Here it is! The highly anticipated next chapter I was peer pressured into writing! Enjoy!
(It has been a while since I've read this book so please excuse any minor setting issues. You can PM me and I'll update with corrections.)
We camp in the heart of the jungle, far away from the site of the ambush where so many tributes died today. I hastily make two beds out of the large nearby leaves and help Haymitch down onto one of them. "We should be safe here for now," I say. There's been so much death today in the arena the game makers will probably leave us alone for at least the night. Enobaria, on the other hand, is a different matter entirely, "I can watch for tonight. You rest."
"Katniss-" Haymitch starts.
"No. You need to heal Haymitch." He was a pain enough to deal with without that injury slowing him down.
He smiles over at me, almost like he knows what I am thinking. "Katniss, we need to separate."
I knew this was coming. We should have separated a long time before now, but now that Haymitch is injured how different would separating be from killing him myself? From what Cato did to Peeta I am reminded and shudder. I cannot, I will not leave Haymitch to die like that. "No. Not yet," I insist. "The game makers won't do anything to us tonight, not with all that happened earlier. We'll be fine to rest now and talk about this in the morning."
Haymitch grunts, not exactly agreeing but too weak to object very firmly. I sit in the middle of my bed of leaves, placing my sheath of arrows next to me, and the nation's anthem begins to play. Haymitch lies back and exhales heavily. We look up and watch the faces of all the dead tributes flash by, confirming that it truly is just the three of us left in this arena. After the anthem ends, the sky returns to its regular artificial darkness and Haymitch rolls over, his back to me. I hug my legs close and prepare myself for a long shift on watch duty.
Several hours later the bell-like sounds ring out again as they have every night that we have been in this arena: twelve Bong sounds. Haymitch shifts besides me but continues snoring a second later. What does it mean? I keep feeling like we are close to something, to solving some sort of mystery surrounding this arena that could help us, but I still do not know what. Then, just like every night, right as the ringing stops lightning strikes in the distance. It looks as though the lightning is even striking in the same place as the night before, but it is too hard to tell with all the moving around we have done today. I watch and listen with difficulty as a lightning storm rages on the other side of the arena from us. It stays in its area though, just like the rain that follows a while later, sounding maybe a little closer to where we are. I load my bow. I am on edge for some reason, we have never spent the night on this side of the arena and now for some reason, besides the ruthless killer I know is after both of our lives and the bloodthirsty game makers and audience who would like nothing more than to assist her, I feel unsafe here.
The rain stops and I breathe deeply, trying to remain calm. Something is coming. That is when I start to see a thin layer of fog creep in from around the trees. I have been in this arena long enough to know not to trust it. I shake Haymitch. "Haymitch. Haymitch! Get up!"
He jerks awake, hand already gripping his knife before he takes in the strange mist. "This is-?"
"It just started all of a sudden. I think it's a- "The fog reaches us then and begins to burn my skin. I examine my hands which are breaking out in blisters and it has already become difficult to breathe. "We need to get out of here!" I gasp.
Haymitch doesn't say anything but runs after me as I bolt through the thick foliage, clasping my bow. I can hear him stumbling behind me, but he is beginning to slow down. "Haymitch hurry up!" I am choking on every breath, my steps are becoming slow now too as the poison sets in and my limbs are growing more and more heavy, but I stop and turn to see where he is. I see him. He is a ways behind me and staggering like he used to when he was drunk, only I catch the look in his eyes, alert and panicked. He isn't going to make it.
"Haymitch!" I choke out and lumber towards him, determined not to lose him. My mentor. My friend.
He sees me coming through the fog, doubling back in an attempt to drag him out to safety. He knows I will not leave him. My friend. "No!" He shouts gruffly. "Leave me!" Haymitch reaches for his knife then holds it out at me, threatening me. "Leave me," he says, his eyes pleading.
I just stand there, my limbs growing heavier with every second that passes, knowing that I am going to have to. I would not be able to save Haymitch even if he was willing to come with me, but I still cannot bring myself to leave him.
"Go!" He finally orders and I do. I take a few shaky steps back at first, watching him sink down to the earth before I run with all the speed my body has left away from the mist, eventually finding the surf.
Thank you all for pushing me to keep writing! PLEASE REVIEW!
