I pack my bag with a heavy heart. Gale and his family won't be coming with me. He would rather stay in District 12 and aid in the rebellion. I'm taking my family with me, along with Peeta and his family, and Haymitch. Those are all the people I could get to leave their homes and follow me into the forest.

Once my bag is packed, I sling in over my shoulder and head out into the living room. Prim and my mother are waiting for me, carrying backpacks full of their belongings and medical supplies. "Alright, let's do a quick check. Prim has the flashlights, matches, and whatever food we have left." She nods, Buttercup clutched in her arms. "And Buttercup. Mom has the bandages and other medical supplies." She holds up the first aid kit. "And I have the weapons."

I throw open the door and walk out of the house without looking back. Haymitch is waiting for us outside, knife in one hand and backpack in the other. Good. Now the only ones left are Peeta and his family.

Haymitch motions toward Peeta's house in the Victors' Village. "He's not there. He went to the bakery." He grabs a bottle of white liquor from his bag, but I snatch it away from him.

"We need you to be sober." I pass the bottle to my mother and set off to collect Peeta. It takes us a lot longer to find the bakery in the dark, and I worry that Buttercup's cries will alert the authorities. Can't Prim keep that cat quiet? I shudder to think what the peacekeepers will do if they find us sneaking off.

Prim stops suddenly, pointing into the darkness. "Patrol," she whispers. Sure enough, three peacekeepers march by us, shining flashlights in the alleyways. We duck behind some crates conveniently placed near an abandoned house. The peacekeepers are being lead to our hiding place by Buttercup. I have to do something fast, or we could all be arrested for trying to escape.

Haymitch stands up, much to my annoyance. "I'll distract them," he says, stumbling over to the peacekeepers. "Can you point me to the nearest bar?"

The men exchange a glance before one of them speaks up. "It's past curfew." He notices Haymitch swaying on his feet, pretending to be drunk. "And I think you've had enough to drink."

"Now's our chance," I say, urging my family to move. We sneak down an ally not too far from the bakery. "I'll get Peeta. You two wait for Haymitch."

I smell the bread before I see the building. Peeta and his younger brother are waiting outside, facing away from me. Where is the rest of his family? "Peeta."

He spins around, eyes wide with alarm. I must have startled him, but he relaxes as soon as he sees me. "You came for us. I was starting to worry."

"I wasn't going to leave you behind," I reply defensively. His mother, father, and older brother are nowhere in sight. "Are the others almost ready?"

Peeta shakes his head. "They're not coming. My mother won't leave her comfortable life to live in the forest; my father won't leave my mother; and my older brother thinks I'm crazy."

I'm a little sad that the baker isn't joining us, but it's better this way. It will be easier to escape unnoticed with a smaller group. "Let's go." I lead them back to my mother and Prim. Haymitch isn't with them.

"Should we wait for him?" Prim asks, not wanting to leave anyone behind. She is stroking Buttercup's head, which seems to be calming him down.

"No," I say automatically. "He knows where to find us." The lake where my father used to take me is our meeting spot, should we get separated. I made sure to give everyone a map of its location.

We head toward the fence, slowing down to evade the authorities. I lead them to the broken area in the fence and let the youngest, Prim and Peeta's brother, go first.

"Ladies first," he says, motioning for Prim to go ahead of him.

She pushes Buttercup under it and then gets down on her hands and knees, crawling to the other side. He follows her, wincing as the fence scratches his back. Prim helps him to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He touches the blood now staining the back of his shirt. "I'm fine."

The rest of us make it to the other side just as a light shines on the fence, lighting up our faces for the peacekeeper to see. "Hey! Stop!" He holds up what I think is a gun.

"Scatter!" I shout.

Everyone runs off in separate directions, heading for the trees. I lose sight of Prim as she follows after our mother. Peeta lags behind me, his prosthetic leg slowing his movements. I circle back to help him.

"Have you seen Lavash?" he asks. I don't recognize that name. "My brother."

I scan the area for the younger boy but can't find him amid the chaos. "He must be up ahead."

Shots ring out from behind, getting closer by the second. "They're hunting us down," I realize in horror.

"Leave me," Peeta says suddenly. "I'll only slow you down."

There is no way I'm letting the peacekeepers catch him. He will be tortured and then killed, and I don't want that to happen. I ready my bow. "No! We are in this together."

A shrill cry fills the air. "Katniss!"

I recognize Prim's voice in an instant. "Prim!" I have to do something.

Before I can move, Lavash bursts out of the bushes and runs toward the sound of her voice. "I'll help her! You stay with my brother."

I lead Peeta down the path to the lake, reassured by the fierceness in Lavash's voice. He will help my sister, I'm sure of it.

It takes us hours to reach the lake. My mother is already there, staring off into the forest. "Where's Prim?"

I sink to the ground with Peeta, thoroughly exhausted from running for so long. "Lavash went back to get her." I notice that Haymitch is still missing. "Haymitch isn't here yet?"

"No. I've been here for over an hour, and no one else has shown up until now," she tells me.

Just then, the bushes to the right of us start shaking violently. That can only be one of two things: the others or the peacekeepers. I grab my bow and prepare for a fight.

"Run!" Prim emerges from the bushes with Lavash at her side. "They're still following us!" The peacekeepers descend on us seconds later, guns raised and ready to shoot.