Preface
A scream.
Someone shouting my name.
A blast of a canon.
And then all is silent.
The plants catch around my ankles, tripping me and slowing me. The branches of trees hang across my path, slapping me in the face and striking me in the chest. I force one foot in front of the other and sprint through the woods, but it's like time is freezing. Everything in my body propels me to the Cornucopia, but everything outwith me is determined to slow me.
If that canon was hers...
No, don't think about it!
But if it was...
My lungs burn and writhe, my legs screaming in protest. I have to get to her, but everything is giving up on me.
"CLOVE!" I scream as I break through the trees.
Katniss Everdeen vanishes into the treeline far away. Thresh disappears over the hill that leads to the lake. I search for a corpse as I continue to run, hoping to find Peeta Mellark, or the foxfaced girl from Five. But I don't. I find my worst nightmare.
As I kneel beside her, howling and screaming, I wonder what would have happened if I'd been there. If I hadn't insisted on looking out for Lover Boy. If I'd just listened to her telling me we were stronger as a team, maybe she would still be alive.
But no, I didn't.
Clove is dead.
And I'm out for blood.