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I don't wanna talk about this chapter *sniffles*
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Rue was frantically waking me. "Katniss get up! Katniss we have to run there's a fire!" I shot straight up and looked around. Immediately I saw it, a huge wall of flame coming straight for us.
"Okay. Stay up here and get away from it. If we get split up we'll try to circle back here and meet up." Rue nodded. In the time I had explained it to her I had my sleeping bag packed and myself untied from the branch. I nearly forgot to grab my bow and arrows as well as my holstered weapons.
Peeta caught me as I dropped from the tree. We didn't bother with pleasantries. "Where do we run to Katniss?" That was true. Which way should we go? Then I saw a few rabbits in the distance heading towards the right.
"We follow the rabbits." I bolted towards them. If I lost track of them that may mean death for us. Peeta followed closely. The rabbits were able to show us the best path with the least roots and stones, but we still tripped a few times. By the time we reached a clearing and seemed to have lost the fire both of us collapsed to the ground. There was no way that fire was natural, the way it seemed to chase us. The Gamemakers must have wanted us here in the clearing.
I turned to Peeta, barely getting the words out between coughs. "Gamemakers wanted us here. Why?" He raised his finger slowly to point to the other side of the clearing. There they were, the Careers, seeming unaffected by the fire. They were towering over a small boy. My hands automatically went to my bow. I wasn't going to let them touch him. Peeta grasped my wrist though.
"We can't." I thought for a moment. We were in no shape to fight these four Careers. I grimaced and let Peeta pull me back into the forest, away from the clearing and away from the boy.
We both slowly made our way back to our pond. It seemed like most of the smoke had cleared. I was grateful, I hated to admit it but the smoke was affecting me. "Do you think Rue's okay?" Both Peeta and I had recovered, we were holding hands and I was leaning against him lightly.
"I'm sure she's fine. She would have been high enough to avoid the worst of the smoke and it would have probably been easier to travel through the trees than on the ground." Peeta frowned in thought. He always knew how to convince me. I smiled and glanced into the trees above, hoping we would see her soon.
I managed to shoot some rabbits that were slowed from the smoke. By the time we got back to the pond I had three rabbits and a squirrel –like creature. It would certainly be enough to feed the three of us. Rue was sitting on a rock near the pond when we got there.
"Think we can light a fire Peeta?" He looked around before nodding. I assume he left to get some firewood. I sat down next to Rue.
She was eating some berries. "I knew you'd be okay." She smiled and ran up to me. I couldn't help but smile when she hugged me.
"We're gonna cook these up." I lifted my kills up to show her. Her responding smile was beautiful.
Peeta returned with the wood and soon I was roasting rabbit on the fire. Peeta was sharing information about district twelve to Rue. "I work in a bakery with my parent's."
"What do you make?"
Peeta laughed. "Bread mainly. I get to ice the cakes though."
"That sounds like fun. Definitely better than gathering crops.' she wrinkled her nose and both Peeta and I laughed.
I turned to Rue. "Well. At least you get to have some food. All we get is coal."
"Oh no! We don't get to have any of the food. They would kill us if we tried to take some."
I exchanged a glance with Peeta. "Peacekeepers sound very strict in eleven. Back at twelve they don't do much. I don't think I've ever seen someone whipped."
"You're lucky. I think your rabbits burning." I looked down. It was singed black. I swore and pulled it out with a stick. I scraped off the burnt bits, the inside looked good though.
Victoriously I held up the leg of the rabbit and both Peeta and Rue grinned. I let them share the first rabbit and moved on to cooking the rest of my kills. It was so nice sitting around a fire eating food and sharing stories.
"Well. I'm the oldest of all my siblings so I feed them and everything. It's worth it though. Every time my brother see's the food I bring home he laughs and runs up to hug me." She smiled at the memory. Rue was a strong girl. She worked in the fields and placed her name in the reapings multiple times for food. She reminded me so much of Prim, but she was also strong like me. I couldn't help but love her.
