Chapter 26: Final Eight

Iris Flores

"You don't think he'll kill her, do you?"

I glance at the screen, where Maysilee is keeping watch over an unconscious Haymitch. After he passed out, Maysilee was able to drag him and their packs over to a thicket of trees, where they are less likely to be found. His injuries are quite severe but she did a fairly good job at patching them up. I feel a burst of pride in the medical skills I taught her.

"No, I don't think he's so bad in real life. Maysilee wouldn't have saved him otherwise. And she definitely wouldn't have allied with him if there was even a slight chance he'd betray her."

Maylene gnaws on her lip worriedly beside me. I frown, knowing how badly Maysilee being in the Arena is affecting her.

"I guess," she says slowly but she doesn't sound convinced.

"Besides," I point out. "He's been unconscious all day. She would have the upper hand for sure. With an injury like that, he wouldn't be able to fight her off even if he tried."

Maylene contemplates this for a while and then gives a small sigh. "Good point. I'm just worried, that's all."

I take her hand. "I know. I am too. But try not to worry. It won't do Maysilee any good."

The truth is, I'm probably as worried as Maylene is. I know I will never truly understand her pain. I don't have a twin. I don't even have siblings. I used to beg my parents for a baby brother or sister and they always told me that they were too busy taking care of the whole District to have another kid.

So, in a way, Maylene and Maysilee are my sisters. I'm three months older than them and I've always felt just a little protective over them. I'm the mom friend, always trying to make sure they aren't hurt.

I still wish that I had volunteered for Maysilee. But I was so shocked and Maylene was swaying on her feet and I was so scared and the words just never came out.

If Maysilee dies in the Arena, I already know I would never forgive myself.

My dad peeps his head into our living room. "Go to sleep, girls. Maysilee will be alright."

My parents loves Maysilee and Maylene as well. Our families are really close. My dad is closer to the twin's dad than he is with his brother. That's probably why I almost never see my cousins. I know that the eldest boy, Briony Flores, is four years older than me and will inherit the apothecary shop after my dad retires. I've always found this unfair because I'm the one that has grown up around medicine and injuries. But I won't get the apothecary unless Briony decides not to keep it. Just because I'm a girl.

My mom joins my dad and gives Maylene a smile. "We've just closed up the shop. Why don't you stay the night, dear? I'm sure your parents could use the rest."

Maylene smiles back. A small smile but it's an improvement. "Thank you."

My dad steps forwards and watches Maysilee and Haymitch on the screen. "The Capitol must be coming tomorrow. To do the interviews for the Final Eight."

Me and Maylene exchange shocked glances. Earlier today, when we realized that Maysilee was in the Final Eight, we had hugged each other and celebrated with some candy from the Donner's Sweetshop. But we both seemed to have forgotten the fact that the Capitol would want to interview the families of those tributes.

"I forgot about the interviews!" I turn to Maylene. "Well, they'll interview you and your parents for sure."

"You too," she points out. "We were next to her at the Reaping."

I grimace. I hate public speaking. But if talking about my best friend will help boost her popularity in the Capitol, I'll do it.

"I can't remember the last time the Capitol came to District 12 to do Final Eight interviews," my mom says thoughtfully. "Much less two."

We talk a little more about prepping for the interviews and then my parents head upstairs to go to bed. They hardly ever get any sleep because the apothecary is always needed somewhere in the District so they savour all the sleep they can get.

I reach for the remote. There aren't any tributes around Maysilee and Haymitch for at least a mile in every direction, meaning that we can sleep peacefully and not worry that they'll be attacked out of the blue.

"What are you going to say during the interview?" I ask Maylene.

"They'll probably ask us questions that we need to answer. Like the tribute interviews. We'll talk about how much we love her."

I take her hand. "And how much we want her to come home." She nods. "Come on, let's go upstairs. It's nearly midnight."

We've just hit the stairs when there's a knock on the door. It's so quiet that, at first, I think that I've imagined it. Then, I realize who it is and I can't stop the smile that appears on my face. Maylene sees it too and gives me a knowing smile.

"Let me guess. It's him?"

"Yep."

Sure enough, when I open my back door, Ash Everdeen is standing on the other side. My boyfriend pulls me in for a kiss.

I grin against his lips but quickly come to my senses and step back.

