Song Suggestion: Lorn- "Acid Rain"
Warning: dark subject matters (implied violence and death), though nothing that hasn't been written about before.
Thank You: Holly, Mistress-Cinder, kitsune103, Milleniumdevil, Deepqoug, Alexxis T. Swan, Cat Beats, Rachel (Your reviews are always so in-depth and awesome!), Lalyh17, BabyI'mYours, StrawberryPeaches, Vorazlov28, Sariko-chan723, and downwego (for two awesome reviews). I have a lot of ghost readers too based on view count. I appreciate you too fam, even though I never see your faces.
The Deep End
Jace walked her forward, past the branch that protected her from sight. Ruby's face snapped up and looked at her with a troubled expression and then apathy.
Prim almost called to Theodora for help, but she realized with a sinking feeling she had read the situation wrong. Read everything wrong. Jace and Theodora were allies. The betrayal felt like being punched in the gut. Her eyes smarted with tears.
"We can add little Primrose to our growing collection," Jace said. Prim struggled, bringing her hands up to his wrists, but even with all her force, it did not yield an inch. In desperation, she opened her mouth and bit down as hard as she could.
Jace hissed, yanking his hand back and shaking it. He twisted her around to see him, balling up her shoulders in his hands. His empty eye socket laughed at her.
"It's a pity I don't hit girls. Your face would look beautiful bruised and bloodied."
He didn't hit girls, but he was okay with every other kind of violation or torture. Remembering sobered her mind, as if she jumped into an icy pond. She couldn't fight her way out of this, she'd have to think her way out.
Prim forced every tense line in her body to loosen.
"That's a good girl," Jace said when he sensed the fight leaving her. His eyes went to his ally. "We'll need to tie this one up too. She may look tame, but I know from experience she has claws. They're tiny, but they sting a little."
Theodora's eyes dug into her as she got up with an extra rope in hand, as if trying to convey something: pity, sympathy, or apology. It didn't matter, she didn't want any of them.
Prim refused to look at Theodora as she knotted the ropes tight enough to dig into her skin and placed her next to Ruby. She didn't look at her when Jace ate the rest of the cooked rat. She didn't look at her when he burped and said he was ready for some after-dinner entertainment. Prim kept her eyes on the snapping fire as Jace stood up.
"Come, pretty little thing." Jace crouched before the blonde. His remaining grey eye gave a wink, his black hair spiked into a mohawk, shorter than when she first met him. The girl trembled, and his fingers came up and traced the bow of her lip and brushed away a few tears. "You're up first. How about we go somewhere more private, so we can enjoy ourselves."
Prim refused to look at Theodora as Jace untied the girl agonizingly slow. She didn't look at her as the blonde kicked and struggled, begging for help. She didn't look at her as Jace drug the girl away, fingers threaded through her hair, screaming until she was out of sight, leaving a trail in the leaves, uncovering the dark soil beneath.
Only when the screams increased to a pitch that became unbearable did Prim glance at Theodora. To her credit, Theodora's eyes were troubled and bright. Prim gave a glare she hoped contained her withering disdain.
"Don't look at me like that," Theodora said, "It's the only way I could win against Cato."
"You're a traitor," Prim spat, "To your district, but especially to your family. Cassius will be the only one to love you if you make it home and maybe not even him. You've lost everyone else."
Theodora's face crumpled at that.
"I know," she whispered, but it was drowned out by the poor girl's shrieks.
Thirty Minutes Later
A cannon blasted thirty minutes later. Prim felt relieved, her heart tired from internal distress. The little blonde's screams ripped their way through her psyche. Prim lost her religion years ago, but she found herself giving quick prayers for mercy.
Jace came back around the corner. His black hair and olive skin dripped in blood and he licked his lips. He gripped something in his hands.
Prim didn't have to ask what it was because he showed it to her in the firelight: a bundle of bloodied flesh.
"My trophy," he said. In his palm lay the unmistakable shape of an ear. The horror didn't register with Prim yet. Jace opened a small pouch, stained with dried blood hanging from his belt and placed his trophy inside.
