A/N: Hello! I am back from the dead!
In the previous chapters, I have expressed my sorrow for not updating within weekly spans, then monthly, even reaching up to - five months, was it? - yet, this truly is the topper. Eleven months, that's got to be some kind of record, I think. Either way, I'm immensely sorry. I guess my only excuse, which is weak at best, is that my school life reached an extreme peak with stress (because the way my school is, I can do college work along with high school work, therefore getting my Associates Degree by high school graduation if I pass everything) and it took a while for me to sort of find my rhythm with it. However, I know many students' school life is far worse than mine, so I should not use this as an excuse, especially with the end of the school year already gone.
In actuality, as much as I hate to say it, I once again suffered a loss of inspiration. It was probably linked to my schoolwork as well, but as I looked back at the previous chapters of this story, I realized that there are numerous aspects of my writing in TBotE that I do not enjoy. Some are even cringe worthy now. I noticed bad plot points that would make Lucy another typical Mary Sue, even her name. There are several points of this story I simply did not like, so I neglected to continue.
However, this is not an announcement of discontinuation. After a lot of consideration, I decided that I did want to finish this story before I attempted to rework it. So, I WILL be continuing The Beginning of the End, but I fear that updates like this may be a norm, for as much as I hate to admit it, I am the absolute worst at motivation and writing. I'll try my best to get another chapter out before next year, though, aha, don't need to go another eleven months without posting!
On a happier note, I want to thank you all for your continued support. I hope you've all been doing well! I know I must be a difficult person to like, aha. Also, this is a relatively short chapter, (I know, so long for such a short chapter, I'm so sorry!) only because it's setup for the next few! I'll try my best to get them out soon!
LovableAmethyst129: I know, I know, I'm so sorry! Procrastination and neglect are two of my absolute worst habits when it comes to writing, and I hate having you all suffer because of it - I truly don't mean to make you anxious. Thank you, though, for supporting this story and I through it, and I'll try harder to get these out quicker than eleven months!
ChasingWolves: Ah, to be honest, I didn't consider having Peeta be the one to save her! From the beginning, my sole focus was having Rue be the one to help, but Peeta would certainly have been an interesting twist. Thank you!
Guest (1): Yes, inserting OCs into Katniss's place in the books certainly is a popular fan fiction plot, and I recognized this as I matured as a writer, but I'm hoping to branch away from the general concept of it.
Guest (2): Ah, I can understand where you're coming from with this. When I first started this story, I used the individual chapters as a sort of guide to get me through the setup. I know many aspects are similar, but at the time, I was either thirteen or fourteen, and my writing was not the best (it still could improve, to be honest). The book was what helped me the most—I wanted to use the original work to express similar places, people, etc., but when it came to a certain point, I wanted to deviate from it. The last chapter was that point. Now, I'm hoping to bring my own spin on it. I realize that many things are similar, but I'm also trying to make many things different. Lucy is not the Girl on Fire (like some others that I've read). Lucy will not be the Mockingjay (I don't know if I've ever really liked the Mockingjay being a person anyway). There won't be a love triangle either, that much I'm positive of. Yes, many things are similar, but many things will be different too.
Anonymous fan: Aw, thank you! I'm glad you think that way with Peeta, I was hoping to portray it like that–I hope you continue!
Guest (3): I'm sorry; I'll try harder next time!
minor updates 12/29/18
…
I awake to the sound of fire.
It's startling to say the least. I start to jolt up, start to reach for the little supplies we have and rouse Rue, but then the humming registers. When I blink away the remainder of sleep she's there, stoking a small fire and using a stick to roast eggs and the bird from yesterday over the flames. The four-note tune fades away as she notices I'm awake, and she offers me a smile. "Morning," she chirps.
"What's that?" I ask.
"Breakfast," she grins as she pulls the food off. "Nicked the eggs from a nest nearby; I figured we were secluded enough to have a fire so I cooked them. I hope that's alright?"
There's a small twinge of annoyance, but I tag it as survival instinct and it fades quickly. She's right; the cave is tucked away enough to have a fire, but I still remain weary of potential tributes nearby and how the smoke lingers in the air around us. We may be secluded from others, but not from smoke. Rue hands an egg and one of the bird's wings to me, effectively dissipating my thoughts.
Outside, through the waterfall's edge, I spot sunlight. It seems like the Gamemakers are treating us to another good day, and it makes me uncomfortable. Just what could they be planning? Surely they wouldn't let days like this one continue for long; their audience would lose interest fast.
