Gale's POV
I anxiously watched as the tributes began filing out. At the end was Madge. She looked breathtaking. She was beautiful. I heard Posy behind me.
"Whoa. She's really pretty." She said. I smile.
"Yeah she is." I reply. Posy comes up behind me and wraps her arms around me. I watch as they fly through the interviews. Finally it is Madge's turn.
"So Madge, it must be daunting being here with all these Victors. How are you coping?" I shush my Rory and Vick as I need to hear her voice. To know she's okay.
"I'm okay." she replies meekly. But I know her better than that and even from her voice I know she's not. Caesar covers her quietness.
"Well I must say when I saw you at the opening ceremonies i actually couldn't breathe. You looked so breathtaking. Surely a girl a beautiful as you must have a lot of suitors?" he asked. Madge's hand went up to the locket around her neck. Caesar saw this. "Or is there someone particularly special?" he asked. "Can I?" he asked and Madge dropped her hand and let him open it. I saw the picture inside and my eyes watered. Everyone in the audience let out a cry at our happy faces. It seemed like a lifetime ago that we were that happy.
"Aw. You must be so upset." Caesar said but Madge doesn't reply. "But how about that training score?" he said changing the subject. "Eleven! I mean wow. That's amazing." Suddenly sirens start blaring. I jump to my feet. There had been talk of a rebellion for years but now it appeared it was coming to action. The studio was in chaos as people ran screaming but my eyes were on Madge's scared face as she stood watching what was happening. Suddenly the rebels opened fire and many innocents fell to the ground. Still my eyes stayed on Madge as Finnick Odair came to her rescue pulling her away from the stage.
Madge's POV
I felt Finnick's hand in mine as he pulled me away but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the chaos. My eyes found Caesar, lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Johanna appeared beside me. She was limping but otherwise seemed unharmed. Suddenly a piercing pain struck my stomach. I collapsed in agony. I looked down to see an arrow sticking into the side of my stomach.
"Gale…" I whispered before my blurring vision blacked out completely.
x x x x x x x x
When I woke I was in my room. I tried to sit up but a pain in my side stopped me. Suddenly everything came back to me. I sat up quickly gasping at the pain. Johanna and Finnick were sitting by my bed, already in their clothes for the games. I looked down at my own body. I too was dressed for the arena.
"Madge!" cried Johanna sitting up.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"We're about to go into the arena." Finnick told me. Sure enough a moment later Effie burst into the room.
"Time to go." She said in her cheery voice. I stood up wincing at the pain from my side.
"She can't go in! Look at her!" Finnick cried. I saw Johanna nodding. The three of us had become very close since the training. I dreaded the thought of one of them being the ones to kill me.
"The doctors say she can." Effie said ushering is out. Then we entered the arena.
As soon as the countdown began I was panicking. Water. I couldn't swim. The countdown is over and Finnick is in the water. He gestures for me to jump and I take the chance. I splash into the water about to start panicking again when I realise the outfits have flotation devices. I copied Finnick and managed to swim to land. Johanna was just behind me. We looked through the weapons. I picked two small daggers, sticking them in my belt. I follow Finnick and Johanna as we head into the jungle. The rest of the Victors are nearing land now including Peeta. I run though the pain in my side is almost unbearable. I long to cry out but I know it will do no good. It will just distract Johanna and Finnick. We run through the jungle until we reach a small sheltered area. Johanna climbs a tree to see what's going on down below. When she returns she's very pale.
"It's a pure blood bath." She whispers. Finally a canon fires. I count. One, two, three, four… sixteen. Sixteen people are dead. I wonder if Peeta is among them. As night falls we watch the skies. They show pictures of the dead. both tributes from District 1, the male tribute from 2, neither from 3 or 4, both from 5 and 6, the male tribute from 7, both from 8, 9, 10 and 11. Neither from 12. I quickly ran through it in my head. Me, Finnick, Johanna, Mags, Nuts and Bolts, Peeta and Enobaria. That's all that's still alive. Johanna and I go to look for water while Finnick decides to search for food. We creep slowly through the forest but there's no sign of any water.
