My eyes flicker open. The ground moves below me. I groan and my eyes close again. Something moves me onto the ground. I have no idea what's happening.
"Sarah," someone whispers. "Sarah, you're awake, you're alright."
What? What's going on? Am I at home? Is Lil there soothing me because I've gotten out of the Hunger Games or something? The Hunger Games. Lucas. What happened to him?
"Help!" I yell. "No, he can't have died. He was my friend. You're lying to me."
"Sarah," the voice whispers again. "Open your eyes. It's Lucas."
My eyes slowly open again.
"What?" I ask. "What happened?"
"You were scared," Lucas replies. "You fainted. You were sweaty and that's when I realized how petrified you were. I carried you, so we could get as far away from everyone as possible."
"I'm so sorry," I whisper. "I didn't want you to have to deal with this."
"It's not your fault," he says, sitting down next to me. "It must be so hard for you. Your only thirteen years old and you've been in the games for a long time. You've had to kill people, become helpless and close to dying."
"You've dealt with that too," I say.
"Not as much as you," he replies.
My eyes start to fill with tears. "I can't do this anymore," I wail. He wraps me in his arms. I can't stop crying. I try so hard to stop but I just can't. I feel so secure in his arms. Like nothing can hurt me.
I don't know how long I've been crying. I'm still clinging to Lucas. He must be sick of me. I must be really annoying. He hasn't let go. He's always there for me. I start to wonder why I thought he would hurt me intentionally.
"I'm so sorry," I whisper.
"It's okay," he replies. "My sister was in the Hunger Games when she was your age. She lost but got very far. You two are so alike."
My stomach growls. "I haven't eaten anything," I say, wiping the tears from my face. "Can we please hunt?"
Lucas lets go of me and we grab our weapons and sneak soundlessly through the rainforest. I've never been hunting. I turn around and look at Lucas. He's searching the area around him. Suddenly I see something. As beautiful as it may seem I cannot trust it. Gold, brown and black, furry, fangs bared, ready to pounce at any minute. I know what it is. A jaguar, those horrendous animals used to scare me until I realized their beauty. Right now that fear is back.
"There's a jaguar behind you!" I yell at Lucas.
He turns around but the jaguar is already in the air, so close to pouncing on Lucas. He dives out of the way. I send an arrow flying at the fierce animal. I miss. I hear a canon. The jaguar growls and pounces again. This time on me. I'm too slow. I'm pinned to the ground unable to move, waiting for the end. I feel the sharp claws dig into my skin. The jaguar growls again and gets off of me. I sit up stunned. I just manage to see Lucas emerge from behind but my views blocked again as the jaguar pounces on Lucas. Lucas puts up his sword as the jaguars jumps on him. Straight through the heart. The jaguar collapses on top of Lucas. He sits up and looks at me. He is panicking, terrified, unable to control himself.
"Come on," he says. "Nowhere is safe."
"I thought you already knew that," I reply.
"I thought it would be safer," Lucas says. "I don't want to stay here."
"There are lots of tributes in the forest though, and it's haunted," I argue. "I'm not going back."
Lucas is silent. Then he starts talking to me again, this time calmly. "Did something happen in there that you're afraid of?"
"It doesn't matter," I reply, trying to hide the fear that had engulfed me. But Lucas just stares at me expecting an answer. "It's haunted. It's the place Nick died. I saw my sister in the water, her reflection, crying on the couch, watching the Hunger Games!" I keep blabbing on about what I saw. I'd tried to forget it but I couldn't. It had made me feel like I was doomed, helpless. Everyone at home is watching me, hoping for the best but deep down they know I can't do it. Deep down I feel helpless, unable to go on. I just keep letting my emotions take over me. Why can't I be like the rest of the tributes, only one focus, live and kill? I want to win, I want to go home and I want to pretend this never happened.
"Sarah," Lucas says, "What's going on?" I must have sounded emotional when I was telling him everything.
"I'm not like the others," I reply, looking down, embarrassed. "I'm the youngest here. I'm not ready for this."
"I know, it's unfair," Lucas says. "You can't control your emotions and you think you're doomed because you're the youngest. You can do this. I'm not lying. You have killed people and been in battles. Confidence. You need confidence. That's all you need. Then you will be able to think properly, strategically. You will live."
I can't help but smile. Tears well up in my eyes.
"Why are you doing this?" I ask. "Why are you helping me?"
"Because, I don't want to be like the others," he replies. "I want to be myself and not let the Games change me. All I want is to die the way I should be. And yes, if it means sacrificing myself for you, then yes I will. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. After mum and dad left me I was alone, not knowing who I could trust and how to make friends. Then I met you and, and Nick. You made me the man I am today. And I don't want to change."
I nearly choke on the tears I've been holding back. I run up to him and wrap my arms around him.
"You've helped me so much," I whisper. "I don't want to leave you."
It's the nicest way of saying 'I don't want you to die' that I could think of.
"We will get far," he says, hugging me back.