Chapter 29:

Day Four: Welcome to Camp

Huck takes most of my weight on his shoulders as I limp alongside him through the field that had me trapped. I grimace in pain every time I put weight on the bad leg, but I know we've just got to get away from here, from the stuff that stops you in your tracks.

The entire walk to the forest, the boy continues to mumble something about sinning. I don't know what that exactly is, but I've learnt through the years that it's something to do with an old religion. I didn't know that people still did those now. Of course, people still reference them, but I'm pretty sure nobody actually knows exactly what they're talking about.

"Relax, kid," I mutter. "Just get us out of here in one piece." He nods shyly and continues to pull me though the lightening arena. He's surprisingly strong for a thirteen year-old from Twelve. He's thin, but he's pretty strong. I thank the stars for him to be here. He got me out of the field, and now I can find Wade and Katri.

…

It takes an hour, what with my dead weight and his stagger under it, to get across the field, and it's already morning by the time we enter the cool forest. It's actually very cold. Cool doesn't begin to describe it: I'm already shivering and we've been here for barely a minute.

The walk has left me exhausted and I ask to sit down by a tree. I slowly and painfully extend my leg out until I can lower myself to the ground, and then I plop down onto the roots of the solid tree behind me. But just my luck: the thigh wound Huck gave me is exactly where I've somehow managed to sit down on the root or rock.

I yelp in pain, and try to jump up, but that's too painful too, so now I'm just stuck in a hovering crouch position that tears the injury in my ankle and I curse knives in my head.

"Do ya need any help?" Huck says, his accent showing more than before. "You look real uncomfortable."

"If it's not painfully obvious, yes, I am uncomfortable," I say angrily. "But I've no idea how you can help me, seeing as you've successfully managed to sever multiple things inside of my leg!" I wildly gesture at my leg for emphasis. He looks scared of me for a moment, so I soften up. "Why don't we just keep walking, Huck?"

He smiles a tiny bit. "Okay."

He helps me up, and we trek through the forest, up and down hills until the ground starts to get that white powdery look to it, and I know we're really close to the lake now. I remember seeing the snow around the frozen lake, and this makes me a bit more hopeful. I'm just depending on the fact that Wade and Katri are still near the lake somewhat, and that they're even together, actually.

"So," I start as we slowly make our way up the hill in front of us, "do you have any siblings?" I'm trying to be nice to this poor kid, since he sounds like he's going insane and I don't want to be the cause of that. He keeps mumbling stuff to himself and then looks up after a moment, his puppy-dog eyes confused and almost scared.

"What? Did you say something?" he asks, squeezing my shoulder slightly. The gesture reminds me vaguely of Wade.

"Okay, kid, don't try to pull that on me. You're like three years younger, and I have a boyfriend," I say with a smile, trying to lighten the mood up. He blushes wildly and moves his hand from my shoulder, though he's still helping me stumble through the forest. "Anyway, I was just asking if you have any family back in Twelve. You know, siblings?"

"Oh, yeah, I do. A little sister named Daisy and an older brother named Ethan. My ma and pa are still around, carin' for us and all. But Ma was sick when I left. I hope she's doing okay. I hope they all are. I hope they forgive me for the awfulness I've done…" He trails off, looking away from my face.

"Hey, bud, it's okay," I say awkwardly, trying to be caring, but really it just comes off weird. Oh well.

We fall into another silence, broken occasionally by my grunting in pain or his quiet whispers to himself. It's not bad, but I just wish he was a little less detached and cold. The poor guy has seen way too much for his young age. Hell, everyone in this arena has probably seen more than they ever should in their lifetime. It's disgusting.

We've been going steadily for about an hour or two when we hear voices and a crackling and popping sound. It's a fire, and there are people. I'm freezing cold. My breath puffs out in front of me and the fire is worth so much at this point. I just hope that it's Wade feeding it, and not Killani or one of her little cohorts.

Huck stops under me, frozen in fear. I urge him on, but he won't budge. "Come on," I whisper. "Huck, it's getting really cold." I look up from him to see what he's staring at, and my stomach drops.

His eyes are cold and narrowed, and there's a knife in his gloved hand. He looks nothing like the boy I knew before. The person before me is a killer, someone built for running and executing. I feel tears prick behind my eyes, and my lip trembles a little.

"Wade?" I ask, my voice cracking a little. I break from Huck's weakened grip and limp forward.

The ice in his eyes melts the second I speak, and he breaks out into a gigantic smile. I'm relieved for the moment, but the pose with the knife and the coldness in his face still stays burnt in my mind.

He runs to me right away and embraces me, breathing unevenly and I can feel him smile into my hair. I bury my face in his chest and breathe him in and relish the feeling of being in his arms. It feels good, so damn good, that I want to stay here, with him, forever.

But that can't happen.

"Briar, I can't believe it's you," he says quietly, hugging me even tighter. "I just can't even believe…"

"Then don't," I whisper to him. "Just kiss me." I move my face from his warm shoulder and am just in time for the kiss. He brings his hands up to my ratty, tangled hair, and stops for a moment.

"Your hair," he says. "What happened to it?"

He said it. He said the exact same thing in the dream. I want to laugh and cry out and do so many things and the feelings from that hideous dream rush back to me. I just hug him closer to me and pretend he didn't say anything.

"I like it," he says, kissing the top of my head. He looks over my shoulder to Huck and calls out to him.

Huck looks up from the spot on the ground he was concentrating on, fear in his big eyes. "Huh?"

"What's your name?" Wade asks. "District?"

"Wade, he's thirteen, give him a break," I whisper-yell. His solid pose relaxes a little. He shoots Huck a friendly smile, and motions for him to join us. Huck looks hesitant, but I can tell that the cold has gotten the better of him , so he obliges and shyly walks forward.

"Welcome to camp."

A/N: Wow, guys, it's been a month since I updated. I'm so sorry. Feel free to throw rotten virtual tomatoes at me in your reviews. I deserve it. Again, I'm so, so sorry!

I love you all, I really do, but I've just been SUPER busy. We had testing all last week and the week before, so I was studying and going to bed early and all that good stuff, so I was unable to really get on this old stuff. BUT I WILL BE BACK, FOR GOOD! I promise that I'll update this weekend. Cross your fingers for Friday, but most likely it will come on Sunday, since Friday is the hideous Semi-Formal. Ugh.

I have no other excuses. I am ashamed. *le sigh*

This chapter was short, but I was going for short and sweet, since the whole Wade thing, right? And leave your thoughts in a review. Do you think Katri is here, with Wade now? Or is she somewhere else? Also, who should go? What are your thoughts on Huck? When will Sagitarria and Skene come back into play? Leave all your thoughts/predictions/ideas in the reviews!

I LOVE YOU! Remember, they cannot take it away. (Delirium reference! Also: DID YOU GUYS HEAR THEY'RE TURNING IT INTO A T.V. SHOW? I CAN'T EVEN…AH.)

That is all.