Hunger Games 1

Chapter 22 The Horn of Zeus (2)
no water.How hard was it for them to fill the jug?I started feeling dry mouth and chapped lips.I've been running and walking all day, it's hot, and I'm sweating a lot.This is also the case at home, but you can always find streams or melted snow to quench your thirst.

I was packing my things back into my bag when a terrible thought seized me.That lake, that lake we saw while we waited for the gong to strike, what if that was the only source of water in the arena?That way anyone struggling to find water to drink would have a fight, and that lake is a full day's walk from where I'm sitting now.The thirsty way back there must have been a lot harder than it had come.Even when I got back there, there must have been a few "professional tributes" that were closely guarded.There was a panic in my heart. At this moment, I suddenly remembered the little rabbit that I scared away this morning. It also needs to drink water!I just need to find where it drinks water.

It's almost dusk, and I can't rest.The trees here are too sparse to be used for hiding.Pine needles cover animal tracks, making it more difficult to track them to water.I'm still heading downhill, deeper and deeper into this seemingly endless canyon.

Hunger came to me at the same time, but I dared not eat the precious biscuits and beef.I peel off a piece of pine bark with a knife, scrape off the tender inner part, put it in my mouth, and chew as I go.After a week of eating the most exquisite food in the world, this thing is really hard to swallow.But I have eaten a lot of pine bark before, and I can get used to it very quickly.After another hour, I felt that I really needed to rest.Nocturnal animals were already active and I could occasionally hear owls and other animals in the distance.This is the initial sign that I am competing with predators for rabbit food.As for whether I will also be treated as food, I can't say yet.At this time, I am afraid that many animals are approaching secretly, ready to hunt and kill me.

But right now, dealing with those opponents is my first priority.I'm sure there will be plenty of tributes going on at night as well.Those who fight at the Horn of Zeus are given food, water from the lake, torches, flashlights and weapons they are eager to use.I can only hope that I have gone far enough beyond their current hunting range.

Before resting, I make two baiting snares with the rope.I know it's dangerous to be a trap now, but the food will run out soon, and it's impossible for me to run away and make a trap at the same time.Then I walked another 5 minutes to find the campsite.

I carefully selected a willow tree, not very tall, but close to other willows, with long, fluttering branches, very secretive.I climbed to a branch next to the trunk of the tree, and found a strong branch to put the sleeping bag on, which took a lot of effort.I put the sleeping bag in a relatively comfortable position, put the backpack at the foot of the sleeping bag, and got in.To be on the safe side, I took the belt off, wrapped it around the sleeping bag and the branch, and tightened it at the wrist.Now even if I turn over while I'm asleep, I don't fall to the ground.I'm small and the sleeping bag fits well enough to cover the top of my head, so I put the sleeping bag hood on as well.In the middle of the night, the temperature will drop quickly.Although I took a lot of risks when grabbing the backpack, it seems that my choice is right now.This sleeping bag does a great job of maintaining my body temperature and is invaluable.

I'm sure there are some "tributes" whose biggest concern at this point is keeping warm while I still get a few hours of sleep.If only I wasn't so thirsty...

Night had fallen when I heard the national anthem played, which was the prelude to today's dead.Through the branches, I could see the Capitol emblem, which seemed to be floating in the air.What I actually saw was another giant screen delivered by a helicopter in the distance.The national anthem ended and the sky fell into temporary darkness.When we were back home, we were able to see full coverage of each player being killed, but some felt it would give an unfair advantage to the living tributes.For example, if I get a bow and shoot a man, my secret will be known to everyone.However, in the arena, all we see is the same avatar that is used when playing the training results.The location where the grades were originally written is now replaced by the area code.I took a deep breath, watched the heads of the eleven dead people flash before my eyes, and counted who they were.

The first one to appear was a girl from the third district, which means that the professional players from the first and second districts survived, which is not surprising.Then came the boys from District [-], which I didn't expect, and usually the pros survive their first day.The boys in District [-]... I guess the foxface girl survived.The "tributes" from districts [-] and [-] were all dead, followed by the boy from district [-], the two "tributes" from district [-], yes, and the boy who snatched the bag from me. one already.Will it be Peeta?No, it's a girl from District Ten.that's it.Afterwards, accompanied by majestic music, the Capitol emblem appeared on the screen.Then there was darkness, and the forest was silent again.

