Act 11
"Was It All For Nothing?"

With Douglas dead, I felt into despair. I hadn't known him really, but I felt close to him. He was allies with Dezji and he had helped Gavin on more than one occasion. Granted he had a few anger problems built up inside of him, but he was generally a good person. I don't think Dezji would have trusted his judgment if he wasn't.

I now had a single knife in my possession. Better than what I had before, which was nothing. I ended up cutting a few roots and using them as ropes to carry my branches I had gathered for firewood over my shoulder. As I walked, I sensed a presence behind me. Credit it to being "attacked" from behind by Lilleth all those times or just living in District Eight in general with all of its crime, but I had managed to learn how to sense when I was being followed.

"Are you just going to follow me this entire time?" I asked, continuously looking forward.

I heard a branch crack and a sniffle. I turned around and saw it was Gavin, who had come out from hiding. It was obvious he had been crying. His eyes were puffy and beet red, also his nose was running and his mouth in a perpetual frown.

"D-Douglas d-d-died because of m-me," he stuttered, crying.

Shit, I thought.

I placed the wood pile on the ground and walked over to Gavin.

"He didn't die because of you. He died because of Helena and Aur and Delphine," I explained, kneeling down in front of him. "You couldn't have done anything to change that either. If he didn't risk his life, you would have been caught and killed."

Gavin looked up at me, snot running from his noise. He looked rather pathetic, but then again, he watched another person getting killed because that person helped him. It was only natural he would blame himself.

"Come with me," I said, standing up. "I'm trying to find a cave. You can help."

I picked up the pieces of wood and continued to walk. He ended up following me, though he really didn't have any better plan. He started to calm down pretty quickly as we walked in silence.

Probably a bad idea to bring it back up, but I need to know, I thought.

"Why were they chasing you back there? The Careers?" I asked.

Gavin seemed a bit hesitant to answer, which I would expect. Still he answered after waiting for a little bit.

"I was trying to get food from them," he said. "I was hungry and they had all those bags. Some of them contain food. I just wanted some of it."

He paused.

"I saw you help Douglas," he said.

I bit my lip. I didn't want him to see that. He was already mortified about Douglas dying. I didn't want him to have seen that I truly killed him.

"You put him out of his pain," Gavin continued. "You truly helped him."

Suddenly the sound of branches breaking nearby set me on edge. I dropped the branches I was carrying beside a tree and turned to Gavin.

"Hide!" I snapped quietly.

Gavin nodded and scurried beneath a nearby tree into a cavity between its roots. I turned to the direction of the noise, readying the knife I had. I wasn't skilled with it, but I probably could do some damage. As the sounds grew closer, the more and more I was ready to jump on the unidentified person. Suddenly the sounds came from in front of me, behind a tree. I moved around, baring my knife.

"It's you," said the person.

It was Dezji, who had come from the direction of the Cornucopia. Over his shoulder was a black nylon bag, like the ones featured in the Bloodbath. He hadn't participated in it though, so it kind of threw me through a loop.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, lowering my knife.

"The Careers are out and about hunting other tributes. The only people at their camp were the District One girl and the District Ten girl," answered Dezji. "It was pretty easy to get past the District One girl, as her hand was injured…"

I remember that, I thought.

"And the District Ten girl was busy playing around. It is pretty pathetic they that she was strong enough to be of use to them."

Dezji looked down at the knife I was slowly rotating in my hand as I thought. His eyebrow arched.

"You manage to get that out of the Bloodbath?" he asked. "I'm impressed."

I shook my head.

"No," I said. "Delphine dropped it and I managed to grab it."

Dezji shrugged.

"Still impressed," he said. He suddenly began to look around. "Have you seen Douglas? I heard a gong and I want to make sure he is alright. We had a plan to get rid of the Careers."

"Douglas…" I parroted.

With Douglas' name being said, Gavin came out of hiding and began to cry again. He held on to the hem of my sleeve as I dropped my arms to my sides.

"About that gong…" I started.

"How could you just let them kill him?!" Dezji shouted.

After Dezji had asked about Douglas, we had proceeded to find a safe place to settle and I told what happened. Dezji instantly began to shout at me when I finished telling the story.

"The scary District Two girl… Helena, was there," said Gavin. "If anyone would have tried to help Douglas, she would have killed them."

I dropped my head upon thinking of how scared I was at seeing Helena.

"Besides, Calico helped Douglas in the end," explained Gavin. "Helena had left him to die slowly and alone. Calico sat beside him and put him out of his misery."

Dezji looked at me. I couldn't quite tell if he was angry or what. I thought I saw a hint of anger in his expression, but I also saw signs of major depression behind his glares. He must of recognized Douglas as a friend to be this reactive to his death. Dezji let out a big sigh and proceeded to talk.

"Douglas told me about his family," said Dezji. "I guess that is when I started to trust him. He was an open book, wanting to be friends with almost everyone. Yeah, there were people who he didn't like, but he didn't bash them behind there back. He merely stayed away from them. That was something his entire family believed in, to be kind or to just ignore. He was a good person who didn't deserve to die like this."

I nodded. No one truly deserves to die like this. And even though I hate to admit it, not even the cruel Helena deserves to die in the Hunger Games. I believe that it is the Hunger Games that makes normal people into cruel monsters like Helena or Aur.

"Douglas deserves some vengeance," said Dezji. "And I will get it for him… Are you willing to help?"

If it meant getting rid of the Careers, then yes. Gavin and I nodded simultaneously.

"I want to help, too," said Gavin. "Douglas sacrificed himself for me and I will not let that go in vain."

The rest of the day and night were spent planning on how we were going to take down the Careers. Later that night, as we talked, the picture of Douglas was featured in the sky with the anthem.

Not my longest chapter. I just wanted a basic update and one without a death. I really didn't want to kill Douglas, but I felt he was too nice to survive the Hunger Games, which saddens me. Anyway, death next chapter so don't get too comfortable.

I would like to thank everyone who has either followed or favourited the story or myself as an author. You guys make me feel so happy, you don't even know.

Anyway, about the ending. I know for a fact I am having this story at 24 chapters/acts. Now how I am going to end, like with or without a Victory Tour, I don't know. I'll see what I feel like and what I am comfortable with.

Remember to REVIEW! I want to know what you guys think is going to happen next and which character is your clear favourite. I am fine with favouritism, as I too have a bias. Can you guys who I like? Hint: It is not Calico, though I do love her.