Chapter Eleven

"Rule-following, legal precedence, and political consistency are not
more important than right, justice, and plain common-sense."
- W.E.B. Du Bois

Tom stepped inside of Ed Wuncler Sr's home, surprised by the recent renovations that had been made. The wooden, gaudy foyer that he'd come to know over the years was now replaced with royal blue carpeting, complete with its own seal in the center, "The Wuncler States of America."

"Amazing, isn't it?" The man skulked out of the shadows. "It looks just like the oval office, with a few changes of course."

"Robert and Riley have been missing for three days." Tom took a seat in the chair near Wuncler, his tone anything but pleasant. "I understand being a little frustrated with Huey, even me, but you three have always had a great relationship. For you to murder them is just…"

Wuncler kept walking as if he hadn't heard him. "Let's take this into my office."

"No." Tom took a step back towards the door. "Let's stay here and talk."

Wuncler seemed to grow in size as he approached Tom. "Sure. What seems to be the problem?"

"What seems to be the problem?" Tom leered at the man. "Pull your head out of your ass and see for yourself! Things are bad enough without you taking out your frustrations on a bunch of kids! Was Makayla dying not bad enough?"

"So you're mad about Makayla." Wuncler stared at him.

"No!" Tom cried out. "Actually, yes! I am! I am mad about Makayla, and Huey, and Riley, and Robert, every single child that has died in these games, and especially my daughter, who has been drugged, blasted, and attacked by traps you deliberately set for her!"

"Jazmine's fine." Wuncler's tone held an air of superiority that Tom no longer cared about. "She's alive, isn't she? Plus, she's with that Freeman boy. Seems to be having a great time ramming her tongue down his throat at any moments notice. Who knows, maybe they'll have a great time doing something else? Nah mean?"

Tom lunged forward and was immediately held back by a brigade of military personnel that seemed to appear out of nowhere. "No need to be so touchy about your little girl's activities, Thomas." He walked further away before motioning to his office, looking eerily similar to the president's office in the White House. "She's obviously making the best of her situation is all that I meant. Who knows, maybe you'll even get a grandchild out of it? Someone to remind her of that Freeman boy if he dies."

Tom flew out of the men's grasp and lurched forward. "You fucking sicko! What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you dare disrespect my daughter that way!"

The men dragged him away from Wuncler, but Tom was still yelling at the top of his lungs. "I know what you did! I know that you banned all those sponsors from helping Huey and Jazmine after the decision to support them was unanimous! That's why you sent those guards to attack them!"

"You're a liar! Just like that Freeman kid and your evil ass daughter! Apple didn't fall too far the tree."

Even the guards seemed shocked. They glanced between Tom and Wuncler and exchanged confused looks.

"You messed up big time, and you know it!" Tom leaned forward and grabbed the collar of Wuncler's shirt. "Those two represent something bigger than all of us! Just because you didn't know how to leave well enough alone!"

"I haven't done anything." Wuncler maintained before snapping his fingers. The guards froze in place. "Their names were drawn fair and square. Anything involving your daughter and that boy are because of the decisions they made."

"Because of the obstacles you laid out in front of them!" Tom wrestled against the men's' arms, pleading with them. "I'm not the enemy, he is!"

"I understand that you're nervous." Wuncler told him. "Your daughter is getting closer and closer to dying, and you know you can't save her, but she'll die a hero. I'll make certain that she's never forgotten."

"Where are Robert and Riley?" Tom ignored the man's attempts to get a rise out of him. "What did you do to them?"

The man sat down at the table. To his surprise, he seemed to genuinely ponder his words. "Honestly, I don't know. Last I heard Robert's sister was dead."

"Huey's favorite person in the world is gone, and you don't know how it happened." Tom processed the man's words. "I don't believe you."

"Well, I didn't." Wuncler shrugged again. "I have my hands full, if you haven't noticed."

Before Tom could interject, he snapped his fingers again and placed his feet on the edge of the large desk. "Guards, take him to the holding center of the White House please."

"Holding?" Tom's head snapped up. "Holding cell for what? I haven't done anything!"

Wuncler laughed, glaring at him. "You assaulted me, defamed me, and threatened to kill me. I wouldn't call that nothing, and no reputable judge in America will either."

"That's…that not-"

"It's against Wuncler Law to interfere with the Hunger Games, and that's what you came here to do. To interfere with the games and to correspond with potential sponsors so that they could give the children in your neighborhood a fair advantage."

"That isn't true!"

"Call Sarah Dubois." He snapped at his secretary. "Tell her that she has three days until her husband is executed at the White House."

