A hovercraft lowered to the ground near Carmen and the wolf mutt. Carmen closed her eyes, her fingers tangled in Ezra's long, thick fur. She felt her life slipping away, the sound of Ezra's heartbeat in her ear began to slow. With the last of her mental strength, Carmen prodded the separate part of her mind.
"Stay alive," she mumbled.
The footsteps of a group of men made the ground shudder, Carmen was barely conscious as they carried her back to the hovercraft.
"Ezra! Come on!" Carmen said as loud as she could, her glazed over eyes fixed on her only friend.
The mutt struggled to its paws and hobbled after Carmen. Carmen smiled slightly, her limp fingers brushed Ezra's mane. She was carried up into the hovercraft and lowered to the floor.
Carmen stared dimly at the ceiling as several people in white clothes tore at her clothes and began smearing lemon-smelling cream on her many injuries.
"Look. After Ezra." Carmen gasped as the mutt flopped to the ground nearby.
Two more people swarmed the mutt, tending its injuries. Carmen closed her eyes again and her mind faded into darkness.
She felt herself falling, down and down. I'm at Death's Door, she thought. The thought failed to alarm here, then she lost all conscious thought.
Carmen groaned, every part of her body ached and bright lights shone through her eyelids. Without even thinking about it, her eyes flicked open. She squinted into the light.
After her eyes had adjusted to the glare, she sat up and looked around. She was in a white room, sitting on a small bed. The only furniture in the room. Carmen brushed her hair out of her eyes and bit her lip.
"Am I dead?" she wondered aloud.
"No, no, of course not," laughed a mans voice.
Carmen flicked her eyes towards the man who had just entered the room.
"Carlo?" she asked.
"Of course, well done Carmen, The Hunger Games champion!" chuckled her mentor.
Carmen smiled and saw Hadrian enter the room behind him. His dark skin shone in the artificial light, showing his red leaf tattoos clearly.
"Hadrian!" Carmen cried, "Did I really win?"
Her stylist nodded, a smile on his face.
"Yes, you really did sweetheart."
Carmen grinned; she was even pleased to see Tarliea prance into the room.
"Oh, well done. That was so exciting, wasn't it?" squealed the Capitol woman.
Carmen nodded slightly and laughed, she had won the Hunger Games!
"Where is Ezra?" she asked suddenly.
"Ezra?" queried Tarliea, looking confused.
"My mutt, from the arena," Carmen explained.
"Oh, I don't know, call him perhaps," Tarliea muttered before leaving.
Carmen instructed the feral part of her mind to come to her. She waited expectantly. Minutes later the thudding of heavy paws and clicking off claws echoed up the corridor outside her room.
Ezra burst through the door, his pink tongue lolling out between his needle teeth.
"Ezra!" Carmen cried, her arms open wide.
The mutt bounded forward and licked her face. Carmen giggled and pushed him away. Carmen looked up at her mentor and stylist.
"So what now?" she asked.