A Crown's Game|✔︎UNDER MAJOR EDITING

-Chapter Twelve-

I flutter my eyes open to the sound of snapping twigs in the fire. It's day time now, and the burning bright flames won't do us any good now. I stand quickly, and look for something to diffuse it with.

    I pour a small amount of  Katerina's water onto it, and when the flames are too small, I stamp my boot on the hot coals, and cover the remains in dirt and leaves. I turned around, hoping to see Billi, Katerina, and Onix ready to go, but they are all sound asleep in their trees.

    I roll my eyes, and head over to Cassidy, who is lying on the floor, in better condition. Her cuts are almost closed, but a wound on her head is nowhere near healed.

    I cover her in my sleeping sheet, and cover the rest in leaves. I turn back to the packs. I know I shouldn't do this, but I take Onix's sheath of black arrows and her bow, so I can shoot game from a distance. I bring along some of my knives, since they usually finishes the animal off. I sneak away.

Holding the bow steady, I venture through the winding trees. Eventually, I get thirsty, so I ruffle through my bag to find my water flask. I bring the cap to my lips, expecting the cool water to pour into my mouth.

But there's nothing.

What? How? I had water an hour ago, at least to my memory. There's no way I can find my way back to the clearing without water. I need to find a stream now. I break into a run, almost smacking my head onto the various branches of the trees.

An hour later, I still find no water source. My throat is too dry, I can't speak anymore. My lips are cracked, and I suddenly think about the kit that Lise gave me before the games.

Lise. What is she doing now? Possibly watching me suffer with no water, or a brutal fight of Halos. No doubt that she's watching something.

My head spins. I need to get back to the clearing, no matter what. They're all probably awake now, wondering if i've been murdered. I hoist my pack onto my back, and run in the opposite direction.

My running becomes jogging, which turns into the slowest way of stumbling. My throat ...my skin burns in the heat ...food ...water...I need..

All I can remember is my head hitting the ground in a loud bump.

+++

    "Aspen?"

    My mother's voice rings out.

    I sit up, my head throbbing. "Mom? Mom?"

    "Aspen!" A hand pushes me back. "Stop yelling!" A hushed voice says. My vision makes out a blonde figure holding a torch. Could it be my mother? I try to stand up, only to be pushed back down and covered in leaves. Only the sound of screams could find my mind.

    I stand up to a fight. Ariana Davis is at the verge of death, Katerina holding a knife to her throat. I can hear her whimpering, begging for forgiveness.

    "Your fight is over." Katerina whispers in a low, angry voice, before slitting her throat, and her blood, along with her body, falling to the ground. Her profile is shown in the sky, and Billi drags her body out of the clearing, for collection.

    "Mom?" I whimper.

    "She's not here, Aspen." Onix says lightly, picking up her weapons that I took from her. "You were dreaming, hallucinating of some sort."
    Billi rushes towards me, holding a flask full of water. She shoves the liquid down my throat, and I sigh out of relief.

    "How long was I out?" I sit up.
    "Not long, actually. Since you were gone when we woke up, Cassidy decided to go looking for you, since she's small, and is good at camouflage. She went quite far, and then came across your unconscious body." Billi says.