"Hey, quickly. Come here! Run! Run! Run!" Her voice is haunting me in the woods. Her uneven squeal pierces through my ears. "We'll save you! He's no more. You have to save yourself. Quickly, with us!" They are growing louder. Legs, weak like branches, cannot continue but I keep dragging myself forward. I know she is bolting towards me. The rustling of leaves and the cool wind do not calm me down anymore. Thorns, bushes, dead animals, skeletons, bats, mocking jays, jabber jays, and Katniss.

Today is the day I will receive what I have craved forever. Death. I can't save myself, nor will she. Her breath is distinct, even over the sounds of all the animals, wind, my breathless self and my heart's thudding. My body is not supporting me anymore. I fall back in the bushes, bruising all over again as I tumble down the hill. She must be smiling, watching me go down. "I'll save you." Her voice is hammering in my head. "I will hang you on the tree. I will save your life." Her laughter is slashing me.

Somebody's trying to drag me deeper into the woods. My head slams against something. Screechings and wicked laughter terrorise me. I can feel axe-like fingers digging into my face. I let it all happen. No strength to stop. No will to live. What worse is even left to happen?


Why is the distorted world flashing lights on me?

I can feel something rushing up my hands. Burning itch on my face. I can only feel. Pain. I am unable to open my eyes. I try to shut them tighter. Has she pulled out my eyeballs? I can't move my hands when I try to bring them to my face. What has happened? One of my eyes opens. Am I lying under a spotlight? Somebody is watching over my face and someone standing next to me. This is not the woods. Who brought me here? What's more to experience? As I try to pull up a breath, I sense something concrete on my face. I shut my eyes tighter and try to open them. Only an eye again. But I can make out there are doctors around me. One standing over my face, one on my right and one beside me. This is an operating room where I had seen Peeta for the last time.


How long have I been here? "Around 9 more days for the wounds on her hand to heal. Unfortunately, her face will be permanently deformed. Her brother is fine. He has minor injuries on his body. But he'll fully recover in no more than 3 days," somebody states.

"I will pay for it, Dav. Doctor, just ensure my niece completely heals."

I know this voice. I recognise the patience in that voice. It haunts some tributes but soothes me. Caeser's. Why is he here? He'll be hung immediately if any of the Gamemakers find out he is here. The interviewer of the Hunger Games helping an Avox. The Uncle of a 'traitor'. Of a rebel. Of an Avox, who has a voice nobody knows about, other than him, Haymitch, Katniss and I.

A bruise on my skin burns as a tear slips down my cheek. David will be fine soon. But how did we end up here at all? Wasn't I supposed to be serving in the Capitol as an Avox? I can't recall what had happened. Not at all but I try to move my hand to make a sound. Nobody hears it. I try to sound 'Hum hum'. But my voice can't reach anyone over these 'noiseless' machines. Somebody is walking towards me. Dejȃ Vu. Exactly like Katniss does. Intentional. Flowing with anger. But they are in green coats. They place my hands by the sides of my body and whisper, "Rest, Lavinia. You'll wake up when you are fine, okay? " I try to pull away from them but I am drowning because of the injection. Everything is abstract. I am passing out as somebody holds my hand and kisses me good night.


As soon as I open my eye, it takes me time to recognise the place around me.

I think I am still in the hospital. But no lights are hovering over me. Maybe I have woken up after some days. I can move my right hand. My left hand still feels extremely heavy and painful. I have no control over its movement. My left eyelids cannot move at all. But I try to move my neck and I can move it a little bit.

"Lav, stop. It's alright," his concerning voice calms me.

"Dav…" my voice fades away. He meets my eyes and I can tell he is breaking inside. I raise my hand and place it over his.

"Lav, you will be able to move around in a few more days," he reassures me with a shaky voice and a smile pasted on his face.
"As if I want to. Help me with what happened. I don't recall anything at all," I urge him.

"I will tell you later?"
"What if I die?" I ask.

"Lavinia, please," he begs.

"Dav, please"
"I will tell you," he answers, helplessly.

"You remember one night you went to Katniss's room after the Games were over?"
My brain hurts a little. Flashing city lights from the windows.

"I think so. Yes?"
"We are here from that day." I know David is hurt by what happened to me.

I recall something. Every detail. I had gone to help her. Not to rub her bruises of the war she had lost. The victor, she was supposed to be.

"I remember now. Take care, Dav. I'll be just fine," I sound unsure and funny to myself, too.

"I hope. I love you, Lav. Please don't kill yourself as Mother did."

The mark of our parent's death on David's mind is not erasable. Nor from mine. He now does everything as if it were our last day. Death haunts my little brother all the time. His, haunts me, too.

I force my brain to recall that night. The very accurate decision I had made. As I slip into my dreams, I see all that had happened, like I were a camera hovering over me.


