Analease:
"Are you sure?" Caleb asks huskily in my ear. I look up at him, examining his worried eyes.
"I'm not some China doll that you'll break with a single touch," I reply, slightly annoyed.
"I know, I just want to make sure I'm not being too pushy."
"You pushy?" I laugh gently, "I don't think that's possible." He gives a sad smile and I lean foreword to kiss him.
His body falls on top of mine as all the tension and worry falls away. I draw my arms around his neck, rushing my fingers through his hair as his wrap my waist. A few tears slip from my eyes, but he gently wipes them away and kisses my cheek is our last night together and it should be one of fear, but right now, I want to offer him and myself at least a few moments of pure pleasure.
"Analease?" Caleb says softly, a good half an hour later. We lay side by side, looking into the darkness of the night, while giving kisses every moment or two.
"Yes?" I whisper, knowing what's coming. Why can't I have just a few more moments of bliss and peace?
"I'm sorry," He says, cradling me, "I'm sorry for what I'm asking you to do." The tears start to flood my face, and he wipes them off, "Analease, you need to win the Games. I know I'm being selfish by asking you to kill your friends and leave me behind, but I have to try. Without you, I'd probably commit suicide. I've loved you ever since we were children while you haven't really thought about me in this sort of way until we were reaped. Besides, I know you're strong enough to live on without me."
"No, I can't" I cry, "I'd be plagued with nightmares and die of a broken heart. I'm a weak girl, a very weak and stupid girl."
He gives a halfhearted laugh, "Just before you were telling me you weren't a fragile doll that would break with a single touch."
"Yes, but that was on a different matter. Besides, why can't I be the selfish one? Why can't I request you go on living without me?"
He spins his finger through my knotted hair. "I told you already, without you, I'd die."
"Well, then why can't we die together?" I cry out. I would make sense, a double suicide for love.
"Because if you die, I'll never forgive you," He says harshly, "I know this is something a women should never be asked to do, but please, allow me to feel like a man and die with honor protecting the one I love."
"It seems humorous how one can make such a selfish request seem so valiant. How can you feel triumph knowing your actions only cause my heart to break?"
He sighs, "I should have know this is the outcome I'd get with such a stubborn girl."
"I may roll over and cry on most issues," I say firmly, "but I won't let you throw your life away."
"Together?" He asks softly, "We stay together until the very end, until we're the final two."
"And then?" I Ask, knowing the answer.
"And then," he whispers in my ear so no one can hear, "we stuff out mouths with poison berries and unlike Katniss and Peeta, we bite down hard and make sure this hellish game has no victor."I let myself smile, but it doesn't hold for long. Caleb wraps me in his embrace and I feel his tears rolling down my back.
At dawn, we'll make our way to fight my old crush and best friend. The battle will be hard. Tristan, no doubt, will toss away his life to save Blaze and Blaze is strong enough to keep on fighting with a broken heart. If she and I are the final two, if would be unfair for me to win. Tomorrow, I'll die no mater what Caleb does to try to save me. Until then... I'll have to make Caleb hold the idea that everything will be okay.
Caleb: When the sun rises, the sky is covered in a blood red hue. I take care in unwrapping myself from Analease. The more time she has to sleep, the better. Once, I'm up, I pull on my clothes that are scattered around our sleeping area. Analease stirs at the sound, but doesn't wake. She does however, when a small parachute lands on her face.
"What?" She says as her eyes fly open. She looks around quickly before realizing there's no danger. She then notices she's not wearing any clothes in her arms fly over her chest.
"Morning," I say shyly.
"Just get it," She says as a finger points to her uniform, a red blush on her cheeks. After she's in her clothes, I pick up the gift from the sponsors.
"What is it?" She asks curiously as I open it. Inside are two water bottles and a warm clay pot. I open the pot to find a steamy serving of oatmeal with butter and cinnamon for two. Beside the bowl of mouth watering food is a single spoon.
"Feed me," She says gently. I hold a spoonful of warm porridge to her mouth. She squeals at the amazingness of a hot meal. I notice that there are dark rings under her eyes.
"Did you have a good night's sleep?" I ask.
"Of corse, when one sleeps on the ground in the jungle without any clothes and is woken up a sunrise, their sleep is quite wonderful," She says with a smile. I let out a short sigh. If she can joke, I can have some peace of mind.
"I'm sorry, but we have to get going soon," I say. She nods eagerly and jumps up with a smile. Her entire mood is so different from the broken girl of last night. It almost worries me how well she's handling the day. However, I decide to let it slip.
Contrary to what I said, I'm still dead set on sending her home. The more upbeat Analease is, the better she'll be able to handle my death. Somewhere not that far beneath the surface, I know I'm just kidding myself. I know that when I die, Analease will break down and kill herself. I also know that the way things are going, Blaze will most likely be the game's victor. However, I don't let myself think about that. Instead, I pretend that everything is fine and well. We both pretend, because none of us are strong enough the face the truth and all the despair that comes along with it.
"Yo." Comes a male voice from behind me. My body tenses and I spin around, coming face to face with the ruthless, cold stare of Tristan.
AN: We're almost at the final chapter. In this chapter and the last, I wanted to touch upon the fact that all the final four have similar feelings. However, their methods of dealing with the situation at hand varies. I wonder, which plans will fail and which will me triumphant. Also, how will emotions affect the final battle and who will be the first to break?