"Did you rape her?" Prim asked, her voice raspy with unshed tears.
"No," Jace sighed, "That's not allowed, at least not until the end. My last kill. I'm reserving that for someone special. If you're lucky, it may just be you."
Prim withheld her gag as he looked her up and down like a snack, and then did the same to Ruby, as if he could see through their clothing.
Jace gave a contented sigh and sat down in the spot between Ruby and Prim.
"Ah," he said as if sated and leaned back, folding his hands behind his head as a pillow. "I feel much better, but now I need to rest. I plan on taking even longer next go 'round."
A chill broke out across Prim's body. The blonde screaming made her insides crumple, but the sad truth was that she didn't know the girl, didn't even know her name. It didn't break her, but the next time might.
Prim dared not even move until Jace began to snore softly, mouth relaxed, and hands unclenched. Only then did Prim brave speaking.
"You should let us go now," she told Theodora, trying to make her see sense before it was too late.
"He's not a deep sleeper."
"How could you?" Prim spat, struggling with putting her jumbled thoughts into words, "You just let him torture someone. How many others has he done that to?"
"Three," Theodora answered in a tight voice. "And it won't be for much longer. Cato and Jace are the only ones capable of killing each other. I'm just trying to make that happen."
"So you can swoop in with a victory?"
Theodora looked away into the gnarled branches of the tree next to her.
Prim remembered the way the tribute bobbed in the water as Theodora drowned him. In her first game, she did not win by brute force, despite her capability. She won it by being the last one standing.
Prim hoped Theodora would be haunted by the screams of the girls her whole life. She couldn't understand how anyone could endure the screams unless psychotic. Cato killed, but he made it fast, a snapped neck. He didn't enjoy it, not like Jace did. She had been wrong, Cato wasn't a monster. Only Jace could hold that title. Him and Snow.
Though Jace was bad, she thought what Theodora did was equal in severity. She allowed it to happen, probably capturing the prey, pairing up with a monster to save the skin on her back. Prim had never been more disgusted or hurt.
"I won't let him do it to you," Theodora said softly, "I promise. I'll make sure your death is quick."
"What about me?" Ruby asked.
"Sacrifices must be made," Theodora said.
They all three stared into the flickering flames, lost in their own dark thoughts, waiting for the devil to awaken and begin anew his reign of terror.
Hours Later
When Jace woke up, stretching his giant arms over his head and curling his back to pop it, every cell in Prim's body woke up as well.
"Hm, a nap can do wonders, especially after such an enjoyable evening. But the night is still young, and you are my presents just waiting to be unwrapped." Jace brushed his hand across the ropes holding her arms to her body in a loving way, a caress. "What do you say Theo, care to join the fun this time?"
"Don't call me Theo," the female victor spat. She sat hunched forward, arms draped over her knees. A position that showed she was ready to spring and fight at any moment. "And I'm not fucked in the head like you, so no."
"You're no fun for a victor. Even Cato enjoys the chase." He shrugged. "More for me, I guess. So," he said, returning his attention to the captives, "Which one should I have fun with first?"
He crouched down in front of Prim and placed a finger on her cheek and brought it to her lips like he did the blonde. Prim sneered and flinched away but not fast enough. She felt his fingertips blister into her body like a brand, remembering the way the drug burned under her skin.
"Candidate number one: the bitch who broke my nose." He grabbed a strand of hair and twirled it in his fingers. "I've been dreaming of what I'd do to you for months. It's gotten very detailed. A checklist I must address. Not to mention, I think your death would destroy Carthage. There would be no greater pleasure than dangling your fresh cut ear in his face."
He turned to his district mate. Before he could touch Ruby, she growled and snapped at his fingers with glinting teeth. He gave a booming laugh, as if enjoying the show of fight, no doubt excited to stamp it out.
