Alright, so Chapter 4! :D It's just Clove, Cato, Thresh, Rue, and Katniss. I think I'm going to fix that. ;) Thanks to anyone who's favoriting, following, or reviewing! :D I think I'll have ten chapters in all. ;p And I'm changing the rating to teen because of the light gruesomeness involved in this chapter.

I think it was about midnight when I wake up Rue and tell her, "I'm going."

She bites her bottom lip. "I'm not going, right?"

"No."

"So I'm alone, just sitting, and you're out risking your life.

"We'll both die if we stay, and if I go and die, we'll both die, and if I go and succeed, we'll both live. I say the last is worth a try."

Rue purses her lips, but then nods. "Alright. Be safe."

"Got it. You too." I give her Clove's knife again, and touch my quiver. I rub my fingers against my bow. My hands are sweaty.

"Okay. You better live, Katniss. I'm betting on you, Fire Girl."

I nod and hug her, and then leave quickly. I don't want to talk to her anymore. Because I know I may never see her again, and I know her life is in my hands.

It's late. I'm extremely thirsty. My hunger is contained because before I left, when I couldn't sleep, I ate some of the rabbit and some berries. But still I long for water.

I walk silently on the ground, bow at ready, listening intently. My hearing is still slightly off from the explosion, but it's better.

The Cornucopia comes into my line of vision within forty-five minutes. I see the ground at the mouth of it split in two, and a white clothed round table rises up. There are five packs on the table; a tiny one labled 11, two medium-sized backpackes labled 2, and two small backpacks with 11 and 12 on them.

I eye the 11 and 12. Obviously for Rue and I. Maybe I can get a hold of the District 2 packs. I'm not going to steal Thresh's though. I owe him.

Just then, I see a nimble figure race out and pull a knife out, and grip it wearily while swaying back and forth in front of the table.

Clove. She's puppy guarding, I think.

I decide to be extremely risky. I grip my bow and ready it. Then I step into the light.

She gets tense when she sees me.

"Hey, Clove. Puppy guarding, I see? Pretty low, eh?" I'm trying to sound casual, but I curse at myself when I hear the fear in my voice.

Clove hears it, too. She grins and seemingly inspects the knife. "Yeah, pretty low, I will admit. Back to kindergarten, right?"

"Yup."

"Yes. What's in your pack, 12?"

"What I need most. Duh."

She flushes at my rudeness and I grin with satisfaction.

Clove quickly gets over it. "See this knife?" She holds the knife out for me to see. "Sharpest I have. I killed... I dunno... perhaps six people with this. Bunch of people in the Blood Bath, and the 5 girl. Trying to steal our supplies. Pshh. And Lover Boy. Begged for death. I obliged, gladly." She grins when seeing she's hitting home. "And I plan to kill you, and the precious little girl you allied with, and that big moron from 11 with it, as well. Cato, even, if nessesary. I'm not afraid to kill for my survival."

I'm hanging onto every word she says, and watching her. She's unblinking as well, staring me down. I'm older, but I feel like a bad five-year-old being scolded by his mother.

She's hurting me in my heart, but I stand defiant. "Clove, you're a cold-hearted bi-"

"I know, I know. I've been told that before. But, anyway, you probably want this, huh? I have a feeling it's something you need to survive." She grabs my pack and holds it up on the tip of her bloody knife.

"Yeah, kind of nessesary. Just a little."

Clove laughs evilly. "You're trying toohard, Fire Girl. You're not the best liar."

"Why, thank you. I trust you, because you're one of the best around."

Her eyes narrow at me, and I catch something extremely important. She glances behind me pleadingly.

I listen more carefully. I hear the heavy footsteps, attempting to be quiet.

Just in time, I leap to the side, and Cato's sword misses me.

Clove curses loudly, and I say, "Hush now, Clove. Children may be watching."

Cato levels his sword at me. "Hello, Fire Girl."

"Hi, Cato!" I call out excitedly. "How've you been doing?"

"Pretty good. You?"

"Oh, I'm just great! Almost got killed a minute ago, but it's all good."

"That's good. So, you about ready to die?"

"Nah, I think I'll pass for today. How about tomorrow? Four thirty?"

"No, sorry. We're booked completely, except for today."

"Thursday? Next June." I'm backing away slowly.

He laughs. "Nope."

"Hmm. Fifty bucks?"

"If you had it. Now enough of the small talk," Clove cuts in.

"Yeah, good idea, Clove. How should we do this?" Cato asks.

"Ooh, ooh, you can stab her, just enough to hurt her, and I'll play with her."

Cato grins. "Works for me."

"Maybe next time, fellas. 'Cause I really must be going. I'll just take my pack, and we'll have to talk later. Bye now!"

