The Finale: Henley Townsend – District 9 Tribute

"C'mon Pup," I call out.

Right away my wolf mutt obeys, hastening his pace as the moonlight gleams across his black coat. As he comes up alongside me, I toss him the last of the cooked meat from my pack. Might as well let him finish it off. I know I won't be needed it anymore. It's the finale. Only three tributes remain. Just me, the boy from 1 and the girl from 2.

Personally, I hope the boy from 1 wins. I'd prefer to be killed off by him anyhow. The girl is vicious. I've heard some of the other tributes scream for hours before she would finally let them die. It's why I can imagine that the Capitol is probably rooting for her. She'd be the one to give them a finale to remember.

Part of me wonders, if it came down to me and her, could I kill her? I know she's a monster. I know she's probably the one who killed the Rider's daughter. But could I really kill someone?

I think of the Rider family and how they were always kind to me. And then there's Lavinia, who looked out for me up until the very end. Part of me believes that the girl from 2 deserves to die. But then another part me reminds myself of my parents. This isn't what they would have wanted. They wouldn't have wanted me to become a monster.

I can feel a cold nose press up against the palm of my hand, searching for more food. "It's all gone Pup," I say wiping my hands. In return I let him wander off in search of more food. It probably wouldn't be a very good idea to take him with me anyhow.

In the beginning I had hoped for a more dangerous landscape. An arena where all I would need to do would be to survive longer than the other tributes. A place where I wouldn't have to kill in order to live. Now that I've realized that's no longer a possibility, I've come to terms with the fact that I have to die. I may not be able to kill the other tributes, but they can kill me.

As I walk to my death I see the glimmer of the cornucopia. Alongside it there's the outline of a person. Gradually, I tread closer to see that it's the boy from district 1. Good. I was hoping it would be him.

I stand there waiting for him to strike. Surprised by my unwillingness to fight or flee, a look of sympathy crosses his face. Nodding his head as though he understands what I mean for him to do, he steps forward sword in hand, but without aggression. One look in his eyes and I know he'll give me a quick death.

Just as the boy has me within his reach, he stops. I can't help but wonder. Has he changed his mind? Why hasn't he killed me yet? That's when I notice his eyes bulge as his mouth gasps for air. His body heaves and wrenches until the tip of a spear breaks out from his chest, ripping open his ribcage.

What little life remains of the boy falls to the ground revealing the girl from district 2 behind him. Grinning ear to ear, she stares eagerly at me waiting. In her hand she clutches onto a bloodstained dagger. I can only imagine the things she's done to the other tributes with that. I remember how their screams echoed across the mountainside, crying out for it to be over. Now it's my turn. Fear builds up inside me. I don't know what to do. So I bolt.

I find myself running as fast as I can. I thought I was ready to die when I reached the boy from district 1, but things have changed. If I'm going to die, I don't want it to be her. Not like this. Anything but this. My feet pick up speed, but I can hear her gaining on me.

I try to think of an alternative. If there's a spring nearby I could try to drown myself. Although she'd probably pull me from the water before I could even pass out. Perhaps if there's a cliff, then I could throw myself off. However, I don't see any nearby, and she's still gaining on me. Of course if I run fast enough down the mountainside, I could trip and fall, possibly breaking my neck. That could work. Too bad I didn't think of it sooner.

The girl grabs hold of me and with one swift pull, throws me to the ground. My head is spinning from crashing to the ground with such a hard thump. As I regain focus, the crazed girl is already on top of me with one hand wrapped around my throat and the other driving a dagger into my arm. Of course she chooses my arm. She doesn't want to risk killing me too quickly. She'll settle for maiming me to start.

As the dagger bores into my limb, the pain is so intense that I can't stop myself from crying out. In return the girl smiles. She seems to enjoy the screams. She likes knowing how much pain she can cause. She craves every bit of proof that indicates her torturing is sufficient enough.

My head is racing. Not like this. Please not like this. It's all I can think while she carves into me laughing. I shut my eyes. I can't look at her for another moment. I just want it to be over already.

At once, I hear a loud rumbling noise followed by a shriek. Then I feel the girl's weight lifted from me. My eyes open, but she's nowhere in my line of sight. Off in the distance I can see the cornucopia and the dead boy from district 1, but nothing else. I try to get up, but I can't. The pain in my arm is searing. The girl's dagger has been left in my shoulder.

I wince as I pry the weapon from my arm, then rise slowly to regain my footing. Two cannons sound. The boy from 1 must have finally stopped breathing. But where's the girl?

I find her near the edge of the woods being ripped to shreds by a wall of solid black fur. It's Pup. He must have heard me screaming and came running. The giant wolf mutt's eyes shift to meet mine. Immediately he abandons his scraps and comes to check on me. Then I hear a thundering voice declare one single statement. A statement that I never thought I would hear.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victor of the 68thHunger Games, Henley Townsend of District 9!"