Chapter Two

Wet.

Muddy.

Flood.

Alex almost loses her balance as the wave from the hurricane hits her. Looking around her, she stands on a beach with a forest or a swamp on her left and a rune city all around her. Looking at the clock, it hits zero, and Alex dashes to the nearest bag and grabs it before running into the forest full speed.

Immediately scouting for plants to heal, Alex pockets them on the left and the ones to eat on the right. Looking for berries, and water she finds them easily and sits on the rock in a cave only small enough for her and out of sight where no one can see, since the entrance is hidden.

Looking in her bag, she finds matches, a sleeping bag, a water bottle, plastic, socks, plastic bags, a knife, and a flashlight.

Taking off her boots, Alex slips the plastic bags on her feet and slides her boots back on to keep her feet dry. After filling her water bottle and putting her medicine leaves and leaves to eat in two different compartments in her bag, Alex starts to nibble on her berries and drink water. Hearing the cannons, Alex flinches before moving to the entrance to peek out in hopes to see if Haymitch has survived.

If Haymitch has, Alex plans to go to the city tomorrow to find him because that's where she saw him run. Watching fourteen peoples' faces appear and none of them are Haymitch, Alex sighs in relief before going to bed watching the entrance of her cave.

The next morning, just outside the city, Alex sits in a tree watching tributes chase each other to try and kill each other but many of them give each other the slip. Slipping into the city, Alex ducks behind rubble in time to see Haymitch run passed her but trips over her foot. Pinning him down, Alex puts her knife to his throat shocking him.

"Alex? We're on the same side." Haymitch whispers.

"How do I know that? How do I know you weren't just saying that to kill me?" Alex snaps with fire in her eyes.

Haymitch places his hands on her sides and lifts her up so he can get up. Moving so they are behind the rubble, Haymitch pulls her into a building and they go into a private room.

"I'm not going to kill you, Alex. I'm not going to hurt you." Haymitch promises kneeling down to her level, "If I was I would have killed you already." Haymitch shows Alex his machete with blood on it.

"You killed some people in the bloodbath yesterday, didn't you?" Alex asks.

"Two of the fourteen. I killed three people today. Everyone seems to be in the city because the forest is gone now along with the water supply."

"Good thing I stalked up on food and medicine."

"Do you have water too?"

"Yes, but not a lot."

"May I have a little?" Nodding, Alex pulls it out and Haymitch takes a sip before passing it back.

~K&A~

When it is down to three, Haymitch, Alex and a guy from District Seven, they are trapped in the city circling each other. Alex has a brick and a knife in hand as Haymitch has a machete and a brick in his. Haymitch is blocking Alex from harm as the guy and Haymitch are going at it.

While Haymitch is on the ground and the guy stabs him in the leg, Alex runs at them and stabs him in the shoulder and hits him in the head with the brick multiple times screaming and crying.

"Alex, Alex, Alex, he's dead, he's dead. Alex, he's dead." Haymitch repeats until Alex drops the brick and pushes him off of Haymitch crying. Pulling out the sword, Alex immediately pulls out a few leaves and gets to work while Haymitch screams in pain.

Above them a hovercraft appears and lifts them up as, "Congratulations, here are the winners of the 70th Annual Hunger Games, both from District Twelve." Alex is confused, she thought only one comes out alive.

"Only one does come out alive, it's clear they changed the rules." Haymitch comments. Alex looks at him surprised, "You spoke your thoughts out loud."

"Oh. Oops." Alex blushes.

"But I'm not complaining, we both are going home."

"Me too."

After getting an interview and their crowns, they are on the train ride home. Alex is in a "'pretty red dress'" Alex mocks in a Capitol tone of voice to Haymitch when alone, and this time, made sure to have no high heels.

As the train docks in District Twelve, Haymitch and Alex walks to the door where their male host waits and walks them out to where the cheering is. Squeezing her necklace around her neck, Alex waves at everyone in front of her before feeling Haymitch take her hand and raise it in the air with his.

Once their ceremony is over, Alex hugs Haymitch tightly before joining her family and hugging them. Getting picked up by Jerry, Alex starts to cry into his shoulder as they hug tightly.

"You are not going back there again." Jerry promises.

"I know." Alex sniffles, "Everyone in the Capitol said I was going to die."

"You showed them honey, you really did. You won fair and square."

"But I killed someone. I didn't want to kill anyone."

"I know. But it was that or be killed." Jerry pulls her back a little to see her choking on her tears, "Just breathe. It's all over now."

~A&K~

Walking home from school, Alex arrives to Victor's Village and approaches Haymitch's house and walks in to see him drinking alcohol on the couch watching TV from the Games' reruns.

"Look Alex, it's you!" Haymitch chuckles, "You're in a cave, you are so smart, why couldn't I have been that smart?"

Rolling her eyes, Alex takes the bottle from him and throws it in the sink in the kitchen making him shout profanities at her. Alex learned that him parents left him and he has no siblings.

"Stop calling me a bitch!" Alex shouts back making him cover his ears.

"Stop yelling." Haymitch whines.

"Then you stop it too." Alex reasons making him nod, "Why are you watching the reruns?"

"I don't know."

"I come home from school, to find you depressed and drinking and watching reruns. I still say you should see a doctor like I did."

"You got medication, you know I hate medication."

"The Capitol makes it and sends it, they have no choice. It's their fault I'm like this."