"Yes sir, Mr. Wuncler." Joe Peeto flew out of the room to grab the phone. "Is there any other message you'd like me to deliver?"

"You're next, Wuncler! " Tom fought as hard as he could. His feet slammed against the wall as he tried to break free from the guard's grasp. "Your time is running out, and everybody knows it! You won't get away with it! Not anymore! Not anymore!"

"Yeah." Wuncler's smile curved into a wicked grin. "Tell her that Tom's beheading will be made public. On the steps of the White House. Ask her if she needs any accommodations for the trip."

"Isn't…" Joe paused, gulping. "Isn't her daughter Jazmine already in the games? They're going through a lot right now. I really think you should wait. Huey and Jazmine have a lot of fans, larger than any contestant in the game's history, even George Bland. Analysts have projected they have about three days left until a winner is declared. If you do this, the people won't take kindly to it. They may even revolt after you do something like this. "

"Unless you want to die with them, I suggest you make the phone call." Wuncler snarled, lifting to his feet and walking out onto his porch. He took a deep breath and lifted his head, staring at the city of Woodcrest. "And then I want you to make a call to the general of the National Defense Confederation." He adjusted the buttons of his suit. "We're taking a trip to Colorado."

"I know you guys think this is a trap, but you've got to believe me!" Hiro insisted. "I know the way out of here! There's a map that someone smuggled in. We've just got to find it."

He looked over at Jazmine and Caesar, who shook their heads sighing, just as unsure of what do as he was.

"Hand over all your weapons." Isis spoke up.

"What?" The boy was still shaking. "Why would I-"

"If you're really focused on helping us, that shouldn't matter, right?" The girl snapped. "Now had them over, all of them!"

Hiro kicked two pistols over to Huey and two more to Caesar. They nodded and handed one to each girl while Hiro gently laid his machete in front of Jazmine's feet.

"Well…" Hiro hesitated when Huey lifted the gun back up again, his finger on the trigger. "Please! If not for me, than do it for Makayla. Think of the good that can happen if we shut this down! Permanently."

Huey sighed, glancing back at everyone else. "We're in this together. What do ya'll think?"

"I'm down if you are." Caesar said, narrowing his eyes in the direction that Ming had run off in. "If he steps out of line, we'll put him down."

"Isis?" Huey gestured towards her shoulder. "You in?"

She lifted her pistols into the air. "Yeah, I'm good."

He glanced over at Jazmine, who looked absolutely stunned by the news of her father's pending execution. Almost as shocked as he was after hearing that his beloved great-aunt was gone. "What about you?"

She was still zeroed in on the speaker that Hiro had set on the ground. Unlike him, she couldn't turn away from it.

"Jazmine?" He repeated as he walked closer to her, keeping Hiro in his peripheral. "Are you in?"

She stepped past him, her eyes on Hiro with every step she took.

"Where did that come from?" She asked him, rubbing a finger through her hair. "The signal. How were you able to pick that up?"

He glanced at the radio. "Long story short, I figured Wuncler was gunning for me and hacked into some of the wiring of his home. His son isn't a good businessman at all, cheaped out on cybersecurity software."

She nodded. "Can you tap into any other signals?"

"Like BET's?" Huey glanced at the back of Jazmine's head again, suddenly fixated on her braids. "See what they're up to?"

He nodded. "The Otomotive is already ahead of you."

He picked up the device and hit a series of buttons; soon enough, the scratchy feedback on the speaker became crystal clear again. The voice of a woman rang through. They all crowded together, listening closely.

"All this teamwork is making me sick!" Deborah Leevil glared at the shredded bodies of the assistant gamemakers. "Wuncler hired us to create Black Evil Television that casts niggas, niggettes, and half-niglettes in the worst light possible! The niggas can not keep sticking together!"

"It's just an alliance. It won't last." One of them murmured. "And the cameras keep glitching! We can't see what's going on."

"Well, I mean... that's fair…it's still BET." Deborah shrugged, glaring over at them. "We'll just have to force them all together, maneuver them outwards!"

"Or, if we give them some time…" Someone else spoke up. "They'll turn on each other on their own. I'm sure they all just want to go home. They're just kids."

"Who said that?" Deborah stood to her feet, examining the back of the room. "Come up front!"

A small skinny man stepped forward.

"What is your name?" She stared at him.

He stared back at her. "Gregory."

"And what do we do here at BET?" The woman mused. "Do we sit around and wait for niggas to do it themselves?"

"Um…,yes?"

