Thanks to everyone that reviewed! I'd really be thankful for an extra handful though. But those of you that did, thank you so much! Enjoy the chapter!

The next morning I wake up extra early, way before the sun rises. The fire between us is burned out with only left over smoke slithering out from the charred timbers. Gale is sprawled in his sleeping bag next to me with a knife and his bow and arrow at hand. Right beside me in the warmth of the sleeping bag is Peeta, his chin placed over my head. I slowly ease myself out of the bag, trying not to wake anyone. I grab my backpack, knowing I was leaving to conserve the lives of the two boys. I didn't want any of the guilt of their fatalities to be forced into my hands.

I place my backpack over my shoulders and am about to set out but one more look at the boys sends me back. Without thinking, I give Gale a kiss on his forehead. His arm moves slightly and he frowns but he stays fast asleep. I walk over to Peeta and do the same but nearly jump back when he starts mumbling.

"Katniss," he breaths, "Don't go." I am stunned and am about to reply but shut my mouth when I figure out he is talking in his sleep and isn't awake at all. I am relieved but a feeling deep inside me had been wishing he did wake up to stop me. I brush his hair back slowly, tuck the note into his hand, and leave.

Tears form in my eyes and I drag myself away from the clearing and finally break into a jog away from our camp.

"Goodbye," I whisper to myself and I begin to sob. I take out Gale's map that I had stolen last night out of my pocket and follow the trail he marked out to nowhere.

After hours of wandering and drawing out on the map every new place I went through, it was midday. I sit down near a small creek and pull out an empty canister to fill up with water. After that I wash my face then feed myself minimal food, saving the rest for later. I am drawing out the creek on the map when a voice startles me.

"Look what we have here boys," a gruff boy from somewhere behind me hollers. I stand up and ready my bow to shoot at anyone who pops out.

"Wh-who is that?" I yell.

"Hey isn't that, what was it, Katniss Everdeen? The girl on fire?" another voice asks to the side of me followed by multiple laughs.

"Show yourselves you morons!" I scream uneasily, covering it up with a confident voice.

A heavy hand drops onto my shoulder and I scream. I am forced to turn and look into deep blue eyes of a pug-nosed kid much taller than me.

"Eh? This is the champion of the games? Everyone else must've been weaklings!" the boy snorts and his spit is thrown on my face. He grabs my wrists and smiles with power.

"Back off you pig," I growl and I spit in his face, making him let go of me. Suddenly, much stronger hands yank me back and hold me with my arms locked behind me.

"Let go!" I scream. The pig-nosed boy stands in front of me and scratches his curly head.

"Don't you dare spit on me," he growls and he then punches me in my lower abdomen. Four other boys come out of the bushes and have ropes and different articles of weapons in their hands.

"Wanna play with us?" a tall and large boy taunts with a snarl. I shiver under the other one's grasp.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" I try to menace. The tall boy pulls back a knife to aim at me and throws it absentmindedly, jabbing me on the shoulder. I howl with pain and they only laugh at me.

"Good one Dani! She's worth all the hassle. We'll let her die slowly." The pig-nosed boy glances at me with an evil smile. I gulp down and only look back. "After all," he continues, "She killed one of our people."

That's when I realize they aren't from my district. My eyes widen and I begin to wonder if I had actually neared another district.

"What district are you from?" I ask quietly.

"None of your business, Firegirl!" a smaller kid from the group calls out throwing another knife my way. It nearly misses my leg but instead cuts my knee, leaving a huge gash. I scream in reply. These boys were short-tempered and dangerous.

A couple hours later, I am tied to a tree trunk with infinite scars while watching the boys sit much too close to me, each one taking their turn at me. With their closeness, I can smell the stale alcohol in their breath, sending another jolt of fright through me. My anger and hatred is boiling over but I keep my mouth shut, knowing angering any of them will mean instant death. The boys are rummaging through my backpack and eating up all the food inside. That's when I remember the dagger I had retrieved from the Capitol guard is in my back pocket. With my tied up hand, I slowly struggle to reach the weapon when one of the boys starts talking.

