I stop. I would continue my step to death if it weren't for the person who had just stepped out of the trees. If it weren't for the person who had driven me to the point of removing myself from the burden of living. Katniss Everdeen.

A cold feeling that has nothing to do with the wind that perks up rushes through me. A feeling of anger, almost. That when I think it's all going to be over, life pushes yet another obstacle at me. Like its testing me, see how I react, see if I give in. Part of it is directed at Katniss; the entire point in traveling at night was so that I could spare her the pain of seeing me again, and she just walks in as I'm just about to give in. She is the only person that would be able to stop me from doing this.

"Gale? What are you doing?" She sounds almost hysterical. I would be too if I saw her about to hang herself…

"Exactly what it looks like." My voice is cold and clear, ringing through the forest like a bell.

She swears under her breath. I can see her trying to make a plan, something to distract me from doing the inevitable. What she doesn't understand is that her presence is a distraction enough. I return my foot to back to the rock, stabling myself, even if momentarily. I wait for her to do something; if she doesn't soon I'm just going to get this over with. End the pain that started up the day that she assassinated Coin; when my bomb killed Prim. Even know we weren't sure if it was mine or not, a feeling in my gut tells me it is so. I hated myself. Every single step I took I loathed myself. I still do. I thought that taking my own life in exchange for all of those that were killed because of the plans I made… But fate has been pitted against me from square one.

She speaks again, using my moment of thought to her advantage. "Gale, get down from there. It's not worth it, things will get better." She sounds confident and sure of herself, I almost believe it. But nothing can remove the pain and woe I've inflicted upon others; every single plan I made during the war helped ruin someone else's life. Death was the only answer I could see. Even if I rot away in hell, I want to be relieved of this nightmare. I could try to explain it to Katniss. I push that thought out of my head. She is so stubborn, so unwilling to let people explain themselves or make her understand. Maybe that's why she managed to take control of her life once more. She won't even let her conscience intervene with her beliefs.

"Says who?" I reply. No one can promise better times. She knows that. "If I'm here, what makes you think I will ever see the light in the world again? This is my last resort, Katniss. If I saw light, I'd be clinging on to that thread of hope. I did for a while. It never got better." She stares at me, trying to get into my thoughts. I think she doesn't get what made me so desperate. She may have suffered; I am almost sure she has. But not in the way I have. She wasn't responsible for all those deaths… she may have had to kill a few along the way, but she wasn't killing the innocent. And she has her boyfriend, Peeta. I lost everything when she left. My body became more of a prison to my soul than anything.

She speaks again: "Whatever you've been thinking, snap out of it. I can help you. Please let me help you. You can try to explain it to me." I hear the desperate plea in her voice. It hurts me to think she may need me again; I'll screw her up and leave her in a position that makes her wish that she never stumbled upon what I planned to be my resting place. She takes a step closer to me. She keeps coming closer, until she is less than an arm's length away.

"Please, Gale." She lifts up her head and stares directly into my eyes. They say the eyes are the window to the soul; if so, she'd she how much I wanted to comfort her, and end myself.

"I'll come on one condition."

"What?" Her reaction is so quick I almost jump.

"I get to turn back at any time and you aren't allowed to stop me."

"Deal." I slowly slip out of the noose, and let it hang. I step down from the rock. Katniss sighs in relief. What she doesn't know is that I'm planning to come back here once she turns her back. While she's sleeping seems like a good time.

An awkward minute of silence passes.

"C'mon, then. I guess we have a lot of catching up to do…" She says. She's putting it lightly. 'Catching up' may fall a little short of what she might be hearing soon. She waits as I cross to where she's standing. She walks next to me, not letting me out of her sight. It doesn't surprise me. She may be a step ahead of me. It doesn't matter. Yet.

A/N: Ok, I just want to say that I do not like how this chapter turned out. I will edit it when I find time while I'm not writing... This was the awkward chapter. This was the chapter were I wasn't sure what I wanted to happen. I have more in store for you guys. I'm having a personal debate with myself about what's going to happen next chapter. If you want to help with that, please do. Hope you liked it