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It's been at least 6 hours since we took a break, my knees are dreading me down and I cannot keep going but I don't dare to stop. If we stop, that may be the end. I can't hear the hovercraft anymore but it can be anywhere near us. Raffin seems to be hearing my panting and stops to face me.
"Leighton, we can rest here," he says. His hazel eyes catch mine as mine were wondering. It's been the first time in days I've looked at Raffin right in the eyes. Every time we stop, we close our eyes to rest for an hour or so of sleep. We have done nothing in the past two weeks but to run and hide through the woods.
I try to contain myself, to stay strong. I have to, for the others who already sacrificed themselves. I try to hold my tears within my eyes but they leak out immediately and I collapse into his arms. He wraps his arms around me and places his temple on the top of my head. I let my weakness takeover for 5 minutes until he let go and held on to my shoulders and stared at me in the eyes.
"Any regrets?" he asks.
Regrets. This directs me back to my thoughts of my previous life. Waking up in the morning, walking around with Windy, going to school to learn about the history of Panem and the latest products discovered, and going home to sleep. I didn't think about my answer much and decided to tell him exactly what's on my mind.
"None at all, ironically my life is kind of more complete than it was before," I say, while I can't resist to chuckle. He smiled too. Something I've always wanted to see again. He brushed the hair away from my forehead and kissed me for a brief 3 seconds. My heart warmed up at that moment, knowing I have no regrets, and never will.
We travel at a slower pace, not wanting to stop until we leave the district's area.
"Where are we now?" I ask.
"This is the beginning of District 12, we just passed by the farmlands of District 11, we're almost out of here, Leighton, do you know what this means? We can survive together. Even if there is no District 13, we can survive in the wild. Hunt and gather. You and I, we can do it, away from the Capitol's control…" he says, but is interrupted by what can only be what we fear most.
A hovercraft.
"Run!" he exclaims.
We travel at the fastest speed possible through the woods of District 12. Fear runs all over my body as I try to speed up. I catch a glimpse of a teenage boy and a teenage girl with bows and arrows watching us. I want to cry for help but I've already pulled enough people to death's door. We can leave this place, we can do it! I think. But we can't. The moment that weapon hit Raffin's body, I knew it was over. I screamed his name over and over again but there was no life in him. I knew that was the end. He had lost his life. No, we have lost our lives. A net came up to capture me, I would've been killed too if it weren't for that dreadful surname of mine. I want them to kill me, the moment I'm inside the hovercraft, I lose control and scream and launch towards Raffin's body inside a net.
"It's okay, Miss Roven, we'll get you home," a man says the moment before he sticks the needle in my arm.
The ceiling light is bright, too bright for my eyes. It feels like a dream until I realize this is reality. Raffin, the only one I'm certain I love, is dead. Tears begin to come but I'm too numb for sobbing. I just stare at the bright ceiling and let the uncontrollable tears leak through my eyes. These short 3 months has brought me to the most important time of my life and now it is over. All I can see right now running through my head is Raffin's body with the weapon struck at it.
In a couple of hours, I hear someone walk through the door. I don't look to see who it is, my position is unchanged and I hope it's a killer who can end my life right here, right now. Close, but not quite. It's my father, the controller of all peacekeepers and hovercrafts of Panem.
"You may be dismissed," he commands his people as I hear footsteps going out the door. "Darling, running away huh? Good thing I found you, how will you explain yourself?"
I remain silent. After a few odd seconds, he begins to speak again.
"Well, as your father I will forgive you. Word of your disappearance is not out yet and will not be. The man was a runaway from District 3 who kidnapped you but nothing happened, he is punished for his crime, and everything's ok. Your marriage with Sebastian can still go on."
Now I raise myself and stare into my father's eyes.
"You sent the hovercraft to kill…him?" I ask.
"It was necessary, do you expect me to keep some district runaway alive?"
"You knew we were in love, we were together. I left out of my own freewill! Your hovercraft has been spying on us, you knew it, but you decided to kill him," I say in disbelief hoping he denies it and explains how this has nothing to do with him.
But he doesn't.
"Listen darling, if you don't marry Sebastian, there's nothing even I can do about it, you'll end up as a mute slave for running away from the Capitol, but if you marry him, the reason can be for the kidnapping," he states, as if it can threaten me.
"Then make me a mute slave! There's only one man I would marry in this world, and that's Raffin Naralavel! The man my father killed!"
He tries to say more but I interrupt him.
"Get away from me you filthy pig, I don't want a father like you!"
After the words set into his mind, he slaps the chair and stands up to declare, "Well, a mute slave will definitely not be my daughter" and leaves the room immediately.
After a few days, my mother, cousins, and "friends" probably sent by my father came to convince me to change my mind and marry Sebastian, the nephew of President Snow. I just ignore them and let them say whatever they want. After that, they stopped coming knowing whatever they say it pointless. After my wounds are healed they sent me to the parliament building to official poison my tongue so I can no longer speak. I guess word finally got out that I escaped with a runaway from District 3 and there was nothing my father could do about it. The process was painful but I was too numb to cry or even look depressed. I was sent to various places to work, and even though it was the loneliest life one could possibly live, it was better than stabilizing my father's position as Head commander by marrying Sebastian.
I still think of the memories Raffin and I had every single day. I remembered exactly where we were, what we did, what happened. Sometimes he comes to my dreams and holds me tight to ask me if I have any regrets. I would always give him the same answer and go right back into his arms.