Rick Riordan's Hunger Games [PJO AU]

Ep 7 - "Dream"

Rick couldn't believe he was right. Travis really had been near his breaking point. President Clair wasn't too happy though, and she was staring open-mouthed at her screen. "He's dead."

His sarcasm was dripping, "Well yes, that tends to happen when one gets stabbed in the heart."

She slapped his popcorn, scattering the buttery kernels across the floor, "Do you have any idea how angry I am? That boy could've done so much for us."

"He already did. It all went perfectly as planned. Look, the ratings are going up! Betrayal, tragedy, a heartfelt conversation, and death. The ingredients of my perfect drama."

Clair stormed off, and Rick watched her go before turning back to the screens, rolling his eyes at her lack of enthusiasm.

◼▲◼

Calypso felt a piercing sting on her arm, and she resisted the urge to hit at the tracker jacker that'd got her. Killing one would only spur the others' anger.

The droning got louder, and they were already surrounded as the wasps circled them suspiciously, crushing the chance for Will to run. Calypso paused to yank out the stinger and flip up her jacket collar to protect her neck.

"There's a parachute," Will gasped, and he stood up to get it.

Calypso got out her knife and sliced the laces on her boot, hoping to slip her foot out and abandon the shoe.

It was still too tight at the bottom, and she couldn't wrench it out. "I hate you, Gamemakers. So, so much." She stabbed the earth right next to her shoe and started digging.

Will had returned with a box of matches. "The smoke will sedate the wasps."

"Well hurry up!" Another stung her on the other arm. It began to hurt whenever she moved the knife, but at least she could wiggle her foot now.

He seized a branch and wrapped it quickly with twine before lighting two matches and setting it on fire. He wafted it around under the nest.

They both held their breath as the buzzing quieted to a dull hum, and the tracker jackers slowly returned to their home.

Calypso's foot popped free, and she pulled her boot out and they decked it.

"That was way too close," Will panted as they ran. "Did you get stung?"

"Yeah, twice in the arms. You?"

"Face," he pointed, and she saw two punctures on one cheek that was quickly swelling. "And my hand. I've pulled them out already, but..."

She paled, "Then you've got it much worse. We need to find shelter before the hallucinations begin."

Calypso could recognize the leaves for treating tracker jacker stings, but she didn't see them as they trudged through the forest.

She asked Will if he'd spotted any, and her brain took a long time to put the sentence together, "Do you see...any of the...you know, plants for treating...?"

He'd turned his head at her voice, but he just blinked at her, "You have tree bark for skin."

Her hopes fell, "Come on." She managed to drag him to a tree and get him to stay put as she climbed, then helped him up.

There was an impossible amount of moths all over the tree, covering it like a rippling white blanket. "Hallucination," she chanted to herself as the insects crawled over her hands. "Hallucination. Hallucination."