Once we had eaten our fair share we restocked the fire so it would burn through the night. Rue climbed a tree and I stayed with Peeta for a few more seconds.
"What are we going to do Peeta?" We had to protect Rue. We had too.
"Protect her." Peeta nodded and I smiled. I kissed him on the lips this time. Not a quick peck on the cheeks. He was such an amazing man. I'm so glad he was mine. Yes, Peeta was mine. The snapping of a branch stopped me. It was followed by footsteps, at least one set. I pulled back.
"Someone's coming." I pulled out my bow to aim it at whoever emerged. Peeta pulled out his mace.
There were more footsteps now, at least three sets. "The Careers." Both Peeta and I came to the same conclusion.
Clove emerged first, her shoulder bandaged. She looked ill, I suppose my knife did more damage than I thought. I nodded to Peeta and shot at her throat, she dodged it but in the time she took to regain her feet I was on top of her. I had my knife to her throat when Cato called out. I swore but didn't move from Clove. I hoped Peeta would have my back.
"Kill her Katniss." I heard him block a blow from Cato. I turned my attention back to Clove. She sneered and spat in my face. I turned away as I slit her throat.
The cannon fired immediately and I went to help Peeta. I ran and aimed an arrow at Cato but something slammed into my side. Glimmer glared at me.
She was holding some kind of sword but she looked inexperienced with it. I rolled back and threw two knives at her to distract her. It worked, the first she managed to duck from but the other scraped her cheek. She growled at me and lunged for me. Stupid of her. I positioned my knife and when she landed on me the knife plunged into her heart with her own weight.
I pushed her limp body off of me and dusted myself off.
I didn't see him. Or hear him. I just managed to turn and see Rue, diving from the trees. Marvel had thrown a spear.
"No!" I dived forward to pull her out of the way. It was too late. With an angry snarl I ripped out my bow and had an arrow streaming through the air, aimed at his neck. He was defenceless and it landed with a sickening thud in his neck. I didn't watch though and listened as two cannons fired signalling Glimmer and Marvels death. Rue was lying on the floor. I slid down next to her and pulled out the spear
"No Rue. No no no no no." The words were a coo as I stoked her hair. Her eyes were brimming with tears. I didn't pay attention. I didn't think about the three people I just killed. This girl in front of me had saved my life, and doomed her own. I was crying now too.
She smiled. "Don't cry Katniss. I'll be fine." She tried to speak with clarity but I could hear the pain in her words. What could I do? I placed my hands over the wound to stop the bleeding but it didn't work. The wound was too deep. Carefully I lifted her into my lap and continued stroking her hair.
"You're going to be alright Rue. I'm here okay? Don't close your eyes." I could hear the hopelessness to my words though. There wasn't anything I could do.
"Katniss. Sing me a song." Her voice was faint now. She wouldn't live much longer.
I thought for a moment. There were hardly any songs I remembered.
I gave a small cough, swallowed hard, and began:
Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise.
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
Rue's eyes have fluttered shut. Her chest moves but only slightly. I vaguely sense Peeta standing over me. But all I cared about was this little girl, this little angel. My throat releases the tears and they slide down my cheeks. But I have to finish the song for her.
Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
The final lines are barely audible.
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
Everything's still and quiet. Then, almost eerily, the mockingjays take up my song.
For a moment, I sit there, watching my tears drip down on her face. Rue's cannon fires. I lean forward and press my lips against her temple. Slowly, as if not to wake her, I lay her head back on the ground and release her hand.
Peeta kneels down next to me. Something in me triggers and pushes him away. Nobody can touch Rue. No. I continue stroking her hair. She looks so peaceful.
Peeta tries again, this time he grabs my shoulders forcefully and pulls me away.
Alas the end of the chapter! do not fret however! If you manage to get 5 reviews I'll have another chapter up tommorow!
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