"However, bitch number two would be satisfying as well. You've been feral since we met on stage. And that rose…" This time she did not bite him when he darted his finger out and brushed it over her tattoo. Her eyes turned feverish with fear. "I usually don't care for going off script. I started taking ears for trophies, and it would be inconsistent to do any different now… but I think I may have to make an exception. The Rose will make a beautiful addition to my collection. It trembles now on your cheek, but I think it would look even better spread and pinned on my wall at home."
He leaned back and placed a finger to his chin and bottom lip as if in deep thought.
"Which one, Theo? I'll let you decide this time." Theodora's eye twitched at the nickname.
"The wanna-be career."
Jace's eyes flashed bright.
"Well, that's not very fair to Ruby. We all know you care for Cato's girl. How about I kill Primrose now, so it relieves you of the guilt plaguing you."
"I don't have guilt; I'm just thinking ahead."
"Go on," Jace said.
"You said it yourself, her death would destroy Cato. But take away everything from the lion and he would burn this world with you in it. Nothing is more dangerous than a wounded animal. However," she said, and her eyes sharpened with intelligence, "a desperate Cato is a different story. Think of all the things he'd do, the things he'd sacrifice, to save his little bird. Dead— we stab the beast. Alive—we bring the beast to its knees."
Prim's insides shriveled at that. She ran from Cato to save him from that same scenario. She should have realized that they were smart enough to bring Cato's weakness to him.
Jace considered her. His face went from contemplative, to understanding, to a curling smile. The empty socket agreed.
"You make an excellent point. This is why I'm keeping you around for now. Intelligent, beautiful, and deadly. I'm sure your fiancé will grieve you when you die."
Theodora's eyes hardened, "If I die."
Jace let the threat slide and reached out to Ruby's ropes, picking at them slowly.
"Fate has decided, and you're it."
"No," Prim begged, "Kill me instead." She would die anyway, why not now? If she could save just one more person, she would find it worth it.
"Why the rush?" Jace told Prim, "Your turn will come. It warms my heart you're looking forward to it though."
Jace continued to pick at Ruby's bounds. She fought with the intensity of the dying, flailing so hard she fell to the side in the dirt, kicking her legs. She wasn't in a very good position to do any damage.
"No,no,no," Prim cried, thick tears rolling down her face.
"Don't cry for me," Ruby told her through clenched teeth, "Just kill them. Kill them all, Prim. This is my blood debt repaid. A life for a life."
"No," Prim begged, "Theodora don't let him do this. You aren't like this. We were supposed to paint nails and gossip about boys. You were supposed to be my best friend. Please don't let him do this."
Theodora had a moment where it looked like she might give into her plea, a devastated look passing over her face filled with darkness and pain. But it passed and so did her empathy. She looked away, jaw clenched, and she strangled her knife, muscles tense.
Jace laughed at the display around him.
"Don't waste your breath. You have so little of it left," he said, "Your dear victor is as hard as diamond, and I'm afraid you've measured her wrong. She won't save Ruby Rose, and she won't save you when it's your time either, so let your hope in her die as you listen to the reaped career suffer. The screams are beautiful when you let yourself feel them."
Her hope for Theodora's goodness died, falling off her in clumps. She thought her bravery saving Katla would carry over into the games, but Theodora had warned her in the beginning that she would not spare her, and Prim should have believed her. Instead, Prim had held onto the belief that every person had some good in them that would triumph in the end with the right amount of love. But Prim was starting to realize that sometimes love did not win.
Ruby's bounds dropped, and she lurched backwards as if to escape, but there was no escaping Jace the mace. He reached forward and gripped her hair and stood. Ruby gave a cry, but bit her lip, sucking back a scream.
Jace seemed amused at the effort.
"It's better to give into the pain and accept it."
"I won't give you the satisfaction." Ruby said, snarling. She gripped her hands around his arms and swung her foot into his midsection. Jace gave a little oomph in pain on impact but did not drop her. It did nothing but cause another curling smile, excitement lighting up his face.
"Each scream I pull from those lips will feel like a victory, and I'll drink your tears before you die."
