Task Description:

Tributes must survive freezing night.

The wind bit into my skin, tearing into the flesh and gnashing me with its icy teeth. I understand that survival should have been my first instinct but the fire I’d started was just so beautiful, it’s huge plumes coiling into the sky like a smoke signal telling the other tributes; here I am! Come brutally impale me!

I didn’t really care though because it was beautiful. My love for fire was like an old capital woman’s love for Botox, it wasn’t good for you, but you kept coming back for it. Or in my case lighting it.

Of course lighting the only shelter I’d managed to come across, shelter that could distinguish the difference between life and death, had probably been a bad idea. The path to death was paved with bad ideas. Like running off from my allies because I was bored was probably another one of those examples. I feel like I should have cared more but the house had been taunting me, it had said, “Cal, Cal, burn me down. You know you want to.” I probably should have put up a fight.

The heat from the massive bonfire warmed my skin and I smiled at the sudden comfort. An image of Brooke flashed through my mind, I’d better go find her again. “Fare thee well fire!” I cried out running away from my beautiful dancing flames; Bessie banging against my legs.

Bessie is what I decided to call my flamethrower. It looked like a Bessie.

The branches of the tore at my body as I sprinted through the stormy night in search of my lover- well actually it was pretty one sided but maybe I could woo her with my most recent flame! After all, what girl didn’t want something hot? All the girls in my district only wanted to date hot guys! I made hot things for a living! I could never figure out why I had no love life, were my flames not hot enough? If I had some gasoline I could fix that easily.

I saw a flicker of movement ahead and slowed to a stop, lifting Bessie up to my shoulder I slowly crept forward, being sure to remain as silent as a ninja, in my head I made ninja sound effects. I was going to blast this tribute to hell. I heard a heavy district eight accent force an “Oh dear.” from his mouth.

Paris.

I didn’t like Paris.

However he WAS my ally….

I was still going to blast him to hell! He’d get over it. You know, maybe.

I let out a maniacal laugh as I let the flames rip. At the last second his eyes swung around to see my fireball of beautiful death, he shrieked and threw himself into the snow as my fireball exploded against a tree behind him.

Darn… I was so close that time. I crunched through the snow out into the clearing, “Man, I almost had you that time,” I grinned at his terrified expression. “I’ll get you next time.” I added as he let out a little traumatized whimper.

Suddenly I was being assaulted by Brooke who threw her arms around my neck happily. I tried to keep the blush from rising to my cheeks as she nuzzled her head into my chest. How could one person be so adorable? How could one person be so completely oblivious to the fact that I was adorable too? And that if we joined forces for say… forever we could be adorable together and our adorableness would be unstoppable!

Out of the corner of my eye I watched Venus help Pairs to his feet, she was laughing at him. Good Venus. Maybe if you make him feel bad enough about himself he will go die in a puddle or something. I smiled evilly at him.

That was when I remembered my beautiful fire, “Guys! Guys! I made fire!” I cried excitedly waving my hands around as if I was burning to death. Venus walked over with a concerned look on her face Paris followed with the ‘I am the vampire blood-sucker-destroyer of all things fun and flammable’ expression on his face.

“What innocent bystander did you brutally scald now?” He drawled irritably as if he thought I was the Anti-Christ or something. Jeez! I only tried to set him on fire a few times! He needs to grow thicker skin!

My wonderful minions turned to glare at him, I waggled my arms around innocently, “You didn’t let me finish!” I said sadly, making sure to dilate my pupils so I looked like a heartbroken puppy.

He crossed his arms over his chest and shivered, “Fine.”

I smiled broadly continueing my story, “So I got really bored of walking with you guys because you were all annoying and crying about how you are going to die and stuff. So anyway I take off and I found this lean-to-”  I stared but  Paris cut me off as he threw his hands in the air as if I was the biggest idiot he’d ever met.

“You burned it! You imbecile! You realize we could have taken cover there for the night, don’t you?” Paris yelled, clearly on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but then again Paris was always like that.

And who was he to jump to conclusion that I’d burned it? (Even though I had) For all he knew I could be slowly roasting it. “You didn’t let me finish, how do you know I burned it.”

Paris rolled his eyes, “I don’t know, could it be the huge plume of smoke on the horizon?” He yelled pointing toward my huge billow of exhaust that was visible just over the treeline.

Brooke seemed disturbed, “Cal… where are we  Brooke seemed disturbed, “Cal… where are we going to sleep? We will freeze out here.” She muttered looking betrayed and a little confused. My heart melted- not enough to make me regret setting that house on fire. We’d be fine.

I was about to tell her that when I was met with Venus’s disapproving glare.“You messed up big time. We have to get out of here before that smoke signal attracts other tributes.”

They were starting to make me feel bad.

Then Paris spoke up, I was seriously considering duct taping his mouth shut. “I think Calico’s love of fire has cost us dearly.” He said dramatically, “However we can use this to our advantage. Let’s use the fire as bait for other tributes, we will wait there for them- perhaps use Calico as bait- and then jump them when they least expect it. Because we are warm and they will most likely be near death from cold we can slaughter them easily.”

Paris had just become noticeably less annoying, more evil? Yes, but less annoying.  

I decided I should agree to that plan before Venus and Brooke could say no and make me feel bad about myself again. “Yay! I’ve always wanted to be bait! Can I burn people? Yes I can! Come Brooke, lets be bait together!” I grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward the smoke.

“You’re upset?” She asked, her breath ragged as we pounded through the snow.

I shook my head. I was overreacting. I had no clue as to why everyone getting upset with me would make me this upset, after all nobody appreciated my talent for fire starting anyway. Maybe I was under more stress than I was allowing myself to believe.  “I’m fine.” I lied as we broke into the clearing that held the fire. “But theoretically If I was upset, a kiss might fix it…..” I added very slowly ready to laugh and tell her I was kidding if she showed any sign of being creeped out.

To my surprise Brooke smiled shyly and grabbed the collar of my shirt, standing on her tippy toes to peck my cheek.

My eyes widened and my face flushed a red that would have put the capital people’s clothes to shame. I hadn't expected that to happen! Energy rushed through my body, I didn’t know what to do, so I played it cool and did exactly what I should have. I did a ditzy little twirl and then face planted in the melting snow.

“Are you okay?” Brooke giggled leaning over me.

“Hubhlugtyudfl.” I mumbled, my mouth unable to for words as I tried to sit up.

At that moment, Venus and Paris burst into the clearing, “You guys just can’t take off like that! We need to stick together!” Venus scolded running towards us and wrapping us in her arms as Paris hung behind awkwardly. “Well I’m glad your alright, Paris and I are going to be in that tree, are you ready to be bait?” She asked as she gave us one final squeeze and let go.

“Yep!” Brooke said rocking back and forth on her heels.

I opened my mouth to say that I was going to need a few minutes to recover from the happiest moment of my life but I think it sounded like, “Tfdcj rdtffffffi esytfrg.”

Man, I hope loss of speech isn’t a side affect of being in love… Even if it is though I don’t think it could stop me, this happiness was worth far more than anything else I’d ever experienced.

Perhaps even fire.

With no fair voting (or even posting the responces) the gamemaker declared the games over and gave Calico and my other tribute second place.