"Wait for it"

A/N: Shorter chapter this time, but I'm not much of one to pack in filler just for the sake of it. Big things are coming soon. Special shoutout to the two people who went back and read every single chapter of this story (viewer statistics ftw), seeing that people are still interested in this story is all the motivation I need to continue writing it.

~And if there's a reason I'm still alive

When so many have died

Then I'm willin' to- then I'm willin' to-

Wait for it~

Prestige

I'm still standing. That's all that matters for now. My body is covered in cuts and scratches, my jersey drenched and just barely still holding together. My head throbs, making even focusing on my thoughts difficult. Branches and twigs snap under my tired feet as I continue to march forwards.

I should be thankful I'm still alive. With everything that happened, and how it all was just a blur, I can hardly even remember any of it. I remember jumping out the window, seeing something in the water, swimming towards me. I remember screaming, and something happening. The water all rushed away from me, whatever was in the water with me getting thrown away. After that my memory is a black hole. Next thing I knew I was washed up on the shore, drenched and covered in battle scars.

That power is still in me. That strange pill did something to me. Sure, there's the fact that I blew out a window without even touching it, and tossed a couple tons of water away from me. That's weird enough. But there's something more, something in my head, a mixing rush of calamity and anger that comes and goes, fighting its way to the front of my mind.

None of that matters for now, though. I'm still standing. I have the sword, I have my life, and I can still walk. It won't be too long now before something happens. I've been walking in what I assume is a straight line for what must be a whole day now, even if there isn't a way to know for sure thanks to the sky being completely covered by these trees. It can't be long before I run into someone else. Maybe McKenna and Merrium will find me, maybe I'll run into someone else. Hell, maybe the Gamemakers will push Hailey and I back together. Hopefully not that last one.

While I still feel like I did what I had to, I can't help but start to wonder if I made the right choice. I should be dead right now, by all rights. I'm more than lucky, I'm being protected. How long before that protection wears off? With Hailey I had someone to have my back, someone to watch out for me while I'm sleeping. There's enough reasons to hate her sure, and even more reasons to abandon her, but still. Things feel unfinished, uncompleted. I have a feeling that's because things are. Gamemakers don't like untied loose ends.

There's only eleven of us left now, after the two canons yesterday. Just under half of us left, and I haven't killed anyone yet. Out here by myself, wandering through a forest where I can't see more than a few dozen feet ahead of me, how much longer will that last?

I at least didn't know either of the two that passed. The boy from Three and the girl from Nine. That means there's the three Careers, me, Hailey, the duos from Six and Twelve, the little girl from Five, and someone else I can't remember for the life of me. Not that it matters.

With the cramping of my feet flaring up, I finally allow myself to rest, taking a seat on a log. Looking around, the forest is still its usual, eerie self. No sound, barely anything to see, not a single living thing. Even the plants look dead, leaving me on a berries only diet for the past few days. Just a dead forest, with thick fog, and a canopy that blocks any sunlight. I should be scared shitless right now, alone out here. I guess that's just one more thing I'm too tired to focus on.

I just need to rest, that's all. A few hours of rest, then I'll be on the move again. There's gotta be something else out here than just forest.

Blaze

I haven't eaten in a day. It's like those berries and nuts that used to be everywhere have completely disappeared, and there can only be one reason for that. The Capitol is getting bored, and they want action. Well, if action is what they want, I'll be the first to give it to them.

I've been trekking through the woods for hours now, following the stream in hopes of finding someone. Ideally I would run into Ephraim, or maybe a Career, but at this point I'll take anyone. This arena is driving me insane, not knowing when night and day is, never being able to see anything around me, barely eating a damn thing, and not seeing a single thing that's alive. I have to get out, and soon. Not just for me, but for June.

The two bulky weapons both weigh me down, making this walk more of a death march, and I'm forced to stop and lean up against a tree trunk, setting down the two weapons. I carefully set down the giant hammer that launched that girl like a stone in a slingshot, not wanting to see a repeat of that with myself. The flamethrower I more haphazardly toss to the ground, contemplating just leaving it there as I do so. It's not exactly the most effective weapon in the world, and it weighs enough to slow me down.