He dragged her struggling body and disappeared around the corner. It took three minutes until the first cry. It took five until the first scream. After that it was a dam breaking, and Ruby broke under the torture. Prim sat rocking herself, attempting to awaken from the nightmare.
Fifteen Minutes Later
Prim sunk into another world but was yanked out when she felt someone tugging on her ropes. A jolt of terror went through her thinking it would be Jace, but Prim snapped her brain back into focus to find Theodora hunched over her, cutting away at her bonds with a polished knife.
"Finally going to kill me?"
Another scream ripped through the air. It must have been ten minutes so far, but it felt like hours. Prim was unaware of time, unable to determine how close they were from the next gong. It would be soon, Prim felt the anticipation for it building in her bones.
"I'm trying to save you, but maybe not if you get mouthy."
Three of the strongest ropes gave way, and Theodora almost sliced her skin.
"Why?"
"Because I've discovered I don't like being the villain."
The last bonds fell away. Prim shivered with the feeling of freedom, rubbing her hands over the chaff marks. Her whole body felt like jelly. A mix of prolonged fear and adrenaline racing through her.
"Just run," Theodora stood up to her full, towering height. The tattoos wound their way down her arm, and her dark skin gleamed. She did not look any different from the first time she met her. The only change was her blood-stained cuticles. "Go before I kill you myself. I don't know if I can save you from him. He's mad. He'll just as soon kill you tonight as tomorrow."
"But what about you?"
A blood curdling scream interrupted the answer. It crawled its way on her burrowing down deep.
Theodora's eyes widened in surprise, and for the first time the entire night she looked vulnerable. She set her jaw and frowned looking away.
"I'll be fine. I'm not sure you understand who I am, who I've been trained to be. Now go," she gave a shooing motion and pulled out a second knife, cleaning the edge against the side of her pants.
Prim faced an internal dilemma. The logical side of her head reminded her that Jace would not spare her, and her death would be long and creative. He would make it last until he broke everything inside her, he'd mold her into whatever creature he wished with the pain.
"I can't leave Ruby," Prim said, nodding as if to convince herself. It was the only thing to do. The only option she could live with.
Theodora rolled her eyes.
"How did I know you'd say something like that?" She leaned down enough so they were eye to eye, "The girl is as good as dead. I'm sure she even wishes she was by this point."
"She's not dead yet," Prim answered, "Which means there is a chance I can help." Prim stopped and looked up at the victor, her voice soft, "I would save you too, if it was you."
Theodora's whole body froze solid, and then she glanced up into the sky, as if asking for help from the universe. When she looked down a small smile tugged on her lips.
"When Cato first claimed you, I was confused. Out of all the girls he could have had, he choose you, a random little slum girl from fucking District 12. Someone he planned to slice to pieces for years. It wasn't a match in my mind, and I thought he made a mistake. But now…" her eyes cataloged Prim in a new way, "I think I finally get it. Cato knew long ago you'd be the only person to love a man like him and maybe the only person he could love in return. In the same way, I think you could have been my only friend."
Prim was unsure what to feel with the confession, but there was no time to think deeper on it.
"Does that mean you'll help me?"
Another scream, this time several in a row, like a symphony. It was as if Jace planned for them to sound like an eerie form of music.
Theodora let out a long huff of breath. The sound got to her too. She could no longer deny it by her expressions.
"Fine. Cassius, forgive me." She glanced up into the trees. "I may not get home. I just… I just couldn't do what this game asked of me. I can't be a villain to win. I tried. Please, remember that."
Prim laid a tentative hand against the muscled forearm. Theodora looked at the small act of comfort.
"Let's give the bastard hell," the victor snarled.
Prim opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by the gong. It thrummed under her feet, rumbling around like a mini-earthquake. The trees trembled, and a few birds took off from the leaves, cawing into the air.
"Shit," Theodora said, "Another one."
"Have you had yours?" Prim asked.
Theodora looked at her askance.
"What are you talking about?"
"Your fear."
