So I must apologize for taking so long, school has really been an overload, but we have a break because the sophomores and freshman are testing this week. So I dragged myself to the computer and started working on the next chapter and here it is! I hope my fans are still out there and they still love me even though it took forever to update. Spring break is coming up soon so I hope I will have more time to update more, we shall see. Anyways enjoy and please review.

Chapter 11

It seemed like a bit of an oxymoron to wake up tired, but that was exactly how I felt. My leg had finally stopped bleeding, but looked really bad (and I don't mean a gash in the leg bad, I mean I can see bone bad.) My entire body ached and I felt like I was already dead. I knew I only had a few days left at the most, and that Haymitch wouldn't bother to help me. He had chosen Katniss, that's why I hadn't gotten anything.

I tried to get up, but my body could no longer hold my weight and I just ended up collapsing. I knew that if I stayed out in the open I would be caught easily, but I was too tired to care. Just let them find me, let them put me out of my misery. Please.

By the time I woke up it was early dawn, the sun was just rising. For a moment I felt a sense of peace, but that soon came crashing down when the pain returned, telling me I was still alive.

I groaned as I managed to get to a sitting position. Such a simple movement, now took so much energy. I took a few moments to catch my breath before I studied my surroundings. I needed a place to hide, to camouflage myself as my last defense. I spotted a bush near me and decided that was where I would stay until I died. I dragged my body over to it and started to dig underneath it. I needed mud if I was to disguise myself effectively.

Eventually I was able to dig down deep enough to where the earth started to become wet. I took fist fulls of mud and started to coat my body with it until I was completely covered, then I did my hair, then my face. Every movement I made sent stabbing pains through my entire body and I tried not to groan.

Once I was covered I laid down next to the bush, covering myself in leaves and grass. At last my abused body was allowed to rest. I lay my head down and closed my eyes. Nothing left to do but wait, wait to live, wait to die, wait for a miracle that would never come. One last thought occurred to me. I opened my eyes again and gazed up at the sky, hoping the cameras were watching me.

"I'm sorry leopard" I said softly, barely above a whisper, "I tried."

I had lost track of the days. I was never awake long enough to know how long I had been here. My tongue had turned to sandpaper and my stomach was completely hallow. I wondered if it was hard for Cinna to watch my slow death. I felt terrible that he had to watch me suffering.

"If only he were here now!" I thought to myself, "he'd be able to help me."

But he wasn't here, I was alone and no one would ever come to my rescue.

Cinna's POV

The Games had always been hard for me to watch. There was just something about children murdering one another that didn't sit well with me. But this Hunger Games was unbearable to watch. I was forced to watch the love of my life get tossed around like a ragdoll and it hurt me as much as it did him. It was almost as if I could feel his pain.

My emotions were like a rollercoaster when I was watching him. I laughed when he tripped, I was terrified when the Careers caught him, I became a little relaxed when Ripple was looking out for him, and now that he lays hidden in the forest without any medicine, food, or water my nights were restless. I couldn't bear to watch his slow suffering, but I was unable to take my eyes off the screen every time they would flash the camera over to Peeta.

It had practically torn me apart when he apologized to me, using my nickname as code. I knew he had given up. I knew that he might very well be dead soon and that thought alone terrified me. Just when I found someone like him, he's ripped away from me, forced to battle in what my people called sport. Although I knew these truths I kept hoping against hope that he would somehow pull through.

Finally one night my prayers were answered when I heard the most wonderful announcement pouring out of Claudia's mouth, "attention tributes, congratulations to those of you remaining. I am pleased to announce that there's been a rule change in the Games. This year both tributes from the same district will be declared winners if they are the last two alive."

At the same time I was starting to understand what he was saying that's when I heard Katniss shouting out Peeta's name.

There was still hope.