There's Nothing More Important than Family, chapter 22

I have a pretty strong mind. I don’t get scared easily and it takes a lot to get to me. My sister’s death? Well, that got to me. I usually never have dreams, but tonight I did. I wouldn’t call it a bad dream, I suppose, but I wasn’t ready for it. It was like salt in a wound.

If I wouldn’t have woken up after my dream, I probably would have accepted it as reality. It was vivid and beautiful, but painful at the same time. I was standing in the arena, over by the creek. Zania looked exactly as she did when I last saw her; her skin was covered in bloody tridents and her hair was short. I guess that hairstyle kind of suited her. The words ‘Your move’ shimmered on her forehead, and I stared at it mournfully. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Kelly’s eerie writing. The machete was gone from her chest, but I could see a jagged wound. Worst of all was her token. It sat untouched on her head like a halo. This feeble piece of wheat and ribbon survived, but she didn’t?

Dream-Zania floated (yes, floated) over to me and touched my cheek. Her hands were ice cold and clammy. “I’m sorry.” She whispered.

“You’re sorry?” I sputtered. “I should have been there. I could have saved you, but I didn’t!”

“Nathan, forget that! I shouldn’t have screamed; I led her right to me. I’ve been holding you and the others back from the start. Mark’s death was my fault, and Georgie’s, and Maria’s. Addalie and Breah died for me, too. Don’t get mad at yourself because I finally faced death.”

“You’re too young.” I argued. “You had your whole life ahead of you!”

“Nathan, you can’t protect me forever. Eventually, I’m going to fall out of the tree.”

I smiled somberly. “Didn’t you fall the first time? Haven’t you fallen already?”

I saw her roll her eyes and she began to walk away. Before she disappeared, she whispered audibly, “Remember; it’s your move. Make it count.” Then she disappeared.

Now I sit inside the Cornucopia, reflecting on the dream. Was it a dream? It feels so real. It feels like Zania was actually talking to me, but she’s dead. There’s no changing that.

There is truth in her words. I can’t protect her anymore and I have to make my move. I know I can’t sit in the Cornucopia forever. Part of me wants to hunt down the Careers and kill them both, but the rest of me doesn’t want to do anything. I have to do something interesting soon, or the gamemakers will send something horrible my way. I can’t bring myself to stray away from the clearing. At one point, I think I see a pack of those chipmunk mutts run by, but they don’t notice me. I wonder if they’re after the Careers or Jason.

I have no idea what to do to pass the time. I consider continuing my rampage on all granola in the Cornucopia, but that seems boring. I eat half the food Jason put in my backpack and then refill it. If I have to make a run for it, I want to have a full supply.

I find some metal armor in the Cornucopia and I try my best to dent it with a giant mace I found in the back. Its hard work, but when I’m done, the chest plate is hopelessly deformed. I bet my parents are sitting at home cursing at me for destroying resources. I laugh at the thought.

I climb up the Cornucopia and lounge on the roof. The sun is warm and relaxing. I dig in my heels so I don’t slide down it and I put my hands behind my head. I think of home.
When I win, I can get my dad the best machinery money can buy. We’ll live in Victor’s Village beside Sean and Olivia; everyone will get their own room. I’ll build a monument for Zania. She will never be forgotten. I’ll help buy food for the poorer people in District 9. Maybe I’ll start a charity. I won’t become one of those victors who hides in the corner and drinks away their life. I’ll be productive with my money.

Suddenly, the cannon booms, and I fall off the side of the Cornucopia painfully. I hit my left arm hard, but it doesn’t feel like I broke anything. I can almost hear all of Panem laughing at me, except for my father. Dad would be groaning. I slowly stand back up, and stretch my arm carefully. I am definitely getting a bruise. I pick my sword up off the ground and swear a couple times. I usually don’t swear, but mom’s not here in the arena to tell me off. I guess Jason has taken out another Career.

I try to entertain myself in the soul-sucking arena. I cut down multiple tree branches. With them, I build a fort outside the Cornucopia, like David, Louisia and I used to do before the others were born. I stack the stumps to make an army of stick-men. I feel six again. I’ve escaped the arena and I’m back in the trees of District 9. I remember when the kids in my district would all play ‘war’ at recess. Our parents told us not to because we didn’t know how it felt to kill someone, but we didn’t understand and we played it anyway. It was just a game. I laugh and think how my situation in terrifyingly real and I’ve actually killed a couple people. The game still seems pretty fun to me!
I hide in my fort, and look through the spy window I made. I can see all of my stump-people. I grab one of Vella’s extra bows and a quiver full of arrows. ‘Pew pew!’ I make fake gun noises as I shoot at the closest stump-men. I miss but two feet at least (archery is not my strong suit), but I hit another stump-man a few yards behind the first. I take out all the stick-people by randomly shooting all over.
I wonder what the people in the Capitol think about me now. Are they laughing? Do they think I’m insane? Probably both, now that I think about it. That probably kept the audience pretty entertained, so I don’t expect any mutts to come. Even if they do, I’ll shoot an arrow in their general direction with the bow. There’s a 50% chance that I’ll kick their butts.
It’s like I’ve forgotten I’m in the Games. I’ve never seen a tribute play in a fort before. Usually the situation is more serious, but I don’t care. I build a giant bonfire with the remains of my fort and my stump-people. If the last Career left wants to come, let him (or her). Jason will be following them and we’ll kick their butt together. The huge fire lights up the now dark clearing. The anthem plays and I look up into the sky. Jason’s face stares down at me.
Jason? So there are still two Careers. Jason’s eyes stare down at me from the sky, and I hear him say, “You will win.” He fades away, but it looks like there are two emerald stars in the sky where his eyes used to be.
This is not good. The fire was a really bad idea. The Careers will be coming, and I don’t really want to face Kelly and Dane together tonight. I have to find them eventually, since this is the Hunger Games, but I want to do it on my terms. I want to surprise them. It’s only a matter of time before they find me. I hide in the bushes.
After crouching in the shrubbery for an hour and a half, it’s evident they’re not coming.  My legs are sore and cramped. I assume that Jason would not have gone down without a fight. Kelly and Dane are injured; I need to find them. I’m the only one in the arena who is fully healed and the Careers aren’t stupid enough to come and get me. The problem is, I have no idea where the heck they are. They could be anywhere in the arena by now. I think back to the training centre. Were there any stations on tracking? I don’t think so, and if there was one, I didn’t visit it.
I notice blood on the grass that isn’t mine, and I remember stabling Mahogany in the upper arm. I nearly cut his arm off; he was bleeding for sure. Would he have had enough sense to bandage it up? No, I see a large amount of dried blood on the grass where I pushed him, when Zania screamed. It makes a trail, leading into the woods. I grab my backpack and follow the trail, running. The Careers will have a campsite of some sort and Mahogany will lead me right to it.