I'm about to leap onto the sand in full sprint, when a girl, about 15 years old, weilding a hefty axe, sprinted across the sand from the dunes. She aimed for Aqua, who threw a knife she was holding at the girl. She missed, and the two wrestled for a while. This was my chance. I was aout to sprint across the sand when I was pulled back by the back of my vest top onto the sand.
Cora's on top of me, a mop of ginger hair flying into my face. That could only mean that Daven was about to hit me from above, but I couldn't see him. The knife in Cora's hand is positioned over my stomach, and it takes all of my strength to roll her off of me, pinning her to the ground. She rolls over again, however, pinning me to the ground and pushing my shoulders back so hard I think she may break the bones.
I lift up my legs, and kick out at her stomach, and she goes flying backwards. She lands with a thud in the sand a few metres away, and I just have time to stand up before she comes baralling back towards me. She slashes with her knife, but she misses, and I grab her arm, trying to force the kinfe out of her hand. Instead she head butts me, and I go flailing backwards, hitting the base of the tree behind me.
My vision is swimming, and I try to stand up, but I sink back down to the ground. I crawl to my knees and pull myself to my feet. I punch out, but I'm still dizzy and Cora raises her dagger-
But I'm not hit. I watch as she looks at me, eyes wide, and then down. She has a sword sticking out of her side. How? I don't dare question it as she falls to the ground, gasping and shaking. I hear a grunt behind me, and only one word goes through my mind.
Cole.
But when I spin round, it is not the familiar pair of dark eyes and brown hair I'm met with, but a pair of emerald green eyes, glistening and bright,
and spiked blonde hair.
Daven crumples to the ground, a dagger sticking from his chest, just below his lung. I catch him, but he's too heavy, and we both fall to the floor.
"You're-" Daven gulps in air, but his throat is dry, and rasping. "You're okay?"
I nod. His head is nestled in my lap, and I look down at him. "I'm fine." I shake my head. "Why did you do it, Daven?"
"You're good." He gasps. His breathing is getting shallower. "You're better than her, better than she ever was. You have to win. There's just the three of you, now, you HAVE to win. You have to help her. She can't fly by herself." His eyes searched mine, and I nodded.
"Of course. I will. For you. Daven-" He's sleeping, quickly losing life. "Daven, look at me." His eyes are unfocused, but they manage to find mine.
"Daven, thank you. Daven-" I move his head so he can see me. "I owe you."
He nods, and laughs, but it turns into a rough cough, and I know that any second now, he'll be gone. I kiss his forehead, hold his hand, and wait.
He smiles slightly, and after a few moments, he slips away.
"Delly." Cole whispers from his tree a few yards away. I've been sat looking at Daven's lifeless body for longer than is normal. But I don't care. I need to try and figure out why he did it. Why he would die for me. A girl, from District 12.
"She can't fly by herself." He'd said. What did that mean? That he was talking about Katniss, I was certain, but that made no sense. Then Cole said more urgently, "Delly!"
I srand up to see Aqua looking at me, a streak of blood running from the top of her forehead to her chin glistening in the setting sun. I gulp.
"Cole. Come on. We're going. Cole!" I run to the tree and help him down, but just as we are about to run into the forest to escape her, we are met by a wall of orange heat. We fly backwards, stumbling, but keeping our balance.
The jungle is on fire.