ME: Okay, my things today will be coming in list form...

FINNICK: She has neglected us for nearly a year because writer's block hit, she decided to start another story in the hopes that it would get her creative juices flowing, and she forgot about us :(

AMELIE: She would like to greatly thank iluvbooks4evaa for reminding her about it a few days ago!

HAYMITCH: I'm not doing your explanations for you, Meaghan, don't be silly!

ME:*groans* We worked this out, Haymitch!

HAYMITCH: *ignores me because he's Haymitch*

CLAIRE: *coughs* Em... She actually had this started that night, and worked until she was practically falling asleep... She left the document open without saving it, and her dad took the laptop while she was in school and closed it, and she was halfway through the chapter... So she's starting over now, even though she's supposed to be doing her homework...

FINNICK: Okay, so there's just me, Claire, Haymitch and Amelie left... ENJOY!

Chapter 7

I shot a little girl. I couldn't bring myself to feel anything even close to remorse, though. My priority now was Finnick's safety, then my own.

After we left, with Amelie screaming at Prim, willing her back to life, and at Haymitch for allowing her death (even though she was equally to blame), Finnick suddenly stopped walking. "Shit!"

He had a silver pointed spear, and he ran back as fast as he could, stabbing Amelie straight through the heart with it.

"She could have saved Prim's life, if she really wanted to," Finnick murmured to me.

"It's just us and Haymitch left, now."

"We need to kill him, Claire. I want at least one of us to go home."

"So do I," I agreed. Although, Finnick was the one going home.

We spent the better part of an hour planning how we were going to get to Haymitch, and had gotten nowhere when he appeared behind Finnick.

"Finnick!" I screamed, and launched myself at Haymitch before he could do any damage to my Finnick. I had a knife from our weapons stock beside me, and I used it to wound Haymitch. I then drove it through Haymitch's lower abdomen, then slashed his neck, to make sure he would be gone.

"Claire, that was... Brutal."

"He had to die so you would live," I whispered. He didn't hear me.

"It's only us left now, Claire."

I nodded.

"So... Kill me."

"No!" I snapped. I saw his eyes flicker to our weapons, so I pretended to admit defeat. "Can't we have one more day? And we'll figure something out in the morning, once we wake up, okay?"

He shrugged. "That's not how the Games work, Claire."

I moved my face close to his. "I don't care how the Games work anymore. One night. I want one fearless night with you, Finnick." I kissed him then, and it was full of passion, desire and need. I didn't care about the cameras that were surely zoomed right in on us, I didn't let myself care that by this time tomorrow Finnick would be out of the arena and I would be dead, I let all the worrisome thoughts leave my head and threw all my fear, anger and passion into the kiss, into Finnick because his life was more important than any of those things.


I had a plan, of course. I would give myself one day, one happy, carefree day, and would kill myself while Finnick slept.

The first part of my plan worked painfully well.

I got a carefree day with my Finnick. We both spent the day happy, laughing and smiling. I didn't want anything to wreck the day. We spent the day by the lake. The heat was unbearably hot, so we swam quite a bit. We feasted on the last of the food supply.

We gave the audience something to wonder about, I'm sure.

The second part of my plan? That didn't work out as well.

We were plenty warm in our clothes, so Finnick lay out our sleeping bags like a double bed, both of them outstretched side by side. I lay in his arms, waiting for him to fall asleep. He lay awake for a long time, just holding me and murmuring "I love you"s and "we need to make a plan"s in my ear.

As soon as I thought he was sound awake, I made my move. I moved slightly, and had just sat up when I heard it.

The roar of flames.

I saw the fiery inferno, and leapt up, screaming. I attempted to shake Finnick awake, but he would not wake up. I panicked. I wasn't strong enough to carry him! I had to make a decision, fast. The fire was nearly here.

I ran.


I left him.

I left him.

I left him.

I left him.

I left him!

I can't believe myself. The past 24 hours have been about letting him live.

Why wouldn't he wake up?!

I was still running from the fire. My breath came in heavy pants, my clothes were soaked with sweat, both from the heat and the exertion. And all of a sudden, the fire stopped.

The cannon boomed.

"Congratulations, Claire Danvers, the victor of the 74th Hunger Games!"

ME: Well, that's the end of it!

FINNICK: You killed me.

ME: Technically, a fire killed you...

MYRNIN: No ending?

ME: I have decided, for the good of my sanity and my schoolwork to leave it there. Perhaps, if people request an ending, I will do a 'ten years later' chapter.

EVERYONE: THANK YOU FOR READING! :D