The Overlooked

Chapter 17: The beast

A twig snaps next to my head.

"Rrrrrrrruuuue, I know your here, I know your hiding."

The voice purs to me. My heart beat excelerates, it feels like its going to come out of my chest any time now. My mind starts whrlign at a thousand thoughts per second.

"Rrrrrrrruuuuue, come out, don't make this harrrrrd!"

I don't move a muscle. I can hear the careers, but they're to busy laughing about tribute deaths to hear the voice speaking to me. I see the bush around me shake then a hand fly's into the bush right by my face. It's big and hairy. I squeal and barge through the other side of the bush. I know I'll find the careers there, but it's them or the beast. My head tried to figure out which one is worse.

"Rrrrrrrrrrue!"

I look back to see a creature, its long nose up straight in the air howling. Its tail flowing silently behind. I look at the careers. They havn't even moved from their spots. So I think

"Hey! It's Rue!"

I look back, but only Clove seems to want to follow me. She starts sprinting. Why would she follow me when I have a beast right on my tail?

"What you running from Rue?"

I hear Clove taunt me. That must mean she can't see it. I'm starting to become winded when I hear a scream

"What?"

I turn my head for a split second to look. Clove is swatting all around her body screaming. I can't see anythig around her. I get to the edge of the clearing and hurry up into a tree. I jump as fast as I can from tree to tree farther into the woods. I go as long as I can take without needing a break. I have to stop for the sake of my lungs.

I look all around me, looking for the creature that was following me. I wait for over an hour, long past dark just sitting there. I lay my backpack down on the branch right next to me. I think I'm safe when I hear the voice again

"Rrrrrruuuuue, you know you can never lose me, I'm sitting rrrrrright next to you. I have  been this wh-h-hole timeeeeeee."

I instantly look over to find nothing, but only for a second, then an outline on the ground appears I get as close to the tree trunk as I can, trying to blend in.

"Jumpy, funny girrrrrl."

I look down "What are you?"

The beast laughs "I am a naogel."

I feel like pinching myself to make sure I am not dreaming "A noagele?"

"No," It snaps back "No-uh-gel."

I can feel my body shaking uncontrollably "A naogel? I've never heard of them. . ."

"That is because we arrrrre new."

I look down at it, I want the beast to go away. I feel like it can peek into my mind and see what I'm thinking, knowing the capital it probably is designed to. The way it holds its R's gives the same feeling as nails on a chalkboard.

I stare down at it "Are you going to kill me yet?"

I laughs an evil laughs and purrs "Oh no. . .no, no, no, no. . . .I'm going to do something worrrrrse. . .I'm going to let you live, you'll seeeee."

The naogel slowly disapears. My mind goes in revold. This beast is only trying to scare you,  tell myself. It doesn't even know what it's talking about probably.

I watch as the noagel slowly walks away, its tail slithering behind it. I think on what it said. I know it is right, in these games it is worse to be alive than dead. Every day you live is another day closer to death, and that haunts us all. I look to where I last saw it. Then I think of Katniss.