With a great leap, I take off running for the table. I grab Rue and I's bags, and then stand on top of the table. Then, jumping off the table, I make it over the astonished Clove's head. By the time I'm running into the forest, knives are flying after me. Without stopping, I grab a few and awkwardly throw them back. One hit Cato's shoulder, and another hit Clove's thigh. I grin in pleasure at their cries of pain and then, when I'm far away, I stop and head west. My plan is to circle around and go to another area, and watch what happens.

When I reach my destination, I see Clove tending to her wound, and Cato looking into his and Clove's bags.

"Bunch more knives for you," he says, and Clove does a fistpump.

"For me, a new sword and some cough medicine for my cold." As if to demonstrate, he coughs.

"Any food?"

"No. Not that I can see."

Clove curses. "Great. We're starving."

Note to self, I think. Clove and Cato are in need of food.

"I know. The 11's has some kind of shot."

"Like, for the doctors?"

"Yeah. He must be sick. Advantage for us."

Clove grins. "Yes. This is good. Fire Girl is strong, but the 11 people aren't. Maybe they'll show up soon. Or at least one of them. Hopefully the boy. I'm up for a challenge."

"Well, you're getting one," a voice says.

Cato and Clove turn to find Thresh standing strong, with one of those chains, with a ball with spikes on it, swinging.

Clove readies a knife to throw, and Cato points his sword at Thresh.

Thresh's eyes a chocolate fire, he swings his weapon menacingly and says, "Give me the bag."

"Make me," Cato sneered.

"My pleasure." Thresh swings the weapon and throws it at Cato. It catches his legs and he falls to the ground, scowling. He drops all the bags.

Clove automatically throws several knives in his direction, like a spray.

Thresh dodges all but one. It hits his chest. But it's not deep. He grimaces and pulls it out and throws it back. It hits Clove's stomach and she cringes. She pulls it out and drops it to the ground, smirking. "You think that's gonna get me? No."

Cato is yelling at Clove to help him, but she's ignoring him. His sword is in hand, but he's too far away to slash anyone.

"How about this?" Thresh, quick as a flash, tackles Clove and holds one of her own knives over her head. Clove screams hysterically and Thresh says, "Last words?"

Clove, who realizes she's going to die, is crying. She looks nothing like the tough girl from before; she's just a young child, calling desperately for her mother. She whispers, "Yes. I'm sorry to my District, my mother, my father, and my dear sister. I failed, as I always do." Clove stares up at Thresh. "Do it quickly, please."

Thresh wavers for a moment. "You sure?"

Clove closes her eyes and a tear dribbles out. "Yeah."

Thresh nods, mutters a prayer, and stabs down with his eyes closed.

I turn my head away. I don't want to see this. The canon goes off loudly. I wonder what Rue is thinking.

That's when I realize Cato has freed himself. Thresh is crossing himself, and I bite my tongue to keep from crying out. I notch an arrow, but I'm too late.

Cato brings his sword down on Thresh, who cries out. Cato, a look of pure hatred on his hard-edged face, shoves it in deeper. Thresh coughs up blood, and then a canon goes off, and he crashes to the ground on top of Clove.

The District 2 boy smiles wickedly and pulls his sword out, and kicks Thresh's body harshly.

I bow my head and am about to shoot him when I realize if I shoot, he'll be dead, and I'll be forced to kill Rue.

Before I can decide he runs off, away from me, carrying Clove and Thresh's packs, along with his own.

I scowl and shoulder my quiver, and look up at the sky. It's early, still, but Rue will begin to fear I was one of the two who died.

I start back, excited to have a place to somewhat call home. Still, I'm very sad that Thresh is gone. And that Clove looked so very vurnerable.

I arrive soon, greeted by Rue's welcoming arms.

"Oh, Katniss! I was so worried about you! I was scared you were killed, because I heard the two canons go off, and-"

"I know. I got you and I's pack. But Clove and Thresh... they didn't make it. Cato took their packs."

Rue stares at the ground. We're sitting in our cave now, and the fire is dying out. She starts to cry. "Poor, poor Thresh. He had a grandmother and a sister who depended on him at home. Bet their watching now."

She glances around, trying to find the cameras. She can't, so she just stays still and kisses her palm and puts her hand in the air, as if expecting a high five.

"What's that?"

"A way we say respect or goodbye to someone we loved."

"Oh? We do this." I show her the salute we do.

Rue smiles and says, "I bet Thresh feels respected."

"Yes. He should. He was a very brave young man."

Rue nods and stares at the wall. "Katniss, you seem so... distant. What's wrong?"

I began crying and laid in her lap. I choked out in between my sobs, "So many things, Rue. So many things."