Status: back with a facelift | previously title take your aim
Kiss of Death
Chapter Fourteen
“Sixty, Fifty-Nine, Fifty-Eight…”
A voice echoed through the tube, counting down slowly from sixty. The voice was low and robotic, very fitting.
When the light began to flood the tunnel, Scout opened her eyes and took in the view of this year’s death trap. Ahead of her was the signature cornucopia, bright and silver. The weapons stashed inside of it glistened in the sunlight. Each of the tributes circled around it, scanning the area as she had been doing.
To her left was a small forest, thick with brush. To her right was a large, rocky mountain that was littered with pine trees. The top of the mountain was covered with snow, even though it felt warm where they were standing. In front of her was a field, separating the two different sceneries.
Her gaze moved around the circle until she found Reed far to the left. His eyes met hers and he nodded his head. He appeared to be mouthing something, but Scout was too far away to hear it. The counter was at twenty now.
Reed nodded his head to Scout’s right, but she still had no idea what point he was trying to get across. The arena was hotter than she had expected, and everything was starting to get confusing.
“Four, Three, Two, One.”
The tributes soared off their platforms, many of them heading to the cornucopia. The others scattered in all different directions. Scout tried to watch them, but she couldn’t remember who had gone where.
Scout had spent so much time watching the other tributes that she had forgotten to move herself.
In one quick motion, Reed had grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards the mountain. He had a black Capitol pack in his hand, but Scout had been so delirious that she hadn’t seen him pick it up.
There didn’t appear to be any other tributes following them, but Reed had his gaze moving left and right, as though he thought they would show up at any moment. He had great instincts, and they were already helping him.
When they reached the edge of the mountain, Reed flung the pack over his shoulders, and took a step onto one of the large rocks. He reached his hand out to Scout, and she took it, pulling herself up onto the rock with his help.
With the large rock beneath them, a good 300 feet of the climb up the mountain was strictly a hill. The slope wasn’t too terrible, but it was noticeable, and Scout hoped that it would deter some of the other tributes.
Reed kept his head up, moving his gaze around the arena. There were pine trees around them, but Scout knew he would still worry whether or not they had enough cover.
“Do you think we should have gone the other way?” Scout asked, keeping her voice low.
Reed stopped, turning around to face her. “I don’t know. Do you think we should have?”
Scout paused, while Reed looked around them. When his eyes moved back to hers, she spoke again.
“Well, it’s a forest. You might have had a bit of an advantage.”
The two paused, looking up the leeward side of the mountain.
“I thought we could climb to the top, and hide out up there,” Reed said, moving his gaze to the top. “It would be a long way from our enemies, and we’d be able to see them climbing before they saw us.”
Scout looked at the mountain’s top, which was covered with snow, then moved her eyes back to Reed. She nodded, giving him a soft smile.
“I think that sounds like a great plan.”
Reed nodded his head, pointing it up the mountain. “Let’s get going.”
With the pack over his shoulders, Reed continued climbing, Scout following closely at his feet. Behind them, a tree shook, causing them both to jump. Reed picked a stick up off the ground, holding it firmly in his hands.
A bird flew from the tree, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.
“Why don’t you stand in front of me?” Reed asked, “I’d feel better that way.”
Nodding her head, Scout moved ahead of Reed, with him directly behind her. She kept her eyes on the ground, focusing carefully on each step she took. Branches and rocks littered the ground, and the last thing they needed was for one of them to trip this early on.
Behind her, Reed spoke. “I just want to put a little bit of distance between us and the cornucopia, then we can look through the pack.”
Scout nodded, stepping gently over a branch in the path. Her eyes moved up the mountain. The top appeared to be miles away, but she had never been good at measuring distances. One thing was certain: They had a long climb ahead of them.
A voice echoed through the tube, counting down slowly from sixty. The voice was low and robotic, very fitting.
When the light began to flood the tunnel, Scout opened her eyes and took in the view of this year’s death trap. Ahead of her was the signature cornucopia, bright and silver. The weapons stashed inside of it glistened in the sunlight. Each of the tributes circled around it, scanning the area as she had been doing.
To her left was a small forest, thick with brush. To her right was a large, rocky mountain that was littered with pine trees. The top of the mountain was covered with snow, even though it felt warm where they were standing. In front of her was a field, separating the two different sceneries.
Her gaze moved around the circle until she found Reed far to the left. His eyes met hers and he nodded his head. He appeared to be mouthing something, but Scout was too far away to hear it. The counter was at twenty now.
Reed nodded his head to Scout’s right, but she still had no idea what point he was trying to get across. The arena was hotter than she had expected, and everything was starting to get confusing.
“Four, Three, Two, One.”
The tributes soared off their platforms, many of them heading to the cornucopia. The others scattered in all different directions. Scout tried to watch them, but she couldn’t remember who had gone where.
Scout had spent so much time watching the other tributes that she had forgotten to move herself.
In one quick motion, Reed had grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards the mountain. He had a black Capitol pack in his hand, but Scout had been so delirious that she hadn’t seen him pick it up.
There didn’t appear to be any other tributes following them, but Reed had his gaze moving left and right, as though he thought they would show up at any moment. He had great instincts, and they were already helping him.
When they reached the edge of the mountain, Reed flung the pack over his shoulders, and took a step onto one of the large rocks. He reached his hand out to Scout, and she took it, pulling herself up onto the rock with his help.
With the large rock beneath them, a good 300 feet of the climb up the mountain was strictly a hill. The slope wasn’t too terrible, but it was noticeable, and Scout hoped that it would deter some of the other tributes.
Reed kept his head up, moving his gaze around the arena. There were pine trees around them, but Scout knew he would still worry whether or not they had enough cover.
“Do you think we should have gone the other way?” Scout asked, keeping her voice low.
Reed stopped, turning around to face her. “I don’t know. Do you think we should have?”
Scout paused, while Reed looked around them. When his eyes moved back to hers, she spoke again.
“Well, it’s a forest. You might have had a bit of an advantage.”
The two paused, looking up the leeward side of the mountain.
“I thought we could climb to the top, and hide out up there,” Reed said, moving his gaze to the top. “It would be a long way from our enemies, and we’d be able to see them climbing before they saw us.”
Scout looked at the mountain’s top, which was covered with snow, then moved her eyes back to Reed. She nodded, giving him a soft smile.
“I think that sounds like a great plan.”
Reed nodded his head, pointing it up the mountain. “Let’s get going.”
With the pack over his shoulders, Reed continued climbing, Scout following closely at his feet. Behind them, a tree shook, causing them both to jump. Reed picked a stick up off the ground, holding it firmly in his hands.
A bird flew from the tree, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.
“Why don’t you stand in front of me?” Reed asked, “I’d feel better that way.”
Nodding her head, Scout moved ahead of Reed, with him directly behind her. She kept her eyes on the ground, focusing carefully on each step she took. Branches and rocks littered the ground, and the last thing they needed was for one of them to trip this early on.
Behind her, Reed spoke. “I just want to put a little bit of distance between us and the cornucopia, then we can look through the pack.”
Scout nodded, stepping gently over a branch in the path. Her eyes moved up the mountain. The top appeared to be miles away, but she had never been good at measuring distances. One thing was certain: They had a long climb ahead of them.
♠ ♠ ♠
Ahh, it is time!