"Okay, bad example." She shook her head. "Scratch that. Do we sit around and let black people progress? After we've worked so hard to keep all people in bondage?"

"My apologies, Deborah." The man bowed. "I misspoke. Should I release the dogs, instead?"

"Yes." Deborah waved her hands. "Quickly! And make their design a little more interesting, more similar to the books."

"More similar to the books?" Everyone paused. "What books?"

"Did anyone read the books?" She glared at them from behind her massive desk. She walked away from the thousands of screens; her assistant stayed behind, watching the elects hand Ming some sort of antidote to repair her nearly amputated leg. "Of course not."

She yanked some of the electrical cords out, unphased by the sudden flickering in the room. "That's fine."

She stood in the center of the room, focused.

"I'll just have to do it myself."

It was a well-known fact that Huey hated dogs.

And not for no reason, either.

Historically, dogs had been used to disarm protestors, trained to discriminate, and hailed in America as the white man's best friend. Fitting, he'd decided, since they were the only men on Earth who could be just as disgusting as their four-legged counterparts.

"They're sicking dogs on us." Isis winced, gripping her shoulder. "And we have no clue when."

Jazmine sighed, looking over at the mountains in the distance.

"Then we'd better get moving." She sighed. "Because we don't stand a chance just waiting around here."

"It's no use." Hiro glanced at them, frowning. "We don't have the map."

Huey stayed quiet, frowning with the rest of them.

Jazmine eased herself next to him, pecking his lips as a part of their act in front of Hiro. "Um, babe? Any reason why you're staring at the back of my head like that?"

"I just like your hair." He shrugged, slightly moving her in front of him so that he could inspect the patterns that had been weaved into her hair. "You never said who did those braids. They held up nice."

Isis and Caesar stared at him.

"Um, Huey." Isis channeled the look of a seasoned black mom. "Is there a reason you're asking right now? Because…"

"There are dogs." Caesar picked Isis up, wincing right along with her when she let out a hiss of pain. "Literally on their way to kill us."

"Yeah…I'm with them." Jazmine nodded, glancing over at Hiro, who made sure to keep his hands up in surrender. "Can we just get up there so we can hide?"

"Just curious." Huey smiled at her so brightly. At this point, he knew she was alarmed. "I'm really feeling em'. You make them look good."

"Okay, seriously." Isis turned to Caesar. "Did Huey hit his head too hard or something? Have you checked him for a concussion?"

"Daddy's friend, Winnie, did them." She answered him. "Said she wanted to give me a parting gift."

"Cool." He made his smile disappeared. "Let's go. After you."

She took one last look at him when the rest of them kept walking up ahead of them, and then Jazmine walked in front of him so that he could pretend to check out her ass.

Currently, they were heading north.

But he was thinking back…back to when they'd left Woodcrest that morning.

"Look out for her." Tom whispered.

The patterns that he'd been obsessed with weren't an accident. Tom had literally given them the cheat code that they needed to survive.

"We're going this way." He announced.

"Okay, now I know you're crazy." Isis snorted. "Why the hell would we go that way?"

He shook his head, taking Jazmine's hand and dragging her right along with him.

"Ya'll do what ya'll want." Huey glanced back at them. "But me personally? I wouldn't wanna be the one wishing I'd listened to me when I had the chance."

They all groaned and followed after him.

"Man, I could've stayed in the trees for all this!"

He completely agreed with Caesar.

It was like his brother Riley always said….

This was some bullshit.

"I used to be excited for what's next." Hiro sighed. "I was a genius, a math whiz. Speculated to be the next Steve Jobs."

They all sighed, glaring at him as they neared the edge of the mountain.

"Yeah, we'll never be that cool." Caesar kept a tight hold on Isis, carrying her in his arms. "Let's focus on getting out of the open before it gets worst."

Jazmine gasped. "Guys, look."

Hiro was the first to turn around and hop back, followed by Huey, Caesar, and Isis.

It was weird as hell.

Makayla was standing directly in front of them. She had no bruises, no expressive eyes. She looked drowsy, as if she'd just woken up from a nap. And what was worst was that she looked perfectly healthy. Alive.

"Why'd you leave me all alone in the flames, Huey?" The girl asked, surprised as they all stepped back. "You promised me, Jazmine. You promised you wouldn't leave me."

"It's not real, Jazmine." Huey narrowed his eyes at whatever was standing in front of them.

"It is." Vince came from the other end, smirking at him. "You really thought you could kill us and get away with it, huh? Thought you could just sneak me like that and get away with it?"