"Ash," I hiss, ushering him inside. "What are you doing here? My parent's could have answered the door."

He looks proud of himself. "I waited until their light was turned off."

I stare at him disbelievingly. "So you've been waiting for hours?"

He grins sheepishly. "Yes. I got you and your family something." He holds up a dead turkey. My favourite. "Besides, I had to see you. A whole week without seeing your lovely face was torturous."

His smile makes me melt and I press my lips against his. "Thank you. And I missed you."

"Me too."

Maylene makes a noise behind me. "You guys are way too cute for your own good."

I pull away. "Come on, Maylene. You kiss Connor Undersee every time you see him. Ash and I can only be together in private."

Ash laughs. "I still can't believe that you haven't spilled our secret, Maylene."

She raises an eyebrow and scoffs. "I would never do that."

And I know she wouldn't. Because a Seam and Merchant dating is forbidden. If I ever wanted to marry Ash, I would have to run away to the Seam, bringing dishonor on my family. I would do anything for Ash but I'm scared of the consequences that our love will bring.

I know one day that I will marry him though. Ever since we met, I've always felt connected to him. He's kind and selfless but also smart and brave. Tired of everyone starving in the Seam, he started to hunt in the woods beyond 12 illegally in order to feed his family and neighbours. With our strict Peacekeepers, the punishment for that is death. Everyday I fear for his safety but he has reassured me multiple times that he knows how exactly to not get caught.

There are other things I love about him as well. His eyes are a fierce grey and his voice is honestly the best sound I've ever heard. The first time I heard him sing, I swear there was no turning back. Maysilee and Maylene teased me relentlessly about my hopeless crush on the stunning Seam boy. Little did I know that he had a thing for me too. I've heard the things Merchant boys say about me and apparently quite a few of them have their eyes on me as well.

One of those boys is my boy best friend, Rye Mellark. He's the baker's son and we've been friends for almost as long as I've been friends with Maysilee and Maylene. When we were fourteen, he confessed his feelings for me. I had no choice but to turn him down as gently as I could. Don't get me wrong. I love Rye with all my heart. He's gentle and caring and my parents have even said that we go together perfectly. I love how he always sneaks food to the starving kids he sees on the streets. But I don't have romantic feelings for him. He's one of my best friends, but nothing more.

He took the rejection with good graces, which was just like him. He reassured me that we were still friends and that I shouldn't feel bad for not feeling the same way. I felt bad for a little while but we were able to resume our friendship even after I figured out his feelings for me. Maysilee is certain that he still likes me but I know that his parents have arranged for him to marry a distant family relative. A girl named Belinda Irestock. She and Rye are complete opposites though. She's mean and condescending and doesn't appreciate Rye's quirks at all. I know that they only picked her because her parents want her to co-own the bakery but I honestly can't think of a worse match.

"Well, I'm going upstairs to sleep," Maylene says, giving us a knowing look. "I'll see you later, Iris."

"Huh," Ash says after she leaves. "I thought she was having trouble sleeping."

"She is. This is probably the first time she's gone to bed on her own account. Probably wants to be prepared for the interview tomorrow."

"Are they interviewing you as well?"

"Most likely."

He takes my hand. "I'm sure they will. You're her best friend." Before I can say my next words, he adds, "And you'll do great. Just talk about how great she is and how close she is to coming home. She's so close, Iris. I know she can do it."

This is why I love Ash. He knows exactly how to make my worries go away.

"Thank you," I say as he takes me in his arms again. "And thank you for the turkey as well. It looks delicious."

He smiles and kisses my forehead. "I've got to keep my girl fed."

I grin when he calls me his girl.

"Won't your parents figure out that you're not in the house?"

"Hopefully not. Dad had a long shift at the mines today so he's fast asleep and Mom was up grading papers and went to bed just before I left." He takes a lock of my blonde hair and twirls it in his hand. "Why? You're not happy to see me?"

"Don't even say that, silly. Of course, I'm glad to see you. But we can't get caught. You know that. My parents love me but I know they won't be thrilled to find out that their only child isn't dating a Merchant."

He sighs. "I know. I wish I could be enough for them."

He looks so downcast that it breaks my heart. I go on my toes and kiss him as hard as I can. We tumble into the wall and stay there, deepening the kiss. I cup his cheek and his hands play with my hair.

