Just a note to all you readers, my friend wrote this story. Thanks for R&Ring!

The sun.

That's the first thing I'm aware of. I almost fall out of the branch I fell asleep in. Wait a minute. I fell asleep on a branch? Something isn't right in this picture.

Then I remember about the Mockingjay's. I must've been so tired that I fell asleep on a branch. Wow. I can't believe I actually fell asleep on a branch. Who does that? I almost laugh and then suddenly I'm remembering Katniss and the memories are to overwhelming to bear this time. They swallow me whole.

~…~…~

There is a commotion below me, loud and hard, heavy footsteps and lighter ones. Coughing and raspy voices that call to each other. Careers. I scale up a tree, immediately taking in my surroundings. A branch to my left over hangs to another tree, going away from the sound of the Careers. I scale up the branch, about to make the jump, when I notice something else. A big shape, about the size of raccoon, hangs above me. Fear shoots through me like fire. Tracker jackers. Their all over at home. But I know from home that they'll be out and about soon. I could leave them to the Careers… And I almost do. But then I see Katniss, the girl from 12, scaling up the tree, nestling into her sleeping bag. She looks pretty bad. I can't leave her here to die. Staring at her, trying to figure out what I can do, I notice a knife in her backpack. Of course! When she finally notices me, I point a hand to the nest and I am off.

~…~…~

I gasp, bowled over, as the next memories hit me.

~…~…~

I follow her after that, like a lost sheep. I don't know why. I track her like a hunter and a deer, though I am no hunter. Then one day, she spots me. It is my fault. The woods offer much concealment. I could hide anywhere and still track my deer. But no. I had to go closer, had to feel human warmth again. So I go to the bushes and stick my boot toe out. And she see's me. And then she smiles. And it's like seeing the sun come out from a cloud of dark gray ash. She says,

"You know, they aren't the only ones who can form alliances." And I step out and look at her, and we orchestrate an alliance in that one glance. And I look at her, and I know that I am home.

~…~…~

I am smiling and crying and laughing and sobbing all at the same time. And I DO fall out of the branch. But I catch onto another one and haul myself up. Then, right then, another memory begins.

~…~…~

The sun is hot. The air is humid and we are running. Katniss and I and the boy from District 2. He has a spear and we are running. And Katniss had a bow and I have a knife but there is no time for anything except running. And the spear comes towards and I feel like I'm frozen in place, and the spear is coming, and now I know that I am dead if I cannot run, and I brace myself, but then Katniss comes and her arrow drives deep into the boy's neck and she takes the spear in her stomach. And I am yelling, screaming, crying, falling to the ground, sobbing as night falls. And I hold Katniss's hand as she dies and last thing she's says to me is this:

"YOU are the Mockingjay, Rue. I love you. Goodbye." And then she put the pin in my hand and she died right as the anthem started. And I watched her face shine in the sky then disappear forever.

~…~…~

And I am sobbing so much that I can't see a thing. And then I fall right out of the tree. Stupid branch.