First off I am not Suzanne Collins and never created The Hunger Games. There are recognizable parts of the bookthat did not come from me were as everything else did.
I love as any other Hunger Games fan loves how the book ends. They both live but have death over their shoulders, but what if truly only one came out of 24?This idea came to me one day and would not leave me alone until it was on paper and soon found its way to FFN. So here we go… Last One Standing.
"Greetings to the final contestants of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games. The earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has disclosed that only winner may be allowed" he says "Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor."
There is a small burst of static and then nothing more. I stare at Peeta in disbelief as the truth sinks in. They never intended to let us both live. This has all been devised by the Gamemakers to guarantee the most dramatic show down in history. And like a fool, I bought into it.
"If you think about it, it's not that surprising," he says softly. I watch as he painfully makes it to his feet. Then he's moving toward me, as if in slow motion, his hand is pulling the knife form his belt-
Before I am even aware of my actions my bow is loaded with the arrow pointed straight at his heart. That's when I noticed he has stopped. And is now looking at the knife in his hand, his face twisted in deep thought as if he is trying to solve a difficult equation. But he no longer makes a move for me. I drop my weapons and take a step back, my face burning in what can only be shame.
I had an arrow pointed at an injured and limp boy. A boy that saved my life and by default my sister's. A boy that I owe everything to and that has done nothing but try to save my life out of love for me. Why? Why does he keep on trying to save my life? Because now one of use must die and one of use must live. All the effort and pain he has put himself through just so i can live has all gone to waist because it is him who should live.
The boy with the bread and words. I have aimed to kill him twice since we officially met and he has done nothing but save me. He will live and I will never walk away from this arena. I will no longer owe him anything and he will never have to risk his life to save mine.
"You need to win." Still looking at the knife he starts to slowly talk.
"What?"
"You need to win, to live, to take care of your family, and most importantly take care of yourself."
"What about you?" I don't know why I start to raise my voice but I don't like how he is trying to talk me out of my final plan. Like he knew what I was going to do."You have your family and all of your friends that need you, love you, and want to see you again!" I just needed to distract him long enough to get one berry in my mouth before he did anything rash.
"Katniss," He started low and slow again still looking at the knife talking to me as if I was a child and he was explaining something very hard very plainly to me. "I'm not needed like you are, on one depends on me for survival, when you left District 12 you left people who can't afford to not have you there. People who love and are in love with you. As soon as my name was called I knew I would get you home." He finally looked up at me just as I had a hand full of berries behind me.
"I don't think I can go back and be anything to anyone without you": I don't know when I started to sound pitiful and desperate but I did right then. I could see it in his eyes, those perfect and pleading blue eyes. I could see the pain and love in those eyes all at once. "I can't go back without you. No matter who needs me."
"You'll have to try."Still looking into my eyes the knife in his hand sheathes itself into his side.
It was as if all things stood still. Nothing mattered but the now bleeding and slowly falling boy in front of me now. My mind was blank save one single thought, I've lost him.
Gone, no matter what I do from this moment on I will never get him back, Peeta, my boy with the bread. So I will spend every minute of his life by his side. Before he even hits the ground I am next to him holding his head so that it never makes contact with the cold, unforgiving floor.
'Katniss…" It's just a whisper, letters that ride on an unstable breath.
"Peeta, Peeta, you…you…h- why? Peeta!"
I couldn't speak', all I could do was look at this broken man dying in front of me, this man I have come to care about, really care about. And yes man, I think he has earned that title by giving up his own life to save mine.
"Why did you just do that?" was my first question once I could think straight.
"For you…for her, Katniss I…"
Again those eyes told me so much but this time I didn't want to know the things that they could show me. Because this time I could see the light in them start to fade, it was a slow fade. Something that i never wanted to see, something that would haunted me forever.
"For her? Do you mean…?" He means Prim, the one person, before I met him, he knows I have to live for, it seems like everyone back home knows that I would do anything for her, but right now I needed him, him to get the light back, him to tell me he loves me, I need these games to never have happened and meet him in school. I need him to fight someone else for me not die for me.
"She needs you." His chest was rising and falling slowly and he sounded as if he had to fight for every mouthful of air. If what he had to say was important enough to waist his last breathe on I was going to hear it.
"You are needed and loved at home. All I want is for you to be happy…and…live."
His eyes blazed at the last word as if he was coming back to me, back to life, but I knew as soon as soon as his eyes quickly dulled he wasn't and he only had but a few moments left to him.
"But, I can't be happy without you. Why would you think I could?"
He gave an almost forced laugh followed by a pain filled look on his faces as he breathed out "And why on earth would you not be happy sweetheart."
As if these few words took everything he had left in him, he closed his eyes. For a moment I thought that was it but his slow and shallow breathing told me otherwise. But as soon as his eyes closed I knew why I would never be happy. Just the abstains of his eyes created and ache somewhere deep in me, how will I live with him completely gone? After a moment I remembered he asked me a question and I knew now what the answer would be.
"Because I won't have you." I whisper plain and simply. For some reason I just want him to hear. Not everyone else in the world that is watching. Not all the "fans" not my District, my family, or even Gale. Gale, I know I never want to get married but at least I have someone at home who will know exactly what I need.
As soon as I speak I know he has heard me because his previously closed eyes snap open and look deep into my now tearing ones.
"Why would my being with you or not change anything?"
That's what he wants to know? He is slowly dying by his own hand and he wants to know about my future, one he and I can't share, and how or why it will be hard for me? He is dying and that is his final question, why I can't live without him? I thought he already knew. But because he IS dying and because he obviously does not know, I answer him.
"Because I love you."He lets that sink in for a moment before saying "I know, and you have to let me go."
"NO! I…can't…you can't...you can't leave me."
"I don't want to but I have to, all I have ever wanted is to save you, and now I have." He tries to smile but I can see the pain in his face. "Oh, and Katniss, I Love you."
He lifts his head to kiss my forehead and slowly puts his head to the ground. It's the last thing he will ever do.
His last gust of air leaves his lips as one final cannon blows. Two of the worst sounds I have ever and will ever hear. As I lean down to kiss him one last time I hear.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victor of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games Katniss Everdeen! I give you the female tribute of District Twelve!"
It's not until the ear splitting roar of the crowd I wake with a start and feel the warm familiar arms encase me yet again. Arms that have been there for me ever since the games. Every time I have a nightmare about those terrible games.
Soon he says the speech he says every time. The words he knows work, "It's ok I'm here, I love you, I'm not leaving you, it's ok." He doesn't dare tell me 'it wasn't real' he of all people knows that they almost always are.
"Peeta…" I whisper in a begging and pleading tone. He can tell he can always tell when I'm desperate just by my voice. I don't know what I would become without him.
"Oh, It's ok baby" he brings me to his chest and kisses me on the forehead.
"Thank you."
He gives me a questioning glance and says "For what?"
"For not dying."
He lets out a breathy chuckle and says "Well it was hard at times but I got through."
"Yeah, thank you for that."
"You're welcome sweetheart, anytime."