When we break apart, I whisper. "You're enough for me. That's all I care about."

The moon is shining brightly in the sky when Ash leaves and I watch his retreating back with a smile on my lips. I can't help but think that even though it will surely have its consequences some day, my love for Ash is worth it all the way through.

Reynald Guenther

Two kids from District 12 in the Final Eight. I'm sure that this is the first time that's happened in Hunger Games history. The last time a tribute from 12 got in the Final Eight had to be at least a decade ago.

The Capitol must already have trains on their way to Twelve, ready to interview Haymitch and Maysilee's families.

Twelve may actually have a chance this year. Two chances.

If I don't mess it all up, that is.

After the disaster of me getting drunk and almost spilling rebellion talk on the phone, Milo and Mags have taken all my alcohol, forcing me into sobriety cold turkey. It's been beyond tough but I have the thought of a fellow Victor to keep me going.

Even though it's three in the morning, Milo has kept his title of the best friend I could ever ask for and is keeping me company as I watch over my tributes.

"I still can't believe they allied," I say, shaking my head. "Haymitch didn't seem to like any of them. Especially Maysilee. They were always bickering."

"She saved his life," Milo points out. "So she can't have hated him that much. And they're from the same District. It makes sense that they'd want to stay together at least for a little while."

"I know." I rub at my temples, already feeling another headache coming on. I glance at the screen. Haymitch is still passed out—a mix of shock, sleep-deprivation, and blood loss for sure—and Maysilee is looking through the packs of the dead Careers. "I still can't believe that they escaped the Careers."

"They're a lot stronger than you told me." It's not an accusation. Mentors never tell other mentors all the details on their tributes. Just in case.

"I really didn't know they'd make it this far," I say honestly. "Maysilee was pretty strong but I didn't look too much into her. Kind of passed her off as a merchant girl." I'm ashamed to admit it but it's the truth. "Haymitch was the one I was betting on."

Milo looks surprised. "I thought you didn't like him. Didn't you say he was arrogant and rude?"

"I did. He was pretty insufferable. But there were times when I saw the cracks. But his attitude, no matter if it was real or not, also made him the most likely to win. He's tough."

And smart. He has the mind of a rebel too, although neither of us will say that here.

Milo leans back in his chair. "You're lucky you got such fighters this year. That's more than I can say for 9."

I grimace. Nine has had more luck with the Games than 12, but they still only have 2 Victors.

"So you've written off your girl, then? Kasha?"

Milo tries to hide his wince but I catch it anyway. He's always cared too much about the tributes of his District.

"She's Aluma's tribute," he reminds me. "And look at her. She's wasting away and we don't have any money to sponsor her food with." I glance at the girl on his screen—he's covering Nine's screen so Aluma can get a few hours of sleep—and see the red-haired 17-year-old sleeping fitfully in a huddle on the floor.

"I could give you some of my sponsor money." I don't have much but it feels wrong to have some when Nine didn't get any sponsors this year.

He shakes his head. "She'd be a goner even with what little food we could get to her. And you know sponsor money can't go to a different district than the one it's intended for. Besides, your kids have a shot this year. Don't let them down."

"I still can't believe I did it."

"You're a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for."

I smile. It's been so long since I've received praise from anyone. Since I've felt like I even deserved praise.

"Do you really think one of them can win?"

"I'm sure of it. I just don't know if they'll still be a fighter after the Games are over."

Maysilee Donner

Right now, I'm not sure if I should have allied with Haymitch.

Yes, he's very strong and smart, and he's my district partner. But the more I think about it, the more I can't decide whether or not he'd be willing kill me.

Luckily I'm at an advantage at the moment. Since he's still unconscious. I want to think that since I helped him, he'll be too grateful to kill me.

After he passed out, I managed to half-carry, half-drag him to a cluster of trees before going back for our newly acquired packs. We have four now. Two green and two black. The green ones are mine—William's old one—and Haymitch's while the huge black ones belonged to the Careers. I checked inside them while waiting for Haymitch to wake up and was blown away with the amount of stuff inside. Bags of apples, two whole loaves of bread, ropes, empty water bottles, and other goodies me and my allies definitely didn't get. I'm slightly irritated that the bottles don't have water but I'm sure we can find a way to get some. One of the packs even had a blowtorch, but I can't think of a reason why we'd need it. There were some bandages as well which I immediately used for Haymitch's wounds.

