Chapter 10 – Deadly Beautiful

After about an hour of running, though I feel like it has been much longer, I hear the first canon-shot telling us the bloodbath is over. And within the second, Maron and I freeze, counting how many of us have died already. With every loud noise I try to tell myself that it's a good thing there's one less tribute, that it means we have survived so far, but it's just makes me feel sicker and sicker. Eight. Nine. Ten. And then, silence. Ten deaths. Tristan is one of them, so is the boy who was killed by Maverick, that I'm sure of. But who are the other eight? Which families are grieving this very moment because they saw their child or sibling die for the amusement of the Capitol?

I notice Maron is staring at me and realize my eyes are filled with tears. Why, I don't know. I shouldn't care about these strangers I barely know and are determined to kill me. But we're all the same in a way, that's what makes this so bloody difficult. He looks at me for a few silent second and then grabs my hand after I've quickly swept away my tears.

"We have to keep going.", he says hastily, focused on the nature ahead of us and starts dragging me forward again. But with the first step I take, I immediately am remembered to the exhausted feeling spread over my entire body. For what can't be more than half an hour I let him guide me into the forest, which doesn't change for a bit the further we go, but then I feel I can't go on anymore. Maron must have been realizing it as well, because every time I slow down a bit, a small frown appears on his face. He's scared, yet so am I.

Without thinking about it, I just stop running, forcing Maron to stop as well. He looks at me, again with that worried look, but I allow myself to sit on one of the rotten tree trunks.

"We can't stop now Rose.", Maron says firmly, "We need to find a safe place to sleep, far away fro-"

I cut him off. "I can't Maron. I just.. can't.", I whisper with a trembling voice, "I'm so tired." Softly I start rubbing my belly where the baby is painfully kicking. It doesn't help, though it does calms me down a bit.

"Maybe I can carry you.", he states a bit desperately, but I can see he realizes how impossible that is as well.

"Have you seen me? I'm huge!", I say frustrated, with large gestures. He sighs and so do I, as I continue talking with a calmer voice. "I'm not going anywhere Maron. And maybe we're safe here for now. But you're free to keep going if you want to." In my mind I'm begging him to stay, though I immediately feel guilty for it. He probably already saved my life, risking his. I can't expect him to do that once more. Yet when I look in his eyes, I am surprised by the anger I find.

"I promised I would protect you and th-", he hesitates "our baby, whether you like it or not. So stop saying crap like that. I'm staying with you, 'till the end." He puts his backpack – I didn't even notice he had it – on the ground and starts unpacking what's in it, while I keep rubbing the same spot on my bulging belly. Apparently there actually are very useful things in it. A bottle for water – unfortunately still empty at the moment -, some dried meat and fruit, a rope and a blanket, yet there's something special about I can't figure out just yet. Then Maron pulls a large knife, covered with blood, out of the inside of his jacket. Has he killed someone? Or did he find on one of the bodies? Somehow I don't want to know and as I see in his eyes, he doesn't want to talk about it either.

"Are you okay?", he asks as bit worried, eying at my belly with my hand still resting on it.

"The baby's just.. very active.", I softly say with a small smile, looking down for a second. And as I look up I see his eyes are still pointed to my stomach. "Do you want to feel it?" Crap. Did I really ask that? Now. When we're in the middle of the woods with 12 people that want to kill us. Great timing Rose., I state sarcastically in my thoughts. But then surprisingly he nods, yet uncomfortably stays a few feet away from me.

After a few seconds, I insecurely reach out my hand and with small steps he comes closer. It's a bit weird to see him like this, so nervous. He normally is the calm, strong one, but now he looks like he's so scared that even the smallest movement will make the world collapse. He gently goes sit on his knees in front of me, as I put his hand under mine, right where the baby is kicking with all his force. I closely observe Maron, but he doesn't look at me. He looks at his hand, almost fascinated.

"Woah.", he whispers, "He's strong." I nod, carefully listening to each word he says. "Does it hurt?", he then asks with that same small frown.

"A bit.", I say calming, "But it's not that bad." That seems to satisfy him a bit and for a second, I forget about the deadly arena around me. Yet a small noise, barely hearable, makes Maron jump up and immediately grab for his knife. Instinctively I wrap my arms around my stomach and start searching for the source of the sound. Reveal yourself, I say in my thoughts, yet nothing happens until a little bird, more extraordinary than I've ever seen, sits down on the branch of a tree near us. This creature immediately reminds me of the giant maze around the Cornucopia, as it feathers are just as bright as the mirrors confusing us just an hour ago. His eyes are dark red and he makes a high squeeling sound, as he spreads is feathers and I'm blinded by the bright light.

When I dare to open my eyes again, I panicky search for Maron but my attention is drawn to something else. That one bird, now have become over a hundred. But before Maron and I can react, they all make the deafening sound and start flying towards us, ready to attack.

AN: Soo, I'm back! I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner, but a lot has happened the last few weeks. Yet now I'm ready to continue writing again. I hope you like it and thank you for your kind reviews.

Lots of love, Emmeken.