"I still don't know what the fuck you're talking about."
It occurred to Prim then: Theodora and Jace had not figured out the game's design yet. The just rode out the waves as they came.
Prim didn't have time to explain for the next challenge was obvious. A small puddle of water formed around her feet. It saturated the ground; a steady roar began in the background.
"What is that?" Theodora asked. Her eyes widened, clutching the knives hard enough to break.
"Water," Prim said.
It was time for Theodora to face her fear.
Moments Later
The water rose fast, too quickly to do anything about. An inch a second. They were in such a panic, Prim barely recognized the screams stopped. Either Ruby died or Jace let her go to survive the coming flood.
"We need to climb," Prim said. She hated to do it still, but if anything positive came out of this game, she realized that she could get over her fear of heights just enough to climb a tree when needed. If she got out alive, she'd be sure to thank Snow just to shove it in his face.
The trees nearest them were short shrubby things. The would drown, holding onto toothpicks. They needed to get higher.
"Let's go," Prim said. Theodora nodded dumbly, trapped in her mind.
Prim sprinted into the tree line, Theodora right behind her. She wished there was time to snatch up Ruby, who must be badly injured and in terrible pain. But they had no time, not when the water was already at their knees. They sloshed through the water. It was hard going because the ground wasn't even in the first place and threatened to trip them up at every point.
"Here," Prim said, "This one will have to do."
It wasn't the tallest of the bunch, but it reached higher than the others she'd seen, and it had low, thick branches, making it easier to scale. If they waited any longer, it would be up to their chest and then soon enough it would cover their head and suck them under.
Prim swung her leg up. Theodora followed. Water made the clothes stick to her body, and it dripped from her pant leg back into the water. They stared at each other for only a moment before scrambling upwards. Theodora was frantic, snapping a few branches, almost slipping off one of them because their shoes were wet enough it made climbing a challenge.
Bark cut into her palms. Prim hissed with the pain but ignored it, pulling herself up and up until she reached the last branch that could hold her weight. Theodora was right behind her and perched on the one just below her foot.
"What happens if it reaches all the way up here?" Theodora asks. It wasn't a question of if, it was when. Climbing the tree only gave a reprieve. She doubted Snow would let them off easy.
"Then we might have to swim."
"I haven't swum since my games," Theodora admitted, "When I was little, I'd swim up and down a river that used to be next to my house. But after the games… I couldn't make myself do it anymore. I felt like I was drowning before I even fully submerged."
"We'll get out of this. You can't forget how to swim. Once you learn, it's always there."
Prim had to believe it. If it worked like the other fears, all they needed was some way to defeat it. She'd find a way, even if she had to build a boat.
They stared at each other, wide-eyed and trembling, as they waited for the water to rise.
Fifteen Minutes Later
The water hit Theodora's toes.
"Move, so I can get up with you."
Prim did, though she worried the branch would snap and send them in the rushing water. Theodora's large frame wrapped around her as she gripped the tree, pining her against the thin trunk. The liquid swirled viciously under them with a swift current. Once they were in the water, it would be hard to stay afloat.
"Shit," Theodora said. "I can't do this. Fuck, I can't."
"You need to breathe."
But the girl did not listen to her. She was in full survival mode. The whites of her eyes showing, teeth clenched, frantically swaying side to side in indecision. Fight or flight was a myth. Prim knew most people froze when terror overcame them.
"If I don't make it out of this—"
"Stop talking like that," Prim said.
"No, you need to listen. If I don't make it out of here, you need to tell Cassius… tell Cassius…"
"He knows you love him," Prim said.
"It's more than that. You need to tell him I let him win. He still doesn't know. He thinks he trapped me into something, and the last time I saw him he tried to—he tried to apologize. He needs to know I wanted to be there, with him. If it was up to me, I'd always be with him."
Prim didn't remind her that he heard them. The cameras saw them everywhere they went. Instead, she nodded her head with a sacred pact.
"I'll tell him, but I won't have to."
