WARNING: this chapter has some imagery you may find offensive/don't like. It's part of the plot so please just tolerate it.

I tie the knife belt around my waist again after it had become loose from a fair amount of running. I pick up my sword and run a finger down the blade. Ceres fussed about this? Damn she's a child. I put the blade against my face. It's cold. Agina has already started walking. We are taking the smaller entrance as we believe more people will enter near the cornucopia. I catch up with her.

"So what will we do at the cornucopia?" I ask.

"Probably fighting. Whatever happens happens so don't get to emotional as you did." A little bird flutters in the tree above us. It had brought back some worms in its mouth for its begging chicks. I stare at the birds.

"Mokingjays?" I ask. Agina nods and we carry on. "Who are left?"

"Um...district 1 boy, Ceres, 3 girl, 10 girl, you and me."

"Ooh! Only one boy and five girls! It's gunna get messy."

"Already has." I would of taken Agina's word but she now points to a shadow she has noticed. The shadow ducks behind the tree.

"Hello?" Agina turns to me, gestures for a kill. She signals for us to walk round the tree and trap the shadow. I nod. We take one step forward and someone clears their throat. A mixture of voices take their turn in a wild mess of speech.

"Ladies and gentle...excellent outfit...sheep go...mooooo...CLASSIFIED...why don't you take a...ribbit, ribbit...seat down there darling...what are yo...don't cha be looking at...C is for carrot...baa...E is for eagle...woof...E is for turtle...R is for rat...E is for external walls NOT FOUND...S is for sea lion-"

"What the hell?"

"Indeed. Ah, that's better." The shadow walks from behind the tree and stares at us both. My breath is stolen and I say his name out of shock.

"Leo."

"No. I am not Leo. I am merely a holographic projection from the Capitol."

"I don't like you. Leave me alone." I say. I stomp my feet and turn away from him. Agina giggles.

"Oh really? Would you rather I look like this?" The voice morphs through the sentence. I hear Agina gasp and she runs to me to try stop me turning but I see him.

"Tyke."

"No. I am not Tyke. I am merely a holographic projection from the Capitol."

"Oh shut up you!" Agina kicks Tyke. Tyke stands firm and I ponder on applauding him. I do not. "Tell us what the Capitol want." Silence. Tyke does not say anything. He looks me straight in the eye then starts to fade into another figure.

"The Capitol want you to fight." He answers.

"Fight who?" The figure starts to take shape but then darts away. Tyke reappears.

"Ceres." Tyke's body collapses to the ground and I impulsively run to his side.

"Tyke, stop doing this." I weep.

"No. I am not Tyke. I am merely A holographic projection from the Capitol." I look up to Agina. She nods but I don't know what for. I stroke a curl back from Tyke's forehead.

"Ceres." He says. His body caves in, before me, into dust. A large wind blows him away and I whip my head to see where it goes. The dust forms every so often into lips only to say: "Ceres.". I get up to scream but nothing comes out. The dust rushes back to my side and forms a hand on my shoulder.

"There there." It says. I shrug it off but it stays firmly in place. I shake my head to try and deny tears that tickle my tear ducts. They come anyway. Tyke's head forms in front of me.

"Why are you crying baby?"

"It's my fault your dead." I reply. His whole body forms infront of me. He look over his shoulder and Agina sinks into the ground. He turns the chestnut brown eyes back to me.

"Dead?" He asks. I nod. "Could a dead person do this?" Suddenly his whole body is against mine and I try to push away. He won't let me. He keeps his body firmly against mine but I keep crying.

"Tyke stop it. It hurts. I can't breathe."

"That's what it's meant to feel like."

"Tyke stop!" I cry. My hand frees and I send it into his face. He falls to the floor and stays there. My crying becomes faster and I feel as though I'm chocking. I step back until I'm standing against something solid to slide down. I start to slide down it but it pushes me back up and quickly wraps branches round my chest. I look down at the branches and they morph into arms. Tyke gets back up. He starts towards me and smiles behind me.

"I must say Tyke. You picked out a pretty tasty bitch." Leo's voice says. I expect Tyke to get aggravated but he just laughs.

"I know. Good thing she has my kid. If I didn't give her a gift that night she probably would off kick dropped me."

"I-"

"Shut up bitch," Leo grits his teeth and places a hand on my throat. "This is boy talk time." I cry harder. I can't help it. Tyke rushes forward.

"Stop crying my darling, bitch," He whispers, stroking my face. "Why do you keep crying?"

"I let my guard down. He killed you. Your death is my fault. You should still be...Tyke."

"But don't you see? I needed to die. You need to live. You must fight Ceres."

"Is that all I'm useful for? To you? Fighting?"

"Well...yer. I can't say sex anymore as I'm dead. Der." Both Leo and Tyke share a quick laugh. When they stop I continue.

"So I have to kill her."

"You have to kill her," He enforces. "Slit her throat." Leo uses a hand to scoop back my hair to expose my neck.

"Slit her throat." He whispers. He leans closer and kisses my neck softly and quickly. Both boys chuckle and burst into dust. They fly away on the breeze. A light wind force whistles through the trees and Agina puts her hand on my shoulder. I almost jump.

"What happened?" She asks. I don't say anything. I look up at a mokingjay nest. The mother is sitting on a branch watching her chick bounce along the branch. They both stop and point their beaks upwards. The wind whistles through the trees again and then they start talking in a chirpy tone.

"Slit her throat. Slit her throat."

"Slit her throat. Slit her throat." The little one echoes. I look at Agina then start to walk for the entrance to the cave system.