We're going over the plan one last time while gathering more twigs to burn.
"Emma, you're going to light the fires in the south. Rahne, you'll light the ones in the north. When you're done, head back to the palm tree and wait for me together. I'll get rid of their supplies and meet you here."
"How will you even do that?" Rahne asks.
Honestly? I haven't given it much thought until now.
"Uh… Burn it, dump it in the lake... Eat it!" I joke and lightly push Rahne as I did to Gabriel back home. She lets out a giggle. "I'll figure something out. Don't worry,"
"We need a signal," Emma points out. "In case one of us gets held out."
"Alright, good idea… But what can it be?" I ask.
"Oh, I know," Rahne says. "Watch,"
She sings a little three-note run in a pitch perfect manner. A bird replicates it, then two, then three… And all I hear are a bunch of birds replicating the song.
"Incredible," I can't help but gasp. "But how?"
"Mockingjays," Emma answers, gazing at the sky. "Brilliant, Rahne."
"I know," Rahne brags smugly.
"Mockingjays?" I ask, feeling left behind in the conversation.
"They can mimic," Rahne says. "We use them all the time to communicate back home. You guys don't have them?"
We both shrug.
"Too bad. They're pretty fun. They always accompany us when we sing during music assemblies at school."
"Hm," Emma says. "We were in the choir too, remember?"
How could I forget?
The teacher kept pairing me and Emma while we were going through new songs. Her light brown hair would either be in a single braid, like now, or pigtails. She'd wear ribbons in her hair, occasionally. White, blue, or silver, never pink. She'd constantly lecture me when I was off key or when I sang the wrong lyrics. In terms of being irritating, child Emma was definitely more unhinged.
I'd sing:
Thunder only happens when it's raining
Players only love you when they're playing
"Off key, again! You're ruining the song! " She'd say like it was the end of the World. "Listen to this,"
And she'd sing:
Say, women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean you'll know
She had a good ear. I'd say even a good voice. She was never off key, like I usually would be. Now that I look back at it, I think she genuinely tried to help, aside from making sure we didn't embarrass ourselves. But she did so in a terrible manner, it overshadowed the entire thing. So I sang off key repeatedly to annoy her even more. It was like a game we played, she'd get on my nerves, and I'd get on hers.
"Yeah," I nod. "I remember."
"From songbirds to lovebirds…" Rahne teases. "Someone should write your book."
We go over our signal once again. We all choose different notes, so we know who sends the signal.
"So when we signal, it means you're alright, you're done and headed to the tree. Is there anything we forgot?"
"I don't think so," Emma says.
"Um… Yeah." Rahne nods.
"Okay. If all goes well… I'll see you soon." I say.
Before we are all headed to our separate ways, Rahne wraps her arms around me. As stunned as I am, I'm quick to return the embrace.
"Be careful, okay?"
"Okay," I say. "You too."
We exchange gazes with Emma before I walk away. "And you too." I say.
She winks at me and runs off.
While I walk towards the Cornucopia, my heart beats at the top of my chest. The more steps I take, the more my grip on the crossbow tightens. I can hear their voices clearer now, I must be close. I reckon Emma and Rahne have already begun working on the fires, so I'll only have to wait until they see the smoke and then the floor will be mine.
I see them now, although I'm met with a sight I wasn't quite expecting. Selene, Brian, Betsy, Shew, and Jamie are sitting on the grass, eating and laughing in a state of celebration.
"Oh no, please!" Selene says. "Don't kill me!"
It takes me a while until I realize that she is mimicking one of the younger tributes they slaughtered during the bloodbath. Of course. To the careers, the Games are no different than the Olympics. Folks from District One or Two are very similar to Capitolians, only less privileged. They're wealthier districts, hence an important part of the system the Capitol has built. They always go hand in hand. So naturally, in One and Two, it's an honor to represent your district in the Games. It's such an honor, that parents enroll their children in special academies to prepare them for the Games. And when they turn 18, they volunteer. This is why districts One and Two have the most victors. Shaw, Selene, Brian, and Betsy; they've been training for this for their entire lives. The Games were never something they were afraid of, it was something they anticipated.
Shaw bursts into laughter and brushes his finger over his neck, mimicking a slash sound.
"This year is such a snooze fest. They're all a bunch of hiders," He says. "It's been days since a cannon went off."
Betsy and Shaw still have bumps around their bodies, they were closer to the hive than Selene and Brian. On the contrary, mine are gone. With the medicine the sponsors sent and the leaves Emma used, it's like it never happened. So not only they don't know about the leaves, but the medicine at the Cornucopia didn't work on them.
"They can't hide forever. Even if they have food, there's a high chance they don't have any medicine," Brian says while slicing an apple with a blade. "And we have all the medicine in the arena."
"I wonder who's gonna cave in first…" Betsy says, grabbing the slice Brian passed her. "I bet it's the little girl from Twelve."
