Голодные игры

           Thebow!SomewhereinmybefuddledmindonethoughtconnectstoanotherandI’monmyfeet,teeteringthroughthetreesbacktoGlimmer.Thebow.Thearrows.Imustgetthem.Ihaven’theardthecannonsfireyet,soperhapsGlimmerisinsomesortofcoma,herheartstillstrugglingagainstthewaspvenom.Butonceitstopsandthecannonsignalsherdeath,ahovercraftwillmoveinandretrieveherbody,takingtheonlybowandsheathofarrowsI’veseenoutoftheGamesforgood.AndIrefusetoletthemslipthroughmyfingersagain!

           IreachGlimmerjustasthecannonfires.Thetrackerjackershavevanished.Thisgirl,sobreathtakinglybeautifulinhergoldendressthenightoftheinterviews,isunrecognizable.Herfeatureseradicated,herlimbsthreetimestheirnormalsize.Thestingerlumpshavebeguntoexplode,spewingputridgreenliquidaroundher.Ihavetobreakseveralofwhatusedtobeherfingerswithastonetofreethebow.Thesheathofarrowsispinnedunderherback.Itrytorolloverherbodybypullingononearm,butthefleshdisintegratesinmyhandsandIfallbackontheground.

           Isthisreal?Orhavethehallucinationsbegun?Isqueezemyeyestightandtrytobreathethroughmymouth,orderingmyselfnottobecomesick.Breakfastmuststaydown,itmightbedaysbeforeIcanhuntagain.AsecondcannonfiresandI’mguessingthegirlfromDistrict4hasjustdied.Ihearthebirdsfallsilentandthenonegivethewarningcall,whichmeansahovercraftisabouttoappear.