Hiro waved over at everybody else, starting to take off. "Man, whatever's going on clearly isn't right! Let's get the fuck outta here!"

Huey nodded towards Jazmine and Caesar, who took off running in time for Cairo and Jennifer to reappear as well.

"They're basing this off the book!" He heard Isis say. "When they took the bodies of the elects and used it to make mutant dogs!"

Caesar pulled out his pistol and shot at them, watching in horror as a bullet hit Cairo and nothing happened.

Cairo….it had no reaction. It didn't bleed. It didn't cry out in pain. It didn't even seem fixated on kicking their ass for what it'd done. It calmly joined what looked like Makayla, Jennifer, and Vince, with that same blank look on its face

"The hell?" They all paused.

"What the fuck are ya'll doing?!" Huey waved his gun at the fallen tributes and turned back to the others. "Go! I'll hold them off."

Kevin Bryce's double leapt in front of them, laughing as he shook his head. "Nobody's going anywhere, niggas!"

The clones surrounded them, holding hands as they moved in sync with too perfect motions.

Jazmine leapt forward, trying to wring its neck, only to be surprised when they all seemed to blink over to the other side.

"Okay, seriously." Isis remarked from Caesar's arms. "What the hell is this? Why did they make clones? I thought they were recreating-"

It wasn't until Cairo and Kevin crouched to their feet that they figured out that Isis' first guess had been correct all along.

"They are!" Huey took off running, dragging Jazmine with him. "Run! Get the hell outta here!"

Caesar didn't need to be told twice. He was right behind them with Isis in tow

But Hiro stayed behind. "Wait… what's happening? What are they?"

Vince stood on top of them, then Jennifer. They held up their arms up and lifted Makayla into the air. They stretched their limbs just as Hiro fell to the ground. Their skin became black and smooth as velvet, their mangled bodies so uniform it looked as if they had merged into one.

Hiro backed away slowly at first, in disbelief as he came face to face with a huge dog.

The thing grew larger, as tall as the trees in the distance, until finally, it let out a huge howl. Its teeth grew long and jagged, the drool stretching down to where Hiro was standing, frozen in fear.

It panted slowly, seeming to gaze at him with the eyes of the elects front and center, just like in the book.

He took off running as fast as he could, shaken by the mutant running after him in the distance.

"Over here." Huey pointed at the cave, nodding when Caesar placed Isis in the darkness. "Perfect." He nodded at Jazmine. "Now you next."

She crawled inside, not protesting despite the tight crawl space. She and Isis looked at each other, realizing they were the only two that could fit.

"Guys…" Jazmine tried to crawl out. "I'll stay with you."

"No, get down, Jazmine." Huey and Caesar pushed her backwards.

Huey crouched down until he was at eye level with the girls. "Do not come out no matter what." He stared at Jazmine. "I mean it, woman."

Despite the situation, she blushed, sending a proud feeling through him. "Whatever. Just don't get us killed."

"Aroooooo!" They heard another howl in the distance, followed by loud, slow stomps in the distance.

Caesar and Huey looked up just in time for Hiro to fly through the hair and land against the side of the cave. He groaned quietly, his eyes fluttering open and closed. "Run."

They took off, speeding just in time to hear it howling, racing towards them with such force that the few trees around them were falling from the impact of its large paws inching closer and closer toward them.

Huey picked his legs up and ran faster, reaching into his backpack to toss out some of Jazmine's traps. It howled again before smashing them into smithereens. Then it gnashed its teeth together before it lunged forward.

The mutant swiped roughly at Huey and Caesar with its front paws until both boys fell back with loud groans. Huey lifted his pistol and shot again.

"I don't think that's working, bruh!" Caesar rolled backwards until his feet hit the side of another small cave. It had a few loose rocks on the side, and to his relief, he was able to wriggle one out. "Lemme try something, hold up!"

It slammed him further back, but Caesar was fast. It hit the side of the cave with a loud crash. Caesar winked at Huey and gave him a thumbs up.

Huey, on the other hand, was somersaulting from one spot to the next, avoiding the slams from the beast as best he could. "Whatever you're trying to do, hurry up!"

Caesar threw a rock into its chest and flinched backward again when it leapt in front of him. Huey reached back for his katana; he glared at it and charged forward, just in time for him to glimpse of its eyes the moment it spun around.

The little girl waved at Huey, and Huey waved back at her, giving her a flicker of a smile.

The little girl turned to Jazmine and giggled.

"He does like me!" She gasped. Makayla wriggled in her seat, her small Mary Janes swinging back and forth. "You were right!"

They were hers…those were Makayla's eyes…

"Yeah, whatever!"