"How do you want us to kill you? How 'bout drop a wasp nest on your head eh?" one of the boys calls out to me followed by laughter. I grind my teeth together, trying to control my anger.

"Or shoot you with an arrow?" another yells. My anger is near breaking point.

"Oh! And do you want us to sing you to death while we're at it?" the tall boy screams while doubled over laughing. I know they pulled the last straw and I let out a deafening scream.

"She's gone nuts man! Kill her!" the shorter drunk kid cries. He picks up a dagger and waves it at me. I scream louder and am struggling to get myself out of the ropes because anything for me is better than humiliation. Tears are streaming down my eyes and I only want to die. Memories of the games begin to haunt me and I continue to ring an ear-splitting cry.

I can hear the boys yelling and arguing as they run at me to shut me up. One of them puts a hand over my mouth and I bite down hard, making him howl as his fingers bleed. He then sends a knife through my side, leaving a deep wound. Another one kicks at me and I bare my teeth at him followed by another scream. The pig-nosed kid is trembling with energy as he picks up a bow and arrow and aims it directly at me. He pulls back the bow, laughs hysterically, and is about to let it go. I watch him with tear filled eyes and I am waiting for the shot. I shut my eyes while still screaming when I hear something whistle by my ear, making everyone around me dead quiet.

I shut up and open my eyes to stare at the pig-nosed kid. His body is dead on the floor with a knife stuck in his chest and his eyes still open. An instant kill. All the other boys around me are looking at him with trembling bodies. They all break into a run in different directions, not bothering to pick up the fallen boy. I'm left alone unluckily tied up. My eyes are scanning the area and my teeth are chattering with fear. A movement in a nearby tree makes me scream.

"Hush!" a voice calls out. Not quite sure what I should do, I stay quiet with my mouth ajar. A girl slightly older than me pokes out from the tree branches and gazes at me with big eyes.

"Are you OK?" she continues while jumping off the tree. I nod slowly and she bends over to pick up the knife that had been thrown into the dead boy's heart. She wipes the blood off on her shirt and jogs over to me. In moments, she had cut off the rope tying me down and is taming to my gashes.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"My name is Keel," she says. "I'm from district 11." At that moment, for some reason, I see a resemblance between her and little Rue. The dark satin skin, the bright eyes, and the bird-like features; except Keel is more experienced-looking.

"Rue," I whisper absentmindedly. Keel smiles and nods.

"You noticed?" she asks amazed.

"Noticed what?"

"Oh. Well I knew Rue," Keel pauses for a second. "She was my sister."

I am taken aback and my eyes grow wide. She was her sister? Why wasn't she depressed? Or filled with anger she hoped to fulfill? Or even killing me for not saving her sister's life?

The only word, however, that came out of my mouth was: "Is."

"Yes, she is my sister," Keel fixes with a smile. Her dark hair falls over her eyes as she gazes at me. "So, you're Katniss Everdeen, huh?" I nod sadly and she brushes back my hair. "Well I find it an honor to meet you." I'm stunned by her words and sigh with relief. A deep frown then forms on her face. "But why are you out here? Why aren't you back home where everyone is celebrating for your accomplishment?"

I take in a breath and explain to her everything. Once I finish, a large smile is planted on her face for no reason.

"Why so happy?" I wonder aloud.

"My goals are the same as yours. I plan to reach the Capitol one day and overthrow them."

"But that's not my goal. That is Gale's. And I left him behind because I didn't want him or Peeta to get hurt."

"But I know deep down you feel the same, am I correct?" Keel stares at me, her vivid eyes waiting for an answer. I open my mouth and think for a second.

"Yes," I whisper. "I want to destroy that place they call our Capitol." My voice is bitter. What they did to us in the Hunger Games called for revenge. I nod slowly and look up at Keel.

"Welcome to the real world," Keel says with a smile. "We will redeem the world from the Capitol. For the deaths of the kids and for the death of Rue."