Kiss of Death

With the morning sunrise, Scout awoke. She shifted as the light passed through holes in the bush to her eyes. Pulling her hand to her face, she blocked the light and turned to Reed. He was sitting straight up, flipping his knife in his hands.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Scout asked. “We were supposed to take shifts.”

Turning to her, Reed placed the knife back in his pocket. “You’re the one that needed to rest. I’ll be just fine.”

Scout shook her head. “You need to rest, too. I’ll take watch tonight so you can sleep.”

Reed chuckled softly. “If you say so.”

With his hands gripping the pack, Reed began sliding out of the cover of the bush. He looked around him and when he deemed the coast clear, he motioned for Scout to come out.

Her hair was a matted mess when she stepped out into the sunlight. She brought her hand to her face to block the sunlight again.

“What should we do now?” Scout asked, looking at Reed.

The boy threw the pack over his shoulder and turned to the top of the mountain. The tip was still covered with white snow, which glistened in the sunlight. The path to the top grew steeper the higher it got, but reaching it would be doable.

“We keep climbing,” Reed said, with a soft smile on his face.

Sighing, Scout began moving forward with Reed following closely behind her. “I hope this plan of yours is going to work.”

Placing his hand on Scout’s shoulder, he pushed her forward. She looked back at him, biting her lip. Widening his eyes, he nodded forward, and she kept walking.

When the pair reached the cliff that marked the end of the easy climb, Reed tossed his pack onto the top of it. He held out his hands, so Scout could place her foot on top of it.

Looking from his hand to the cliff, she spoke. “Do you think maybe the gamemakers put this here so we wouldn’t keep climbing?”

Laughing, Reed shrugged. “They should’ve expected something like this.”

Scout sighed before placing her foot onto Reed’s hand. He lifted her a few feet off the ground until she was able to reach the top of the short cliff. Gripping the edge with her hands, she attempted to pull herself up. With Reed’s gentle push, she made it over the edge.

Reed took one foot and placed it on a jagged rock, while grabbing onto another with his hand. Using his height to his advantage, the strong boy was easily able to climb the small cliff. When he reached the top, Scout reached for his hand to help him up. He chuckled and lifted himself on his own.

Glaring at him, Scout tossed him the pack. He slung it over his shoulder and motioned for her to continue walking up the mountain. For a good 400 feet, the hike wouldn’t be too steep, but at the point where the trees ended the angle of the slope increased by a few degrees.

Suddenly, Reed pulled Scout’s elbow, causing her to stop. He whispered to her, telling her to be quiet. Her body froze in fear. If another tribute had been following them, they were at a disadvantage.

“Do you hear that?” Reed asked, his gaze off somewhere in the distance.

Scout looked around, attempting to see whatever it was Reed was staring at. “Hear what?”

With a smile on lips, Reed leaned in closer to her. “Water.”

Scout’s face lit up at the word. Grabbing her hand, Reed pulled her to the left. As they continued walking at a pace quicker than before, Scout could hear the faint sound of running water that Reed had mentioned.

A few feet in front of the pair, a small stream glistened it the sunlight. The water was scarce. It was solely what the melting snow of the mountain top was producing, but it was the only water they had seen since they’d arrived in the arena.

Scout turned to Reed, her face covered with her smile. “Do you think it’s safe?”

Shaking his head, Reed looked back at her. “We can’t be sure. Stay here.”

Reed pulled the knife from his pocket, holding it steadily in his hand. He crouched down, attempting to hide in the cover of the trees as he walked. When he reached the stream, he looked up and down it.

Turning back to Scout, he motioned her towards him. “Be quick.”

Reed grabbed the canteens from the pack and tossed one to Scout. They filled them to the top quickly. Scout cupped water in her hands, moving it to her face to drink. Reed pulled her hands away quickly, which caused the water to fall from them.

“What are you thinking?” Reed asked, his voice low. “There could be something in the water. We need to boil it before we drink it.”

Scout groaned. “We’re already fighting to the death, do you really think they’d contaminate the water, too?”

“I wouldn’t put anything past the gamemakers,” Reed said, as he pulled Scout off the ground. “Now let’s keep walking.”

Sighing, Scout began walking back up the mountain with Reed following closely behind her. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander as she walked.

In her mind, she saw Reed throwing his hands in the air as the citizens of Panem cheered around him. He would be the winner of the 56th Annual Hunger Games.

A smile fell across Scout’s lips.