Katniss might shove me out of the room immediately out of panic from her nightmare. She would not have known I wait outside her room every night. 'Please just take care of Katniss when she returns' were the last words I heard from Peeta. To save me from my nightmares and to help her with hers, I do sit outside her room. Every night. Her nightmares this time were possibly about her family, Peeta and the woods. After hearing her cries from outside, I unlock her door with the key I have. Tonight is the last night Katniss is here in the Capitol. I could help her and let her know she didn't deserve what happened to her. She deserves to be thriving. The Girl on fire could light up the whole world.

She rubs her eyes, panting heavily. She pronounces "yes" almost inaudibly. After she nodded to confirm if I can enter, I do. It takes me time to realise I should be surprised she let me enter. Does she know it is me? Why would she let me in? I think this is the right decision. I close the door behind me and tip-toe closer to her. Making almost no noise, I open the windows to help Katniss ventilate. I seat myself on the edge of her bed and passed her a glass of water. But she does id not look like she can take it. She takes my hand and holds it close to her chest. I can feel her heart thudding inside. Her ribs move up and down as she pants. She keeps her head on my lap. This is the girl who volunteered to save her younger sister from these inhumane games. Seeing her tearing apart is hurting me. This is the same girl who wanted to save Peeta's life if she had shot the arrow at Cato. Did she not know she could save him? The Girl of Fire is turning to ashes.

"How are you here?" she whispers.

I don't want to answer that now. If by any chance, any peacekeeper gets to know, we are both set to be in trouble. Katniss IS losing anyway. They would torture me with their foul experiments again. I would not mind not living. This slow death is crushing my soul.

But suddenly, Katniss moves her head off my lap and sits still. I wait for a moment as I comprehend her movement. I pass her a glass of water. She gulps it down immediately.

"I wish I had saved you."
I grab a pen and paper and scribble, "You couldn't. You would have been an Avox too." The words are barely visible from the lights of the Capitol.

"Maybe you wouldn't be here if I had saved you. I am so sorry, Lavinia. Haymitch told me you still have nightmares about it. I wish…"

I immediately step away from her and stand facing the windows. But she is getting up and I can hear her steps behind me. She is picking up something. I don't know what it is. Probably a glass of water.

I can hear her footsteps. Closer and closer. Her uneven breath passes chills down my spine. Putting her arms around my shoulders, she lays her head on my shoulder from the back.

"Did you think I could win the games?" she questions, her creaky voice causing every hair on my skin to rise.

"I wished. Prim did, too", I reply. Verbally replying to a person after a year of keeping quiet makes me realise the power of having a voice.

"Prim, what are you saying? Of course, you did," she reassures herself.

"Prim wished you and Peeta had won."
"Of course, you did. What are you even saying, Prim?" she questions again, shocked.
"I am not Prim," I softly state. Does she not know how her sister sounds?

"Not again. I have taken my medicines."
Her head is slowly slipping down my back. I place my hand below her chin. I turn around and hold her.

"Katniss, I can't blame you for what you haven't done."

"I hope you don't" and she thrusts me against the window.

"But I need to get rid of the nightmare that's been haunting me," she spits with gritted teeth. Her voice is getting louder. I can't see her face but her shadows reflect a person with an arrow. Am I hallucinating? Hallucinations again? I have taken my medicines.

"What's wrong?"
"Oh, so you will act like you, a DAMN Avox, a traitor, never told them to attack Peeta?"
"Are you crazy? Why would I?"
Her hands are digging into my flesh.
"I could never. It was him"
"Who is him?"

Her hands are digging for my bones now
"It was C-"

"Well, so you will tell me it was Crane? Serena Crane? Of course!"

"Katniss, no!"

"Serena's hands are painted with everyone's blood and pain. But you are the one who stabbed MY Peeta."

"No. Stop!"

Her hand throttles me.

"He was like a brother to me," I am unable to breathe anymore.

"And you didn't think even once before killing your Brother."

Her grip on me begins to loosen. Both of us are drained, emotionally and physically.

Everyone on the television had seen it. Of course, I was not involved. Why would I even be?
She hits my head against the wall again, "You don't deserve to survive. I wish I hadn't saved your little lovely brother and you," she is spitting venom.

"I never wanted Peeta to die. Why would I even?"
"Why wouldn't you? He was the one who ended up hurting your brother."
"You haven't taken your medicines, Katniss. Stop!"
"I won't. You killed my Peeta. You should be dead. I do not want to die as myself anymore. He didn't want to be a piece of the Games, but I am, now. I am not myself anymore."
"Stop, Katniss! For Prim's sake." my cries must be audible to the outsiders too now.
"I will not be me. If they kill me now for killing you, I am dying for Peeta. He wouldn't want you to be alive either."

After a thud on the door, somebody breaks through the door and injects something into Katniss's shoulder as she tries to fight them.
I fall to the ground as she hits my head against the wall with all the strength she has left.

"I will never forgive you. You killed my Peeta," and she falls beside me.
"It was Cato. All along." I whisper.

THE END