DISCLAIMER: Oh hey guys. I don't own the Hunger Games. If I did I wouldn't be writing fanfiction for it. I'd be partying all night and day with my bucketloads of cash like Suzanne Collins, the creator of the Hunger Games, is probs doing right now.

OH LOOKIE I updated. :) CLIFFHANGER BEGONE. Listening to: "Just A Dream cover" by Sam Tsui & Christina Grimmie (and I love ittt)

It sounded way too much like her. I knew that was my mother's voice. But that wasn't her body. Or maybe it was. I've never actually remembered seeing her.

She was bloody. Blood was everywhere. On her face, her hair, her dress. Everywhere.

I wanted to help her, but she looked too much like me. Except older and half-dead.

I gripped the golden locket around my throat for an anchor, for something to hold on to, as the fear ripped through my body. That couldn't be her.

I couldn't think at all. My thoughts were hazy. It didn't help that the figure before me kept screaming. The sadness and fear was unbearable. The first time I catch a glimpse of her is like this. Why was she here?

Then she began to moan for help and I couldn't control myself, anymore. I took a step towards her. I wanted to help her but something in the back of my mind told me it was too dangerous.

"Charlotte! Listen to me. That's not who you think it is. Snap out of it," Sophie's voice broke through my hazy thoughts. "It's a Capitol muttation, Charlotte!"

At the use of my name, my thoughts seemed to clear a little. A muttation? The Capitol? Could it be?

Momentarily, Mother's image flickered to something else. Her face transformed into a beastly image of sharp fangs and her eyes glinted red, instead of purple, sinking deep into her head. Her skin turned a dead gray and her black hair hung in strands around her head.

That wasn't my mother. I didn't know what it was but it definitely was not my mother.

It opened its mouth wide, sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. Surprised, I took a step back, losing my balance. I looked around for weapons, anything, as it sauntered towards me, moaning in my mother's voice.

It crouched, like a cat, long fangs ready to sink into my body. It's shadow loomed over me as it pounced and —

It flew sideways, smacking into a tree, with a loud crash. The monster lay there in a heap, a large rod protruding out of its tummy.

I turned, staring at Nafeesa in amazement. She was huffing from exertion, letting another large, sharp branch slide to the sandy ground. The moonlight allowed me to see her proud grin.

My shock quickly turned to embarrassment as I realized that the whole country saw my vulnerability. I scrambled, wiping the sand off my butt, trying to gain back some dignity, and picked up the pack full of knives and supplies. I looked up at Nafeesa, who was still standing in the same spot.

Then I realized I didn't care what Panem thought of me. I cared what Nafeesa and Sophia thought of my reaction. Would they think me a weakling and ditch me?

"Thanks," I told Nafeesa, "I…" I trailed off, lost for words.

"No problem," She told me. We locked eyes for a moment and I was, suddenly, really glad she was here. I also felt really, really stupid for doubting her and Sophie.

"What was that, though?" Sophie asked, from behind me. Nafeesa shrugged looking slightly troubled. "Do you think it's dead?"

"Well maybe. But I'm pretty sure that thing has friends. We better get out of here, now," Nafeesa replied. As if roused by her words, a low moan drifted through the woods from the direction we were headed. It sounded way closer than any of us wanted it to be. We all spun on our heels and ran in the opposite direction. It would have been comical if it weren't so horrifying.

My mind was whirling with a million thoughts. If it was a muttation, then how did the Capitol know my mother? I know that thing was my mother.

I vaguely remember Mother. I mostly remember her smiles and everyone says she looked like me. But I just knew my intuition was right. Plus, I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. The Capitol couldn't have figured out how to manipulate my intuition, too. That's not possible. I hated not knowing what was going on.

"How did the Capitol make my mother appear like that?" I asked aloud, as we slowed down to walking. The noises were gone.

"I don't know. The thing is I don't get that. How did you see your mother when I saw my mother?" Sophia asked. What? How is that possible? "That's how I knew it was fake, at least. You said it was your mother and that made me wonder whether it was fake. Once I thought about that, my mother's image disappeared."

I opened my mouth in surprise, "That's exactly what happened to me. When you told me it was a mutt, she just...changed."

"So these things somehow take the form of our mothers and…" Sophia trailed off.

"They make us want to help them. Then, when we get too close, it tries to bite our heads off," I finished for her. Sophia nodded.

"There's one problem, though. I saw my dead father, not my mother," Nafeesa said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, maybe it's a loved one, then," Sophia amended, "The Capitol knows we can't resist helping someone we love. Especially when we haven't seen them in forever."

"Lucky for us, though, I've never liked my father in the first place, or missed him for that matter. I've wanted to smack him upside the head for a long, long time," Nafeesa answered. I swear I could hear the grin in her voice. I couldn't help but smile, too. Though it was a bit morbid to smile, Nafeesa discovered a tiny flaw in the Capitol's plan.

It gave us hope that not even the Capitol was perfect in their plans. Even they made mistakes. Even they could be tricked.

Suddenly, the moaning and whistling of the creatures returned. I jumped at the sound and we were off running, all thoughts out of our minds. We ran without direction. As long as we were running far, far away from those muttations, we felt we'd be fine.

I couldn't stand to see the blood or palid, zombie-like complexion, pretending to be my mother.

"I don't think those things are following us anymore," I said, catching my breath. My breath was visible, like white puffs of smoke, and it was getting colder. Actually, the more I stood in one place, the colder it got.

"Where are we?" Nafeesa asked. The sand was harder and more packed, like dirt, but there was no snow. The sky overhead was still dark so I couldn't tell if there were clouds or not. The cold weather bothered my arm. I guess it was too cold for my injuries. A warm breeze pushed my hair back. Wait. A warm breeze? That couldn't be possible.

"I think this is the little part between the desert side and the snow side," I told her. This area was unnatural. It was cold here but warm, too. It was just too weird. "We should find a safe place to camp."

"You're right," Nafeesa said, looking around. I was exhausted. Hopefully, those mutts were gone. "It's still nighttime and I'm really tired."

Sophia and I nodded in agreement. We've had less than three hours of sleep tonight. Sophia spoke yawned, speaking quietly, "Anyways, we're really lucky we didn't run into any of—"

"The Careers?" A boy's low, very familiar voice interrupted, casually. I whipped my head to the side. I could only see their shadowy figures, but I had a feeling I knew who that voice belonged to. "Unfortunately, no you didn't."

This is what good music creates. Weird fanfiction and CLIFFHANGERS. :)

Anywho I want to watch the third Narnia movie. LIKE RIGHT NOW. BUT noooo I have AP hw. I totes have a procrastination problem.

Also I'm angry that all my fave shows are going on hiatus for holidays. SO DEPRESSING.

ahaha you wouldn't believe what I did. I made a nifty chart to keep track of all the deaths and top secret information. I got the idea from the website "Mark Reads Hunger Games" He has the funniest reactions to the book I LURVVEE it.

kay byebye

remember to always...

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