A/N: Hi! I'm back. So the past few months have been busy with my new role as a Speechie and homework, and the fall play, and all this crap building up, I'm just gonna stop making excuses and let you read the story, Enjoy!

Chapter 15

Three days pass and nothing happens. It's heavenly, but also a bit agonizing. I'm still on watch, waiting for someone to burst through the bushes and kill everyone. There's my imagination acting up again.

My wound is almost completely healed. I only limp a little when I walk. Mercury says there's probably four or five people left in the game, excluding us. I always miss the time of night when they show the dead tributes, since I insist on taking the later half of the night, and am exhausted when that time comes around.

The most relaxing and nerve-racking thing of all is Rom. He's done nothing. Nothing! I could have sworn he was gonna do something bad by now. Maybe I'm too paranoid. But Mercury told me he didn't trust him. That's something I have to consider.

Listen to me. I'm talking like a leader. That's not how I work. I feel like if I start leading people, I'll lead them in the wrong direction. And this is definitely not the place to lead people in the wrong direction, where one wrong turn could easily get you killed.

After almost a week of walking around aimlessly, we found a little cave. Just enough room for three to sleep at the mouth comfortably. We didn't want to go any further in the cave, because we thought that if we got trapped in here, it would be hard to escape.

As we set up the beds, Rom starts proposing something, "What if I took watch tonight?"

"No," I answer.

"But I've been in your alliance long enough, I feel like I've proven myself."

"Maybe I feel like you haven't," I snap.

He lets out a big sigh and goes back to preparing a bed for whoever gets to sleep without a sleeping bag. Mercury pulls me aside.

"Maybe we should trust him, just for a little bit."

"No," I reply, "you said yourself that you wouldn't trust him with your life. Why should I trust him with all three of ours?"

"I don't remember that," he said, tilting his head.

"Of course you don't," I say.

"But anyway, what if he really is trust worthy?" he asks. "We could give him only a few hours. A little bit between your shift and mine. Face it, we both need the extra hours of sleep."

I want to protest but he's right. "Fine," I mutter, "But just a few hours."

That night I sleep in between Rom and Telly. As Mercury takes his place for his shift, I stare at the cave ceiling, feeling like something is about to go wrong.

. . .

My eyes flutter open to the sound of something rustling. I look at Rom, but it's Mercury. I must have slept between the switch. I check on Telly. She's gone. I look around. So is Rom. And that's when I hear the scream. In two seconds, I've grabbed my sword and am rushing toward the sound. Branches hit my shoulders and face as I recklessly burst through the forest. Another cry. To my left.

Finally I burst through two branches and see Rom standing over Telly. His spear has blood at the tip.

Rage. It's all I feel as I kick Rom in the back and try to slice him in half.

"So," he sighs, picking himself up from the ground, "You heard her. Well, you can see for yourself, she's not letting out a sound for a long time."

I don't want to look, not yet. Before I know what I'm doing, I've pinned Rom against a tree trunk, my sword to his neck.

"Why'd you do it?" I growl.

"I came to win, what else is there?" he asks. "I came to show those Rebels that we're not done with them. And when I rise out of the arena victorious, I will start a new revolution."

"You idiot!" I yell. "You think that they'll let you free after this, if I don't kill you."

"You won't kill me." He laughs, "You haven't even had your first kill yet have you? No, you were there, little defenseless Esmerelda Snow. Just because your grandfather was the president doesn't mean you're the princess in distress."

"I never wanted to be the princess! I didn't want to be anything. Not victor, not ruler, not tribute."

"Then why don't you let me make you nothing?"

"Because you won't win this if it's the last thing I do."

"Then let it be," he smiles maliciously, as I barely notice him grab something from a pocket in his jacket.

Before I know it, he's hit me in the side of my face with a dagger. He escapes from my grasp. I shake my head to gain focus, and charge him. He picks up his spear and blocks my blow. We're suspended for a moment. Then I try to twist his spear out of his grasp, but he backs away before I can succeed. He twirls his spear above his head. I twist my sword upside down and try to stanb him in the chest with it. He ducks just in time, and trips me. As I fall, my sword slips out of my hand. I turn around to see the spear pointed at my head.

"You got what you wanted, you are nothing."

In a sudden rush of adrenaline, I grab the spear, and turn it around, so it faces Rom. I flip him over and land on top of him.

"No, Romulus Thread Jr., you have nothing."

And I slit his throat.

I get up before any more blood gets on me. Then I see Telly. Mercury's by her side. There's blood pouring from a wound in her stomach. I rush to her side, and push Mercury out of the way.

"Telly," I say, "Telly are you okay?"

"Esmerelda?" she croaks, her eyes glued to the night sky.

"Yes, yes, it's me. I'm here. It's gonna be okay."

"No, Esmerelda, I want to say goodbye."

"No," I protest. "No, you're gonna be okay."

"Have- have you seen me?" she tries to laugh, but I can see it hurts.

"Esmerelda," she whispers, "since you can't be nothing anymore, try to be something, for... for me."

I take a deep breath, and nod.

"See you later," she says as she breathes her last.

I swallow back tears. I pick my sword and storm toward the cave. I hear Mercury follow me.

"You okay?" he asks.

I look down at my body. It's scratched up, and dirty, and starving, and thirsty, and terrible, and I just want to break down and cry. I drop my sword, and fall into his arms. I start sobbing as he strokes my hair, whispering, "It's okay. It's gonna be okay."

"But it's not." I say between sobs. "It's never gonna be okay."

A/N: I hope that was okay, I feel like it's a bit to much like the original, but yeah, I wrote it anyway. Review!