I know now that he wasn't on the mountain—he doesn't have a single burn—so I have to guess he's been in the woods this whole time, something that will benefit us greatly.

I yawn, fighting back a wave of sleepiness. I haven't had a decent amount of sleep in a long time. I've always been too on edge or driven mad with grief to be able to sleep properly. And now I'm making sure that no one can sneak up on me and Haymitch while we are in such a vulnerable situation.

Maylene's face comes to mind and I wonder what she's doing. Hopefully she's asleep, preparing for the next school day. Wait, is today a school day? I blink, the sudden detachment to my old life hitting me hard. If I hadn't been Reaped, I would be at home right now. With Maylene. With Iris and my parents. I miss District 12 so much that I can't even fathom it.

And then suddenly, I can't fathom something else. I'm in the Final Eight. The final seven actually. I want to cry of shock. When was the last time someone from 12 made it into the Final Eight? I cast a side glance at Haymitch beside me. Two kids from 12 in the Final Eight. My family must be ecstatic.

It hits me. I could actually go home. I could actually win the Second Quarter Quell. I've already come so far. I've already outlived so many allies and so many enemies. Only six more kids would have to die and then I could go back to 12. I would see my family again. I could live my normal life. I could spend my days doing what I used to. Talking to Maylene and Iris. Playing with Aqua, my pet canary. Helping my parents in the sweetshop.

I'm so close.

Haymitch groans beside me and I jump. For a moment I had been so lost in thought that I'd forgotten he was there. He's someone it'll be harder to see die. But if his death means going home...

He groans again and I watch as his eyelids flicker. It's about time. He's been passed out for at least a half day by now. But a part of me is suddenly on edge. I'm scared as to how he will react now that he's awake.

I slowly get to my feet, deciding that it'll scare him if he wakes up and I'm right in front of him. Remembering how vulnerable he seemed that day before the interviews, I try and calm my racing heart. He won't kill you. You two are allies. You're just being paranoid.

With a small gasp, his eyes snap open. Within a second, he's already on his feet, his eyes darting around widely. His hand flies to his pocket.

I hold up the knife he had in his pocket, suddenly glad I decided to take it away. "Looking for this?"

He spins to face me, stumbling over a rock. I take in his face as he recognizes me. His alarmed face quickly turns confused. "Maysilee?"

"Yes?"

He's silent, his gaze flickering from me to the knife in my hand which I quickly drop in surrender. He frowns as he spots the bandages on his arm. His hand reaches up to feel the bandage I attempted to place over his collarbone.

Haymitch fixes me with such an intense stare that it takes a lot of energy not to flinch. Finally, he asks, "Did you do all this?"

He must mean the bandages. "Yeah."

"But why?"

I sigh. "We're allies, remember? We won't let anything happen to each other."

A million expressions flit over his face. I'm sure he's been on his own since the Games started. And I've lost every ally I made.

"I can't believe you helped me. You could have easily killed me."

I could have and I know that. "I know. But I wouldn't do that. You're my District partner and my ally. We're all 12 has left."

He must know I'm referring to William and Leila. Both dead. Both gone forever. He must know that I allied with them. That I watched them die.

His mouth twitches as he searches for something to say. Finally, he blinks and says, "We're in the Final Eight."

"Final seven actually."

There's a flash of a grin that he quickly hides. "Oh. Wow."

"Yeah."

There's a long silence as Haymitch internalizes this information. He glances around at the clearing we're in before looking at his bandages again. "These must have been hard to do."

I shrug. "Not really. My friend Iris taught me how to wrap wounds." He picks at his collarbone with a frown and I quickly add, "You probably don't want to do that. I'll change it soon though." I'll have to. I can see faint red from the wound.

"Where did you get all of these? You can't have had that many." He points at William's pack at my feet. "You only have one pack and all I had in mine was some cloth."

"The Careers had lots of stuff in their packs. I just used those."

I kid you not, Haymitch's eyes light up. He reaches for the black packs at the base of the trees. "Their packs! Do they have anything good in them?"

