Chapter 38
My life flashes before my eyes as I roll into the ditch, which is extremely steep. My memories flood back into my mind as I scream and fall, sometimes becoming airborne when there is a small ledge. I remember my family, my friends, and basically my life back home. The 15 years I've lived go by extremely fast, but everything outside of my memories seems to go by in slow motion. Me flying through the air, rolling, getting cut on a rock and a girl's screams. I think the screams are mine…
By the time I reach the bottom I remember everything, and I'm mad as hell. I curse myself for believing Alexander, and all I want to do is curl up into a ball and cry down here. The thing is that I know that they are probably battling it out up there, and I need to help Rhett. I want to beg for Rhett's forgiveness, and if he does choose to forgive me I look forward to him wrapping his arms around me more than anything else. Alexander is going to pay and I'm going to give him hell.
I scramble out of the ditch, which is a meticulously slow process. I can barely take it; I need to get up there now. By the time I do reach the top, I see that they are already doing some sword to sword combat. I stand up straight and just gawk at how skilled they both are, but Alexander is struggling. How did Alexander even get a sword…?
Rhett sees me first and shouts, "LILY?" Alexander sees this as the opportunity he's been waiting for. Since Rhett is finally distracted, Alexander plunges his sword into Rhett's right lung, leaving a deep cut. I shriek in despair, and rush over to them. Alexander turns around wickedly, and pulls his sword out. It's covered in blood, and I feel lightheaded just looking at it. I'm not sure that I even want to see the condition Rhett is in. His cannon hasn't gone off yet, though. I still have hope.
I instinctively pull out 2 long bladed knives and get into a ready position, and he tenses. He tricked me, so why not trick him as well?
I lower my weapons and sigh with relief. "Oh thank god, you killed him. Now we can be together."
He relaxes and says, "Yea, and I did it for you baby. I love you, Lily."
I try hard not to look disgusted, and barely stop myself from gritting my teeth as I say, "Oh Alexander. I love you too."
He smiles and comes to hug me, sword still in hand. He's going to stab me in the back and then finish Rhett off. I stand still as he comes to me, knives still in hand. He wraps his arms around me and I can imagine his sword poised over my heart… That won't happen as long as I'm alive. I take one of my knives and bury it deep in his stomach, and he stiffens. I hear his sword clatter to the ground, and I twist my knife. He crumples to the ground and I stay up, knife still in hand. I sit on his chest, which makes him wince in pain. Even if I don't weigh very much at all. I rest my knees on his arms, pinning them down.
I lean close to his ear and whisper, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me…" He gulps and I begin to shout. "HOW COULD YOU TRICK ME? YOU ARE HEARTLESS, ALEXANDER O'NEIL. HEARTLESS. YOU ONLY LOVE YOURSELF. I THOUGHT THAT WE'D HAD TRUE LOVE, BUT NO. NOW I KNOW DIFFERENT. FOR YOU, LOVE ONLY LASTED FOR A FEW MOMENTS AT A TIME. EVERYTIME I WAS WITH YOU I SUPPRESSED MY INSTINCTS TELLING ME THAT YOU WEREN'T ANY GOOD, SINCE YOU WERE ALL I HAD EVER WANTED, I IGNORED INSTINCT. TRUE LOVE IS SUPPOSED TO LAST FOREVER AND EVER."
He closes his eyes in fear of me, and I want to slap him. But instead, I mock him. "Speaking of ever, Alexander, may the odds be ever in your favor." He makes a final attempt at preserving his life by trying to throw me off of him, but I don't budge. His weak attempt only served to piss me off even more. "You know what? You're only making me pissed. Any last words?" He shakes his head, and I laugh and mumble under my breath, "Of course. You don't have anyone at home that you love.
"Well," I say. "Guess what? Take a nice long look at me, because I'm going to be the last thing you see before you die." I stab him in the jugular, and while he chokes on his own blood I stab him in the heart. It's kind of ironic, actually. I hear a cannon go off, so I panic and look over to Rhett. He's alive, but just barely. I can see his chest moving slightly. I get off of Alexander's still body which is becoming cold fast, and I rush over to Rhett's side. The wound in his chest is frighteningly large.