"They'll be after you, you know." Johanna tells me.
"Who?" I ask confused.
"Enobaria, nuts and bolts… all of them."
"Why?" I ask.
"Because they know how to hurt you." Johanna says. "They mention someone you love and they know you'll go for them."
"Won't that work for you too?" I asked.
"There's no one I love." Johanna says walking ahead of me and I know the conversation is over.
We spread far but there is no sign of water. We return to the camp to find Finnick with a dead squirrel. We eat quickly before deciding to return to the beach. There would have to be clean water there.
We move quickly until we hear a scream. I wonder who it could have been. We keep running until finally we reach the beach. On the far side we see someone running just before they disappear in a red mud slide and another canon fires. Only seven of us left. On the beach we get water and set up a campsite. I take first watch. I think about Gale, my father and my mother all at home. At this stage they will be interviewed. For the first time I think it might be possible for me to survive. But then I think of Finnick and Johanna. There's no way I'll kill them for the title. I just wouldn't be able to do it.
I hear them approach before I see them. I shake Johanna and Finnick awake and they too hear them. It's hard not to. Suddenly Enobaria, Bolts and Peeta are upon us. Johanna goes straight for Enobaria while Finnick turns to Bolts. Peeta turns to me.
I think back to when we were friends, all those years ago. How could he have changed so much in such a short time? He pushes me to the ground, a knife raised. He kneels beside me.
"Play dead." he breaths so low I wonder if I heard him right. But I do it. I close my eyes and let my body slacken. I hear Peeta walk away. I wonder how none of the others notice no canon fire. I feel something warm drip onto my hand but I don't move. I already know its blood. After running so much the wound to my stomach reopened. I think about how this must look to those at home. My heart stops. Gale.
Gale's POV
My heart is in my mouth. She has survived this long… maybe she could win. The Capitol crew have already been to interview us. I watch as she watches before waking Johanna and Finnick. I wonder how they all became friends but push it away. Suddenly Enobaria, Peeta and Beetee appear. I see Johanna and Enobaria fighting, Finnick and Beetee circling each other and then… my heart stops dead. Just like Madge's. I see Peeta walking away, pure fury in my broken heart. She's dead. She's really dead. It doesn't register. I see blood on her stomach.
I feel my mother's arms around me but I can't tear my eyes away from Madge. It's then I see it. No one else notices. But I see her head move the tiniest millimetre so no one else sees but I do. And I know she's alive.
The cameras turn back to the fight on the beach. Finnick overpowers Beetee and hits him over the head. A moment later there is a canon. Peeta comes up behind Finnick and jumps him, his arms around his neck. Finnick throws him off. Enobaria and Johanna are still fighting but Johanna is injured now. Her head is bleeding and her leg is covered in blood but I couldn't see where it's coming from. Enobaria looks unharmed. They are circling each other when suddenly Finnick throws back his trident, about to swing, and he accidently hits Enobaria in the head. The canon sounds a moment later. Now Johanna and Finnick turn on Peeta, who pulls out a knife.
"C'mon guys! Let me join you!" he says looking fearful.
"You killed Madge." Hisses Johanna lunging at him. In a split second of self defence Peeta raised his knife. It plunged into Johanna's stomach. She collapsed gasping on the sand.
The bodies of Beetee and Enobaria have now been taken away. No one notices that Madge's hasn't. Suddenly I'm worried. She may not be dead but with the amount of blood gushing from her wound it won't be long before she is.
Finnick swings his trident again and sends it flying at Peeta. It hits him in the head. The canon fires. Finnick rushes over to Madge and Johanna. Johanna is gasping for air while Madge's eyes now flutter open. When she sees what has happened a horrified expression crosses her face.
She rushes to Johanna's side. Finnick and Madge stay by Johanna's side until finally the canon fires and her body slackens.
Madge looks at Finnick for a moment and they stand. Neither of them sees her coming. She has a deep wound in her side. I know she will be dead in moments. Neither of them sees Wiress raise her knife and plunge it into Finnick's back. Not until it's too late.
Please review and let me know what you think! there is one last part to come.