The Present. 74th Hunger Games: Day 16 Morning

"Pool's dried up."

I crawled over the grass to see, and it had. Like the forest itself had cried all its tears away. A small pool nearby was gone too. When we trekked back to the river it was nothing but rocks and mud.

"Looks like their doing. You think this is it, Thresh…?" Thirst is an awful death. I tried to smile braver than I felt.

"They mean us three to kill each other." His face was still as always, "Water at the lake."

Thresh had set a few snares before we'd made a shelter with the tarpaulin and gone to sleep (He'd left me the sleeping bag, though my had got so high I hardly felt the cold). None of them had caught anything. We had enough cress, plantain leaves and cold meat for one more good meal, but I needed water. There was a wheel of fire in my head; I could barely walk or stand. I'd found willow bark and yarrow, but without medicine the fever from Clove's knife might see me laid me out like Peeta by the dusk.

Only speaking with God and feeling His lovely voice in my heart could keep me smiling, for Thresh's sake. I still couldn't see peace in his eyes, just brooding sorrow. I was sorrowed about Peeta too, and even more that Thresh had killed him. But all the sorrows that had filled me were only held within me; they wouldn't crush me again now God had filled my heart. Even as my body fell and failed, His strength was burning inside me, I could feel it. I wasn't fearful of Thresh anymore, whatever he'd done, and not of anything else while he was with me. I could tell he was glad to not be chasing me anymore, at least.

"...don't think I can get to the lake."

"Not leaving you. Not safe."

Heaving me up, Thresh put his hand under my armpit. Between him and my stick we could just about stagger along. He would've carried me, but I saw his left arm was limp.

First Cato had stabbed him, Clove had cut his face, then that gold wolf-mutt bit through his shoulder. Without that armour from the Feast, those awful mutts would've ripped him apart–they'd torn wirey shreds from the armour, and clawed up his bare scalp. He was still Thresh, fighting with all that was in him, but I could see his raw power fading away. No wonder he looked so troubled.

"Thresh? Thank you."

"What for?"

I was so tired and hungry, I hadn't the words. I just hugged him.

"Remember, I forgave you. You know Jesus can forgive you? So if we see Foxface you forgive her, even if she kills me."

"What if she killed Peeta?"

"Thresh…those birds spoke with your voice, saying you killed Peeta to save me…"

"Was a trick! Capitol trick." I felt all his muscles tense as he looked away, "Swear I didn't kill Peeta. If Two-girl didn't, only Foxface left. You imagine we can trust her?"

"Maybe not...but I'll still forgive her. Just don't kill her, Thresh. I don't want any more murder done. Please."

"Gonna be the death of me, Rue girl." He was looking away, I couldn't see his face.

He wouldn't say he'd killed Peeta. Wouldn't face what he'd done. He wasn't ready to die, he couldn't; but I couldn't think of killing myself no more. Couldn't say a word to reach and help him–the sorrow my heart held almost shook me. He'd protected me from the start, taken so much on himself, and all I'd given him back was those silly sponsor-flowers. They were still stuck between his backpack and back.

The grass and forest flowers danced before my weary eyes, as we stumbled towards the lake at the centre. They looked so strange, but too beautiful to say how much. Near a grassy bank of foxgloves both of us fell down to rest before going on.

"Thresh?" I took off Katniss's pin. Held it out to him.

"Ain't that special for you?"

"Yes." I gazed into his strong eyes, "Whatever happens, you ought…no, you deserve to–"

"Shh." Gently, Thresh pushed my hand away, "Never deserved to have a girl like you think of dying for me. Remember that. Mockingjay means hope. Suits you better. Whatever happens."

I looked away, towards the Horn. Nearly weeping, but it must've been so hot that day, my tears were dried. Thresh helped me up and we stumbled on.

–0–

We stopped for our last meal together, to be strong as we could be, so it was almost noon when we reached the great central clearing. The golden horn was still there, even if the poor kids who'd died around it had gone. The lake was still there too. Thresh stopped me from heading straight there, and unslung the bow from his shoulders.

"Hey, why didn't you shoot those mutts underground with that?"

"Tried. They hid in their caves," He threw the bow down, "Can't use it. Dead arm."

Katniss should've had the bow. She could've done anything with it–but the Lord could do anything at all. I couldn't be afraid of the end, I was sure, because He was with me. I was already free–

"Hey! Listen!"

