p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Cooper, my district partner, awoke with a start. He'd been unconscious almost the whole time, and I'd had to drag him into that little corner of the arena, high up in a tree above the forest canopy. It was the only place to walk, but was riddled with holes courtesy of the gamemakers. Below that was a mess of vines and interlocking branches, forming an untidy mess. I still don't know what was below that, but it must be bad since Grathel, from 9, fell down a while ago and screamed bloody murder the whole time. My guess was mutts, but Ash, from 7, reckoned it was lava or massive spikes or something. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"'Hey.' I said. Cooper looked confused. I would be too. I swat at a mosquito, but miss. He smiled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"'Hey.' He replied. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"'We rescued you from the cornucopia, the pairs from 10 and 12 are holding it now. We're going to investigate. We should be back soon.' Ash shouldered a backpack and grabbed his axes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"'Ready?' He asked in a gruff voice. I turned to Cooper./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"'We'll be back soon.' I assured him." span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"I'm getting choked up just thinking about what happens next. The interviewer mutters comforting words. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""But we never were." I continue, putting on a brave face, but failing. I can barely hold back the tears now. The interviewer merely nods. Then the tears start to fall. Falling like my allies from the branches when the explosions started. Like the innocents at the cornucopia. Like emI /emdid when saw them all go. But the hovercraft claw caught me. It shouldn't have. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"I should be dead./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"It should have been Cooper./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I'm sorry-" I start, rising from my seat. The capitol film crew cut the cameras. The interviewer nods. I start to walk away, and tug at the locket around my neck and open it, showing a picture of my smiling brother Cooper. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I'm sorry." I whisper to him. /span/p