第19部分(第6/7 頁)

uld　take　me　down　with　the　spears　and　the　clubs。　Or　their　own　powerful　fists。

Still；　I　wonˇt　be　the　only　target。　Iˇm　betting　many　of　the　other　tributes　would　pass　up　a　smaller　girl；　even　one　who　scored　an　eleven　in　training；　to　take　out　their　more　fierce　adversaries。

Haymitch　has　never　seen　me　run。　Maybe　if　he　had　heˇd　tell　me　to　go　for　it。　Get　the　weapon。　Since　thatˇs　the　very　weapon　that　might　be　my　salvation。　And　I　only　see　one　bow　in　that　whole　pile。　I　know　the　minute　must　be　almost　up　and　will　have　to　decide　what　my　strategy　will　be　and　I　find　myself　positioning　my　feet　to　run；　not　away　into　the　stir　rounding　forests　but　toward　the　pile；　toward　the　bow。　When　suddenly　I　notice　Peeta；　heˇs　about　five　tributes　to　my　right；　quite　a　fair　distance；　still　I　can　tell　heˇs　looking　at　me　and　I　think　he　might　be　shaking　his　head。　But　the　sunˇs　in　my　eyes；　and　while　Iˇm　puzzling　over　it　the　gong　rings　out。

And　Iˇve　missed　it！　Iˇve　missed　my　chance！　Because　those　extra　couple　of　seconds　Iˇve　lost　by　not　being　ready　are　enough　to　change　my　mind　about　going　in。　My　feet　shuffle　for　a　moment；　confused　at　the　direction　my　brain　wants　to　take　and　then　I　lunge　forward；　scoop　up　the　sheet　of　plastic　and　a　loaf　of　bread。　The　pickings　are　so　small　and　Iˇm　so　angry　with　Peeta　for　distracting　me　that　I　sprint　in　twenty　yards　to　retrieve　a　bright　orange　backpack　that　could　hold　anything　because　I　canˇt　stand　leaving　with　virtually　nothing。

A　boy；　I　think　from　District　9；　reaches　the　pack　at　the　same　time　I　do　and　for　a　brief　time　we　grapple　for　it　and　then　he　coughs；　splattering　my　face　with　blood。　I　stagger　back；　repulsed　by　the　warm；　sticky　spray。　Then　the　boy　slips　to　the　ground。　Thatˇs　when　I　see　the　knife　in　his　back。　Already　other　tributes　have　reached　the　C