Chapter 36

Rhett and I agree to find the surviving tributes together, but I can tell he is reluctant. I'm sure that he thinks that he will have to kill. I won't lie to him by telling him he won't have to, because I know that he probably will.

We only bring one pack each, and don't even bother to pack up our camp. We know that we won't be coming back.

We each have some food, water, first aid kits, and weapons on us. Along the way I practice with my knives, just to make sure that I am still able to win a fight with another tribute.

"I'm still wondering who is alive." I say to Rhett.

"Me too. The final 7 were you and I, of course, and the Career pack."

"How many were in the pack?"

"Four."

"That only comes up to 6, then."

"Oh yea… Who is it then…"

"You're asking me? I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to know everyone in this arena, but then I almost died and lost my memory."

"Sorry, just sort of wondering aloud."

"It's fine."

He falls silent, and I do too. Maybe I'll be able to remember who the last tributes are… Probably not, though. Not without somebody's face shining in the sky.

We reach the entrance to the wetland area, and I take a deep breath. "Let's go."

"Are you ready?"

"I said, let's. Go."

"Okay, okay, I'm opening it."

We enter the arena and stay on the dry land, waiting to hear any footsteps. We stand there, trying to stay hidden, waiting to hear any signs of life like idiots for an hour.

"Nobody is here. So they all found their way out…" Rhett says quietly.

"Yea, we should probably check though."

"Alright."

First we walk around the perimeter of the arena, and when I reach a door marked '4F' I remember my stylist, getting out of my area, and when it's over I ask Rhett if we can walk around a bit. He agrees since he saw my eyes glaze over, and we set out. I'm sure now that nobody is in here, but I need to find places to trigger something in my head.

I start thrashing around in a clearing and Rhett has to restrain me when I remember a fight with the other Careers, Grey being killed, but I relax a bit when I kick the crap out of them for it.

We reach the Cornucopia and I remember a bloodbath, killing a girl in cold blood, and Grey kissing me in the night. I also remember 2 other tributes that I had given some supplies to… I'm not sure who they are, but I hope they're still alive. The thing is that I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that they're both dead.

"Rhett, were there twins in the Games?"

"Yea, Chance and Doyle I think you said."

"Are they dead?"

"Yes…" his voice is quiet, like it always is when he talks about one of the people that were killed.

"Let's go back outside and find the others. I want this all to end, one way or another."

We take our time getting back outside, not for fear of being killed, but for the fear of killing. I want to postpone getting yet another soul on my conscience for as long as I can, and Rhett isn't exactly eager either.

I eventually find some fresh footprints in the dirt, so I have Rhett try to be as quiet as possible as we follow the tracks. Rhett realizes something weird about them, and voices his concerns to me.

"Um, Lily? What is with these prints?"

I sigh and look down, and see that he's right. I examine it closely and see that there are smaller footprints inside of them.

"They're already being stalked by someone else."

"Or they're together."

I highly doubt it, but I don't say anything. I continue on soundlessly, and the trees are beginning to get a bit thicker. I don't pay any heed to them though, because I can tell we're getting close. There's a tingling in my bones, and I can just feeling the churning in my stomach. I know that I'll have to be the one to kill them.

I hear a gurgling, and realize that that's why the trees are thickening. The stream is nearby, and that's where they're going.

I signal to Rhett to proceed with caution as we emerge out of the tree line. I see something moving on the other side of the stream, and they're pretty far ahead. I motion Rhett to move back, and we have a heated conversation considering the fact that we're whispering.

"I have to go ahead and see who it is!"

"No way! They might be dangerous, I'm not letting you go ahead alone!"

"I have to! How else are we going to find out who they are! Just trust me on this one, please?"

"The last time I let you do something alone like this you lost your memory, at least let me go with you?"

"No! Then if they catch us they will have us both, and you won't have a chance at winning. I'm not giving up on the hopes that you will win."

"You better give up on those hopes soon, because I'm going to make sure you win!"

"We are not having this conversation right now!"

"I think we are! Come on, at least then you will be able to remember everything!"

"I won't want to live though, since you won't be there!"

"Well neither will I!"

"Too bad, because you will win even if I have to tie you to a tree and kill the other two tributes to do it!"

He falls silent when he realizes that I mean to kill myself as well if I choose to go through with that plan.

"Stay here," I say firmly, and he doesn't argue this time. He just crouches grimly and silently, so I say, "Come here. Can't I have a goodbye hug?"

He gets up and gives me a hug, and then he pokes me in the stomach, which makes me giggle. He keeps poking me, but when he reaches my ribs his eyes grow wide. He zips open my jumpsuit and pulls up my shirt. I have a bra on underneath, but I don't think I would have really cared either way.

When he pulls up my shirt he reveals my torso to the whole world, but I don't think he is aware of everyone else right now. Right now he's focused on me.

"Lily, have you been eating anything lately?"

"That's a huge overreaction. I've simply lost a bit of weight."

"Look at yourself Lily!"

I don't believe him until I do look down at myself and my stomach sinks, he's right. I look malnourished and I can easily count my ribs. I look like I haven't eaten in a week.

"That's none of your concern right now." I say, pulling down my shirt and zipping my jumpsuit back up. I then set off down the stream, staying inside of the tree line though. The thing is that Rhett follows me, and walks by my side. He matches my stride and pace, and I'm sort of glad that he does.

"Lily, it is my concern right now! You're my main concern."

I slip my hand into his but I continue walking. He takes it as a cue to come with me, which it is. We go as quickly as we can to try and catch up with the figure, but it's difficult since we have to stay silent. All of a sudden the person stops walking and Rhett and I freeze. Wait, correction: the people stop walking. Rhett was right, they were traveling together. It's almost unbelievable that they could keep an alliance for this long. Rhett and I don't kill each other, even if it does seem like we will do so with some of the arguments we have, because we want the other person to win. I'm not sure what the arrangement is in the other alliance, but it would be interesting to find out.

I strain to hear the hum of conversation over the gurgling of the stream, but I can't make out what they're saying. I can tell that it's a male and a female though, maybe they are lovers.

Rhett lets go of my hand and tries to get a bit closer but staying inside the tree line in hopes of hearing the conversation. Everything seems to go in slow motion as he is getting closer. Rhett steps on a fallen branch a half a second before I can warn him, the 2 people across the stream's heads snap up, Rhett has to stand dangerously still; the 2 people begin to advance to our side of the stream. It's like a living nightmare for me, everything is going painstakingly slow. What doesn't go slow though is my brain; it's working nonstop right now, like a machine.

I am panicking so much right now that when I look up at the 2 people wading through the shallow water I recognize their faces, one is from a memory, but I can't seem to pull their names up.

Bwahh, I keep circling around to the memory thing. I couldn't figure out what else to do…

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