Chapter 13 The night seems to be the longest of my life and in the morning the sky is darker and more grey than ever before. I sit in the cave trying to keep myself sane. My name is Audrie LaRose I am sixteen years old, I'm fighting in the hunger games, there are fourteen tributes dead and ten remaining it is the sixth day of the games. I recount all of this in my mind and then take a deep breath. A silver parachute falls into our cave. And I being the only one awake open it, there's eight protein bars in the silver tin, breakfast. I wake up the others and we refill our canteens from a trickle of melting snow running into our cave. We eat the bars and drink some water. Everyone looks like hell. James' face looks pale and his lips are cracking with windburn his eyes look red and tired. Flint 's wounds are healing but still are deeply red. His eyes are sad, and lonely. Polaris looks weather beaten his face chapped and his hair matted. These are the scars of war. James squeezes my hand. "Are you okay Audrie?" He asks I shake my head, " I don't want to be here anymore" I say my voice cracking " I don't want to see the clouds anymore, I want freedom, sunlight, warmth" I cry Flint hugs me, "it's okay Audrie, you can go home soon" he says "I miss May" I sigh as we climb out of the cave. We trek down into the forest bringing us into the afternoon, Polaris helps me set a few traps in the wood to catch animals for food and we begin to walk deeper. Suddenly we hear voices and freeze up in our tracks. The pair from eleven comes into the clearing behind us James and Polaris shove me to the ground. Polaris shoves James down into the brush on top of me, James holds my arms down. The four of them stand poised to square off, "There's only ten tributes left" Violet says a bit of regret in her voice. " We have no choice" The scythe clings against a knife Polaris has he tosses a spear at Violet but she dodges it. She pulls two pointed daggers from her belt and goes after Flint. Metal clashes and blood begins to spill from wounds. Flint's axe blocks Violet's daggers while Polaris slices into Cloud's face. Violet 's dagger hits Flint 's axe and the weapon comes clanging out of his hand as the other dagger runs straight through his body. His eyes stare shocked, like he'd been hit with lightning. Violet kicks the axe away then goes to help Cloud fight Polaris. James is up with his sword and I'm loading an arrow into my bow, as the fight begins, Violet takes one swipe at James and my arrow finds its mark in her skull. I stand lifting Flint's axe and burying it in Cloud's back which is turned towards me. Polaris slumps down into the red snow all around us. James and I rush to Flint as he stares up lifelessly. I can't hold back my sobs as I clean the blood from him. James closes Flint's eyes and puts his arm around me. Three cannon shots go off. The sun begins to set and we scramble back to the cave collecting two squirrels from our traps on the way. We collect wood for a fire and set a small one behind a boulder near the cave and cook our squirrels and three of our cans of stew. We eat, stomp out the coals of our fire and slip back into our cave. I sit wedged between Polaris and James staring at the sky outside as the anthem plays. I bury my face into James' shoulder and Polaris wraps an arm around me. " so I guess tonight they interview our families" I say "seven of us left" James nods "final seven" " Mother, Hunter if you're able to see this I love you" I say tearfully as James wraps his arms around me pulling my face into his warm shirt and wrapping his jacket around us both. " I'll send her home to you all" James says barely a whisper but I'm sure the microphones picked it up. Polaris looks up, " I'm not going to make it through this alive, so Mom, everyone at home my heart will be with you always, a better Panem waits on the horizon" James holds me while I cry, and then lifts a large hand to cup my cheek and wipe the tears away. He leans down and kisses my lips softly. I'm swept into the moment, kissing back lightly. The three of us sleep close, Polaris at my back and James holding me into his chest.