I light the second fire and start to make the trek to the third fire when it happens. I suddenly find myself pressed flat on the forest floor, trapped in a net. I can tell that the Careers have set this trap up, any other tribute would never think of using such a massive amount of rope just to snare one other tribute. The rope is thick and heavy and my knife is all the way down in the side of my boot, way to far away for my tiny hands and short arms to reach. I lay in the leaves, waiting for the sound of approaching feet. They don't come. The Careers are probably out looking for whoever blew up their supplies. What I know and what they don't is that Katniss blew up their supplies. I hope she is alright. I didn't see her face in the sky last night so I think that is a good thing, maybe she is even looking for me. I lay in the leaves for some time, singing to the mocking jays, and praying that Katniss finds me before the Careers do. Finally, I hear the crunching of leaves underneath someones feet. "Katniss," I scream at the top of my tiny lungs. I hear the crunching of the leaves pick up and hear Katniss's voice ring out into the surrounding forest.
"Rue," she yells and I see her break through the forest, with her bow and arrow ready to fire. When she sees that there is no danger, she runs toward me, dropping to the ground. She takes out her knife and starts sawing away at my bonds that have held me to the ground all afternoon. She helps me stand and then the spear enters my body.
I feel no pain, just a heaviness in my stomach and then the sensation of something flowing from my body. I collapse to the ground, my body curled around the spear, which is buried deep into my body. Katniss shoots an arrow at the boy's neck and he drops to the forest floor a couple of yards away. Then Katniss is at my side, cradling my body and desperately trying to stop the flow of blood from my body. We both know that it is hopeless though. You can only lose so much blood, not to mention that the spear has probably damaged a vital organ. "You blew up the food," I ask, my voice sounding not exactly hollow but more like a longing child, waiting for a bad day to end.
"Every last bit," Katniss replies. She gently sweeps the hair back from my forehead. I stare into her gray eyes, thinking of our short time together. We only stayed together for a day, but a day is like a lifetime in the Arena. We had hunted together, gotten more sleep, and I felt as if we weren't really in the Games. I can see that is over now, that Katniss will have to win for both of us. I'm no fool, she sees no point in telling me that I will be okay. I will die in this Arena, but its not my death that I fear most. I fear for the pain that my family will have to endure because of my death. I can see my sisters watching the screen, begging me to push through and make it home. I can't though, as much as I want to.
"Can you sing,?" I ask Katniss. I see her swallow back tears and she starts to sing. He voice is beautiful, even though it is a little scratchy. She sings on about a meadow where everything will be alright. She sings and I notice that even the mocking jays stop their songs and listen. I see her, crying openly now, and I feel a pang of loss. I liked Katniss, even though we had only meet up for a day. I remember watching her reaping, how she volunteered to save her small sister, Prim. I think that is the reason why I decided to trust this girl, the girl on fire.
I can't really see now, but I am startled when a cannon fires. Not mine though, it must have been the cannon for the boy. "Don't go," I say weakly, grabbing for Katniss's hand. She grabs mine, and holds it up to her face, holding it.
"Never," she says. I can feel my body getting weaker. Each breath, each beat of my heart, a challenge. I have one more thing to say though.
"You have to win for both of us now," I whisper. At first I think that she can't hear me, but her reply rings out through the clearing.
"I will, I promise." I let go of her hand, my fingers to tired to hand on any longer. She takes hold of it again though, as if the holding of my hand could somehow make me stay on this earth even for one more moment. I can't though, I'm slipping away.
Then my cannon fires.