"Ryley, wait!" I call, scrambling after her desperately. I watch as she charges away, into the swamp. Eyes darting around for any other tribute, I bolt after her. She knows about Finnick's pill! Oh, Panem, why, why did I leave the stupid slip of paper out why? It wasn't supposed to end this way! We were supposed to die in each other's arms and be waiting in the next life, the Hunger Games-less life!
We were supposed to try and be happy. We were supposed to try and live.
All the fight goes out of me as I crash, crash, crash into the darkness of sleep. I didn't really sleep last night, and the night before we were attacked by fucking frog mutts. I sink to the ground, sobbing quietly as the little that remains of my life bleeds away into shadows.
No! I force myself to get up. I have to find her. I won't let her go away from me again. I don't know if I can stand it if she dies. I exhale shakily and push myself forward, stalking purposefully in the direction of the drops of maroon blood. Then all the blood and the darkness start swimming in my vision and I'm falling…
…
When I wake up, I know that losing Ryley wasn't a dream because I'm cold. Maybe it's odd, but ever when she was frozen with fever, she kept me warm. I felt comfortable, relaxed. It's hard to believe I've only known her for a few weeks. A month ago, two months ago, I didn't even know her name. But near-death experiences bond people, apparently.
I feel a jolt of guilt as my mind wanders to Asher and Lux. Two cannons went off late last night, when Ryley was still in my arms. Was one of them for Asher? One for Lux? Both for each of them? It's too much to hope for, that they could both be so strong, and to be without a mediator like me… that one or both of them are still alive. I square my shoulders. So they're both dead, then. That leaves me, Ryley, the girl from 7, and the boy from 9. Are there really only four of us left? Twenty-two tributes dead in five days? Twenty-two weeping families waiting restlessly for the victor, to see who they have to blame from their child's death. Twenty-two graves, dug with care. Twenty-two mentors swearing that next year will be their tribute's year.
I sit up and pull my feet under me, dragging myself up the tree trunk to get a better view of the arena. The ground where I camped with the Careers is stained redder than before, and two patches of grass lay flattened. Lux and Asher. I was right. Shaking my head, I turn away. I can't afford pity. I need to make sure that the girl I love survives. I can see the swamp, the crocodile mutts' snouts poking out of the green sludge, the pine forest, a stream, and… a tribute, not Ryley, but a girl… getting attacked by those horrible frog mutts. I press my finger into my ears to block out her screams.
Her body has hardly been removed, blood covering every limb, when the next screams pierce the air.
Less than an hour later, I'm back! This must be some kind of record for me! Anyway, I'm really bored and I finished all my homework so here I am, writing another chapter. Only two more to go, plus an epilogue, so three more. The next chapter should be out tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest, so in the meantime go read Callidora Medea's The Most Dangerous Game! It's longer and a lot better than mine :) I'm loving it so far. As always(for the second time in an hour) thanks for reading, stay safe, and I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review!
Love, Ally