Cairo obviously wanted everybody to hear.

"I'm from Chicago just like you, nigga! You've always been a fake and a phony! We know about you using George for attention! And we don't fuck with it!"

And Cairo's….

"Makayla's gone, now." Kevin Bryce blocked his path and shoved him backwards. His strength, even injured, was undeniable. "Which means I can kill the front runner right now and get it over with."

And Kevin's…

"Jazmine." Vince nodded, smoothly gliding his hands into hers. "You're the girl that walked up like a straight boss." He motioned towards the rest of the elects in the room, watching them with curious eyes. "Everybody knows who you are."

And Vince's….

He shifted his katana forward, leaping just in time for Caesar to follow suit, sending several rocks crashing into the mutant's eyes.

It let out a painstaking screech, but not before clamping its teeth down on Huey's arm and swinging him from side to side.

Caesar jumped forward and pushed the katana in further.

"Aroo-ooo!" It howled again, causing Huey to land to the ground with a thud as it thrashed about, trying to get up again.

He was in bad shape. His arm was barely connected to anything, not even his skin. And now that the adrenaline rush had passed, he was struggling to get off the ground.

"Aye, dude!" Caesar slapped his face. "Bruh, you good?"

"Find…Jaz." Huey whispered hoarsely. He closed his eyes, nervously anticipating his violent end. "Go… get…outta…here."

His eyes opened again when someone came running behind him.

"Jaz-mine." He glared at her. "I told you-"

"Shut up." She glared back. "If you really thought I was gonna sit back and let you two do this alone, you're crazy."

She pulled out the drops from the other day and put them in his mouth.

"That's…not..gonna work." He told her.

"It worked on Isis." She gestured towards his arm and they both watched in amazement as his arm seemed to reattach itself to his body. "Just stay still." She held up the bottle, frowning. "Because we're officially out of second chances."

BANG! BANG! BANG!

They whirled around just in time to hear the gun go off. There was blood and flesh everywhere, in addition to a few dreadlocks on the ground.

"Caesar…" Jazmine stared at where he'd been standing, her eyes wet as she looked down at Huey, shaking her head. He pulled her closer and was surprised to discover that he could already move again.

He hung his head, fighting back tears of his own. "It's okay, Jaz. He-"

"What are you two crying for?" Caesar teased as he took his hands and wiped all the gunk off his hands. "I'm the one who got their dreadlocks yanked out." He pouted playfully at Jazmine. "Yeah, he almost lost his arm, but where's my hug at, girl?"

They both just shook their heads and stared at him.

"But seriously, Jazmine." Caesar stared at her and laughed despite the situation. "Are you a magician or something? How did his arm do that?"

She held up the empty bottle, frowning. "A little help. Don't worry. Isis got some too."

She grabbed Huey's hand and pulled up, just in time for Caesar to run over and help him.

"Seriously, man." He gave Huey a onceover. "Are you good?"

He was in a lot of pain, but there was no way he was telling them that.

He nodded. "I'm fine."

Jazmine wasn't persuaded so easily. "No, you're not." She inspected the wound on his arm. "That's taking longer to heal. You'll have to take it easy for a few hours."

Huey glanced over at Caesar and then back at Jazmine. They all knew that she was right, but unfortunately, there was no way he could take it easy, especially with them being a few miles away from Tasha, Ming, Cindy, and Grits, who were waiting on them up ahead.

The dog had been sent to push them closer together. Like it or not, their time was running out…and so was his.

"Stop thinking that." Jazmine pulled him back to where Hiro and Isis were waiting. "You're gonna be fine. We're gonna be fine."

Caesar just shook his head at them, sighing. "Aight, lovebirds. As much I love your quarrels of affirmation, I think Hiro has something he wants to say."

They all turned to him just in time for him to lift his speaker, gasping for breath. Isis was behind him, staring over at Huey.

"Prepare the storm machines!" They could hear the deep end in Deborah's voice. "I want lots of lightning and even more wind. Give them all the rain this stadium can stomach. Make it into a production! I want those kids to go out with a bang!"

"Okay." Jazmine shrugged, staring at Huey reluctantly. "He's can't go anywhere tonight like that. What about you, Isis, how are you feeling?"

She was already draped over Caesar, kissing him with all the strength she could muster up.

"I take that to mean she's fine." Huey watched them until they came up for air.

Caesar chuckled after they broke apart, staring down at her. "Yes she is."

"Well, I'm going to look for shelter." Hiro announced. "Huey? Caesar? Wanna come with?"

