Had a difficult time writing this one! Hope you enjoy it! :)

Cato looked around, noticing a few things. First of all, he had passed out from the blood drain.

Second, they were surrounded by some dog-wolf-bear mixture, probably mutants. He could count 6 or 7 but never doubt there were more.

Third, he was in no position to fight.

He looked at Lera, who raised her eyes from his face just to see the pack preparing itself to have a tasty meal. She gulped and stood up slowly, picking her sai. She wasn't that good in close combat but now she had to give everything she got. She noticed Cato getting up and resting his back against hers. He wasn't feeling good, she could tell and couldn't help her. It was all up to her.

- Run? – she asked hopefully but noticed him shake his head.

- We can't outrun them.

- Climb the trees?

- The Gamemakers will catch us. We have to be fast.

Lera let out a sigh and just as she was giving a nod one of the mutts jumped.

The girl bent down, avoiding its deadly claws and piercing it right in the heart. The monster's body rested on hers and she quickly pushed it away, having to jump left to avoid a bite from another one. The thing kept coming at her, its jaw opening and closing so hard Lera could not imagine what would happen to her flesh and bones if she happens to be bitten.

Crawling backwards she finally had time to step on her feet and jump. She flew over the animal's mouth, landing on its back, cutting her sai deep in one's hairy spine. The girl didn't know if she'd killed it but at least it was paralyzed for eternity. She had time to look at Cato who was fighting with another beast. His reactions were slow, though but he had already killed one. It was good.

Lera returned to her own battle just as a mutant scratched her back all the length of her spine, cutting the bandages and opening her wound. The tribute couldn't help but scream at the pain but then turned around and threw her sai, which pierced the animal's head, knocking it out dead.

Before she could reach out to pull her weapon another mutt bit her leg, pulling her down on the ground. The animal continued to bite her flesh, as another one jumped on top of Lera. She was able to kick it hard in the face and it let out a squeal before coming back at her, now pissed off. All the redheaded could do was covering her face with her hands and then suffering other bites on the "shield".

It all lasted a second, though, as both the animals squealed before falling dead next to her. She jumped on her feet as Cato pulled out his sword out of a mutt's body. She instantly realized he had saved her life. Lifting her sai from the ground she counted the dead animals: 8 in total. She had killed 4 which meant Cato wasn't doing as bad as she thought. The girl gazed at him: you couldn't tell it by the way he rested himself against the tree that he was in shape for battle. He was pale and seemed like he would throw up or faint. Lera quickly walked over to him, wrapping a bandage around his bleeding arm.

- There. You should be better now.

He didn't answer, just looked at her, his eyes saying he was thankful.

- Let's go. They'll come. – she wasn't referring to the beast but to the Gamemakers.

She took one last look at the now smelling dead bodies and some of them looked familiar. The girl shook her head and started running, Cato following.

Cato ran without talking as he felt his mind clear up and the sense in his hands and feet returning. He looked at the bandage on his arm which was soaked in blood but he assumed it has stopped the bleeding as his strength was returning.

All of a sudden Lera stopped and he nearly bumped into her. The girl was standing at the edge of a cliff, at least 40 meters high. It was impossible to climb down and, by the looks of it there was a river down there quite fast as they heard it crashing in the rock. The sound it made was the only thing to be heard, making the place seem very natural and harmless. It was fooling.

Lera turned around to see Cato dazing over the river- there was an unending valley, covered in bushed, a forest was to be seen on the right and a lake on the left. If you continue further on you will witness a mountain. It was paradise, never to be reached.

Just as the girl was about to speak they heard someone else cracking leaves with their heavy feet. They both turned around as pairs of eyes started to appear. Cato counted at least 6 and stopped. It didn't matter. They just had to survive.

Adrenalin started to burst in his veins as he prepared himself. This time he would not be the prey.

As one of the beasts neared itself to about 10 meters Cato threw his blade, cutting his head. It set all of the others charging and the boy ran against them.

He was able to avoid a couple of attacks as he picked his weapon and pierced another animal in the heart. He pulled it out, splashing his face with blood. He bent down to block a deadly paw and then slashed the beast between its eyes.

He raised up, hearing a scream and turned around quickly.

Lera's weapon was lying down near him and she was avoiding the attacks of three mutants by chance, using her body.

He tried to reach her but another dog-gone-wild stopped him. He dealt with it quickly, slicing it in half just in time to see Lera's feet at the end of the cliff.

He charged forward kicking one of the beasts which fell with a squeal, then piercing another just as Lera jumped, allowing a clear pass of the third right in the river deep down.

When Cato neared her she hugged him closely as if her life depended on it.

- They had their eyes. – she whispered and he instantly knew. They had all seemed strange to him but he didn't notice it until now. It was them. And he had killed them again. Those who chased him while he slept. He had killed those people again. And he had even added to that number of ghost who haunted him at night. He had also killed Clove.

He started to sob quietly and Lera raised her head to see him, numbness written all over his face.

- Hey… - she began but then heard a howl which indicated more animals came. This time they were accompanied by a hovercraft.

Cato quickly snapped out of his condition as he pushed her against the edge of the cliff.

- Jump! – he yelled. – Jump!

- We'll never make it! – she shouted back.

- We will. – with that he got hold of her shoulders, reassuring her as he led her towards the end.

- My weapon…

- Leave it. We don't have time. – with that he held her hand and they both jumped, needless to count to three.

Then it was the free fall which continued for a second and it was went black.

Lera woke up, coughing water out of her lungs. A few meters away Cato was doing the same. The girl rose, looking around ready to fight. But there was no one except them. She tried to remember hitting the water or at least trying to stay out. She came up empty. How they survived was a riddle and a miracle.

She looked around and instantly knew she had never been here. The sun was setting… or rising? How long have they been out? She couldn't answer but it was the most beautiful day in her life. Cato approached her, putting his arms in her shoulders.

- We are safe. – he whispered while kissing her hair.

She nodded slightly. They had no idea where they were but one was clear: they were far away from the arena. Where they had fallen they could see a lake and a forest and the cliff was 40m high. Here, there was a forest but very different one. And there was no cliff or steep slope. And there were no mutts or hovercrafts to be heard.

Yes, they were safe.

Yeah, and this is still not the end guys so wait up, there's one more chapter to come! ^^