Day Five: Lorna, Arnold and Maggie

Thankfully, Arnold's camp was just a few meters away, behind the trees.

"ARNOLD!"

Arnold and Maggie both stopped and looked at the sky. Just the guy from Ten today. They debated whether or not to cross the river tonight – either way, they were sitting ducks.

Both Maggie and Arnold heard the cries, just as they were about to cross the river.

Both exchanged one look, before turning and flying towards the scream. Maggie was ahead of Arnold, breaking through the foliage with her axe in hand.

She was killing the Mutt as Arnold pulled Lorna away, and he could already tell she was dishevelled. Maggie kicked the dead Mutt to the ground, and it shrivelled to nothing.

"Move, Arnold," she murmured, helping him drag Lorna away.

Lorna clung to Arnold's arm, whimpering and crying hysterically, sometimes screaming weakly.

"Shh," Maggie tried to soothe, and Arnold was becoming more desperate.

"Lorna, be quiet," he kept repeating. But it wasn't helping, and they rested her against a tree. Arnold ran a hand through his hair in desperation. He honestly didn't know what to do, and if Ornate stumbled upon them now...That would sign a death warrant.

Lorna buried her face in her hands, shaking.

"I killed him...I had to kill him...he asked me to marry him... and I killed him...I killed him..." the words she hadn't spoken aloud bubbled from her lips in desperation. She wrapped her arms around herself and whispered, "I don't want to die...but I don't want to live either..."

Maggie looked at her with eyes full of pity, before turning to an anguished Arnold. She moved him back a few steps, before he wrapped his arms around Maggie in a hug that meant he needed someone. Anyone, right now.

"That's my fault, Maggie. I should have stayed," he murmured, and she shook her head.

"Don't blame yourself, Arnold. It's this arena," she whispered, and he let go of the girl.

"Still," he stated, moving closer to his sister and crouching to her level.

"Lorna?" He asked, aware he had adapted a voice you may use when talking to a small child. "Lorna, listen. I'm so sorry," he stated, and Maggie sat down not far from the two.

Lorna looked up at him, her eyes hazy. "Arnold..." she whimpered.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know where I am." her voice was small and it was clear that, while she had some grasp of reality, she would never be the same. Not insane. But not sane, either. She'd always been a bit unstable, a little too emotional, and too easy to scare. But this had shoved her over that little line.

"Why are you sorry? I killed him..." she cried, tightening her arms around herself.

Arnold's heart dropped. He knew, from the moment her name was called, she could never make it through this arena as sane as he could have. And here was his proof.

He was silent for too long. But Maggie helped him, and he was incredibly grateful for her.

"You're in the Hunger Games arena," Maggie began. "I'm Maggie, your brother's...ally. And there are nine of us left here. There's a guy from One, named Ornate, and a girl from Two. A girl from Three. Yourself and your brother. Both tributes from Five, the female tribute from Seven and me. Your brother and I are trying to help you win."

At that, Arnold started. He didn't think Maggie, no matter how good of allies they were, would help him in his cause. Maggie flashed him a weak smile.

Lorna blinked. "I want to go home..." she bit her lip and tried to stop crying.

"But...if I win...you die?" she pulled Arnold towards her and held Maggie's hand.

Arnold nodded, his resolution setting in. If he was honest, he wasn't sure how his sister could win, unless he killed everyone else, and then himself. She just didn't seem capable – but he knew Seneca Crane wouldn't let people just kill themselves. It wasn't fun to watch.

They wanted more blood.

"Yeah, Lorna," Arnold replied. "Yeah."

Lorna closed her eyes, "I can't" She simply replied and with that she let them get her to sleep a little.

When she awoke she might be better aware of where she was. What she had to do.

She didn't listen to anything else; she just closed her eyes and curled into a ball. Soon fast asleep.

Her brain needed to work its way through the craze.

She woke up before the 'sun' had risen. She was jittery, but more conscious. The day before had probably been too heavily fresh on her unstable mind and running into 'Raul' had damn near pushed her over the edge. Be that as it may, she was still not quite there. Hanging on though. Barely.

She could think a bit more though. So she thought, as she waited for Maggie and Arnold to get up. She thought about a lot of things. She wondered if she'd ever swim again. If she'd ever hold her sister's hand. If her mother liked Raul. What her father would think of her now. If he'd find something to hold on to in the darkness of the situation.

She thought about how Arnold was a hero.

For giving up everything.

To save her.

And she loved him. So much.

That last thought gave her that push she needed.

To push through the pain, just until it was over.

But while Arnold was alive she wanted to make him proud.

She clung desperately to that lifeline thought.

As long as she had Arnold, she'd be okay.