Silence and then something Prim couldn't be silent about.
"For what it's worth, I forgive you."
"You shouldn't, and you wouldn't if you knew what I've done. I don't deserve forgiveness."
"Nobody deserves forgiveness."
Theodora's mouth was tight, but she nodded.
"Do you consider yourself my friend? Or at least did you before the games" Theodora asked. "I've never had one. I don't want to die without one."
Prim wasn't sure, but she did not want to deny Theodora this. She recognized loneliness when she saw it. The culture of District 2 created Victors, but it did not produce an environment of trust, an essential element for friendship.
"I swear as your friend that we'll get through this together."
Theodora nodded and accepted the promise with a sad, grateful look, as if having a friend was better than forgiveness.
"It's too bad I never had the chance to paint your nails." Theodora grabbed Prim's hand and inspected it, "For future reference, a blue-based red would look fabulous on you. And it's also too bad that we didn't get the chance to gossip, especially since you've attended Tea Time. I think we'd have the same opinions about a few loud-mouth bitches."
Prim smiled, and Theodora smiled back, and for a moment, her fear was defeated.
A Few Minutes Later
The water reached them. First it touched their feet, then reached their waist, and then their shoulders.
"We'll have to hold on for as long as possible," Prim said. "I don't know where this current will take us."
It was useless though. As soon as the water reached over their heads, it ripped their hands from the trunk, breaking them apart. Prim only had a moment to suck in a breath before the force toppled her over, sucking her beneath before spewing her out again, nearly missing the tops of a few trees. Prim swam hard and fast, but it did not do much good. She hoped Theodora fared well but could only focus on her own survival for the moment. She stole breaths of air before a small drowning. Just when she thought she would die, she'd break the surface and gasp for another breath.
When topside, Prim glanced a safety net. A large uprooted tree was wedged between two bigger trees. Without something to hold onto and rest, Prim feared she'd drown soon.
Prim slammed into a random treetop. It hurt bad enough that Prim cried out. She hoped it didn't hurt the baby. Using all the strength she possessed, she grabbed onto the thin branches and placed her feet on the trunk, pushing off with her feet. It flung her hard in the direction she wanted. She arched out, attempting to swim hard. She'd never been a great swimmer; Gale was always better, and so was Rory, but she was still adequate.
She did this for a while. A slow crawl. Take a breath. Go under. Swim. Find a tree. Push off. Until she was within reaching distance. One last push, and her fingers grasped the log. It rolled a bit at first, but Prim found a branch and held on, anchoring it in that position as much as she could.
Prim breathed hard against the trunk, gasping in quick breaths and hacking up swallowed water. Her chest pressed against the branch, and she almost slipped under, which would have drowned her, but she managed to right herself. She trembled with the effort. When he mind cleared, she heard it.
"Help!"
Prim looked up and saw Theodora, face stuck in a frozen scream. She clung to one of the only remaining treetops still above the water, besides the giant ones keeping the log in place. But it wouldn't be long. Already, she began to reach down at an awkward angle to keep a hold. Prim measured about ten feet in her mind. Close enough to help.
Prim reached around and with effort unzipped her backpack still somehow attached to her shoulders, as if an extra appendage. She couldn't zip it back up and her stash of food and water and pills tumbled out, but she reached her intended item—the rope. The packs of supplies floated away as she unthreaded the rope the best she could while still gripping the branch on the log.
"Theodora," she screamed to get her attention, "Catch."
Prim swung the rope around her head and flung it towards the victor. It landed about a foot from her, a leap, but close enough to grasp, but Theodora didn't lunge for it, too stunned or too scared, and it floated away. Prim dragged it back.
"Come on, Theo."
The Victor's face looked grey and sallow.
"I can't."
"You have to, or you'll drown," Prim said, and Theodora went paler. "I'm throwing it again. Leap for it. You have to take the risk."
Prim threw it again, and the victor saw it but did not jump again.
"I'm sorry," Theodora cried, "I can't do it."
"Yes, you can."