"Is she with the other alliance? The girl from Eight and the guy from Twelve?" Selene asks.
"Probably," Shaw answers. "Could be with Frost and her boyfriend too." He rolls his eyes. "I can't believe we let them get us the other day. Stupid underdogs," He says between his teeth and kicks the dirt.
"Who's we?" Selene says, annoyed. "I told you she wouldn't actually be against him. The act was obvious. She was in, so they could take us out one by one."
So Emma was right again: Walking away before I dropped the tracker jacker hive on them had made her one of the enemies. It wasn't really a surprise, but a confirmation.
"Yeah," Brian nods. "You were the one who insisted we had Frost. If it were up to me, I'd kill her during the bloodbath."
"Shut up," Shaw pushes Brian to the ground. Brian gets up angrily and punches him.
"What did you just—" Shaw lunges at him, but Betsy separates the pair.
"Stop it, both of you! There are still five of them out there. We're not doing this."
"Whatever." Shaw spits on the ground and sits on the opposite side of the Braddocks, next to Selene.
"Hey, what's that?" Jamie points ahead.
Smoke, from the south. Emma lit the fire.
My dad used to take me to the army base when I was a kid sometimes, during the weekends. That was the last time I'd ever seen such an organized crew. The moment they laid eyes on the smoke, everyone had already armed up.
"Come on, let's go!" Selene pokes Jamie, who grabs a blade quickly, in a disorganized manner. He drops it twice before he begins to run alongside them.
Yes! It's even better than I thought, no one's here. I can easily get what we need and then figure out how to destroy this thing. They didn't leave anyone to watch the pile.
Wait.
They didn't leave anyone to watch the pile. Not even Jamie. Why is it better than I thought? They can't be this stupid. A trap. There must be a trap! Why else would they leave this pile of everything unattended?
I need to figure out what it is. Could it be like the traps I made? Or bear traps? I knew the Cornucopia had those sometimes, I saw it on television a couple of years ago. I have a limited amount of time, yet I cannot figure it out. I have to find the answer, Emma and Rahne can't risk their lives for nothing…
Then I hear footsteps. I turn around frantically, but no one has been creeping up on me. No one on the trees either. Instead, I spot Monet, District 8, speeding towards the pyramid of supplies. She was probably also watching them, trying to find an instance they weren't here to get supplies. She approaches the pile slowly and searches the ground. She hops forward and lands on one foot. She regains her balance, searches the ground again, and takes another mindful step ahead. She repeats the motion, but she almost loses her balance. She lands sloppily but balances herself with her hands.
Mines. They surrounded the pyramid with mines. I watch Monet's movements carefully and carve every step onto my brain.
Monet finally reaches the pyramid and fills her backpack with various supplies. She's careful enough to not take a lot, she takes only a little bit of everything, so it goes unnoticed. After she's done, she repeats her routine set of movements, and she's out. In the sky, I spot the second round of smoke. Emma has started the second fire. The Mockingjays sing her signal.
I'm running out of time.
After Monet leaves, I sprint to the supplies and inspect the dirt patterns. I hop and hop, in an attempt to reach the pyramid quickly. There's an instance where I almost lose my balance as well, but like Monet, I'm able to recover. I go through the supplies and take whatever we might need, mostly medicine and food. I also take more metal coils for my traps, rope, and a small blade.
Now that I'm done with getting us supplies, it's time for step two, destroying the supplies. Which is easy enough, now that I know about the mines. I head back to my old spot and let out a breath. With the crossbow, I begin to aim. I don't have a lot of time, I'm sure of that now. It's been a while since the fires have begun. So I aim the first thing that catches my eye on the pyramid, the small sack of bread, hanging from the side of the pyramid from a rope.
I shut one of my eyes and focus on the rope.
I shoot and watch as the sack falls on the ground, right on one of the dangerous spots. While I expect a single explosion, that's not what happens. One mine triggers another, and another triggers the other, and I'm looking at an absolute disaster. The booms echo through the entire arena. The pyramid collapses and burns, and whatever is left of the supplies is scattered across the cornucopia. The ringing in my ears makes me want to scream, I clench my fists, in an attempt to contain myself. I need to recover quickly and get the hell out of here.
They show up immediately, all except Jamie, I hide behind the bushes.
"Who was it? Who fell for it?" Selene yells into the air.
"We can't know until they project the fallen tonight," Brian says. "They can't be in single piece, anyway,"
"Wait a minute…" Betsy says, scanning the area. "Has anyone heard a cannon?"
"No. Why?" Brian asks.
"If someone fell for the trap, they would have been dead. There would be a cannon." Betsy answers. "Something must have fallen from the pile."
Shaw sighs, annoyed. "Fuck, fuck!"
I can't be here anymore. I sprint into the woods again, I need to get to the meeting point. When I think of the palm tree, I realize that I only heard Emma's signal, not Rahne's.
