i've got the power

Decipher Reflections from Reality | | KAN | | OS

"It will be! That’s definitely a good weapon to have," I say. I now understand why she was outside for a little while. Receiving a note from a loved one must be emotional. I wonder if I’ll get one at some point, maybe from Natalie…

I grinned at the sight of Kyera's gift but felt a pang of jealousy after realizing it was from her family. I couldn't help but wonder if mine would send me anything, but shook my head subtly; they needed the money more than I did, and with the tribute numbers dwindling, the price of something as simple as water would be sky high. I knew they would if they could, and that was all that mattered.

"Did he really? Was that before or after I asked you?" I inquire. It had seemed like Roman was trying to organize a big bad alliance back in the Capitol. Looks like it didn’t go over too well for him. I’m glad Arland went with Kyera and me rather than Roman. I feel more comfortable in the arena with two allies rather than just one. 

I nodded in confirmation. "It was before you asked me," I confessed. "We were in the anti-gravity room together, and we were talking about our ally situations inside. I told him I didn't have any plans, so he asked me if I wanted to go in with him and I denied it," I explained. I was glad I picked the girls over his larger pack; they'd already been attacked and partially taken down. It was nice to feel safe.

I accept the pot from Kyera, putting it away in my pack. It’s nice when everyone helps out. 

The pair from Six seemed like good friends, and I wouldn't have been surprised if they were together. I wondered who North was with; I doubted she'd go in alone with hopes of coming out. If my alliance and I died, she was the one I wanted to make it out alive. She, like Nessa and Kyera, would be kinder to the people than most other Victors, and the three of them would all be fantastic mentors. Better than I, at least.

I nod along with Kyera. “I’m not sure if it’s safe to go back to the mainland of the arena yet. There have been so many deaths, and none of them have been on this island, so I just feel like it’s more dangerous over there,” I add. 

Although I wasn't keen on staying on the smaller island, I didn't want to run into anyone else, especially someone as dangerous as Dotev. While we had the weapons and enough people to take someone as lethal as she down, I didn't want any of us with injuries coming out of a fight. It was safer to stay alone. I nodded in agreement, taking a final sip of water before handing the canteen and soup back to Nessa.

I store away the half full syringe in my pack, unsure of what to do next. I’ll have to remember that my weapons are coated in the venom, but that shouldn’t be too hard. And if I end up needing to reapply some of it, I have some left over and I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to catch a few more from the other cabin. 

Nessa rushed towards me with food and water as soon as she realized I was awake and I took it graciously. Although it hadn't been a long time since I'd eaten, it felt like an eternity after the attacks. I remembered my father talking about the tracker jackers back home; he told me they were engineered to kill, but we'd survived--I felt strangely accomplished.

I watch Kyera as she carefully extracts the hallucination inducing venom from the second tracker jacker. The syringe fills up, and we still have one more tracker jacker left. 

Nessa acts first, coating her weaponry carefully with the venom.  With still half a syringe left, it’ll be enough to coat all of my knives.  When she’s done, Nessa hands the syringe to me and I draw out a few drops of venom on each blade, carefully coating the front and back.  Putting them aside to draw, I made a note not to touch them until they’re fully dry.

I woke with a start; the last thing I could remember being pricked by the stingers of tracker jackers. I must've passed out after being stung, but I was glad I had barely any recollection of the attack. If I went home, a swarm of the mutts wasn't something I wanted to remember. I cringed as I felt my arm for the stingers, but found none there. I smiled, sitting up to find my allies storing away the last of the syringe.

Zachary’s face flashes up in the sky, and I hate that I feel that way, but it serves him right.  He was a jerk and who was cocky and inconsiderate, flaunting that he was a “serial killer” and whatever.  It was all an act if he died so easily.  I purse my lips, not caring for him.

I chew on the collar of my now dry jacket, anxiously tugging at the sleeves as the faces of the fallen appear in the sky. Once I see Fay, my heart drops, leaving me in stunned silence. She was tough, and I’d thought that she was tougher than me. This only made my anxiety go through the roof. If she didn't even survive the first day, how was I supposed to get to the end?

I can tell that he feels like what he’s gathered isn’t important, but that’s just not the truth. He has a weapon, so he’ll be able to defend himself, along with another item that we can use to hinder the movement of live food and even our competitors. I had wanted to get a net, but it would’ve been too dangerous to go for one. And with the situation we’re all in, there’s just no room to be reckless, like I was back in nine. 

Nessa's reassurance definitely put me into a better mood, the smile that had been on my face after finding what food there was in our little shack returning. I tossed the net back into the center, leaning back on my hands. It was only the first day, eventually our supplies would dwindle, but for now it looked like we could be set for a little while. 

We’ll just have to wait for the Gamemakers to project that names and faces of the dead once night comes. All I know is that there was a plentiful amount of blood spilled at the bloodbath. Whose blood that was, only time will be able to tell. I can only hope that my innocent district partner is not among the dead. But then again, would it be better for him to not have to possibly undergo an excruciating death caused by someone with malicious intent?

The amount of times the we had heard a cannon had been the keast of my worries during the bloodbath, though I suppose it would've been comforting to know how many of us were left. By the end of the night at we would know who our competition was, and it probably won't be the kindest of tributes.

Still feeling a bit shaky from the walk--crawl, really--across the bridge, I pushed the door open the rest of the way, stepping into the dimly lit area and holding up a hand to Kyera and Nessa, signaling them to give me a moment. I walked the perimeter of the room, stepping carefully on the creaky floorboards, wondering if any of them would give, even though there was just one floor to the small structure. 

"Not really. There are only dirty rags, soaps, and other cleaning supplies. This room kind of looks like a slave’s quarters," I answer. 

The view from the room was in fact amazing. Scary, actually, that such terrible things were going to happen in an arena that looked semi harmless. I shifted my grip on the staff I'd been holding, barely hearing Nessa's question.