Isis and Jazmine narrowed their eyes before either boy could answer.

"Let them rest." Jazmine cut Huey off before he could protest. "Since they want to make us hide in tiny ass caves and all, we'll be the ones going with you."

"Excuse us for not letting the mutant clone dogs on steroids eat you alive!" Huey rolled his eyes. "Some of us have bigger things to worry about."

"Yeah, because everybody's dad will be dead in three days if they don't get out soon." Jazmine took Isis' hand and glanced back at Hiro expectantly. "I say the ladies – and Hiro…go off and find shelter while these two stay tucked away where it's safe!"

Huey and Caesar grumbled under their breath.

"That's dumb as hell."

"I don't like it."

"Let's take a vote." Isis suggested. "All in favor of the girls staying and the guys going, say I"

Huey and Caesar's hands flew up immediately. "I!"

"And all in favor of the girl's going with Hiro, say I!" Jazmine smirked.

"I!"

Jazmine and Isis playfully jumped up and down when Hiro's hand flew up along with theirs.

They danced in a circle, singing in hushed tones. " Nah, nah, nah boo-boo! We're going to pick out spots, boos!"

"You two sound awful." Huey couldn't hide his amusement. "At least that will help deter the others from approaching you two."

"Shut up!" Jazmine flipped him the bird. "I wanna hear you sing. I doubt you could do much better."

Huey smiled softly and shook his head. "They're leaving you."

Sure enough, Isis and Hiro had already gotten a head start up ahead.

"Hey, guys!" She hissed. "Wait for me!"

"Hold up." Caesar handed her his dagger, gazing back to where Isis and Hiro were walking up ahead. "Just something extra. In case you need it. If Hiro is up to what I think he's up to…"

Jazmine nodded. "Isis and I can take him. Don't worry."

Huey tried to hoist himself up. "Maybe we should go with you two."

"We'll be fine." She lightly shoved him back down. "If you go and he wants to knock someone out, it'll be way too easy for him to target you right now. Rest up."

"Just be careful." Huey yanked her towards him, kissing her. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

She softly pressed her lips back against his, not saying anything for a moment.

Then she retreated, following behind Isis and Hiro, who were waiting for her up ahead.

Caesar didn't say anything, and he didn't need to. They sat together, waiting.

At this point, they'd accepted it was all that they could do.

Isis and Hiro were a lot further away than she thought, so she'd pretty much given up on trying to match their speed. She could still see them a few yards away,

At the moment, she felt relieved that she had a quiet moment to herself. Finding out that her father was being held captive by Wuncler made her even more determined to get out of here alive.

She had never heard her father so angry before. It was unlike him to break any level of protocol at all, but Jazmine understood why he'd done it.

He would do anything to help. Especially if he felt that there was a large chance she wouldn't come home if he didn't step in. He'd risked everything for her.

For Wuncler to come for him, , , and Riley?

It meant that they were popular. Influential, even.

And it was all because Huey was still logical enough to realize that nobody cared about them fighting, not even if it was to protect their families.
The average viewer didn't consider the fact that they had families and lives outside of these games.

All they cared about was who kissed who.

Before, she'd had hope. She'd still believed in happy endings. There had been a world before this one, where it had been safe to hope endlessly. She longed for the days where she could do that again. A time where she could close her eyes and envision a beautiful home with the family of her dreams.

Now, all that she could envision were the beatings, from the day the raids began until the day before the games, and the bodies of the elects, bloody and battered in the center of the cornucopia.

In this hellhole, eight-year-old's could be murdered and cloned. Other elects could slice open a child and the world would worship them for it. She'd seen them do it every year. And just like every year, if they won, the world would hate them for it. And if they lost, the world would hate them for it.

All she knew was that she'd never be the same. Without Huey by her side, she felt uneasy. With Huey by her side, she felt uneasy. The entire time he'd known exactly what to do and exactly what to say. And the possibility of losing that?

She couldn't look at the empty field on the hike up the mountain because of all the memories it brought back. She found it hard to eat, hard to sleep. It was even becoming harder to put all her trust into Huey.

And what would she say if it came down to her and him? "Sorry, my life means more than yours. Now, die?"

Somehow, she knew that wouldn't go over well.

So living wasn't great. And dying wasn't good either.

But there was something else, rising inside of her like it had never left.

Hope. It resurfaced during Huey's kisses and sheltered in Caesar's laugh. Every time she improved, every moment they'd been able to stick together, every step they took towards figuring out a potential escape with Hiro, that feeling reminded her that she could do it. Was it so wrong to get her hopes up? Was she crazy for believing that they could all get their happily ever afters?

