"I wonder why there haven't been that many deaths this time?" Davis asks, tilting his head to one side with puzzlement. He's right. It's already day four, yet in the past few days, I counted only ten cannons total. That means there are still fourteen tributes left, including Davis, Monika and I.
Davis has finally agreed that we should move in the direction of the dam, and that's what we're doing now. Besides, the only water we found was from the dew on leaves in the mornings. It wasn't enough to keep us going.
"Annie, look, a parachute!" Monika exclaims suddenly, pointing at said parachute.
We gather around the silver parachute, briefly asking the other members of our alliance to open it instead. That didn't work out too well, so finally, I insist, "Monika found it, so she should open it."
In the end, we did discover whom the parachute was meant for—me. Inside the parachute was a long piece of rope, and it was actually useful. I pick it up and feel the familiar texture of the rough rope between my fingers. "Thank you, Finnick," I say. He knows me too well, because ropes can calm me down when nothing else could. I desperately needed calming down whenever there's a cannon, and the thin piece found in Monika's bag had died on us two days ago.
Davis picks up the pace, and we continue our march onward in the direction of the dam. It's strange, but we haven't come across any of the other tributes, not even now. It's like they're purposely leaving us alone...No, that can't be right. Knowing Karat and her Career friends, they must be planning something for us, and it won't be something I'll like. I did decline her offer, and she wasn't about to let me forget it anytime soon.
"I'm hungry," Davis declares after a while of walking. "Let's stop and try to gather some edible plants."
"There's always the cat food," I tease. There are some people who can't even afford to purchase cat food. What's the point of putting some in the bag, when we all know that it's not for humans? At Davis's glare, I add, "Monika's the expert at edible plants."
"I thought your district specializes in transportation," Davis points out. "Where'd you learn about plants?"
Monika flushes and absently twirls a strand of her hair. "My...my mother is fond of plants," she explains shyly. "We have a garden, and she used to ask me to walk with her and name the plants for me."
Nodding, Davis says, "I...see. Well, little plant expert, will you do me the favor of gathering some edible plants for us?"
"Of course!" Monika agrees at once, and turns and dashes off in one direction.
I watch her leave and shake my head fondly. "She's full of energy, isn't she?" Davis voices his assent, but I can tell that his attention has left me. Instead, he stares into the trees, as though he was waiting for the danger to come.
"Someone's near," he hisses softly. I freeze, and my mind panic.
Ellie's coming to kill me...
That's when I hear the scream.
It brings back memories of the day of Ellie's death.
"Oh, no, Monika!" Davis's eyes widen, and he rushes in the direction she had disappeared. I follow him, because there's no way I'm going to stay here alone. "Annie, stay back!"
Too late.
I stare at the scene in horror, as another girl tribute—one that I hadn't bothered friending in the training area—bends down and takes out the handful of leaves that Monika is still clutching.
A knife rests in Monika's chest.
"I'll take these," she says, crackling with laughter, and stuffs the leaves into her mouth hungrily.
"Why, you!" I cry in rage, and without thinking, lunge at the girl. She whips out another knife and stabs me in my arm. I let out a gasp. Luckily, my attack caught her by surprise, and out of balance, she falls onto the ground.
My hands meet her neck. "How dare you!" I shriek, sobs threatening to overwhelm me. "Injuring an innocent girl! What has she ever done to you?"
"Welcome to reality, girl," the other girl spits. "This is the arena. Here, we aren't friends with each other, or have you forgotten already...? Ugh, what's this feeling? Why can't I move?" Her voice raises as she struggles to sit up.
Her words cause my hands to loosen their hold around her neck.
She's right. We're in the arena, where death is more common than anywhere else in the world.
Would I really have strangled her...?
I mean, Ellie's death was my fault, and it won't matter if I add another death to my list, right? No! What am I thinking? Just because this is the arena doesn't give me the right to kill anyone!
The other girl collapses once more, and lays on the ground, unmoving. She's still breathing, but barely. Davis bends down to check on her, and whispers, "She must've been poisoned by the plant leaves." He doesn't say anything else, but we both know what he's implying. The plant leaves were meant for us. Had the girl not intervened, it would've been Davis and I poisoned.
Monika was trying to kill us.
I turn back to Monika, lying innocently on the ground. The blood has formed a small pool around her, and I kneel down next to her. "Monika, why?"
Tears spill out from her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, Annie," she whispers. "I just didn't want to have to...say...goodbye... to you..."
Her eyes close, and she's gone.
Gone.
"NO!" I scream, my arms flailing around me. The stab wound stings, but I don't care. "NO! MONIKA!"
One cannon goes off.
What about the other girl? She's dead, isn't she? Is she still alive?
"Annie, calm down!" Davis pulls me toward him. I struggle and push back, and return to Monika's side. I yank the knife out of her chest with all my might, and stalk furiously over to the girl.
"It's your fault she died!" I scream at the girl.
Her eyes are glossy and distant. The poison must be spreading quickly. Surely it wouldn't matter if I ended her life sooner? It'll get her out of her misery. She might even thank me. I raise the already-bloody knife above my head and prepare to strike.
I can hear Davis protesting, but I tune him out. Right now, it's only me, and the girl. I don't even know her name.
Not that I care.
"You brought this upon yourself, you know," I tell the girl, and in one swift motion, I feel the knife sink deep into her body.
Boom!
I'm back in my nightmare, and Ellie is floating toward me in her white dress. This time, two other people are with her. Monika, and the girl. "It's your fault, you know," they growl at me. I take a step back, and trip over something. I look down to find that I had tripped over my own dead body.
I want to scream, yet I can't seem to find my voice.
A cannon sounds in the distance.
I open my eyes, and I am still holding onto the knife. I force my fingers to let go of it, so the helicopter can take the girl's body out of the arena.
"Annie..." Davis trials off, and simply stares at me. He must not want someone crazy, like me, to be his ally anymore.
"You don't have to stay with me," I say, my voice breaking. "If you don't want to."
I'm so messed up.
Why is it that everyone I love must die? It's totally unfair.
Davis takes my hand, and for a moment, I imagine that Finnick's the one taking my hand. "Of course I want to stay with you, Annie," Davis says stubbornly. "You need someone to be there for you. Come on, let's go."
As we walk, I can't help but think. If I were in Monika's position, would I have subtly killed my allies too, just so it wouldn't be so painful in the end? It was the better choice, anyway.
Davis...it might be better for us to separate, now, before I go insane and kill him.
I open my mouth to tell him my plan.
Instead, what comes out is, "One, two, three...Ellie is coming for me..."
Disclaimer: The Hunger Games belongs to the amazing Suzanne Collins.
Oh, the drama! It's getting intense!
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