The girl slammed into me. We both crashed into the ground and I let out a groan as my shoulder hit the grass. She was on top of me so I braced her fall. I quickly rolled to the side and crawled away from her as she was thrown off of me. She sprinted a couple steps forward and leaped at me, bringing me full force into the ground once more. She dragged herself on top of me and pulled out a knife. I grunted and tried to grip her hand forcing the knife away from my face. I slapped her face away and she reared back. That pissed her off and she lunged at me with the knife. I rolled to the side and flipped her over. We rolled on the round, one over the other as I desperately tried to avoid her knife. I had my arm around her neck and she seemed to be struggling to flip me off. She took her right hand and punched me. I fell back groaning as she struggled to climb on top of me. Her legs pinned my arms down and I could feel her foot crushing my hand. Breathing heavily I stared into the heartless eyes of the killer on top of me. She grinned.

"Where's lover boy? Oh I see...you were going to help him right?" she cocked her head to the side "Well that's sweet."

I'm sure my eyes displayed fear as she went on.

Oh God. Please she's going to kill me.

"You know its too bad you couldn't help your little friend. That little girl, what was her name again?"

Anger replaced fear and I struggled harder.

"Rue."

The name sounded horrid on her lips. And all I could think of was how sweet Rue didn't deserve to have this girl speak of her. I pushed hard against her. She pressed the knife closer to my neck and I whimpered.

"Well we killed her. And now, we're going to kill you."

She pulled out a smaller knife and thats when I knew that not only was this girl going to kill me, she was going to torture me.

Prim please stop watching.

All at once Clove is torn off me violently.

Thresh.

"You kill her?"

Clove panics,

"No.."

"I'll hurt you!"

Clove sees the rock in his hand and just loses it.

"No! No! I.." she is screaming now.

I can't watch and I turn away as Thresh brings the rock down on Cloves head.

"Hey 12!" he shouts

I glance over,

"For rue." And then he is gone.

I glance over to where the girls broken body lies. She groans and I can hear a soft sob escape her lips.

I should leave. But I can't.

For Rue.

But the very idea of Rue makes me want to stay. Makes me somehow, for some insane reason feel pity for this girl. Rue didn't deserve to die. She was a child. And this girl looks about what? 15? 16? She's small, 5'4. And from district 2 I believe which makes her a pawn in the capitals game.

She is going to die. That much is clear. I have to get back to Peeta. As if on cue a cannon sounds and I drop to my knees.

Peeta.

I know its not the girl because I can hear the cries escaping her lips and the tears running down her cheeks. I glance over at her and her eyes meet mine. The arrogant, sadistic, and sarcastic killer from the interviews is gone replaced by a terrified and weak young girl. And I realize I know that look on her.

"Choose."

The girl from 2 has walked over to me at my camaflauge station.

"I'm sorry?"

She holds out two knives in front of me.

"Choose."

I turn back to the station hoping to be able to ignore her.

"I'm talking to you fire girl." she steps swiftly in front of me.

"What do you want?" I say sighing

"Don't you dare talk to me like that." she says harshly

I try to turn my back on her again but she places a hand on my shoulder and whips me around to face her.

"I'm going to be the one to kill you. I've being nice here. Choose." She shoves the knifes in my face. "What one do you want to die by? I'll tell you right now they both hurt about the same. Like hell fire girl." She laughs

I push past her but she grabs me again.

"You think you're such a fucking martyr don't you? Volunteering for your sister like that." she laughs but it sounds desperate and not humorous "That's why people love you so much. They pity you because you've been acting this whole time like you've got some sort of monopoly on pain. Well let me tell you something fire girl. You fucking don't." she pushes me back and as she does I see something in her eyes I don't recognize. She glares at me. "You have no idea what pain is."

And I see it. The look on her face and I can't tell what it is but it doesn't seem to fit her. Her words and her expression don't match up. She terrifies me I'll admit, but I'm also a little intrigued. And I can't help but feel that the look on her face is something she's not letting on. Something she knows but she's not giving into.

Fear. That's what the look was as she pushed me and spoke those words to me. And I understand I suppose. Because no matter what district you come from everyone fears death. She groans and I am pulled out of my thoughts. I walk towards her. I don't want to, I really don't, but something is dragging me towards her. She sees me coming and whimpers. I bend down and she whispers something so softly that I can't make it out. So I don't respond but I bend closer towards her and she whispers it again.

"Please. Please make it quick." Her eyes are filled with so much pain and she can barely talk.

I get it now why she's whispering because even in death careers are supposed to be brave. A girl from 2 would never beg for death.

She stares at me expectantly her eyes almost blank. And I see the look again although this time heightened.

I don't exactly know what I'm doing but I lean over and strip away her knives and as I do it I hear her speak a little louder, and a little more desperately.

"No! No please."

And I know now she thinks I'm going to do what she wanted to do to me, torture.

And all I can think of is Rue and how helpless she looked dying and how this girl looks pretty much the same. And I see this girl so differently now.

I see her interview and how sarcastic and sadistic and arrogant she was through the whole thing. And then I look closer and I see truth.

"Clove you're obviously very confident."

Clove smiles.

"But," Caesar begins, "Tell us what do you fear."

Clove stays smiling, perfectly poised.

"I fear that it will be too easy."

The audience laughs.

"Well, that seems like something you would want. No risk to your life."

Clove looks dead ahead.

"There's no glory in ease. I want to make my district proud as Cato said before. But I also want something else."

"And what is that?" Caesar presses

"To be the first winner who proves they're truly worthy of winning. To be fearless."

Its ironic because in her eyes you can see she's afraid.

She glances over at someone and I notice its her stylist and for a brief minute she looks like she could cry. But her stylist just nods and Clove resumes her poise.

When she walks off the stage her mentor places his hand on her and she visibly jumps back. She breezes past me and shoots me a glare.

"I'm not going to hurt you." I hear myself say. I feel detached from what I'm actually doing right now.

Clove looks at me and she's having a hard time breathing and she whimpers again.

My hand seems to move of its own accord as it finds Cloves own. Her hand is burning hot and moist with blood. My fingers slip between hers and I can feel them mix with the red liquid, not sure if its hers, mine, or Threshes. The thought makes me sick.

"You'll..." she chokes out and I can see her fading.

I hold her hand tighter.

"You'll win" she gasps

I then make what has to be the worst decision of my life. I pull out the cream, meant for Peeta, and I rub it on her wound. She doesn't respond, she's passed out. I lift her up to my chest and I know she's alive as I can feel her breathe. I rub some more on and then I hear shouts in the distance.

Cato.

Lifting the girl up I begin to run.