Rue, however, doesn't seem to think entirely the same way I am. She peers outside and smiles so wide that it must hurt. "Nice day today, isn't it? Maybe they're feeling generous."
I frown. "Maybe so, but we can only be too careful."
Her face instantly shifts, and guilt rises. We may be in an arena where children fight to the death, but Rue is still only twelve years old, still innocent enough to find joy in the simple things. Like a sunny day. I backtrack. "Which is why we're going to take this day to our advantage."
She cocks her head to the side. "We are? How?"
I toss the bones from the bird toward the cave opening and stand with a smirk. "We're going to make you a weapon."
The thought has been in my head for the past few hours, ever since Rue drifted off to sleep the previous night. Rue did do well with the knives, but like me with the trident, they didn't suit her. However, in a place like this, it is almost necessary that she has one. I may not be with her all the time, so she is definitely going to need at least something to protect her.
Rue seems to take to the idea, but she offers me another quizzical look. "What can be used to make a weapon in here? Vines can't make very good weapons."
Actually, if you used them as rope they have the potential to be good, but I ignore that. A memory tugs at the back of my mind from our time training for the Games. Small targets and metal practice balls for ammo. Rue with a slingshot, perched in the jungle gym used for strength conditioning, twenty feet away from the first target. Her hitting almost every one. "You had great aim with that slingshot back during training. We find a proper stick, get some vine, and a good enough weapon to shoot, and you've got yourself a weapon.
She considers it then grins. Together, we wrap up the remaining parts of the bird and store it deep in my bag. By the time the sun is just starting to rise high in the sky, we are making our way into the jungle once again.
It takes longer than I had anticipated for us to find a stick suitable for the job. Rue was right, the jungle may supply good berries and vines for anyone to use, but when it comes to sturdy, small wood pieces, there's a significant slack. Judging by the sun, it's just past two when Rue prances up to me, a stick with a suitable structure clutched in her hand. I find some vine elastic enough to be used to send ammo flying towards an opponent and start tying knots around the stick carefully. Rue decides to try gathering a few more of the berries we've been snacking on.
"So, have you always known Peeta?"
Her question startles me. My hand jerks, and the knot I had been tying slips off the branch completely, tangling and forcing me to undo it. I glance up at Rue, who eyes me innocently, and choke out, "I'm sorry?"
She doesn't miss a beat. "Peeta. Have you always known him? When did you meet?"
I have to pause to consider her question. When did I really meet Peeta? Not when we passed each other in the halls at school, or when we would exchange greetings as I passed the bakery on my way home, or at reapings. Was there ever a time that I knew Peeta before the Games?
Then, suddenly, I get my answer as I glance to the tree behind Rue. Yes, I technically have met Peeta. How could I forget so easily?
"We were six, I think."
Rue senses the oncoming story and wraps up the few berries she gathered before sitting directly in front of me. She looks eager, and I can't help but smile. I fiddle with the vine in my hand, trying to gather my thoughts. People in the Capitol would surely love to hear a bit of backstory between Peeta and I, wouldn't they? Haymitch's voice rings in my ear, encouraging me. I decide to disregard how I'm supposed to be mad at him just for this moment. "It was early into the school year. We were assigned in the desks next to each other, and we had to do a project together."
The project, of course, was right up Peeta's alley. It was in our art class – which, at the time, was one of the better years supply wise, as Twelve had gotten a rare box of art equipment from the Capitol – and the teacher had told us to draw something we saw in town together. The memory's fuzzy, but I remember greeting Peeta with a hand extended, as my parents had just taught me that was the polite thing to do, and Peeta giving me a toothy grin. At the time, I thought he would've been a great friend to have.
"Our teacher wanted us to draw something in Twelve. Anything we wanted; flowers, the mine, a house. Peeta and I decided on a tree by the school's playground."
Peeta had been as considerate back then as he is now. My artistic skills have always been limited to what little supplies my parents had in our back room, so when Peeta discovered I couldn't truly draw much more than squiggles, he volunteered to do the majority of the drawing. He and I worked together that way – I described the tree, he drew. Even at the tender age of six, he could draw better than anyone I'd ever seen. It's no wonder his parents had him design the cakes at the bakery.
"I'm ashamed to say he did most of the work on the project." A quick laugh, Rue giggles mix in, then, "It was the best picture of our class though, so it was definitely worth it. When I thanked him and told him how good of an artist he was, he told me how he wanted to design the cakes at his parents' bakery when he got older. I had no doubt he could do it."
"And did he?" Rue asks.
