<<IT'S called an ARROW for a reason--< [d9plot]

[shrimp]

This stinks. Seriously. As the girl trudged along the ominous forest she couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't quick enough - or why anyone else wasn't able to evade the guards with their guns with darts or the lions or anything really - she was especially irritated at herself. The whole setup had seemed strange to her from the beginning, yet she had decided to stay and talk to Adam, or Aaron, or whatever the hell his name was. She had attempted to put her fears aside to be courteous, or perhaps it was simply for the fame. No matter, it still hindered her chances, and her unconscious body had fallen to the ground, a frail heap on the ground, along with everyone else.

She had no idea as to how she had been dumped on the forest ground. The only thing that she knew was that she woke up, that she had a bow and arrow, and that this whole "game" of sorts was no laughing matter. It truly was life or death - the one with the least amount would die. Plain and simple, written on a holographic screen that the man had read with a bored air to his voice. And then they had been sent away to their respective spaces. They were probably rigged or something, she reasoned. Perhaps these men, who seemed to be acting like Gamemakers of a sort (perhaps this was an illegal airing of something like the games - they were winding down after all), had purposely willed certain people to die. Like that blind girl; how was she to get any food?

Can't think of her, or Adrian now. Gotta think about yourself, Quistet. So she ran swiftly and silently through the woods, eyes frantically darting left and right for any sign of movement. None was apparent however - it seemed dark and empty. Lifeless, just like how her body would be if she managed to capture nothing at all. She wasn't quite ready to die yet either - she was still what, 15? Didn't most people die at the ages of 40 or so, if they were well off? She had been well-off. She could hunt, fight, take care of herself. But then she entered this competition, and her ability to fare for herself was taken away by the threat of being eaten by an ancient creature. She shivered slightly as she imagined the gaping teeth of the lion, and the glint in its eyes as it lunged for the kill.

If only she was like that, then perhaps she would be something to be feared, respected. The lion gained respect in her eyes - even though it was dreadful and would kill her in an instant, it was powerful. It was strong. It was something that she wished to be, in the most non-literal sense of the term. And as she contemplated this, she thought that she saw a flash of movement, so she turned around, quickly grabbing an arrow from her quiver. Dark gray eyes narrowed as they flickered left and right, and she stood there. Silent as the woods was what she was, and silent as the woods was what she would be, eventually.

But not today.

[Nofo]

Salali always loved being among the trees. The height gave her a sense of security. The wind rustling through her light brown fur made the summer heat bearable. Most of all, she loved the taste of nuts and seeds she found throughout the day. Enjoyment and hunger were the only things she felt as she ran along tree limbs. In the shade of the impressive forest the gray squirrel still didn’t blend into the pines as she would like. On any good day, looking for food was dangerous in District Nine. Today, however, it was a death wish. Unbeknownst to her, many more than usual would love to kill her.

It wasn’t out of hunger. It was for a cruel game. She still ran as any squirrel did. She had no idea of the danger she was in. If she were a human, she would say she was having fun. In a few moments, that was all going to change. It was then that the gray squirrel felt the strange silence seep into her small frame. There was danger in the air but Salali had no idea of knowing that it was focused on her. Her small head peaked down to the ground. Of course there was a hunter. She didn’t have to look down to know that.

It was smaller than most, the hunter. It wasn’t the most intimidating of it’s kind, but any simple minded squirrel could see that the hunter meant danger. Most hunters didn’t go for a small squirrel unless they were starving, which this was not. The female squirrel went back to her gathering without much thought on the hunter.

[shrimp]

Shh.

Quiet, what was that?

Survival.

Eyes glanced upwards at her prey. It was small, just a squirrel. But still, not catching anything would leave her in a place that she particularly detested. She wasn't ready for death, not yet not now not ever. And being out on the first day in itself was an atrocity - she was better than that, she already knew this. She just had to use her skills to get ahead, because truly, she would be able to do this. Besides, she would have to if she were to make it into the next day. Without a kill, breathing would stop, her heartbeat would never beat again as she would be fed to the dangerously exotic wild animal.

She never should have come here - that much she could gather. Everyone else in District 9 must have already known about the warnings and the consequences - otherwise, why would only a handful of hunters arrive? It was foreboding, the news that they'd have to hunt or become the hunted, and she truly hated it. Her early gut feelings had been true, and she was truly angry that she had not paid attention to them. Hadn't that been why she had thought that this would be a piece of cake in the first place? Her instincts almost never failed her. Ever.

The squirrel itself was small - it would hopefully be one of a few catches today, but first she would have to actually shoot the animal. That alone would guarantee the decrease of a likelihood of death by being eaten by ferocious beast. Silently and slowly, she grabbed the arrow and drew her bow, aiming for the small thing. It was too bad that this squirrel did not have the keen insights as others like it; it hadn't known that Quistet Ementi was on the prowl, and it wouldn't know what had hit it when the arrow finally pierced its body, leaving it dead, a trickle of blood leaking out of the wound.

A small breeze began to blow, yet Quistet Ementi kept her hold on the animal. Her aim, normally impeccable, would have to be above par now in order to survive. She only hoped that she could meet the challenge, and that she wouldn't be the one with the least amount of prey at the end of the day. That after all, meant that she had failed. And failure was most certainly not an option. She breathed in, breathed out and then the arrow was released, flying towards its target.

[dice=200+4000]
[4089 | Arrow in Calf | 6.0 damage | Dead Squirrel]

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