"More stuff than me and my allies had," I say. His gaze shoots over to me, curious. I realize that I haven't told him about my allies. About how William and Leila died. I realize I'm not ready to talk about it. It still hurts too much. I pretend to busy myself with making our hiding space more concealed. I catch him frown thoughtfully but luckily he doesn't press the matter.

He rummages through them, eyes widening as he takes in the food and frowning when he shakes the water bottles and finds them empty. A grin takes over his face when he finds the blowtorch, but I can't figure out why.

He holds it up. "This will be helpful."

I frown. "Why? It's not like we will have to set anything on fire."

He just gives me a significant look and places it back in the pack. "I'll tell you later."

I get the message. I'll tell you when the cameras can't hear. "Okay."

After it seems like he's examined everything in the packs, he turns to me. "This stuff will be helpful. We won't need anymore bandages or food. The only thing we actually need is water. I'm guessing you don't have any. I don't either. Reynald might send us some but I'm sure the cost for water has gone up since the Games started. It will probably rain soon, especially if other tributes are low on water too. But it could be poisonous, so we'll have to treat it first with some poison-reverse capsules I have."

I blink, not having been ready for so much information at once. Haymitch is a lot smarter than I thought. "I didn't even think about any of that. You have a good mind."

He shrugs but I think he's pleased. "Probably my strong suit. Besides, we're this far in the Games. Who knows what the Gamemakers will think of next. Can't have the Capitol getting bored, can we?"

Or maybe not. Maybe he isn't smart at all.

"Shh!" I hiss. Surely the cameras have cut away from us now. I hope so. Because that anger towards the Capitol is dangerous. I've seen tributes in previous Games have mutts randomly show up and kill them after they badmouthed the Games. And now that I'm his ally, I'll suffer from his words too.

"What?" he asks. "It's true, isn't it?"

If he's trying to bait me into talking about just how much I despise the Capitol, it won't work.

"Just keep the Capitol trash-talking to a minimum," I hiss. "Or better yet, don't mention it at all! We're allies now. And I'm not talking the fall for your words! No matter how true they are."

The mention of our alliance seems to have sobered him up. "Right. Won't happen again."

I huff. "Good."

He gives my pack a sideways glance. "That's one of the packs that was near the Cornucopia. Who gave it to you?"

I frown. "How do you know I didn't get it myself?"

"Reynald told you to get away from the Bloodbath as soon as possible."

"He told that to all of us." I remember seeing Haymitch be the first one to reach the Cornucopia. "You didn't listen, did you?"

He smirks. "When did I ever listen to Reynald?"

Good point. I sigh. "It used to be one of my ally's. I took it...after. I don't have to tell him what I mean by after. But I know he's trying to figure out who my allies were. "I lost my pack during the—" No, I can't talk about it. Not unless I want to start bawling my eyes out. "I lost my pack earlier."

As if he understands my pain, he thankfully changes the subject. "What was in your pack?"

"Nothing much. A bowl, some jerky. Oh, and my blowgun and darts."

He picks it up and turns it over in his hands thoughtfully. "Your weapon? Interesting choice."

"Why?"

"It doesn't seem that deadly. But you killed the Career with it."

I quickly explain how I used the poisonous fruits to my advantage, trying not to make it sound like I think the Capitol is dumb for providing me with it.

Haymitch's eyebrows shoot up for a second before he hides his expression with a mask of indifference. "Poisonous darts. That's impressive."

I think about how many times I've seen him hide his true feelings. How many times I've done the same. "Thanks. What's your weapon? Knives?"

He flashes me a thumbs-up. "They're versatile."

Now that he's finished with his questionnaire, Haymitch lapses into a silence. I honestly hadn't even expected him to be so talkative since he spent most of his time before the Games all by himself. Now, he's either desperate for information or desperate for someone to talk to. Probably a little bit of both.

"So," I say when the silence gets too long. "what have you been doing for the past nine days?"

He winces almost imperceptibly and his face immediately becomes distant and closed off. "I was in the woods since the Games started."

"Did you run into anything?" I decide to press further. "Or anyone?"

"A butterfly mutt stung me on the first day. And some carnivorous squirrel mutts attacked me. The fruits here are poisonous, but I'm sure you figured that out by now." He skillfully ignores my second question and I decide that it's too early to ask him again. Whatever he's seen, he must be hurting. Like I am.

