Dawn is breaking and a chill is in the air. Peeta's still asleep, but that's okay. I'm not very tired.
I'm just thinking about how pretty the dew on the leaves looks when I remember something. The flower Cinna gave me! I haven't even thought about it it since the games began. I pull out the yellow flower--which isn't very yellow anymore--and examine it. It's crushed and brown.
"I'm sorry, Cinna." I whisper.
Then I realize, I don't have too much difficulty speaking! It still hurts and sounds raspy, but it's much better.
Anyway, I hope Cinna is watching right now, because I want him to know how sorry I am. I've just been so caught up in the moment I didn't even think twice about it.
Peeta stirs, and I give him a drink of my water. Then we eat some of the groosling, and head out again. We have too many weapons--the sword, the axe, the bow and arrows, my knife and a few we nabbed from Clove--so we bury the ones we won't be able to use well. The bow, the axe.
As we cover the axe, I imagine that we're burying the last of Elm with it as well. I try not to cry as I think of him, but I can't stop myself. He seemed like such a kind person. He deserved so much better.
"You okay?" Peeta puts his arm around me. "You've seemed distant since we saved you."
"It's the boy from District Seven," I sob. "Elm. We allied and he was hit in the leg by a spear, from the District Ten boy." I pause a moment and take a breath. I try to finish, but find my voice is hurting too much.
"He died, didn't he?" Peeta looks at me, pain in his eyes. "That was his axe, wasn't it?"
I nod, burying my face into his chest. I won't be able to bear it when Peeta dies, assuming he dies before me. Why do the Capitol do this to us? It's been 74 years since the last rebellion. It's not fair to keep punishing us.
I remember President Snow's words in my dream: "Your fate, Miss Everdeen, is a somber one."
After a few minutes I compose myself together and we set off again, not saying anything to the other.
We've been walking for about an hour, and now I hear the sound of someone screaming. It's a girl's voice. It's either Rue or the girl from District 5.
Peeta breaks into a run and I follow him, going the direction of where the scream came. We come into a clearing, and a small body lays on the ground, blood oozing from its chest.
It's Rue.
I bet her attacker ran off already. We drop our things and crouch next to her. I wish I had some bandages left, but it won't help.
"You two," Rue smiles.
"Yes," Peeta pants. "I-I'm sorry." Clearly he's distraught about how he can't help these good, dying children. Elm, Rue, and I. Elm died, Rue's dying, and I almost did..
"It's okay, I gave it my best shot," she says. "One of you needs to win." She coughs. "Show the other districts that the lower districts are just as good as theirs."
We each hold tightly to her hands. She whistles a four-note tune and the birds around her repeat the tune multiple times. Mockingjays. She smiles. She seems so peaceful, even though she'll be dead in minutes.
We hold her until the light's gone from her eyes and the cannon rings out in the air. Peeta closes her eyes, and we turn away. I take a shaky breath. I think I would have liked Rue, had she been in my district. She was so positive, even while dying. I could never be like that.
It's just Marvel, Cato, the District 5 girl, Thresh, Peeta and I. I hope we won't have to kill Thresh. I've seen too many good people die.
"M-maybe w-we should p-part w-ways now." I say, stuttering as I force each word out. "So we d-don't h-have to k-kill each oth-oher."
"Not an option." Peeta says, still walking and not looking at me. "I'm not leaving you."
"But i-if we're th-the l-last two--"
"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it." He interrupts me. He clearly doesn't want to think about that now.
We sit down after a while, and check each of our wounds. Peeta's shoulder looks much better. It's not as green, and he doesn't have a fever. My cut wrist, however, isn't doing as well. It still hurts a lot, and I still can't move my hand. Though there's no sign of infection, it's still possible.
Another cannon fires. Who's dead now? The games seem to be going much quicker than other years.
There's a loud rumbling sound and I look up. Dark clouds are rolling in a thunder is roaring. Then rain starts to pour down.
I bet something big is going to happen to us. Nothing big has happened yet, and I bet the viewers are getting bored.
Lightning strikes a tree nearby and it lights with fire. It quickly begins to spread from tree to tree, and to the ground.
"Grab our stuff!" I croak.
We grab our weapons and my pack and begin running. The fire keeps coming closer, burning at our heels. We've run for what feels like hours (though it's probably only been minutes) when straight in front of us is two other tributes. Marvel and Cato. They smile with pleasure when they see us, then begin running as well when they see the fire behind us.
This fire is spreading rapidly. One of us is going to get roasted alive, and I need to make sure it isn't me.
I'm coming up closely behind Marvel, and noticing me, he pushes me backwards. I stumble slightly back into the flames and burn my foot. I let out a raspy cry and begin to run again while trying to stomp the fire out of my shoe.
The ground is slick from the rain and I slip, falling downhill in front of everyone else running. Eventually I reach even ground and stand. The fire stops spreading halfway uphill, though I'm not sure why.
The others are reaching the bottom of the hill, and I'm prepared to run as soon as Peeta gets here. I don't want to stay and wait for them to kill us.
Cato reaches the bottom, with Peeta still up pretty far. I know I can't wait for him and begin to take off. As I try to go I feel Cato put me in a headlock.
Peeta reaches the bottom with the sword, ready to swing at Cato.
"Don't come closer, or I'll snap her neck." Cato isn't choking me, just ready to do just as he says.
I'm surprised he hasn't done it yet. Maybe he wants to distract Peeta so that when Marvel gets to the bottom, he can kill him. Then he'll kill me.
Then someone shoves Cato, and we both topple over. Thresh jumps onto Cato and attempts to strangle him. Marvel tackles Peeta, and I, once again, hide in the bushes.
I really need to break this habit. Hiding, while Peeta and Thresh risk their lives for me. A cannon fires and Cato steps away from the body of Thresh. I try not to gasp as I look at his now lifeless body.
Cato goes over to help Marvel with Peeta. Peeta slashes upward with his sword, impaling Cato in the gut.
Marvel pushes away from Peeta and runs off, leaving the dying Cato behind. Don't know why he keeps running away after his allies die. Maybe he's trying to collect everything he'll need for the final battle, to make it interesting and bloody.
We're resting now, and the names of the dead tributes appear in the night sky.
Cato, District 2. Thresh 11.
It's just the four of us. Marvel, the other girl, Peeta and I.
I wake up the next morning and I feel something. The last day is coming soon. And I will not be the one to kill Peeta. I make a decision.
I'm going to leave while Peeta's still asleep.
ns 15.158.61.51da2