She sighed, trudging forward. Hope was an illusion; but somewhere between loud explosions and the quiet of the forest, Jazmine had discovered the truth.
And the truth was….

"What a surprise!" Tasha leapt down from the top of a tree, her eyes cold as she brandished a bow and arrow of her own. She laughed. "I was honestly hoping to kill your boyfriend, but this is a much better tradeoff. Your life for his."

She glanced back in the opposite direction and then ahead of her, trembling when she realized that Isis and Hiro were nowhere to be found.

"They set you up." Tasha announced proudly. "You didn't think that they actually cared, did you? The entire world knew what we were planning. And now, they finally get to see me put the infamous mutt down."

Jazmine stopped cold. "You're lying. Isis wouldn't do something like that."

But in the distance, she could see her high-fiving Hiro. Hear her tell him something in a rush. "Remember our deal. Do not kill Caesar."

"What can I say?" Tasha shrugged her shoulders as she pulled her bowstring back. "You're not the only girlfriend willing to kill for your man. You had a good run."

Jazmine didn't wait for her to lift it. She shoved the girl backwards and slashed her arm with Caesar's dagger.

"You fucked up now, Dubois." Tasha approached her. "I'm gonna drag this out for as long as I can."

Jazmine grew even more afraid, wincing as she looked for a way out. She didn't have much time before Hiro and Isis made it back to Huey, and she didn't have enough leverage to kill Tasha in such a vulnerable position. She decided it was best to duck, just in time for an arrow to graze her leg.

"Before you kill me…" Jazmine pleaded. "Just tell me why."

"I told you why." Tasha's hand jerked awkwardly as she pulled back her bowstring. She smirked as she cornered Jazmine until her back was against the tree and her feet were on the ground. "Fair trade."

Jazmine noted the deranged look in her eye, how the girl twitched from side to side. She was broken, forever shattered. Whoever was in there wasn't Tasha. Not anymore.

"She slept with Kevin." Jazmine smirked cruelly, glaring back at the girl. "Everybody knows it's true. Isis and I were just laughing about it with Hiro on our way here."

Tasha's arms began to tremble. "Shut up."

"It's true, Tash." Jazmine faked sympathy and began to stand to her feet. "He wanted to make a memory with her that he couldn't with you."

"He said he didn't want to take that step with the weight of the games hanging over our heads!" Tasha's jaw dropped. The bow in her hand dropped lower. "He said he wanted it to be special!"

"Well, his first time was everything and more." Jazmine moved forward again when Tasha trembled in shock, the dam in her head breaking with every word she spoke. "And he said that he'd get them outta there. That's why he went for Huey at first. Because she told him to."

"That bitch!" Her mind was working hard to process Jazmine's lies. "I'll kill her! I'll kill him!"

"Tasha, sweetie." Jazmine was pleased when the bow dropped in between them. "Don't blame yourself. Men are such dogs. What he and Isis did to you was terrible. She told me that she was going to come clean with you, clear the air. Believe me, I had no idea."

"I do…" Tasha murmured, talking more to herself than she was to Jazmine. "I-I'm sorry."

Jazmine hugged the girl, squeezing her as tightly as she could. "Me too."

She brought the dagger crashing through the girl's throat, turned her head, and sliced it off in one clean sweep. She gasped to herself when the girl's blood spewed onto her clothes. She stared at the body for a moment, shaking when she realized just how violent the kill had been.

But Huey needed her more than she needed this breakdown.

She pushed herself through the trees, running diagonally in hopes that Isis and Hiro had gotten lost by some miracle. She took her dagger, still dripping with Tasha's blood and slashed at the vines, hanging lower and lower, as if intentionally placed there to deter her.

When she reached the area where Huey and Caesar were sitting, she jumped, landing in the center, where Caesar and Huey grabbed her and stared her down.

"Jazmine!" Huey surveyed her bloodstained clothes and stood to his feet. "What happened?"

"Isis.." Jazmine was breathing heavily, her eyes wild. "I...she…Hiro and Isis are working together! To kill us!"

"Jaz, c'mon." Caesar chuckled. "Are you sure you're not being a little paranoid? We saw what happened earlier when Isis was playing around. You've seen a lot. Okay? She wouldn't do something like this. Try to calm down. You'll snap out of it soon."

"I'm not crazy!" Jazmine snatched back. "Tasha told me everything before I killed her. I saw her tell Hiro to make sure that he didn't kill you." She tugged at Huey, who had already drawn his weapon. "We've gotta go, now!"

