Something rustles ahead of us. Agina raises her bow, loaded and I attempt to push her behind me. She looks at me and I shake my head to tell her I've got this. She pulls another arrow out and places it on top of the loaded one, then turns and sticks her tongue out at me. We continue to move towards the rustling; cautious and aware. Someone is huddled over a body and they are picking at their equipment. I raise my sword up.
"Put the stuff back and walk away." I say. The person turns to face us and looks throws the equipment before scuttling away. They reveal a very scruffy Tyke, caked in blood and mud. I rush forward to him to check he's alright. Please be alright. Please be alright Tyke. He coughs and turns over. Jesus christ! He's just sleeping. I tell myself. A sigh of relief rushes over my head. My hands nestles on his shoulders then shake him.
"Wake up Tyke. Wake up you delusional bastard." I say. He wakes up and the warm brown eyes stare back up at me. I shiver with a tingly kind of warmth from the sight of him being alright.
"What are you doing here?" He asks. I cough with laughter.
"What am I doing here? What are you doing lying by yourself in the hunger games?"
"Oh."
"Listen...we're on the run from careers, we think, but we believe you might know where they are."
"We?" He questions. Agina comes into my vision, and Tyke's, which causes him to jumps out my grip.
"She! She wants to kill you! They can help you! They sent me to help you!" He screams. His head tilts back and bellows a loud whooping noise.
"No Tyke! Agina wants to help me and the careers want to kill me! You've got it all wrong. The careers have messed with your mind." I tell him.
"No! No, no, no!" He releases another whooping noise.
"That's your signal to them!"
"What is?"
"The whooping noise!"
"I'm not doing anything! Your lying!" He shouts. Another whooping noise.
"Tyke, why would I lie to you! Calm down!" I shout back at him. He doesn't reply. He holds his hand out to me so I can pick him up. I yank his hand behind me and he gets pulled up onto his feet.
"I see you have my sword." A voice says. I turn my head slowly to face the voice. Four people stand above me- careers.
"It's not your sword. I found it." I say. A hand slaps me round my face. It's Ceres.
"You're really close to being killed!" She screams at me. District 1 guy and girl's arms wrap around her.
"Easy Ceres," Leo says. "See we have a dilemma. We could kill you then let your dear Tyke suffer before we kill him or we kill him and let you suffer before we kill you." I stare into his eyes. There is no way I could win this fight. If I run they will kill Tyke and Agina. If I try and stay and fight, they will kill me on the spot. I need to break them up, but how? I slowly drop my hand to a few throwing knives. If I throw a few knives they will injure the careers enough for us to make a run for it.
"Since we're nice, we'll let you decide." District 1 girl says. I swap my sword into my left hand. My hand draws out three throwing knives meaning I must fight someone with my sword. I must get this right. Or I'm dead.
"So...either way...you're going to kill me." I confirm.
"Yes, basically. Yes." Replies Leo. I consider who I should pick on to fight with my sword. Leo is not an option. Ceres is in a fury which is dangerous due to its unpredictability. District 1 guy is less skilled with knives than me. I'm pretty sure district 1 girl was struggling with sword combat. District 1 girl it is.
"It's a tough choice." I say.
"I know," he replies "I'll guess you will choose to save yourself though. Am I right? So...we'll kill Tyke now and let you have a heads start." They all advance. I jump up and aim the knives at Ceres' chest, Leo's heart and district 1 guy's lung. They fall to the ground revealing district 1 girl- slightly shocked. I let her charge towards me. She throws her body towards me and I slide to the left-avoiding the attack. She attempts getting back up. I bring the sword up into the air and strike it into her back.
"Run!" I scream at Tyke and Agina. They run, fast, away from me. I wander for a split second as wether to run or finish her off first. I bring the sword up to her throat. She's warm. Her pulse is thumping against where by hand is by her neck. I take the sword away and stab her arm instead. Then, I run. I run and I hear Ceres scream.
"Cinder!" She yelps. Cinder. I echo. That was her name. A cannon sounds. The sound sends my body into full over coldness. I didn't want to kill her. I just wanted to live.
