injured leg

As I look down, I remember why Gale and I always waited in the woods rather than try to tackle the fence. Being high enough to avoid getting fried means you’ve got to be at least twenty feet in the air. I guess my branch must be twenty-five. That’s a dangerously long drop, even for someone who’s had years of practice in trees. But what choice do I have? I could look for another branch, but it’s almost dark now. The falling snow will obscure any moonlight. Here, at least, I can see I’ve got a snowbank to cushion my landing. Even if I could find another, which is doubtful, who knows what I’d be jumping into? I throw my empty game bag around my neck and slowly lower myself until I’m hanging by my hands. For a moment, I gather my courage. Then I release my fingers.

There’s the sensation of falling, then I hit the ground with a jolt that goes right up my spine. A second later, my rear end slams the ground. I lie in the snow, trying to assess the damage. Without standing, I can tell by the pain in my left heel and my tailbone that I’m injured. The only question is how badly. I’m hoping for bruises, but when I force myself onto my feet, I suspect I’ve broken something as well. I can walk, though, so I get moving, trying to hide my limp as best I can.

My mother and Prim can’t know I was in the woods. I need to work up some sort of alibi, no matter how thin. Some of the shops in the square are still open, so I go in one and purchase white cloth for bandages. We’re running low, anyway. In another, I buy a bag of sweets for Prim. I stick one of the candies in my mouth, feeling the peppermint melt on my tongue, and realize it’s the first thing I’ve eaten all day. I meant to make a meal at the lake, but once I saw Twill and Bonnie’s condition, it seemed wrong to take a single mouthful from them.

By the time I reach my house, my left heel will bear no weight at all. I decide to tell my mother I was trying to mend a leak in the roof of our old house and slid off. As for the missing food, I’ll just be vague about who I handed it out to. I drag myself in the door, all ready to collapse in front of the fire. But instead I get another shock.

- Catching Fire, Chapter 11