"I told you we should've killed her ourselves."

"Now, look." Hiro quickly closed the distance between them, tugging Isis alongside him. "He has a gun."

Isis smirked and pointed her pistol towards Jazmine. "So do we."

Caesar lifted his hands, obviously surprised by his girlfriend's actions.

"Isis what the fuck?" He moved over and stood in front of Jazmine and Huey. "You're seriously gonna sit up and do this to them? Are you out of your mind?"

"I did this for you." Isis said evenly. "I did this for us. I'm not gonna throw our lives away for two people who plan on killing us in the end. There's no way out, Caesar! You know it, I know it, and soon enough, they'll have to figure it out too! Somebody has to go home! Why not you? Why not anybody but them?"

"You don't know that!" Caesar glared at her. "Isis, we gave them our word! I knew you were analytical. I didn't know you were this cruel."

"Don't be so naive, Caesar." Hiro smirked. "She's only doing what you should've had the guts to do."

Huey shot at him as soon as Isis' gun slightly shifted over, surprised when an odd shield appeared around him and dragged all of their weapons over to Hiro. He held up a remote control.

"Magnetic force field." He smirked. "You're crazy if you thought I'd be dumb enough to hand everything over."

They all backed away, watching in horror as Hiro inched closer and closer towards them.

"You should have killed Huey and Jazmine when you had the chance." Hiro shook his head at Caesar. "You had so many chances. After the explosion, I kind of thought you'd have at least paralyzed them, but no…"

Hiro narrowed his eyes, letting out a dark chuckle when Huey tried to cover Jazmine.

"You wanted to be friends with the star-crossed lovers." He sneered at them. "Spoiler alert. They don't have a happy ending. None of you do."

Before any of them could react he lifted his gun, the shield disappearing just in time for him to shoot her, right through the heart.

"I just can't respect someone that uses other people to do their dirty work." Hiro shrugged at her shocked expression. "I'm gonna play the right way. The smart way."

"Isis!" Caesar hurried over to her body, falling limp into his arms. "Baby, holdup. Just..don't…please don't go. Alright, girl?"

But it was obviously too late, the shot had clearly been fatal upon impact.

"Isis! Isis!" Caesar was crying, rocking her body back and forth with her blood on his hands. He glancing from her body to where Hiro stood, emotionless. "What? What did you do? Baby, wake up! C'mon." He started performing CPR on her limp body. "C'mon, Isis! Quit playin' with me! It ain't funny."

"She's gone." Hiro sounded bored, soulless. He lifted his gun again, so focused on Caesar that he didn't notice Jazmine toss something at his feet. "You're next."

When Huey lifted his gun and aimed, Hiro's shield reappeared.

"Earlier you said you wanted freedom so bad you were willing to die for it." He smirked, walking forward. "Let's see how true that i-sssssfuckkkkkk!"

He'd stepped into the trap.

Jazmine took off, glancing at the clouds rolling in over the night sky.

Huey ran over to Caesar, tugging at his arms. "C'mon man. We gotta go."

"Tsssssss-" Hiro's teeth were gritted tight as the trap sunk into his leg. He placed his arm on the ground and pushed, desperately trying to stand.

"Caesar, he is going to get up!" Huey roughly pulled him along. "Come on! We gotta go, now!"

Caesar finally released Isis' body, tears streaming down his face. He kissed her forehead before taking off, running into the extra grove of trees that had appeared near the mountain.

The storm was rolling in.

Author's Note:

RIP Tasha. Also, RIP to Cairo and Jennifer. I think I forgot them the last chapter

The remaining elects left right now are: Hiro, Huey, Grits, Ming, Jazmine, and, Cindy.

To those of you reading, thank you. I promised I would finish this, and it seems like it's actually going to happen. Especially since I took a crack at the ending earlier.
*tosses confetti*

You all are 1-2 chapters away from finding out who goes home and who dies. And you're 3-4 chapters away from finding out how it all ends.

Sidenote: I know ya'll saw that Suzanne Collins is writing a book on Haymitch AND that they're making a Haymitch movie. I feel like I manifested this. A win is a win!

A Few Other Nuggets:

I have also posted another story. It's not The Eyes, but it's fun and witty lmfao. And after all we've been through here…don't we deserve a little fun?

I plan on releasing the next chapter(s) at the end of the month.

The final chapters will be released on July 4th. And then it'll be over.

If you have thoughts, I would genuinely love to hear them. I'd also love to hear your predictions!

Who do you think will be the last one standing?

Until Next Time,

Miss Ace Thank You