Warning 26
Rue's P.O.V
The pain is causing a white light to slowly begin obscuring my line of vision.
"Rue..." Rosie's soft, shaking voice whispers my name, obviously terrified and worried, "please don't die, Rue."
The light suddenly fades, and a flashback takes the place of the searing pain:
*Begin flashback*
"Wow..." A familiar soft voice whispered behind her, and she turned just in time to see the red bow fall to the side of her youngest sister's head, "you look beautiful."
"And you..." she replied with a smile, bending down just a bit to adjust the bow back into her sister's braid, "look adorable."
"Thank you!" Raisly chirped happily at the compliment herself, hugging her around the neck before stepping back to admire her oldest sibling's new sundress with the daisies sewed in, "Rue...you won't get reaped, right?"
Since she'd practiced while alone in the tree's, she responded easily, "Of course not."
"But...but what if you do?" nine-year-old Tarsah asked softly and hiestantly before five-year-old Raisly could.
The curious eyes of the rest of the other five siblings went to her questioningly. Rue, being the oldest, was like their leader and partly their lifeline along with their parents, and it was her first year to be entered. But the most worrying part, though, was that her name was in there eight times instead of the usual one, simply because the family needed the extra tessarae.
"Then you guys have to be strong..." she couldn't help but look over to eleven-year-old Jackson, "no matter what."
She watched him swallow his dry throat, and it looked as if he was about to speak before eight-year-old Stephan piped up, "I promise."
"Yeah..." Jackson half-whispered, sounding worried, weak, but sincere, "I promise, too."
"I promise," Tarsah and Rose spoke in unison, and Raisly nodded, though Rue kind of doubted that she'd understand totally what was completely riding on line when she was so young.
"Alright," the twelve-year-old leaned out and kissed their foreheads in turn, "let's get this over with, alright?"
*Flashback shift*
"Rue-"
The second she heard her first name called she felt absolute terror. Her body went rigid and stiff as the other twelve-year-old's shifted their gaze to her, most of them relieved but others symapthtic. Taking a deep breathe, she became detirmined that she was not going to cry and that she was going to be the bravest twelve-year-old to step on that stage. Holding up her head best she could, she walked up the steps without the Peacekeepers pulling her, and stood there, mentally aware of how small she was, especially when Thresh was reaped.
She knew right then she was going to have to be swift and smart if she was going to win, and that she wasn't going to cry; she was going to be a winner.
*Flashback shift*
"You said you weren't going to get reaped..." tears were pouring out of Tarsah's eyes as she clung to her older sister's waist, "what if you die, Rue? I don't wanna lose you!"
"You're not going to lose me," she promised quickly and softly, gently prying her arms from around her waist and looking every single one of them in the eye in turn, "I'm going to win."
"Well...you are really quick..." Raisly spoke hiestantly.
"Yes!" Rue nodded in encouragement.
"And you're really smart, and quiet..." Stephan offered in himself, smiling and looking a little more assured when she nodded.
"Maybe you can win!" Tarsah seemed more assured, but still scared.
"What if you don't, though?" Rose was always a realist, and the six siblings stood in silence for a moment as Jackson's eyes met her own.
"We have to be strong. No matter what," he repeated, almost in a whisper.
"You will too...won't you?" Raisly looked at her as the door began opening, signaling their time was up.
"...I promise."
*End flashbacks*
Suddenly, the searng light returns, pulling me back into reality. That promise worked the first time like a charm, but I haven't seen them in months. I won for them the first time, but now that I'm here with little Rose...there is no way I can win with her. Maybe it's better I haven't seen them, just so I can't promise them I'll win when I can't. The only chance is escaping the arena, but who to say any of my alliance are still alive?
I can't do it alone, and right now as it is, I can feel my body dying.
Prim's P. O V.
I miss Katniss...
That seems to be the only thing I can know for certain right now, and everything else appears to be a blurr. Like I can hardly tell what's real and what's not, and what's going to happen next. Shivering as I get back to my feet, I look to Johanna, feeling weak, vuerable, and helpless as I was before that first Reaping Day. I've been trying to be so strong in the last few months, but now I'm falling back down into who I am: Fearful. Timid. Spineless.
Weak.
Somehow, I need my big sister to protect me again, but she's dead and gone and passed tonight.
"Come on, kid," Johanna sighs now, grabbing my arm forcfully and starting to pull me with only half the power she must hold, "we might as well find whatever of your alliance is still alive."
Rainlynn grabs my free hand, and I squeeze her smaller one. She is so small and so, so young, and I suddenly get the spark of an idea and of slight hope. If I can protect her and take care of her just like Katniss used to do with me...maybe I continue to be strong. The odds are completely out of my favor, but maybe, just maybe, I can get at least her out of the arena.
Finnick's P. O. V.
I just stare at the artifical sky, even after her picture fades from the sky.
Somehow, the fearless Katniss Everdeen has been killed by another tribute. Obviously it wasn't Cato, considering he, (at least should be,) dead himself; after what Primrose pulled last year, I'm not sure what's real myself. Even the spirits of Fia and Kyle seem surprised somehow, and Peeta is staring blankly into the night, obviously in total shock. There is no way either of us expected this, and both of us know that whoever killed her had to be one of the strongest, and somehow who knew her weak points.
It's still nearly impossible as it is, though.
