Chapter Eleven:

Kayla stepped away from the limp body of the once-powerful and beautiful District 2 tribute. "How many are left?" she asked softly, tears in her eyes.

"Us, Anne, and the District 9 boy."

She forced calmness in to her veins. She forced the memories of the other tributes, now dead, out of her mind. There were more important things. William stood quietly next to her, watching as the hovercraft took away the mangled body of Kate.

"We should go find water. We're running low," advised William softly.

They walked together in silence for some time, until they came upon the same stream Kayla had come to on the first day of the Games. How many days had passed? Not that many. Tributes had died pretty fast. Tired and thirsty and hot, Kayla touched the water with her finger tips.

A searing pain, something that felt like it was burning. She yelped and jumped back, examining her angry red fingers. Burned.

"It's acid," Kayla said, gritting her teeth.

"They want us to all...all get to...to..."

Kayla finished what he couldn't. "They want us all to go to where we started. In the field."

"A final bloodbath, eh?"

She had never heard him sound so bitter, but she nodded her agreement. Silently, they gathered the rest of their stuff. A white parachute appeared. Dasha had sent them acid burn medicine. It was cheap acid burn medicine, but it sent quick relief.

"I think she's running out of money," William murmured. "Maybe you shouldn't've begged her for no pain medicine for Sean."

"DON'T mention Sean," Kayla snarled, a fearful look coming to her eyes like a scared animal.

"O-okay."

They hid in bramble bushes, watching the field to see if the other two tributes had shown up. Both the District 9 boy and Anne sprung out in to the field suddenly. Against her better judgement, Kayla leapt in to the field to join the fight too. William followed, hot on her heels.

Kayla unsheathed a sword, something she rarely used. She wasn't sure what had encouraged her sudden fight not flee attitude, but she knew this wasn't her brightest idea. She was no good at hand to hand combat. Still, Kayla swiped at Anne and caught her with the flat of the blade.

Anne screamed with fury and threw a knife. It lodged in to William's gut, and he cried out, falling forward. Kayla sliced in to Anne's arm, causing her to spurt blood. There was a cannon shot, and since William was still writhing in pain, Kayla knew that another one of Anne's knives had made its mark. In the District 9 boy.

Something hit her shoulder, just as she was forcing her sword to slip down and cut in to Anne's chest. A death blow.

Kayla looked weakly at her shoulder, where her own blood started to spill. She sat down just as another cannon shot went off. Slowly and weakly, she crawled over to William, who was sprawled on the field, looking bad. His face was very pale and he had lost a lot of blood.

Kayla had that feeling again, the one that whatever she said in encouragement, that it was untrue. She knew something that she desperately did not want to admit. William was going to die.

"Don't leave me, William," she whispered, starting to sob hysterically. "Please, don't leave me!"

William's bloodied hand left his stomach wound to touch her cheek. "Shh, it's okay." His eyes were shining with tears. "Tell my family I love them, Makayla. I love you too."

She held his hand tightly, as if it were a lifeline, as if it would save his life. She blinked tears out of her eyes, not wanting to lose his brown/green gaze. "Will, please don't leave me. Please don't!"

"The medicine," he groaned.

She immediately pulled out the remainder of the pain medication and pushed the needle in to his arm. He calmed down instantly, the pain leaving his eyes. It was the strongest pain medication in the world.

"Live for me. Don't do what Kate did," William whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Kayla murmured, tears blinding her.

He gave a soft, contented sigh. "I know. I know. You be a good girl, okay?"

"Okay. Goodbye, William."

"Goodbye."

She kissed him gently, and he managed a small smile before he closed his eyes and fell unconscious.

And the very last cannon shot of the Games went off.