"Rhett! I'm so sorry, I had to get rid of him. I never should have left your side! He planted lies in my head! I remember things now! I even know what the things you said in my dreams meant!" I am sobbing, and I still have Alexander's blood on my hands.
"It's okay Lily. And what did they mean?" Each word he says pains him, and I can tell he's hanging on just for me. He's a fighter.
"You have to kill me. My family is all dead, so if you kill me that would mean that you bring me to them. You have to win, please Rhett!"
"No, I can't kill you Lily. I can't win. I don't want to live in a world where you don't exist." He is talking a bit more, but I know it's sapping his energy.
"Well I don't want to live in a world without you! Just don't leave me like I had left you!"
"Lily, I will never leave you."
I'm sobbing uncontrollably, and seeing him dying makes it ten times worse. "Please, Rhett. Just please, kill me."
"You know I can't do that."
"Yes, you can!"
"No, I can't." He says in a weak yet firm voice.
"Fine, then I'll do it myself." I take off my jumpsuit and pull up my pant leg. My bandage is soaked through; it looks like I've torn the stitches. I rip off the bandage and cut the wound open again, even bigger this time, gritting my teeth as I do so. Rhett just stares wide eyed and helpless as my life begins to trickle away.
"Fine, I'll die sooner anyways." He says, blood gurgling in his mouth. He's right of course; a wound to the chest would kill someone quicker than one to the knee.
I rip off my shirt sleeve and find one of my major arteries.
"Lily, no!"
I scream as I slice it open with my knife and watch the blood trickle down my arm. I give him a satisfied smile and I lay down next to him, both of us dying fast.
"Oh Lily…"
"I'm sorry Rhett." My skin is turning pale, and Rhett's face is already a shade paler than I am. He's still going to die before me.
"You mean that you're sorry that you aren't dead yet so I can win." He says, making blood bubbles pop in his mouth.
I stay silent, but when he's close to death I know it's time. "I love you, Rhett."
He doesn't hesitate as he says, "I love you too, Lily."
His blood is trickling from his mouth, but I don't care. I kiss him full on the lips, and he kisses back weakly. I pull away and hold his hand, and soon his cannon goes off. His blood covers my lips.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please give a round of applause for the victor of the 1st Annual Hunger Games, Lily Gallina!" Waldemar Frobisher's voice booms over the hidden speaker system, and I panic. When Rhett died he took my last fiber of sanity, so I truly am insane now.
I pick up Rhett's sword from his side, give him a kiss goodbye, and sink his sword deep into my heart. I crumple to the ground next to his cold, dead body. I take one look at Rhett and close my eyes, satisfied that he will be the last thing I ever see. The last thing I hear is the Capitol audience's shocked gasps as I lay there, sword still protruding from my chest. I smile as I lay there, my own warm blood pooling around me, because the weird thing is that I feel no pain from this. "I- I don't ever want to forget again, or to be forgotten… Please, don't let me ever be forgotten… I don't ever want to be forgotten…" I mumble almost inaudibly.
I all of a sudden remember every good thing that has ever happened in my life, and I can't believe that I had forgotten when my father had refused to beat me when Sharon told him to. "Daddy, I forgive you." I whisper weakly. These are my last words before I die and join Rhett and my family in a place that's safe that will always accept me.
)': So sad. And before you guys ask, yes I did plan all of this. I planned before I even started writing, actually… That explains the slogan, 'In these games, nobody really wins.' Yes, I made up a slogan for it...
Well, yea that was the ending! I hope you guys are satisfied, if not, then the epilogue will be posted the day after tomorrow and all questions will be answered then. Well, at least most of them...
I am so sad that this is over. I'm shocked how fast this all went by...
Well keep reviewing guys! It's ending and I would love to see how many reviews I can get before then...(: Don't be afraid to criticize as well, I love getting constructive criticism, seeing as it helps me grow as a writer.
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Bye! CHAIR MODE: ACTIVATED. BOOP.