continues putting ointment on the other bruises but they aren't as bad as how it felt when he was putting it on my shoulder. it isn't even as bad as the regular pain i was getting from my shoulder before the ointment.

once he's done, he puts my ointment into my original backpack from the first day, along with my bandage wrap. he does the same thing with his stuff. i roll our backpacks up so they fit into the other backpacks.

he sits back and looks at me, "you alright?" i nod. my flashlight contraption has been up since i put it up so seeing in this cave isn't a problem. it will be if the flashlight runs out of batteries.

as if on cue, i hear beeping through the rocks. i get up and move the rock that covers the opening. i walk out and towards the parachute. i grab it and walk back into the cave and cover it back up. i open the parachute and the first thing i see is a piece of paper. i read it as i look at the other items.

the batteries are for the flashlight so you have a light source once the actual batteries run out. the needles are for you to figure out what you want to do with them. you can put something in them and use them as a weapon against another tribute but it's up to you. be safe, sweetheart.

-h

i don't usually see papers being sent from mentors in the games but i appreciate the instruction. i put the batteries to the side so i can put them into the flashlight once they actually do run out.

i examine the needle. it's very sharp. i look over to finn, "what damage are we going to do with this?"