Peeta is alive, I'm relieved.I told myself again that if I got killed and he won, it would be good for Mom and Prim too.That's why I'm so conflicted whenever I think about Peeta.I am very grateful for the advantage he gave me by his confession of love for me in the TV interview; but I am very angry about his aloofness on the roof; I am extremely angry about the possibility of meeting face to face in the arena. Worry.

Eleven people were dead, but none from District [-].I'm trying to figure out who survived.Five pros, Foxface, Salish and Lulu.Lulu—after all, she survived the first day, I am very happy.In this way, there are already ten people.I'll figure out who the other three are tomorrow.At this time, it was already dark, and after running for a day, I was hanging high on the tree, and now I had to rest.

I haven't had a good night's sleep for two days, and today I'm on a long drive in the arena.I slowly let my muscles relax and closed my eyes.The last thought that crossed my mind was, thank goodness I don't snore.

crackle!The sound of branches snapping woke me up from my dream.How long did I sleep?four hours?five hours?The tip of my nose is cold.crackle!crackle!what happened?This is not the sound of people stepping on branches, but the sound of breaking from trees.crackle!crackle!I judged the sound to be coming from a few hundred yards to my right.Slowly and quietly, I turned my face in this direction.For a few minutes there was only darkness and crackling noises, then I saw sparks, then a small fire with a man warming his hand, and the rest was lost.

I bit my lower lip trying not to yell at the people who lit the fire, what did they think?Lighting a fire at night can only mean one thing.Those who were fighting each other at the Horn of Zeus, strong and equipped, they should not have been so close earlier that they would not have seen the flames.But now, they may be looking for prey in the forest.Doing so is like holding up a flag and shouting, "Hey, come get me!"

And now, I'm stuck in a tree, within a stone's throw of the dumbest idiot in the game.I dare not run away, because the area I am in has just been exposed to the murderer.It's cold outside and not everyone has a sleeping bag.Then grit your teeth and persevere until dawn!
I was trapped in a sleeping bag for the next few hours.I thought, if I could get down from the tree, I would have no problem killing my new neighbors.But my first instinct was to run, not kill.But the man must be dangerous too, and stupid people are often dangerous.But he may not have a good weapon, and I have a good knife.

The night is dark, but I feel the dawn is near.I began to think that we—me and the man I imagined killing—could have escaped undetected.At this time, I heard a sound, it was the footsteps of several people, which had turned into the sound of running.The man who lit the fire must have fallen asleep, and they caught him before he could escape.I could tell she was a girl.She was begging, followed by a shriek, and then laughter and mutual congratulations.Someone shouted: "Twelve have been destroyed, and there are eleven left!" followed by appreciative clicks.

So they've teamed up.I am not surprised.At the beginning of the game, they often form a gang, and the stronger will defeat the weaker together.Later, as the tension grows, they'll turn against each other.I didn't have much trouble figuring out who was in the gang, and it must have been two men and three women from Districts [-], [-], and [-], the ones who set out together.

For a while I heard them go through the girl's supplies, but from their conversation I could tell they hadn't found a few good things.I wondered if the person who died would be Lulu, but I quickly rejected this idea.A child as bright as her would not do such a foolish thing as lighting a fire.

"Better clean up the scene so they can find her before the body stinks."

I'm almost sure it's the rough boy from District Two.Everyone grunted and agreed.Then I heard them coming towards me, it was horrible.They won't know I'm here.How can they know?I hid in the thick branches, so long as it was dark they could not see me.But during the day, my black sleeping bag goes from camouflage to a nuisance.But as long as they go forward, they will pass me and leave quickly.

But the pros stopped in a clearing about ten meters away from the tree.They had flashlights, torches, and I could faintly see arms or boots through the branches.I lay motionless like a rock, not even daring to breathe.They already found me?No, not yet.It can be heard from their words that their thoughts are not here.

"Shouldn't we hear the cannon now?"

"It should sound, and the cannon should be heard immediately."

"Unless, she is not dead?"

"She died, and I did it myself."

"Then why is there no cannon?"

"Someone should go back and have a look to make sure they are alive."

"Yeah, we don't want to chase her twice."

"I said she was dead!"

They bickered until one of the "tributes" stopped them.

"We're wasting time, I'll go back and finish her off, and then we'll move on!"

I almost fell out of the tree when I heard the sound.It's Peeta.

(End of this chapter)