Kiss of Death

The sun was beginning to set, and the pair still hadn’t found water. With nightfall approaching, they needed to find a safe place to rest for the night, so that became their next priority. Reed searched high and low for the perfect spot to sleep, but nothing would be safe. They would have to sleep in shifts; he already knew that, but he wanted to rest somewhere that wouldn’t let anyone sneak up on them.

“We haven’t seen anyone since the games began,” Scout said, dragging her feet behind her. “There’s no one around us.”

Reed turned back to her. “I just want to be sure, and when did you get behind me? You’re supposed to stay in front, remember?”

Scout stopped in her tracks, looking up at him. “Please, can’t we just stop? I’m really tired and we need to rest.”

The area was fairly covered, with many bushes and trees surrounding them. Even though they hadn’t seen anyone for hours, Reed still didn’t trust anything about the place. After years of chopping trees in the forest, he knew how easy it was to hide. Fortunately for the pair, that meant they could hide as well.

Looking around the area, Reed spotted a large bush off to the left, and began moving towards it. The branches were thin, and would be just enough cover for the night.

Scout approached him, eyeing the bush. “We’re going to sleep in a bush, aren’t we?”

Reed nodded, pulling apart the branches. “Yes, now get in.”

The tiny branches whipped against her face as she crawled into the bush. Reed followed after her, dragging the pack behind him. The bush opened up a small bit at the center, giving them just enough space to stay crouched inside of it.

Scout sat with her legs pulled against her body, in the only position they would fit. Reed was sitting in a similar fashion, with the pack opened in front of him. He pulled out the blanket and tossed it over Scout.

From the sky, the anthem began playing, startling both Scout and Reed. Inside the bush, they couldn’t see the faces that painted the sky, but they could hear the sound of the canon. Seven separate shots signaled that seven tributes had died.

Reed groaned. “This is really going to put us at a disadvantage.”

“What is?” Scout asked, attempting to turn to him.

“Now we have no idea who’s left. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. I should’ve waited for the canon.”

Reed placed his head in his arms, biting the sleeve of his jacket. He breathed in, attempting to hold in the scream he wanted so desperately to let out. Next to him, Scout shifted. She sensed how distraught he was, but had no idea how to make it better.

“Maybe it’s better this way,” Scout said, picking a leaf out of her hair. “Now we’ll be on our toes more.”

Chuckling, Reed turned to her. He took a deep breath. He had to remain calm for Scout.
“I guess so,” he said, pulling another leaf out of Scout’s chocolate hair. “You need to get to sleep. I’ll take first watch.”

Scout nodded, and attempted to make herself comfortable. She shifted her legs back and forth, but couldn’t find a good place to put them. Pulling her legs to her chest, she rested her head on top her knees.

Despite the fact that her legs felt weak, Scout hadn’t realized how tired she was until she rested her eyes. As they fluttered shut, she heard the crickets clicking in the distance, followed by the silence of sleep.