Black Bird

23

Brandon and I spent the rest of the day by the lake throwing rocks into the it. Once night hit we headed back to camp and set up our beds.

"Night Brandon." I say hoisting myself up a tree branch.

"Night." He says getting into his sleeping bag.

"Don't die." I say once I reach the branch I want to sleep in. I hang my pack which I shoved everything from the other pack into on a tree branch. I grabbed the rope from it and tied it around me and the tree so I didn't fall out. I slipped into my sleeping bag and used my jacket as a pillow. The anthem started to play and I looked through the branches at the faces on the screen.

The boy from 4, the girl from 5, both from 6, both from 8, the boy from 9, both from 11 and the boy from 12.

I flash of guilt hit me when I saw the last 3. I did that. The girl from 12 must've gotten away because her face wasn't shown on the screen. 10 gone 14 left. I drifted off once the last tributes face disappeared from the sky.

I was awaken by the crackling sound of a fire. I looked down at Brandon to make sure he was okay and didn't look away till I saw the rise of his chest meaning he was breathing. I peered through the trees to see a fire and several people surrounding it. The careers.

"Guys, is that the Brandon kid from district 10?" One of the girls ask.

"I think so and even if its not let's kill whoever it is anyways." I hear Klinton say, I recognize his voice anywhere, its like nails on a chalkboard, something that gives you shivers down your back and makes your hair stand up because his voice reminds me of death.

"Let's go." Another voice says.

I quickly start to panick. I grab a branch of the tree and throw it down on to Brandon, he flinches but doesn't wake up. I grab another one, one bigger then the other and throw it down on to him. It hits him in the face and he wakes up.

"What the hell Phoebe?" He asks.

"Get up here now!" I whisper loudly.

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

"Okay." He says packing up.

"Hurry!" I yell as the careers finished grabbing their weapons and had started coming closer to the tree.

Brandon starts climbing the tree until finally he reaches me.

"What was tha-?" I cover his mouth with my hand.

I point to the bottom of the tree where the careers are standing.

"No one is here Janice." Klinton hisses.

"I swear I saw someone." Janice says.

"Let's go." Klinton snaps and starts to leave. I see Rucker bend down and touch the soil at the bottom of the tree.

"Someone was definitely here but whoever it was packed up and left." Rucker says.

"See! Now let's go!" Janice exclaims.

"Whatever Janice just because your Klinton's district partner doesn't mean you get to act like your alpha." Gerard says.

"Yeah, don't forget your just from district 3. We didnt let that district 4 girl in even though we should've." Nicky adds.

"Are you coming or are yoy all going to be idiots?!" Klinton yells from their camp.

"You're lucky you have Klinton." Rucker says as he follows Nicky and Gerard leaving Janice and another girl standing alone.

"It's okay Jan-" the girl starts to say.

"Shut up Lilly! You can't do shit!" Janice interrupts her and runs off. The girl who I assume to be Lilly stands alone for a bit then she walks back to their camp.

Once they're all gone I release my hand off of Brandons face.

"That was harsh." I whisper.

"Yeah." Brandon replies.

After that incident I helped Brandon tie the rope around the tree so he wouldn't fall out, he got into his sleeping bag and passed out. I stayed up for a bit longer listening to the careers talk about how much of a threat I was until they went to sleep. I was tempted to get up and kill some of them while they slept but decided against it. I fell asleep a bit after.

Sorry this chapter was kinda short haha and slow, they will pick up soon I hope!