Has Peeta never spoken of his talent to the Capitol? I rack through memories of every time Peeta was in front of a camera and come to find that he hasn't. I pause, smile softly, and nod. "I'm not exactly sure when, but he did. Honestly, his work is amazing. I used to take my brother by the bakery just so we could see the new designs Peeta had come up with. My brother loved them, and so did I."
All this talk of Peeta inevitably makes my mind wander. How is he faring? Did the rain get him too? Is he lagging around the arena with the Careers as I surely would have been had Rue not saved me? I know he isn't dead, Rue told me as much, but the worry still snags a place in my subconscious. Despite his betrayal, I can't help but fear for Peeta's safety.
My mind drifts to Nate then, which does not help at all. Memories of the bakery drag forward moments of our time admiring Peeta's handiwork, which ultimately make me want to cry. I can only hope Katniss and Prim are taking care of him.
Luckily, Rue distracts me before my thoughts can delve any deeper. "What happened then? Peeta said in his interview that he thought you didn't know who he was until the reaping. Why didn't you stay in touch?"
It takes me a minute, but I finally find my answer hidden within blonde hair and a cheery voice. The sound of Peeta's laughter mixed with Delly Cartwright's fades away as I face Rue and shrug. "We were separated a couple of months later, and Peeta became good friends with another girl in my class."
I'm not bitter, as I know events like this are only natural. Rue seems to think otherwise, for her face shifts as she scrunches her nose. "Good riddance, then," she says with a good-natured giggle.
I laugh along with her, but my mind drifts away again. What if Peeta and I had became friends rather than drift apart? What would we be now? Would we be able to tell what the other was thinking just by a look, as most friends can? Would we celebrate birthdays together, know the small things like favorite colors or pet peeves, and encourage each other through anything? I know so little about Peeta now, but could it have been different?
Perhaps, a stray thought whispers, we could've even been more.
The thought certainly is entertaining, but I know I can't linger on it. The past is behind me now, and there's nothing I can do about it. Who's to say something couldn't have went wrong between ages six and sixteen? Ten years is a long time, especially in this world I live in.
Without realizing it, I have managed to finish Rue's slingshot. I test it with another small stick, and although it's decent in terms of strength, I deem it worthy of defending her in emergencies. She smiles gleefully when I hand it to her, and then says, "Thank you! But what am I going to use as ammo?"
The flowers. Plants that bright must have a secret weapon to protect themselves, shouldn't they? Sure enough, when I find a bush of the artificial flowers I passed on the first day and nudge the buds aside with a long stick, I see the stems are covered with the nasty looking thorns I had walked over on the first day. "I think," I say, showing them to Rue, "these will do nicely."
We both don our gloves and pluck a couple handfuls of the thorns and Rue slides them into a pocket just below her knee, where a velcro lid keeps them in place.
I glance up at the sun and decide there's enough time to do a little more hunting. Rue drifts off to continue gathering berries. We're quiet, but it isn't awkward. The silence is comforting, in a way, because I know it'll be harder for the Careers to find us. Our hushed voices and quiet steps surely make it harder for anyone to find us, let alone the Careers. It's the first time I feel even a remote amount of confidence.
Within the next few seconds, however, everything changes.
I'm just starting to fling my knife at another bird when I hear a scream. It's a good distance away, but it manages to startle me enough to miss the bird completely. Panic fills my senses, but then Rue comes crashing through the vines a few feet away. She's just as panicked as I am, and I know she must have thought the same thing I did. If neither of us are in trouble, then who is?
Another scream follows the first, and I hear the voice change from grief to pain. The cannons sound for them not even a second later. It's too late for anyone to help the unfortunate tributes.
Rue and I hide in a tangle of vines for quite a while, neither brave enough to move nor willing to risk our safety. She clings to me, whimpering slightly, and I comfort her as much as I can with my own arms shaking horribly.
I have no doubt the new deaths were brought by the Careers. Their jaunts, still fresh in my mind, rise up again.
"And we'll kill the next six!"
The deaths of two more tributes certainly wouldn't have meant much to them. They must be celebrating by now. Only four more to go. Is Peeta celebrating too?
The thought brings a new wave of nausea over me.
"We have to stop them," I say without thinking.
Rue peers up to me, eyes wide. She's so small, so innocent, and it only solidifies the thought in my head. One or both of us is going to die in here, but I refuse to let it be for the sport that the Careers are making it into. The Hunger Games may be inescapable, but I can try to make it less horrible for those remaining.
Her eyes fill with conviction. I can't help but feel pride at how bravely she takes to the idea. "How are we going to do it?"
A voice I don't recognize answers before I can.
"I-I think I can help with that."