Oh no.
I run faster, ignoring my every aching limb.
"Rahne!" I yell. She has to be nearby. She must hear me. "Rahne!"
"We're here!" I hear from afar. Emma. The voice came from the left.
"I'm coming!" I yell again, switching my direction.
After a minute, my eyes meet the familiar blonde once again. She's sitting on her knees, next to Rahne. Rahne seems to be caught in a net, Emma is cutting it apart with the axe. I sigh in relief at the scene in front of me. They're okay, we all are. Emma frees Rahne, and we help her up together.
In the same instance, Emma gasps, and a blade hits Rahne's chest.
Jamie.
I don't even have to think. I just shoot, and Jamie falls onto the ground. Right on the heart. A cannon goes off.
Rahne takes out the blade and coughs. Droplets of blood trail down her raincoat. Her legs give in, and she collapses. Emma is quick to support Rahne's back and lay her down. She places her head over her lap, where she liked to sleep.
I unzip her raincoat to check the wound, biting my inner cheek to avoid showing any emotion as my hands get covered with her blood. She's bleeding too much. The wound is deep.
"It's going to be fine," I lie. "You'll be okay." I can't contain myself. The damage is done, Rahne will not be okay, and my voice is flickering.
Rahne clutches my hand, in an attempt to comfort me. She's little, but she's not dumb. She's not buying it.
"Did you do it?"
"Yes," I nod. "They don't have anything left."
"Good," Rahne mutters, her eyes are red and blurry. Her eyes travel between us and stop at Emma. "I'm sorry I pushed you yesterday."
Emma's hand slowly makes its way to Rahne's face, she caresses her cheek with her thumb. "I know," She says. "I'm sorry I screamed at you."
"I had it coming." She sounds as lively as she can, for a girl who's dying in our arms. Tears begin rolling down her eyes.
Emma shakes her head, and Rahne lets out a sad smile.
"Don't let them win," Rahne says, clutching my hand tighter. "It has to be one of you."
"It will be," I say, trying to sound as soothing as I can with the knot in my chest. My voice quavers, I can barely hold back my tears. "We won't let them win."
"Will you stay with me…" Rahne coughs again. "Until I…"
"Don't," Emma says. "Just rest. We're right here. Focus on resting, alright?"
Rahne nods and clutches Emma's hand with her other hand.
"Can you sing?" Rahne says.
I don't sing, not since elementary school. I enjoy music, even though we can't afford it, but I don't sing. What would I even sing? This is Rahne's final dying wish, I have to sing, but I don't know how to do it.
And I don't have to, because Emma does it. It's one of the songs we sang often at school, we argued many times while rehearsing for this one too. We were eight.
Living is easy with eyes closed
Misunderstanding all you see
Emma sings. Her voice is quavering too, she's using every ounce of energy in her body for the words to come out.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out
It doesn't matter much to me
Emma chokes in the middle, but she recovers. I place my hand on top of theirs, over Rahne's chest. I give Emma's hand a light squeeze. I join her.
Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to strawberry fields
Nothing is real
Rahne's eyes begin to lose the life inside them, but we continue.
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry fields forever
The cannon goes off.
And so do we. The tears we've held begin to dampen our cheeks. Emma gently places Rahne's head on the ground. She's trembling, and I notice that I am too, when I look at my blood stained hands.
I want to scream, I want to go off, I want to tear something apart, but I cannot. We have to cry silently or they find us, and Rahne dies for nothing.
So we weep silently into each other's shoulders, in an embrace.
We both know that we'll have to leave eventually. They will carry out the bodies and ship them to the districts. I can't bring myself to do that, I can't bring myself to leave her behind. This wasn't how things were supposed to work out. She was just a child. The same age as Gabriel. This isn't fair.
The pin under my raincoat pinches me. This is what they do. This is what they do to us for being mutants. And they get away with it every single year. They make twenty six mutant children their pawns. Toy soldiers that they can play with, pit against each other, bet on, applaud, boo, feel sorry for… It's what we are to them. A bunch of toy soldiers.
I want to make them pay. I want them to know that they don't own us. I want them to know that whatever they do, they will never, ever make all of us comply. I want them to live with that knowledge. I want to make them angry. I want to disturb their sickening peace.
The cameras are always watching, aren't they?
"I want to make them angry," I whisper into Emma's ear, without breaking the embrace. "I want them to pay."
Between my arms, Emma remains still. She answers. "So we shall."
We walk around the area until we come across somewhere with flowers. Nothing big, mostly daisies and yellow dandelions. We pick them and decorate Rahne's body with flowers. Around her small silhouette, in her hair, on her chest… Finally, Emma places the bouquet of daisies she made in between her tiny hands. We say our final goodbyes.
Before we leave, I turn around and form an X with my arms. You don't own us. You will never own us.
We walk away, knowing that we've tucked Rahne in, and she's safe now.