So sorry its taken me forever. So i've been getting messages saying that i forgot to write about Rory winning. Well i did write it and just posted the wrong chapter. Haha. Sorry for making you all wait, but here is there right one :)
Last Time: (Guess I'll have to find another place to sleep. A little bit later I hear a canon boom nearby that is probably Johanna's and a few minutes after that I find a large tree and after tying myself to a branch, I fall into a restless sleep.)
Chapter #37
I guess you could say that I didn't get much sleep that night tied to a high branch in a tree. I couldn't get the image of Johanna's dead body out of my mind. Only three tributes left that have to die before the capitol declares the winner. Sighing I decide to continue moving, I untie myself from the branch and begin climbing down. I end up having to drop the bow and arrows down to the ground to make it easier to descend. A few minutes later I have both feet on the ground, and after I have all my stuff I begin walking the opposite way from where I came.
I eat the rest of my meat for breakfast and finish the last of my water. My first priority for the day ahead is to get food and water, then find shelter for the night. As I walk I stop to pick up flowers, smelling them and thinking of Prim. I then find myself in a large field filled with beautiful flowers of all different colors. I just wish that we could have stumbled upon it earlier; I know Prim would've loved it.
I pick a few a few more, creating a small bouquet, then continue walking through the field.
All of a sudden I hear shouts nearby. Looking behind me, my eyes widen when I see who was shouting. The girl from district 7 is running straight towards me; Thrasher and Gloss are right behind her, weapons drawn.
"Run!" Thrasher yells to me. They are only about 100 yards away from me and I am just frozen in place, unable to move.
"Rory run! Get out of here!" Gloss shouts desperately. I finally come out of my trance when they are around 50 yards away and begin running as fast as I can away from them. The girl, probably 17 or something, has a dagger on her hip and a spear in her right hand and she is running really, really fast. Even Gloss and Thrasher are having trouble keeping up with her. The thought doesn't even cross my mind that I could turn around and shoot the girl with my last arrow, so I just keep running. My lungs are burning and my legs feel like they are going to fall of. I take a quick glance behind me. The boys have just about caught up with the girl who is looking quite tired now. They are only 20 yards away from me now. A few seconds later, I hear a scream. I stop and look back; Thrasher has the girl in a neck lock and Gloss has his sword and is preparing to stab her with it. I look away because I can't bear to witness any more deaths, but as soon as I do, Thrasher cries out.
The girl had grabbed her dagger and stabbed him in the stomach with it while he still had her in a neck lock. Gloss yells and stabs his sword into her heart. She dies instantly and a canon goes off. I run back to them as soon as she dies. Thrasher pulls the dagger out of his stomach and Gloss has pulled his shirt off and is trying to stop the bleeding, but we all know that he's lost a lot of blood already.
"I'll say hi to Prim for you." He winces, then gets out a small smile.
"Thanks." I say quietly, not trusting my voice.
"Hold on, you're going to be okay." Gloss encourages, one hand holding his shirt to Thrasher's stomach and the other searching frantically through his pack for something medical.
"Thanks for being my friends. It meant a lot." Thrasher whispers and I choke back a sob. Then he closes his eyes before Gloss can find anything of value to save his life and another canon booms. A single tear rolls down Gloss's cheek as he stands up.
"We'd better get out of here before the hovercrafts come to pick them up." He says, trying to sound strong.
"Yeah." It is then that I realize we are the only two tributes left and if it came down to a fight I think we all know who would win. I wouldn't stand a chance with a grown man from district 1.
"Rory." He says and I look at him.
"I can't go back home. Not without Cashmere."
It takes a few seconds for me to realize what he is saying. Then I reply saying, "I'm not going to kill you Gloss."
"Yeah, I figured that." He says. "You have a nice life. And don't worry about Prim, she'll have lots of friends wherever she is."
"Thank you." I say, not sure what else to say.
