A/N: So, I figured you've suffered enough for the next chapter. Will our favorite Mockingjay and drunk mentor make it another day? Find out in the thrilling non-conclusion of ALONE! *cue dramatic music*

Laugh at me if you must. I felt as if I needed to put it in there.

DISCLAIMER: I really want you to REVIEW! I'm not wearing socks today. My bed smells all Febreze-y. There's snow on the ground where I live. A no me gusta tomates. Still think I own the Hunger Games?

I glance up. The hoverplanes are preparing to drop the bombs.

We are going to die.

Suddenly, Haymitch pulls at my arm and he tosses me into the tunnel. Literally tosses me in.

At the same time, the bombs fall to the ground and detonate with a horrifying effect. The sound is tremendous. Rocks fall everywhere. One hits my arm and one scrapes my forehead, I reach up and feel warm oozy blood.

A big rock smashes into the back of Haymitch's knee and he falls to the ground. I hurry back out and pull his arm. "Haymitch, Haymitch come on! We've got to move!"

Haymitch can barely move. He spits out some curse words and some of them I make a mental note to look up later. If I get to later, that is.

"Sweetheart, just..go…he says weakly. "You're more….important."

"Haymitch, no!" I cry, feeling the planes getting ready to drop a second load. "You can't! I—I—"

I catch sight of a miracle then. A familiar streak of long blond hair dashes past me with another, taller, shorter brown.

"Prim! Gale!" I shriek. Prim comes tearing over to us, her hair in wild disarray and sweat on her face. The one behind her is Gale.

Just then, the second bombs go off. These don't go off on the surface. They fall into the ground and we hear a distand boom, followed by smoke and more flying rocks.

"Ohmygosh Katniss! What happened?" Prim cries and I can barely hear her over the hoverplanes and bombs.

"I'll tell you later," I tell her quickly. I hand her the game bag and my bow and arrows. "Do you know the way to safety?"

She nods.

"Gale—will—help—" I make out, gesturing to Haymitch frantically. He nods too and both of us carefully pick up Haymitch, who's groaning in agony and occasionally spitting out a few swearwords.

Somehow, we manage to make it to a bunker. All four of us are covered in sweat and blood.

Prim hammers on the cold iron door. "Help!" she cries. "Let us in!" She bangs on it for what seems like an eternity.

Finally, the door opens a crack, but shudders closed. In a moment, we know why. Another bomb goes off, deep inside 13. It's horrible. The hallway lights flicker, and I keep expecting the ceiling to fall in on us. It's terrifying.

After ten more minutes, (we keep watch on Gale's communicuff) the door opens again to permit us entry.

Prim darts in and Gale and I heave Haymitch into the shelter.

It's pretty much a cave. Prim waves to us from one corner. "Bring him over here," she explains.

As I look around, I notice the bunker's entirely filled with 13 citizens. They sit silently in their part of the bunker, observing us.

We gently set Haymitch down on the mattress Prim pulled out. She gently examines his bruised, bloody leg. "Broken," she says softly. "It's not pretty, either. He lost a lot of blood."

I notice my mother peering over Prim's shoulder. She nods, and pulls out a briefcase. I sneak a glance and realize it's full of vials.

She takes a clear liquid and a pasty yellow liquid and mixes them together.

"What is it?" I ask.

"A painkiller and a sleep serum," my mother explains. "If he's awake like this, chances are he will lose more blood."

I nod. "Okay." Then: "Where's Gale?"

Prim looks around for a moment. "I think he went to sit with his family. See?" She points to a square about fifty feet away.

"That one's yours," she says, indicating a square next to her own that reads, "Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen".

"Oh," I say.

"I'll bring your stuff over," she says, already heading to my square so I follow her.

She drops the game bag into the cubby and sets my bow on the top bunk. Only now do I realize there was more than my things she was carrying.

I pick one up. It's my mother's photo album. More inspection proves that she's gotten all the things of value from their apartment.

"Buttercup's here too. That's what I went back for," she explains. "He's over there."

Sure enough, in Prim's cubby, Buttercup sits, wrapped in blankets and shaking like mad.

"Can I stay here? I gave my mattress to Haymitch," she explains.

"Sure," I say. It crosses my mind I haven't spent much time with her lately. I decide now would be a good time to catch up.

Together, we strip the bunk of its mattresses and blankets and make a sort of nest on the floor. I move the cubby onto the bed so we have room. Prim brings Buttercup in her cubby over and sets him next to the game bag.

"How are you liking 13, Prim?" I ask tentatively.

"Right now?" she asks, grinning and I smile. "It's not so bad," she admits. "Actually, I'm training to be a doctor."

I feel a real smile blossom on my face. "That's awesome," I congratulate her. That's why we're fighting this war, isn't it? To give people like Prim a chance to really live?

"Yeah," she says. "It's a lot of work, but it's fun."

She reaches up to stroke Buttercup's head, which is lucky as another bomb falls. He can't bite Prim, though. They established that a long time ago. So he contents himself with glaring bloody murder at me for a good half hour; as if each one of the bombs is my fault.

Hours pass. When the lighted clock above the security station passes 8:00, Alma Coin's voice reverberates through the cavern.

"Breakfast will be delivered to your temporary housing starting now. An officer will let you know when you may use the restroom."

"What about Buttercup?" Prim asks worriedly, "He can't hunt."

I reach into my game bag and display a squirrel. "Good thing I did."

"But—oh! You're hurt!" Prim's eyes travel up to my forehead.

"This? It's nothing, Prim. I'm fine."

"Don't you want a bandage for it?"

"Really, little duck, I'm fine."

She gives me an I-don't-believe-you look.

I sigh. "Fine. If you must."

She gives me an angelic smile and returns a few minutes later with a nurse's kit. She carefully applies some gooey stuff and a bandage to my forehead and arm to the sound of Buttercup's chewing.

A security guard comes by to let us know we can get up. As I see my refection in a mirror, I shudder. I look like I've been through a war zone.

Another guard hands us our meals. It's porridge, which doesn't sound so bad but has a certain quality of sticking to one's throat.

My mother comes over with a bag. "These are your clothes," she explains. "I also have some bad news."

"What?" I ask, my stomach slowly sinking.

"If Haymitch doesn't get to the hospital for blood in thirty-six hours, he'll die."

Oh, how I'm enjoying these cliffhangers.

Don't forget to drop a review and tell me what you think of the latest chapter!

~~FuzzySocksAndWriting