Chapter 16

           Ruehasdecidedtotrustmewholeheartedly.Iknowthisbecauseassoonastheanthemfinishesshesnugglesupagainstmeandfallsasleep.NordoIhaveanymisgivingsabouther,asItakenoparticularprecautions.Ifshe’dwantedmedead,allshewouldhavehadtodowasdisappearfromthattreewithoutpointingoutthetrackerjackernest.Needlingme,attheverybackofmymind,istheobvious.Bothofuscan’twintheseGames.Butsincetheoddsarestillagainsteitherofussurviving,Imanagetoignorethethought.

           Besides,I’mdistractedbymylatestideaabouttheCareersandtheirsupplies.SomehowRueandImustfindawaytodestroytheirfood.I’mprettysurefeedingthemselveswillbeatremendousstruggle.Traditionally,theCareertributes’strategyistogetholdofallthefoodearlyonandworkfromthere.Theyearswhentheyhavenotprotecteditwell-oneyearapackofhideousreptilesdestroyedit,anotheraGamemakers’floodwasheditaway-thoseareusuallytheyearsthattributesfromotherdistrictshavewon.ThattheCareershavebeenbetterredgrowingupisactuallytotheirdisadvantage,becausetheydon’tknowhowtobehungry.NotthewayRueandIdo.

           ButI’mtooexhaustedtobeginanydetailedplantonight.Mywoundsrecovering,mymindstillabitfoggyfromthevenom,andthewarmthofRueatmyside,herheadcradledonmyshoulder,havegivenmeasenseofsecurity.Irealize,forthefirsttime,howverylonelyI’vebeeninthearena.Howcomfortingthepresenceofanotherhumanbeingcanbe.