The Entrance

When we reach the entrance it is already getting dark. We peak inside the entrance and see a dark hallway. Oscar goes in first and the hallways suddenly lights up. The torches lining the walls have automatically set on fire as it got dark. I'm familiar with the technology but completely baffled by how the fire ignites. I try to grab a torch but they are nailed into the wall.

The hallway leads down to stairs. We go down the spiral steps and reach another hallway that leads into a bright red lighted room.

"Wait!" I say. "Before we do this, I want the truth from you."

"The truth?" He pauses. "Sorry, I was wrong to lie to you." He fixes his glasses. "I never saw Addis this morning; I was still shaken up over the girl from Eight. No, that's not true; I lied so you would come with me."

"Don't worry about it! I have a debt to repay anyway, right?"

Oscar smiles.

As we reach the end we can hear screams coming from inside the room. We both peak inside to get a better look.

In the center of the room there is a big hole that leads down to the lava. I can feel the heat emitting from the hole as we kneel at the doorway. On the other side of the room appears to be another entrance. I see Winnie and the girl from Twelve tied up. Winnie is practically at the edge of the hole. The girl from Twelve is struggling to get out from her confinement. I see the boy from One and the girl from Four enter from the other side.

"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" he says.

"NO!" I hear Winnie scream.

"Here!" says the girl from Four, passing the boy from One some rope.

The boy kicks Winnie into the hole. I expect Oscar to run in and do something but realize he has his arm blocking me from running into the room.

"Wait!" he says.

The boy from One is holding the rope that is protecting Winnie from falling into the lava.

"I'll get the boy from One, you grab the rope and pull Winnie up!" says Oscar.

I nod.

We run into the room. Everything happens so fast. I hear Winnie scream. I see the boy from One pull out his sword. I jump for the rope. I see the girl from Four dash for the exit. I see the girl from Twelve still trying to get free. I pull on the rope but feel no weight attached to it. I hear the sound of the cannon.

Oscar and the boy from One's struggle finally ends when the sword makes its way into Oscar's stomach. In one last final act, he grabs the boy from One and hauls him over the edge of the hole. They both plunge into the lava below, taking the sword with them. I hear the cannon go off two times.

Everything feels so surreal. All Oscar's hopes and dreams mean nothing now. I look up into the night sky for answers. I notice the girl from Twelve crying, still using all her energy to get free. I think of what Oscar said about the little girl. How by killing her he could have saved her. I think of pushing the girl into the lava but I pick up my stick instead. The girl is shaking her head at me as I walk toward her.

I bend down and try to cut away at the rope with my stick. I've seen this girl fight to survive from day one. I decide to let her keep on fighting and release her from the ropes. She wipes the tears from her face before wrapping her arms around my waist and squeezing me. She starts sobbing again. I wrap my arms around her and let the tears start flowing from my own eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" I hear a deep pitch feminine voice.

It's the girl from One. She chops off her prisoners head. The girl from Nine's head rolls across the floor as the cannon sounds, tears still running from her eyes. The girl from Twelve grabs my hand and we race for the opposite entrance to the volcano. It leads us out the other side and we run down the path. The girl from Twelve trips and begins rolling down the volcano. When I reach the bottom I check to see if she's ok. She is badly hurt and bleeding all over but she manages to get up. The girl from One is right on our tail.

"Go on without me," she says with a forced smile.

"Run!" I say, "Doesn't matter which direction just run! She will come after me for sure!"

She takes my advice and limps toward the trees. I run in the opposite direction as fast as I can; only turning to make sure the girl from One is chasing me. Why am I doing this? I think as I run into the forest. The Hunger Games isn't a summer camp where you make friends and sing songs together. It's a place where you kill your fellow Panemians. So why do I feel this way.

"I've been waiting since the training center to get a piece of you Five!" shouts the girl from One. "Haven't decided which piece yet!"

Once again, I'm on the run for my life.

*Note* Panemian [puh-nee-mee-uhn] - a citizen of Panem.*
**Completely made up word and NonCanon**
***Check out profile for pics of characters***