Mags is asleep with Wiress somewhere nearby, and Beetee is fiddling with some kind of gadget. Sighing to myself softly, considering Peeta will be in no shape to keep watch after we just learned about his love's death, I start patrolling, trying to force my mind back to be straight. If I ever lost Annie that way, I'm not sure what I'd do, especially after I lost Fia recently; poor guy, especially when he just lost Kyle.
Even if I am one of the youngest victors to emerge from the Games, I wouldn't be able to handle that myself and I know it.
A gleam of something silver catches my eye, making me squint against the darkness and grip my trident. It's instantly obvious there's another tribute out, ready to try and kill one of us, which means I'm going to have to fend them off for the time being. I'm faintly aware of Peeta falling to his knees as I push away the underbrush, squinting further with my trident ready to strike/kill. Mentally, I remind myself of what we're up against, at least potientally.
Dead: Cato, The District Two brother and sister, Wiress' sister, Fia, the two tributes from Six, the District Seven male tribute, the District 8 tributes, and all of the contenders from Districts Nine and Ten, Katniss, Kyle, and Gale.
Living: Cashmere, (the District One girl,) Cashmere's brother, Wiress, Beetee, Mags, the District Fives, Johanana, Rainlynn, Rue, Rose, Peeta, Prim, and I.
That can't be a good thing; we're getting down to our allies. After the District Fives are gone and so are the District Ones, it'll be us fighting each other unless we can still break out. I'm a trained killer, but it won't be easy for me to try and murder people I feel like I was starting to trust. Sighing inwardly, I rip away the brush covering the rest of the attacker's weapon and am almost greeted with getting decipated. Jumping back quickly, I catch the sword between the thongs of my trident, jerking up sharply and letting the sword fly away for his/her grip.
"Nice try," I snarl, grabbing their throat and slamming them into the nearest tree, "who do you think you are?!"
They struggle for a moment, but slowly, it dawns them they won't be getting free from me, "I...what's it...?"
"Don't you know it's rude not to answer a direct question?" I almost smirk as I push their neck further into the tree, reconizing that my captive is female, "let's try this again: Who do you think you are?"
Beneath my grip on her, I feel her throat swallow shakily and something wet splash on my hand, "I'm...my name is Selena."
She sounds young, and a part of me wants to let her go to question her without me constraining her like I am. Then again, looks can be extremely decieving, even I know she's only twelve. For all I know, her meek and shy angle for her interview could have been completely fake, and she could be a ruthless killer, even if she isn't a Career.
"What are doing here with a weapon that big?" I ask accusingly, not lessening my grip in the end.
"I..." more wet, hot, salty tears splash onto my hand, and I resist the urge to tell her to stop her crying and making me feel like the monster I am, "I have to go home, Mr. Odair."
She knows my name.
The realist in my tells me that everyone knows my name and who I am, but it's still takes me off gaurd a bit. She definatley is good at acting like she has good intentions, even if she truthfully (possibly) doesn't. Either way, I loosen my hold on her neck slightly, and judging by how she gasps out, I've made it easier for her to breath. Much to my displeasure, though, it makes it easier for her to start crying all that harder.
"You're going to attract the other tributes," I sigh, covering her mouth firmly with the hand that was holding her neck.
She sees her opening the second I let go.
Quickly, she ducks between my legs, grabbing the trident from my loseened grip and yanks back. It clatters to the ground instantly, and she moves like a bolt, pulling it away from me as fast as she can manage and sitting on it. Rolling my eyes for a momnt, I grab the other end and jerk up, making her hit the ground shoulder-first while I regain a grip on my weapon. She starts scrambling in the other direction, but I'm faster; in no time, she's pinned to another tree by my foot in her stomach. Just like before, she begins crying and struggling uselessly, but this time I just dig my foot in a little harder.
"Shut up!" I hiss out.
"Please, Mr. Odair...I don't wanna die!" she hiccups miserably and pathetically, bringing up her hands to hide her teary face against the darkness and myself.
"Niether do I," grabbing her neck, I pin her sharply to the tree and put the tips of my trident points into her chest, making her scream loudly and start fighting with everything she has.
"Finnick?" Peeta's voice already sounds more hollow and empty, "what're you doing?"
After he's already learned of the death of Katniss Everdeen, bringing up death is probably not a good topic. Rolling my eyes again and sighing inwardly, I let this Selena girl drop to ground, making her yelp and scramble away, toward the bushes. Another cuts her off, though- Mags. Her old hands trembling as always, she feels this girl's face and hair carefully, like an inspector.
Just as I'm about to seperate the two, she manages in her old, paper-thin voice, "Trust."
Trust?!
Selena is obviously too young to be a tribute this year, so her sibling can't be far away. Considering who's left in the arena at this point, she's got to be from District Five, which isn't a huge issue but still a faint one. The District Fives really don't pull in a lot of Victors, so I have little doubt whoever else got pulled back in is going to be frantic.
Still cautious, I grab Selena's arm, "Who are you here with?"
"My brother..." She manages fearfully, and the second she tells me, a rustling of leaves tells me he's found us.
Prim's P.O.V.
She's laying in the meadow with Rosé at her side, and she looks in a lot of pain.
"Rue!" I gasp, rushing away from Rainlynn and Johanna instantly, "Rue, what happened?!"
"Gale..." She gasps out, and I clutch her hand, bloodied by her stomach wound.
"He wouldn't...he..." I gasp, closing my eyes and letting tears form the first time in months.
My dead sister's love betrayed us.
Leaning over my dying best friend's body, I cry my eyes out.