~Sing Them to Silence~
-Last Night Before the Games-
"Thresh, if I'm gonna die, I want you to win." I burst out. I suddenly regret saying it, but I do. "Me too, I mean you're only 12. You should not've been brought into this. This Game, it almost… Feeds to the fire. Ya understand, girl?" Thresh says. I shake my head. "The fire is rebellion. Each person in Panem is just another candel. I say, if there is a District Thirteen they need to help us!" Thresh says. "What about us, with the candels?" I ask. "Every person is a light, a light of their own. The Capitol is a wind. With one single blow it can make our candel go out. See? So if you or I do in the Games, another candel goes out. When a candel goes out, the wind blows harder, makes the fire spread. It's spreading, little girl. It is. The fire is spreading."
-The Games-
The Mockingjay pin reflects light off the trees. I know that this could cause another tribute to come our way any moment. But the rays of sunshine dancing around the leaves is so pretty I don't speak. I imagine myself back home, my little sister sitting on Moma's knee playing with the golden chai. That reflects all over our small shack. I would sing to her and she would giggle and Moma would smile. Moma hardly ever smiled anymore, not since I'd turned twelve. "Rue?" I hear a voice calling me back to present. "Rue?" It says again. "Oh, sorry, what's the plan?" I ask her. She doesn't seem the least bit aggervated. I think she enjoys having someone to talk to. I know I do, I've felt so lonely since the gong rang that started the Games. Thresh took to that field close to the Cornucopia and I didn't have time to follow him. Not with those Careers in the Games, they went to work on the whole lot of us. Chopping and slashing away with the knives and spears. Two've died already. Glimmer, the beautiful tall blonde from 1. And the short tan girl from 4. Katniss killed them both, killed them both with Tracker Jackers. The Tracker Jackers I warned her about. I found Katniss unconscious two days later, was it two? I believe it was. So here we sit now, finishing off groosling, rabbit and squirrel. Katniss goes over the plan oncemore, there will be three fires covered in greenwood, I believe it's what she said, that I will light one at a time. It should distract the Career's long enough for Katniss to somehow get rid of the Career's supplies. I whipe the animal grease off on my pants. My belly is finally full, for one of the first times in my life. Katniss stands and we build the fires. I have no doubts in her plan, it should work. When the fires are built she turns to me. I throw my arms around her neck and she embraces me. "Be safe," I tell her. We say our goodbyes and I climb a tree to go to the first fire sight.
As soon as I arrive I hop down from my limb and I pull the matches that Katniss gave me out of my pack. I start the fire and I climb the tree. I hear yelling voices and hard footsteps against the forest floor begin to swing from limb to limb on the trees. I hop down and I repeat the routine once again. When I hear the Careers confused voices I know that they are starting to suspect a trick. I begin to swing again.
About halfway to the third fire site, I miss a limb and I crash to the ground. I hit the ground with a thump. "Ugh…" I mumble and I try to stand. After a few tries I finally mangage to stand. The pain is lessening in my arm. The ground moves and there is a rumble. I hear a shout and then leaves crunching, twigs snaping and heavy footfalls. "Whoever set off the mines are dead by now, Cato!" The girl from 2 yells as she runs. I scurry behind a bush, peeking out from behind it. "I don't care! This is his fault," Yells the boy from 2 who I'm guessing to be Cato, pointing at the boy from 3. "If he hadn't set out so many mines then this wouldn't have happened!" Cato yells the they take off running toward the Cornucopia. Was it Katniss that set off the mines? Thresh, maybe? Could it be the fox faced girl from 5? The boy from 1 wasn't with the rest of the Careers. Was it him? What about Peeta? Is that his name? Yes, his name is Peeta. Well, whoever it was they think is dead now. I stand and begin to walk. My arm doesn't hurt as much as it did. I hear a noise from behind me and I spin around. Nothing, probably just a mouse scurrying into the underbrush. I dismiss is as that and I hurry on to the third fire site. It is getting darker now and I decide not to waste my food and that the third fire, I'll light in the morning.
I climb high into a tree and I snuggle into my sleeping bag. I hear the anthem begin to play, the boy with the crippled foot is in the sky. He must have been the one's whos cannon woke Katniss and I this morning. The birds begin to sing once again and the sense of security is gone. When I wake, the morning invades my eyelids and forces me to awaken. I collect my supplies and hop off my limb without using the arm that was caught on the tree. I begin to walk and I figure I slept until, two o'clock. I begin to worry that Katniss is looking for me so I perch myself on a fallen log by a mockingjay. I sing my four note melody to him and he repeats it. I hope that Katniss will hear it. The ruffling sound is back, and much heavier. It crunches leaves and breaks twigs beneath it's weight. I then feel a hand clamp over my mouth. I try to scream but the hand muffles the sound. I close my eyes and wait for agony, but instead I feel a net, or something, being thrown over me. I'm thrown on the ground. "Katniss!" I scream. "Katniss!" I wait for a response but it never comes. "Katniss!" I scream again. "Rue!" I hear her call to me. "Rue, I'm coming!" She yells. Whoever has put me in the net is gone now, but I'm still scared out of my wits. I see her figure emerge from some trees right when I hear the swoosh of air. Then agony, terrible pain, cuts through my body all at once. I cry in pain. The arrow burries deep in the boy's neck before I can comprehend who it was. "Rue, are there more?" Katniss yells. "No," I whimper. "Are there more?" She yells again. Something is wrong with her hearing so this time I speak up, "No!" I yell. I can scarcely breath, and when it does it comes out rough and quick. Katniss cuts me out of the bag, and looks at the spear in my stomach. It is beyond help, this is for sure. "You blew up the food?" I ask. She nods, "Every last bit," A tear runs down my cheek. The cannon fires from the boy and Katniss looks up, they'll want her to clear out now, but I'm still here and it's obvious I'm not going anywhere. "Don't go," My grip tightens on Katniss's hand. "Of course not, I'm staying roght here." Katniss tells me. "You have to win, Katniss," I whisper. "I will, I promise," Katniss says. "Sing?" I whimper. Then Katniss seems to be in thought, then the most beautiful sound comes out of her mouth.
Deep in the meadow, under the willow Here it's safe, here it's warm
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise.
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
I feel myself slipping, it is suddenly calm. A mockingjay flutters to a tree behind Katniss.
Deep in the meadow, hidden far away Here it's safe, here it's warm
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
I try to focus on the sound of her voice. I feel my eyes closing. Will Katniss be able to go on without me? Yes, she will.
Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.
Deep breaths, in out. The pain is lessening and I know that I'll be gone in a matter of moments. Katniss's voice is fading and colors dance behind my eyelids.
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
I love you too, Katniss. I think. I allow my hand to slip from Katniss's grasp and then I feel myself fade. I see Katniss, my momma, my siblings, daddy, and even Thresh. Then, like Thresh explained to me on the last night, my candle goes out.
I'm gone.