When Prim looked back up, ready to throw again, Theodora looked suddenly, strangely calm, with the waters rushing and swirling around her.
"I'm about to throw it." Prim said. Something about her expression disturbed her. It looked accepting.
"I can't, Prim. I'm sorry. I wouldn't live anyway," she gave a small smile.
"No," Prim screamed, understanding now.
"Cato wants you to survive, not me, and I can't beat him. We'd have to kill each other. This would be better for everyone."
"Hold on, Thea—Don't do this. I'll swim to you."
Her smile vanished. Every line on her face smoothed and then before Prim could do anything about it, she let go of the branch. She let the current take her a few yards away, before she outstretched her arms, laying her head backwards into the water and let it suck her under.
"No," Prim screamed. She almost let go of her log to swim after her, but it would only lead to her own death. "Theodora?" There wasn't anything left to do.
A cannon sounded a minute later, booming across the racing water, and it shattered Prim instantly. She bent over and clutched at her chest. Prim didn't have to be told who it was for.
"No, no,no,no." She could taste the salt of grief in her mouth as tears flowed down her cheeks. She imagined Cassius mangled grief, Cato's face turning to steel, Hannibal weeping into his arm. She should have swum out, she should have held on tighter. Her blood seeped around her, drowning her with the weight.
All it took was a single minute, and the Carthage family shattered.
A Few Moments Later
Prim didn't allow herself time to grieve. She crawled up on the log, safe from the raging waters. Prim beat the fear by turning the log into a raft, and the water began to recede.
Several minutes later, the branch twisted, and she was deposited back into the water. Prim swam hard, dodging trees, until she could grab ahold of a thick branch. She held on tight, as the water pushed and tugged against her, but Prim refused to let go this time, despite the current and held on until the water went below her feet. Without the weight of water, her body moved like rubber as if there was nothing left to hold her together.
She waited until the water soaked back into the Earth before deciding to make her way down. The branches got bigger as she went until she nearly swung from the last one to the spongy soil below. It squelched under her boots, still wet from the trial. Everything on her dripped, from her boots to her hair. Luckily, she wasn't in the frozen wasteland where it would be a death sentence. In the forest, it was merely inconvenient.
Prim caught her breath at the base of the tree, attempting to stem the parts of her soul that wanted to hemorrhage. She collected herself and reached around into her bag and pulled out the only remaining beef jerky pack and ripped it open, shoving it in her mouth. Panem could mistake her for a wild animal with how fast she chewed and swallowed. After, her legs collapsed under her, weary from grief and exertion.
How could she ever face Cato again? How would she be able to explain to him that she could have saved his sister but failed? How could she smile at Hannibal again? How could she kiss Coral goodnight, knowing her aunt was sucked under? The guilt would never leave her.
Prim sat there until she decided she had to keep moving. She wondered what happed to Ruby. Did she manage to escape? She never heard a second cannon, so Prim assumed that she was still alive.
Alone once again, Prim walked through the dense forest in a section so thick it became hard to see well. She stopped at a thick tree, its base bigger than she could wrap her arms around. The stars above were distorted with the thick leaves, leaving flashes of midnight light. She considered the tree for a moment before nodding. She couldn't go further in the forest at night, so she'd need to find somewhere to stop and rest until morning. Prim wrapped an arm around a lower branch. She almost started climbing to check when her whole body froze.
Jace stood at the base of a tree only a few feet from her. Water dripped from his hair, flattening the mohawk in stands that lined his forehead, his gray eye almost silver in the moonlight. He clutched Ruby to him, encircling her waist like a lover, cupping her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Her eyes were wild and bright, and the skin on her arms were covered in thick trenches. Jace looked right at Prim with a smirk that mocked her with his empty socket.
"Now that we are all back together again, we can finally begin the fun."
A/N: *Dodging tomatoes* I had to! R.I.P Theodora. She was a hard character to kill. It gutted me. Pretty please don't hate me forever. I promise by the end of next chapter you'll be saying "Fuck yeah!"