❛ HOPE ISN'T SOMETHING GIFTED TO YOU
IT'S SOMETHING YOU ACHIEVE. ❜
in which a small girl from district ten must
protect those she loves, or die trying.
𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙋𝙇𝙀𝙏𝙀𝘿 (UNDER HEAVY EDITING)
― oc x...
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MY EYES PEELED OPEN FROM MY SLEEP. The small cracks in the cave surroundings dripped onto my forehead and caused my hand to wipe my brow. A cannon lifted me to my feet, in shock. I couldn't bet on who it was, but it would be very unlikely to be a Career and I hoped it wasn't James. For my luck, I wished it would be either the boy from Three, the girl from Seven or the pair from Twelve, who, the boy I remember being called Ash. His hair was blacker than I'd ever seen before, and his District partner had mocked him during training hours. He appeared to be weak, but his death had not arrayed to grant him freedom from this nightmare. Yet, no one had died for at least five days and I knew, in some way or another, the Capitol would desire bloodshed soon.
I picked up my knife belt and tip-toed out of the cave, steadying myself with the damp rocks on the side and checking if the coast was clear for me to grab some water. The water was dark blue, even in the sunlight, but it was adequately alright to drink. I collected plenty with my bottle and placed myself against a bank of shining golden sand. It had been fine to reveal my position in the last stages of the week, seeing as it would be very unlikely for me to come across somebody, especially as the Careers would have already received gallons of water from sponsors or dead tributes.
Scratching at my leg, I noticed a stripe of raw open skin painted onto my skin. It's existence puzzled me and I, not knowing how to deal with it, resorted in sinking the exposed strip of flesh into the lake. Pain rocketed up my body and I bit my tounge in hope to ease the hurt out of my system. My palm stroked across my calf and felt the edge of the wound; it stung even more. Flustering around, I scooped up my knife and rested the flat edge against it, again resorting in excruciating pain. A scream escaped from the safety of my body like a firework and my voice ached. I couldn't understand where I got the wound from as I searched . Possibilities hurried through my head, bit none would match. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that it was in fact Ottilie who had inflicted that amount of distraught onto me.
The horrendous surge of pain built up inside me and I predicted that I wouldn't be able to take the suffering anymore. Torturous stabs repeatedly angered my leg. I wanted – no, needed – a sponsor fast.
Rustles echoed by the lakeside. It wasn't the best time for my leg to work, but I tried my hardest in limping back towards the cave entrance. The sound became louder and the noise slipped through my ears, originating from the thick layer of foliage behind me. I knew a small animal couldn't have made that big of a noise, nor the wind, and so my thought processes were alarmed. My only choice was to grab my things and escape.
As I suspected, a shimmer of light brown hair was shadowing me in the bushes and I held my breath, standing as still as possible in my position. However, before I could even blink, the person bolted for me. As if it had happened in a split-second, their arms tightened around my shoulders, clasping me in a cage of distress. I struggled to get out of the trap, but there was no longer any hope for my freedom.
"Stay still," the voice demanded furiously, one arm gripping me tighter and the other holding another object far from my reach. I squirmed again, ignoring their order, in hope that the cries for help would somehow come to my aid. "Shut up and stay still!" I couldn't recognise the voice, but I knew that it wasn't a Career. Suddenly, a sharp and chilled liquid plastered the open flesh on the side of my leg and the person let go of me. I pivoted to only see the girl that had taken away my ally. It was Bella, that girl from District Four.
"I know what your thinking, he's fine," she stood up and handled a shimmering bronze trident between her fingers. I didn't know what to do again, but those emotions had become far too similar to me.
"I don't understand. How —" I replied, puzzled from the greeting. I cut myself off from talking any further as the person I had been missing the most, although I had been dreading to see him like that from the day I had met him, emerged from the curtain of leaves. A scar stretched across his temple and his arm was cascaded with blood. Another girl appeared at his side, but I couldn't careless who she was that very moment. All that I cared about was him.
