GAMES
"Do you know what the reason for these games even is?"
"Of course I do. To punish us for the Dark Days. The war."
"Exactly. And do you know what that means?"
"What?"
"No one wins when it comes to the Games. Twenty-three tributes lose their liv...
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***
The next day began in a deceivingly peaceful manner. Shaylin slowly trudged through the forest, the songs of mockingjays filling the otherwise silent air around her. The sun shone brightly, almost happily down on the arena as if the day before hadn't been filled with quarrel and bloodshed.
The blonde girl was looking for Cato, but she had no idea where to start. She wandered aimlessly, trying to think of where he might have sought shelter. The Careers had been so comfortable in their basecamp at the Cornucopia. Now, to think of the District 2 boy holed up anywhere else, it just seemed off.
She had started her search there nonetheless. It was the last place she had seen him, hovering over Clove's lifeless body. From there, she circled the area, spiraling out until she caught any sight of him. Along the way, she had managed to set up some snares, making sure to note landmarks so she could return to them.
Aside from that though, Shay found herself almost bored. The girl loathed thinking of how bored the Capitol might be at the moment if she felt that way, knowing that if they grew tired of the lack of excitement in the arena then the gamemakers would quickly fix that. To the tributes expense, of course.
However, it wasn't her that found Cato. It was actually the other way around.
"Shay," a deep voice called from behind her. The blonde turned toward the voice quickly, her hair like a whip cutting through the air due to the speed. She could've given herself whiplash. Despite the startling call though, she pulled a knife out and gripped it firmly in her hand, holding it at the ready as she took in the person who stood before her.
"Cato," she breathed out. In her mind, she was relieved to finally find him, but her body refused to relax.
He stepped forward, his hands held out in surrender, far from his sword that was strapped to his back. "Whoa," he said, eyeing her knife. "It's okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, remember?" His eyes were clear, his words genuine.
Her heart pounded in her chest as he repeated those words to her. Lowering her arms, she slipped the knife back into its place on her belt. With a hard gulp, she felt her eyes shine with evidence of her emotions from the last few days without him. She had never allowed herself to fully give in to her feelings before. It was never the time, never the place.
The note burned through her pocket, reminding her of its presence. It could change everything.
"I was looking for you," she admitted.
His eyebrows lifted as if surprised by this knowledge but quickly furrowed in confusion. "Why? You disappeared after the explosion. I thought you had been with us when we went into the forest to find out what happened, but you were just gone."