As I consider that decision, I notice something else that erases that argument from my thoughts. Footprints.

I scramble over, the unmistakable imprint of a boot in a small patch of mud. The print is small, definitely not Ephraim or a Career, but still, it's a sign of someone for the first time in days. The track gets harder to follow after that, no more mud to easily leave an imprint, but looking close enough I can still follow it. A broken twig here, a shrub pushed aside there, whoever was moving through here didn't take any time to be careful. I rush back to my resting spot, slinging the hammer over my shoulder. Rest can come later. Right now I have a chance, a chance to take the number of people left in here from eleven to ten. A chance to get one step closer to home.

My thoughts go to home. To June, and wondering where she is now. Probably in the Capitol by now. Who knows, maybe she's even managed to win that whole contest. Maybe she's already back home in District Twelve, watching me right now.

There's no doubt in my mind what I need to do. Even as my stomach grumbles in pain, my back aches, and my feet blister up, I can't stop. Nobody in here is going to stop me. Not Ephraim, not the Careers, not the Gamemakers, not anyone else.

Losing isn't an option.

Sigma

Things have been quiet. The drumming, the whispers, the metallic voice, all of it has been quiet. Levi and I found a cave, and it's good timing because it just started to rain outside. The cave is just as dark as the rest of the arena, and it's pretty small, but it's enough. Levi started up a fire somehow, I don't know how he did that. Still though, the warmth and the light is nice.

He's been back to his usual self, too. He's not saying those awful things anymore. He's joking and laughing and being silly, just like Levi normally is. Maybe, just maybe things will go back to normal. That thought is enough to get me to smile for the first time since I've gotten in here.

"I'm glad you're happy again," Levi says, not looking up from the fire as he tosses twigs and leaves into it. "We have a visitor."

The smile drops, fear flashing through me as I turn to the lone entrance of the cave. I can't see anything outside.

"Don't panic," he says, calmly. "It's a friend."

I look back at him. What does he mean, friend? Who would be a friend in here?

He smiles back. "Not many people," he says, and I don't have time to wonder how he knew what I was thinking before he continues speaking. "It's nice to see you again, Hailey. I didn't think we'd meet again, certainly not here."

From the shadows and fog, Hailey emerges, stepping into the cave. The light from the flames cast a hazy light on her face, covered in cuts and bruises, water drenching her hair and clothes, which are also sliced up and ripped. Her eyes, though, are all I can pay attention to. She's staring at Levi with wide eyes that seem to see right through him.

"You died," she says, seeming unsure whether to run out the cave or run into it. "Your face was in the sky."

I turn to Levi, and he frowns. "Must have been a mistake," he says dully. "As you can see, not dead." He smiles again, waving Hailey over. "Come on, take a seat. You must be freezing, come warm up by the fire. We have a lot to catch up on."

Hailey stands still for a moment, her face blank as she silently shakes her head. Then, she lets out a puff of air, leaning into the cave wall. "I thought you were dead," she says, her voice cracking. "I thought I was alone." She quirks a smile, sniffing as she subtly dabs at her eyes. "I thought I was alone," she repeats quietly.

I look over at Levi, and he just smiles back. "You don't have to be alone anymore," he says, looking me in the eye. "Not anymore."

I feel a pull in my chest, the pattering of rain outside muffling the sounds so that I can barely hear the faintest of whispers. A cold, metallic whisper, not any words or sort of sound that I can make out, just a whisper.

And outside, the rain seems to begin to fall in a pattern, the rain splashing against the cave walls.

Da-dum, da-dum. Da-dum, da-dum. Da-dum, da-dum.

A/N: I wasn't lying when I said short lol. But the next chapter is gonna be like, really long so, yeah. If you're out there reading, let me know what you think!

13th: Clara Orwell: Rip, we barely knew yee. No sneaky dub for you.

12th: Malcolm Hall: Rip, we barely knew yee.

Trivia(1 point): Who, if anyone, is going to die next chapter?