I remember the butterfly that stung Miller. "What happened with the butterfly sting?"

He shows me his wrist and I catch a faint purple bruise. "I had one of the poison reverse capsules in my pack. I suppose it helped."

"Oh." I wonder what would have happened if we had one of those for Miller. But would it have been worth it to save him? He was already so far gone.

"What about you?" Haymitch asks. He looks at me closer with a frown. "You were on the mountain, weren't you? When it erupted?"

I pause, the volcano bringing back memories of William that threaten to break me. "Yes." My voice is almost a whisper and I have to clear my throat to get the next words out. "How did you know?"

He points at my hair. "Your hair is burned. The Careers had burns too."

I pull a strand of it forward, biting my lip. I hadn't even spared a thought to my previously golden locks. I think of how Maylene and I took such pride in our matching hair.

When I don't say anything, his frown deepens. "Was it bad?" he asks. I catch the slightest of tremors in his voice. "I was on the other side of the Arena and even I thought it looked awful."

What can I say to that? Of course it was bad. I lost the boy I love. I lost a piece of me there. A piece that I'll never get back.

"It was bad," I say quietly, my eyes locked on the packs. Don't cry. Don't cry. You can't cry yet. You're stronger than that.

He opens his mouth but then seems to think better of it and closes it again. "You don't have to tell me about it if you aren't ready. I understand."

I stare, suddenly grateful for Haymitch and his observant manner. I'm glad I decided to save him and I'm glad that I found a new ally.

I just hope it'll last.

Haymitch Abernathy

As expected, there aren't any deaths tonight. However, this means I only have a minute or so to tell Maysilee about my plan with the blowtorch. Her eyebrows furrow as she struggles to hear my whispering over the anthem but I'm certain that she's understood.

"So you want to burn a hole through this maze you found?" Her voice is incredulous.

"Yes."

"But why?"

As quickly and quietly as I can, I briefly tell her how I want to get to the end of the Arena. I don't tell her everything, just that I want to get there. It's not that I don't trust her, I do—she saved my life after all—I'm just not in the habit of giving people the full story.

"I don't know, Haymitch," she says as the anthem comes to a close. "It seems like a waste of time."

I sigh. "Do you have another idea? Besides, we shouldn't stay in one spot. We should keep moving around. It'll keep the Capitol entertained at least. They'll think we're up to something."

She tenses, like she did before when I started trash-talking the Capitol. I hadn't meant to, but I'm not going to hide my hatred for the people who support the Games. They're sick.

"Okay, fine. We can start moving there tomorrow."

"Why not tonight?"

She gives me a glare. "Have you never heard of sleep?"

I pause, not wanting to admit it to her. "Not really..."

"At all?"

"Of course, I slept. Just not a lot."

It's quiet again in the Arena and she lowers her voice to a whisper. "Why not?"

"Number one, I didn't have any allies to keep watch for me." That's not a lie at least. "And number two, I wanted to explore as much as I could." Also not a lie.

There's a beat of silence.

"You didn't have any allies? At all?"

"No."

I have to admit that I'm very curious as to what happened to all of Maysilee's allies. Thanks to the list of fallen we see every night, I know that they are all dead. William, Leila, and whoever else she was with. All gone.

"Well, we're allies now." She says after another long silence. Her voice wavers and I know she is remembering her old allies. That alone makes me glad I went at these Games solo. "And we're sleeping tonight. I'm not having you on me collapse again."

My cheeks burn with embarrassment. "That wasn't my fault. Not fully at least. I was injured."

She gives me a pointed look. "You didn't tell me you were injured."

"You figured out just fine on your own."

An exasperated look. "You fainted. Obviously, I figured out." She grabs one of the Career packs and starts rummaging through it. "That reminds me. I have to change your bandages."

I groan. "Do you have to?"

She pulls out some bandages. "Yes. You'll get an infection if I don't."

I hesitate. I don't want to see all the blood. That's what made me pass out yesterday. That and shock. But I also don't want to get an infection. That would be a pretty awful way to go.

"Okay, fine."

Maysilee changes the bandage on my arm first and I pointedly look away. I hope Hayden isn't watching. He's afraid of blood. I worked so hard all my life to make sure he never saw me in pain. I've always been unbreakable to him. I acted like his father. Untouchable and always strong. These Games have ruined that.