"Goodbye Rory." And before I can stop him, he plunges a dagger into his heart and fall to the ground. A canon follows a second later.
Then, without thinking, I drop my stuff and begin running. I have no idea why I'm running or where I'm running too. But in the last five minutes, I just saw three people die and I feel like I'm gonna go crazy if I don't get away.
I don't get very far before a voice in the sky begins speaking.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! The victor of the 75th Hunger Games: Rory Hawthorne!"
I had won. I had won for Prim and I am never going to see her again.
Prim's Pov
I had switched on the TV right after Rory climbed out of the tree that he had slept in that night, but it had gone black as soon as they announced the winner. I couldn't move. Part of me had been hoping that he would 'die' so that I could see him again, but now that he's won, it could be months and I won't even be able to see him on TV. At least he won't be in danger of anyone killing him. And he has a family to go back to. I hope he doesn't forget me.
Peeta and Katniss enter the room just then and quickly ask what's wrong.
"He won." I say, looking at the ground.
"Oh Prim." They both come and sit on either side of me, hugging me and letting me cry. I can't help it. I know I should be happy that he is the winner and now his family will have more than enough; and he promised that he'd take care of my mom and I know he'll keep that promise. Peeta rubs my back and whispers soothing words to me while Katniss just holds me, letting my tears soak her shirt.
"We'll be able to watch the crowning tomorrow." Peeta says and that helps a little.
"Yeah." I whisper through my tears.
"I'm sorry." Katniss says quietly, "But he'll save us. Him and the other victors will get us out of here soon, I know it."
"I hope so."
"Just because he thinks you died Prim, doesn't mean he'll stop fighting for you, trying to revenge your death." Peeta tells me.
"Thanks Peeta."
He just smiles a squeezes my hand. My arm is still in its cast but hardly hurts anymore.
"How about tomorrow we go and visit Gloss and Thrasher?" Katniss suggests.
"That'd be nice. I wanna thank Gloss for letting Rory win." I say and they both nod. "Sounds good."
"Want a snack?" Peeta asks. "I made chocolate chip cookies and they're still warm!"
I nod, and wipe my eyes with my sleeve. "Come on into the kitchen." He invites and Katniss and I stand up together and make our way to the kitchen. I momentarily forget about the events that happened earlier and just enjoy the delicious cookies that Peeta made to cheer me up.
"I just wish that there was some way for me to let Rory know that I was okay." I say after finishing my three cookies.
"Don't we all." Peeta says, sipping on some milk.
"Have you ever tried?" I ask.
"Yeah." Katniss replies, "We've tried sending notes up with grocery lists and things but they always come back."
"Darn." I say and grab another cookie.
"Everything will turn out alright, don't worry." Peeta consoles.
I shrug and stand up. "Thanks for the cookies, but I think I just wanna be alone for a little while."
"I understand, but we'll be here when you need us." He promises and I give him a small smile to let him know that I appreciate it.
I wipe the cookie crumbs from my mouth then grab my sweater and go outside for a walk, not sure where I'll end up but just needing time think.
My feet take me down to the end of the street, to the right, and around the corner to my own street: 75th Street. I don't even notice the door from house 01-75 open then slam closed. I don't hear the footsteps hurrying down the steps toward me; I only notice when she is standing directly in front of me, her fangs gleaming through her creepy smile.
"Hello Prim. Nice day isn't it?" Enobaria laughs and takes a step closer so that we are standing almost nose-to-nose, except my nose hits her right about the chest. I try not to shake from fear, but I won't be very good in a fight with one arm in a cast and no weapons. She could probably just kill me with her teeth, and that is not a way in which I would care to die.
"Lovely." I reply, as calmly as I can manage in my current situation.
"What happened to your arm?"
"Fell out of a tree." I say nonchalantly.
"Oh. That's too bad." She says and runs a pointy finger down my face causing me to shiver. She grins again, happy at my discomfort.
"I'm healing." I tell her.
"Good. Very good."