There were running footsteps–there was Foxface, bolting from the western treeline. But Thresh wasn't looking that way. Behind us. Soft and heavy as cotton, they were padding closer, gliding between the trees. Dirty gold and pure black. Thresh lifted me under one arm and ran.

Five more things were bursting out the trees behind Foxface too. Now rearing up like giant men, now galloping on four feet like cats. Giant savage cats, fangs shining out like daggers. Like fur collars I'd seen in the Capitol, the huge golden mutts had great manes. The black ones were thinner, necks straining with muscle. I saw drool fly from their lips as the cat-mutts bounded straight for our throats.

Our pack were still back in the forest, but the cat-mutts on Foxface were right behind. Dasing over the grass with all their breath, Thresh and Foxface had nearly met at the horn, when a gold cat-mutt caught her. Its huge paws struck her down and the pack hustled round. Watching their boss play with its food.

I saw Thresh stare at the red-haired girl, as she screamed out. She still had the body armour meant for Clove, but the cat-mutt was scrabbling through it. I don't think Thresh felt anything more than a little respect for poor Foxface, but he was Thresh, and he wanted to prove something. Not to the Lord, or me, who already knew him, but to the Capitol and himself.

In a split second, Thresh threw me ahead and dived on top of me. His good arm snatched up a rock from the grass. I wondered how well he'd played basketball back home, as the flung rock hit the big cat-mutt in the eye. It leapt back, hissing, and Foxface shot away.

In half a moment, she was at the Horn. As she started climbing up, there was a rumble, the ground started rising up beneath it. A sheer pillar, lifting the horn, our safety, out of reach. Then two cat mutts had leapt on us, muscles flashing like an oil-black flood.

I couldn't run, not even move–I'd seen it. So fierce, so strong–dark as her hair. I couldn't get away, not from Katniss, I'd die for her like I should've done, but Thresh was above me. His arm swung back to smash one Katniss-mutt away. As the next crashed down his knife flashed out and chopped her throat. The three mutts behind flinched back. Peeta-mutts with his muscles and golden hair. Then Thresh was catching me up and pounding away.

I hardly had the breath to make a cry, as Thresh roared out all the strength his arm could hold and more. He gripped my belt, drew back, and threw me straight up above the lip of the horn.

I could touch it, cling to life–Thresh's life–like we were moving with one will. I dug my nails into the bulging lip and clung. Held like grim death, hauled myself over, crashed on the metal floor. I looked back, as the rising pillar carried me up, away from Thresh.

The nine cat-mutts were gathering round the place he stood. Their message gleamed pure in Peeta and Katniss' eyes. They shouldn't have died, we didn't deserve to live.

But Thresh looked up at me once, and I saw nothing but peace , to be stood where he was. Facing death for all he'd done and failed to do, still pulling out his sword with a flash of sun. It was all he wanted, what I could hardly bear. He'd saved me, and left me alone forever.

I couldn't reach him. I could throw away my life, but he wouldn't be saved. I could just watch as the first mutt leapt. Back against the pillar, he chopped their hides like corn. He roared back in their faces, the great jaws gnashed in his, and I could only call out his name.

–0–

No. One more thing I had to do. I quickly edged round to the tail of the Horn. Climbed up on the roof, like I'd seen Foxface do. First I'd gone down into hell, now up heaven-high, like a princess in a tower. I'd still die if I fell down, but I was used to that.

Foxface was stretched out on the metal, breathing hard. Like the pickers who fell down in the fields back home, slaving and dying all for nothing. Home. If I rolled her over the edge, if I got a slingstone–no, I couldn't. Never had the will a victor needs. Sorry Mrs Seeder, thank you Lord.

"Still want to draw lots?"

At my voice Foxface sprang to her feet, held out a little knife like a shield. Having nowhere to run I just stared at her desperate eyes until she put the knife away.

"If you want. I could never stand violence, you know?"

Her voice was quiet, but her terror screamed from it. I didn't know why Foxface had crept about without fighting or killing anyone–like Thresh had intended before I went and got him–but something made bloodshed unthinkably fearful for this girl thrown in the Hunger Games. There were bloody little teeth marks on her hands and neck, though–some mutt had gone after her before, like me and Thresh. Her body shook like the soul inside was fixing to break it apart. She looked so pitiful, I just wanted to hug her one more time–

Suddenly a cat-mutt yowled its life out below us, just before three great bodies crashed down. I heard Thresh fall, snarling in the struggle. Then he was buried under the roars and horrid noises.

