After the explosions ended, Rue and I sat in silence, waiting for attack, either gamemaker or tribute. Nothing came. Eventually, my heart stopped trying to jump out of my chest. Rue and I are still facing each other in the tree. I'm trying to find my voice when she speaks.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"I'm alright," I say, "You?"

"Fine"

C'mon, let's pack up, we need to start moving."

"Yeah, you're right," she agrees and we pack up. Climbing down from the tree, I start heading away from the explosion site. Rue turns towards it.

Realizing this, I turn around, and say, "Rue, we have to go away from the explosions, come on!"

She turns around, confused, "I thought you wanted to pack up to go find out what happened."

"No! We have to run from the danger! Not go towards it." I say, sure she's joking or something.

"Prim, it may be just some gamemaker trick, but it could be something a tribute set off. We need to know so we can be prepared for whatever it is."

"Rue, we could be killed! How do you know there won't be more explosions?"

"I have to know. Besides, the explosions stopped five minutes ago!"

"They could start again. They could even move towards us!"

"It doesn't matter. If we don't know what's going on, it will be more dangerous than a couple of explosions!"

"We have to run away, if we don't there's a good chance we'll die."

"Look, Prim, we're wasting time. Anyone could be sneaking up on us while we fight. I don't really want to have to say this, but is seems like I have no choice. Just because we are allies now, doesn't mean we have to continue. I love having someone to watch my back, but if this isn't gonna work, then we should end it now, before it gets down to just the two of us."

"Rue. I don't want to end this alliance. Neither of us would benefit from ending it. But I just don't think-"

She stops me, "Prim, I don't want to fight. I'm going, and if you still want an ally, you're welcome to come. If not, then this is goodbye, and good luck." She turns and starts walking toward the explosion site. I swallow, biting my lip. Is it worth it to risk it all to keep an ally? If it were anyone but Rue, I'd leave now. My heart pounding, I run after her. I know that together, one of us has a chance of surviving, but apart, the chances are pretty slim.

She tries to hide her smile when I catch up and fall into pace with her. "Prim, here's the plan. One of us will run forward, while the other watches their back, then the back person will run ahead, and so on. That's the safest plan, at least for now. If you see something, whistle." Rue says. I follow her plan, running, and watching and running again. It reminds me of a game we played at home.

We finally make it to the explosion site. There's a blackened area, in front of the huge lake I saw at the beginning of the game. I am ahead of Rue, so I see the group off to the right of the crater first.

"Shhh," I whisper to her, "I see someone. Watch my back." I crawl forward. My heart is racing but I want Rue to know I trust her, after our falling out earlier. I crouch down, just within earshot of the trio. I see Cato, the boy from District 3, and the girl from 4. Cato seems to be threatening the boy from 3. I lean in.

"This is your fault! If you hadn't convinced us to set up those mines, Clove, Marvel and Glimmer would still be here!" Cato is furious.

"Maybe if Clove hadn't stepped in the wrong place, they'd still be here!" the boy yells back.

"Don't you dare try to put this on Clove!" Cato screeched. "Now we've lost three people and all of our supplies. We only have a few weapons and it's all your fault!" Cato grabs the boy who struggles and twists, wrenching himself out of Cato's grasp. Cato grabs for him, trying to pull him back, but the boy is like a snake, sliding out of every hold Cato gets on him. Part of me wants to help him, but if I reveal myself, I'll be killed as well as the boy.

I can hardly stand to watch as Cato finally gets his arms around the boy's neck. I glance away, as Cato deftly breaks his neck. I want to cry, or try to help the boy, but I know he is dead, as the cannon fires. I swallow my tears though, and my anger as Cato spits at the boy's body, smirks and leaves, pulling the girl from 4 with him. She at first seems a little scared of Cato, but when she sees his eyes on her, smiles an insidious smile at the dead boy lying there.

I turn around and walk to where Rue had been standing three minutes ago. As I walk, I can tell something's wrong. I whistle the four notes. No answer. My pace quickens and suddenly I see her. She's lying in the dirt. I say, "Rue, c'mon get up, enough messing around." No answer. "Rue?" I say, getting more worried, my heartbeat quickening. Then I see her fully. She's lying in a slowly growing pool of blood.

"Rue!" I say. Looking around, there's no one in view. Her attacker must have fled, which is strange. Her eyes flutter open. "What happened?" I ask, worried that someone could be watching.

"Someone snuck up… on me" she says, slowly, taking short, quick breaths. "Knife, in my back. I think she's still nearby" This makes me even more worried, but Rue can't move, and I will not leave her to die.

"Rue, maybe I can save you." I say, even though I know her chances are slim. I can see her slipping away from me. I grab her hand, trying to keep her with me.

"Maybe, if I can find some witch hazel fast enough," I start looking, even though it's too late, but I can't just sit here, doing nothing.

"No," she is struggling to speak now, "You have to go. She's close still."

"I don't care. I can't lose you! You're like a sister to me, Rue!"

"Prim," she rasps, "Go, run, be safe."

"No! I can't. I won't leave you to die. There must be some way to save you!" There are tears running down my face, blurring my vision.

"Go!" she says, with such force, it must have taken everything she had. "Win for me, Prim." She says, her voice fading.

"I will, I promise. Goodbye, Rue." I say. Her eyes close, and her hand goes limp in my grasp. Her cannon thunders. She's gone. I press my lips to her forehead. "Goodbye."

I stand, wiping the tears from my face. I run into the woods, not letting myself look back at the body of my best friend as the hovercraft descends to pick up her body.

Author's Note

Thanks to skyblue5565, Sophia Lele, jenna2468, hbm123, me and Gingers rock for reviewing!

Please tell me what you think!

Vale,

Michela Snow