Written by my ESL student, Jésica.

Hope you like it!

Follow the Mockingjay

There was a hiss that woke me up; like multiple exhalations creating words. Just one word whose echo was being repeated through the tunnels. One word. One name. Uttered over and over again:

"Katniss."

Immediately I knew that at some point when they found out that we had deceived them adding that president Snow could not stand anyone making him look like a fool; when they knew we were there at the dim tunnels of Snow's mansion they would surely send something to kill me. It might be a herd of mutts.

"Katniss."

I felt a shudder when I noticed how close the sound was and I started glancing around madly. I had the bow ready to attack so I was waiting when I heard the rustle again.

"Katniss."

That time the whisper didn't come from the mutts; it was Peeta.

Just when I thought he was getting better; when I believed he might be returning to me; I got the proof of the immense power of Snow's poison.

"Katniss."

Peeta was programmed to answer to the choir of hisses, to join the hunting. There was no alternative so I pointed the arrow to his brain and I closed my eyes. I was going to kill Peeta to save my life. What had happened to me? What had happened to us? At the Games we used to protect each other. We used to keep the other alive.

"Katniss," he stared at me; but it seemed like if he was not seeing the arrow. "Katniss, you have to get out of here!"

He looked different but he was no trying to kill me. Was it some kind of strategy to confuse me and make it easier for him to kill me?

"Why? Where does that sound come from?" I answered.

"I´m not sure. I just know it's coming to kill you," Peeta told me. "Run! Get out of here! Now!"

At that moment all the team was awake and they were looking at us concerned.

"I don't know what it is but it wants to kill me," I told them, "maybe we should separate here."

"But we are here to protect you," objected Jackson.

"And we are your team," added Cressida.

"I'm not going anywhere without you," said Gale.

I looked at them. They didn't have enough weapons; no more than their cameras and notebooks. And there was Finnick with his trident. Gale and me had could share the bows and Messalla and Cressida had the firearms. It was better than anything and they were right; we were a team so we needed to get out of there together.

We prepared everything to leave and then we roved the tunnels to get to the outflow. We had walked three blocks when the screaming started.

There I was, again. Watching how the people I loved was dying because of me. Remembering how friends, allies and unknown people lost their lives for the Mockingjay; and it was happening again.

We were running as fast as we could, fighting and trying to stay alive.

"Let me continue alone. I will put them off the scent," I yelled, "you need to finish the mission together. I just want this to be over."

"No one is going to do that!" Shouted Jackson exasperatedly.

"Katniss is right," Finnick argued, "someone needs to finish this. Gale and I will stay with her; the rest of you must go and find the way out."

There was no time for farewells. What if it was the last time I saw them? What if it was the last time I saw Peeta? I didn´t have the chance to say goodbye.

Few minutes later we were divided in two groups; each one took a different way. It was the first time I had the feeling that I was doing something to save my friends but I didn't like the idea of Finnick and Gale joining me; they wanted to protect me but I was sure there were very little probabilities for us to get out of there alive.

The mutts soon reached us; they were faster than us obviously but at that moment I was mentally prepared to die for my friends, for my family and for all the ones who once believed in the Mockingjay; the ones who followed me and joined the revolution.

Yes, I was still running and shooting the mutts; a hero always fights till the end. Finnick and Gale were doing the same. We were supposed to protect each other but in the attempt Finnick was seriously wounded. My plans changed; I needed to save him and we needed to get out of there immediately. We could not leave him there; he was our friend so we did everything we could to find the way out.

We did it. We were finally out and the rest of the team was waiting for us hidden. It was the perfect victory and also it was the second time we escaped from president Snow but it was too perfect to be real. Finnick was losing consciousness and we were not able to ask for help; we ran at the risk of being found.

There is not a day in which I don't remember Finnick's last breath. I should´ve taken the risk. I would've done everything to save his life if my life had been the only in peril, but I could not endanger the rest of the team.

"Katniss, promise you will tell Annie that my last thought was of her lips," he told me.

"I promise," I answered with tears in my eyes.

"How was I supposed to tell Annie?" I could not stop thinking about their baby, and that Finnick was not going to meet him. I was in floods of tears.

Talking to Annie about it was the hardest thing I've ever done.

And it still hurts.

So what do you think? Review?