"I got a better idea." I talked fast, "We go down together, to Thresh. He's hurt, we'll have the same chances–"

"–of being eaten alive!"

"They need a Victor–one us will live. If we die, it was the Capitol killed us. Not ourselves, not each other–" I held out my hand to her; a smile flew over my cheeks "–Not our friends."

Foxface grinned back in a funny way. I couldn't tell if she was ready to weep or scream.

"So pure...how can you still be so pure, Rue? How can we be friends? One of us is going to die. So brave and sweet...if the Capitol choses, they won't pick me."

"No. They don't want sweet, they want death and betrayings. Please, trust me–"

"Can you? You know I led Clove to you, after I stole all the food I could carry? You know, at the Feast, I threw you the pack with Peeta's medicine on purpose? So he wouldn't get it before he died. It wasn't planned, I just wanted to live–"

"Then you should know that there's worse things than death." I stepped forward, strength flooding the shock and anger out my heart, "That's why I came up here, why I chose to trust you as a friend no matter what. I'm not giving up, Melissa Finch." I heard a chopping sword, a howl. Thresh was still fighting. "I...don't care what you done, if you're sorry, if you trust the Lord like Peeta did, He'll give you peace. Then we can go down together with Thresh, only we need to go now."

"Sorry? How can I be sorry, when I did it to stay alive? I didn't have a choice, I'd do it again…"

Why was I risking Thresh's life to help this girl? Yes, because him and me had done as many awful things as her.

"I had to save you. I couldn't leave Thresh." Her face twisted again; I pressed home, "He saved your life, Melissa. You love him, don't you?"

"I loved him." Her face was suddenly still, "But I don't care if you believe in star crossed lovers, Rue. I'm not dying for a dumb cottonpicker who couldn't even pretend to like me back! You can just go to your God together!"

I slapped her face. Her eyes just went thin, before both her hands shot for my throat.

I could barely shove her back. She gripped my shirt, tried to force me over the edge, but I sank down and pushed back. She was older, we were both weak, but Eleven had made me the toughest. We grappled over the top of the horn, as the cat-mutts' roaring came up all around.

"Sorry! I just got mad, you shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry–"

"STOP TALKING!"

We were spinning slowly round like dancers fighting to keep our lives. I was begging for God to make right what had gone so wrong, when something cold bit my side. Then it was hot and wet. I was crumpling down, still clinging to Foxface, because she'd stabbed her knife in me. Almost as I cried out once, Thresh finally let out a howl of pain. He kept whimpering, howling again, over the horrid noise of the cat-mutts feeding on him. In my ear, Foxface let out a long breath.

"I just want to live. Why can't I live? You can go to your heaven. Your sky. Earth's no good...no good. Go meet your God. Why didn't he save you? Why'd he let this...why...?" Weeping for pain, I clung so she couldn't pull away. She had to shove me, I fell sprawling back on the Cornucopia's roof, in the sun. Foxface stood alone, stared up at the brightness, still whispering that word. Why?

Cold was in my deepest guts, this was a wound like Katniss had. I couldn't hear Thresh anymore, all I could pray was for it not to be long.

Finally, Melissa looked down at me, bleeding and dying. She looked at her hands, flecked with blood. She truly couldn't stand violence. I never saw such a twisted face of sorrow.

"Why...? I didn't want to die. I'm sorry, Rue, what could I do? I'm sorry–!"

I lifted up my hand to her. Finally leaving this earth behind, it was no effort at all to smile.

"Don't be afraid, Melissa. Can you sing?"

"No."

She stared at me. Like I was more terrible than fire or beasts, than anything in this world

"Then can you pray with me?"

"NO!" She batted my hand away, swung about, "Oh, Thresh...!"

That was all she said before she ran. Dived off the top of the Cornucopia. I heard a snap, a cat-mutt hitting the ground on top of her, two cannons booming together.

I was alone. I cried out my last strength, and went to sleep.

Victor of the 74th Hunger Games:

Rue Turner (District 11)

Kills: 2 (Marvel Jackson (D1), Melissa 'Foxface' Finch (D5))