*Infection*

I woke up feeling sore and hot. Everything was blurry and the air around me was filled with a pungent smell that made me want to throw up. I tried to sit up, then I realized that somebody had covered me with green leaves. What was it? Was it supposed to help me or hurt me somehow? I couldn't take the risk so I began to remove the leaves.

"Don't...you need them for your infection," Rue stated as she brought some more damp leaves and pressed them against my skin.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's an herbal plant that helps with infections. You were stung by a couple of bees and I managed to remove most of the poison, but you still have a fever. These leaves will take away your infection and your fever within a couple of hours."

"Why did you help me?" I asked.

"I saw what you did for your sister Prim. You sacrificed yourself for her and I couldn't let you die, besides you're a great hunter and I figured that we have a stronger chance of surviving if we stay together."

"That's a good idea. It's going to be night soon, we should get up high," I stated as I looked up at the trees surrounding us.

XOXOXO

*Joy*

Rue and I had strung my sleeping bag high up in the trees. She laid her head against my chest, trying her best to keep us both warm for another night.

The anthem played as the government displayed pictures of all of the tributes that had died that day. I watched picture after picture flash across the sky and then the anthem stopped playing.

Peeta was still alive and knowing that he had survived another day gave me the closest feeling to joy that was possible in this place. Yes, I felt joyful in the fact that Rue, Peeta and I had survived to see another day, but I was also terrified because I knew that my joy could not last for very long.

XOXOXO

*Kill*

"What are we going to do?" Rue asked as I looked across the valley with my binoculars and spotted the other tributes setting up camp.

"We have to kill their food source. Once we do that then we'll be on the same playing field and they will have to rely on themselves for survival," I stated.

"How are we going to do that?" Rue asked.

"I need you to stay behind and create a diversion to draw them as far away from their camp as possible and once I'm close enough, I will shoot an arrow at the nearby explosives that are in place and their food source will burn to nothing."

"How will we meet again?" Rue asked.

"I will sing the song of the birds that you taught me as soon as the explosion has been set off. When you reply then I'll know where to find you."

"Good luck Katniss. You're the best friend I've ever had so don't get yourself killed," Rue said as she embraced me and then took off to create her diversion.

Twenty minutes later I saw smoke in the sky and I saw the other tributes leave their camp in search of Rue. I headed off to their camp. When I was close enough, I shot my arrow into the bag of apples, which set them falling to the floor and into the explosives.

I ran as fast as I could as the explosives went off and destroyed their camp. I sang the song of the birds and I heard Rue's song in reply.I continued to hum the song as I followed the sound of Rue's voice.

I became afraid as her sweet song suddenly ended. I ran faster and faster, afraid of what I would find when I found her.

I turned the corner and I saw Rue trapped in a net. I ran towards her to help her out when the tribute from three came from the other end. I watched as he plunged his knife through the net right into Rue.

I ran at him and plunged my own knife into him. I continued to stab him until he fell to the ground and was dead.

"Don't leave me Rue," I pleaded as I held her in my arms and tried to keep the blood from flowing out of her.

"Promise me that you'll win," Rue stated.

"I'm going to win," I told her wanting to give her as much comfort as I could.

"Good," she said as she closed her eyes and her body stopped trembling as she died.

I knew that Rue's family was watching and I wanted them to know that she would be given the honor that she deserved before the Capital came for her body. I placed Rue's favorite flowers over her eyes as I sang the song of her district. I turned to the cameras and saluted her district and left just as the Capital's choppers descended.

"Goodbye Rue," I whispered as I saw her body being taken away by the very same government that was responsible for her death.