I miss my family so badly I can feel it like a physical ache in my chest. It's unbearable.

Maysilee lets go of my arm and leans back. "All done."

I examine the handiwork. It isn't bad actually. "Thank you." A part of me is surprised that she's continuing to help me. I'm not used to people doing so much for me. A part of me doesn't think I deserve it after how I treated her pre-Games.

"It's time for your neck."

I grimace. I still remember how it felt to have my own knife tear apart my flesh. The bandage on my neck is placed oddly—probably the best she could have done while I was unconscious—and it makes it hard to breathe.

I do my best to distract myself while Maysilee changes my bandage. It's hard to think of something that isn't related to the Arena. It's like this terrible place is leeching into every positive thought I've ever had.

"They must be doing the interviews back home," Maysilee says, breaking yet another silence. She must be tired of me being so quiet. I've hardly spoken at all in the past nine days and she must have been having conversations left and right.

"The interviews? Oh, for the Final Eight."

"Yeah. Who do you think they'll interview for you."

"My mom and brother." I hesitate before adding, "And my girlfriend. What about you?"

"My twin and my parents. My best friend Iris Flores—she's the apothecary's daughter. Maybe some of my other friends from school."

"When was the last time Twelve had someone in the Final Eight?"

"I honestly have no idea. That's kind of strange now that I think about it."

I can't help but scoff. "It's not that strange. We have Reynald as our mentor. And the Capitol doesn't like 12, we're—" Maysilee hisses and presses down on my neck a little too hard. I gasp, the flash of pain sudden and fierce. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Remember what we talked about?"

Right. No bad-mouthing the Capitol. I sigh. "Sorry."

"Besides," she continues. "Reynald isn't all that bad. He's the one who got us here."

I mull that over. I think of the talk me and Reynald had the morning of the Games. "Fair point."

"We should just be grateful that we've made it this far."

"I know."

And I am grateful. I'm thrilled. Final Eight is much further than I expected. It means I'm close to going home. To getting out of this hell hole. To seeing my family again.

Maysilee shifts back. "I'm done."

I touch the new bandages hesitantly. They're better positioned, but they still press down on my neck weird. I find that I still can't really take a proper full breath. It doesn't help with how jittery I feel. "Thanks, Maysilee."

"No problem."

"No really," I say. "You didn't have to do this."

She grabs our four packs. "We're allies remember?"

"Right. But still. Thanks."

She gives me a small smile before turning to look around at all the trees. "Where are we sleeping?"

"I'm not sure."

"You've been in the woods this whole time? Where did you sleep?"

"I didn't do much sleeping. But usually in a tree."

She glances up at them. "Good idea. Then no one will find us if they happen to pass by." She points to two trees that are so close together they're practically one tree. "You take the one on the left and I'll take the one on the right?"

How do I phrase what I want to say? "I don't think I'll be sleeping."

She scoffs. "Don't be ridiculous, Haymitch. I'm not going to kill you in your sleep."

"I know that." What I meant was I don't think I'll be able to sleep without waking up screaming an hour later. I haven't been able to sleep for a long time now. I'm too jittery and panicked. "I'm just not that tired."

"Well, you have to sleep a little."

I groan. There's no way to escape it then. Maybe I can delay the inevitable. I don't want to have to sleep because I don't want to face the nightmares. I don't want the Capitol to hear me scream in terror and I don't want Maysilee to realize how emotionally weak her newest ally actually is.

"How about I keep first watch then? I'm really not that tired. Besides, you kept watch over me last night. You probably didn't get much sleep at all."

The circles under her eyes tell me I'm right. Finally she relents, "Aright. Wake me up halfway, okay?"

"Okay," I lie. "I'll wake you up when I get sleepy." I won't, of course. But she doesn't need to know that.

She nods, satisfied and hands me two packs, mine with my knives and Gloria's one with the blowtorch. I notice she split the food and other things evenly. "Keep these two with you and I'll keep the other two," she says. "Just in case."

"Thanks."

She turns to climb up her tree and I do the same.

"Goodnight, Haymitch."

"Goodnight, Maysilee."

As I watch Maysilee fall into a fitful sleep, I can't help but be glad that I have an ally. It's nice to have a companion. Even if it'll be short lived.