p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"We spend the rest of the evening preparing to head to the tree. I'm packing Rue's things while she sleeps in the carrier beside me. Peeta walks up to me. Everyone else is busy getting themselves ready and figuring out the details./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I think we need to go," I stand up, Peeta takes my hand, pulling me back down./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""This plan will work."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""If it does, then we both know what happens next. I don't want to be the one to shoot first."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""What if they don't either? What if we all refuse to shoot first? It worked last time."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""And they won't make the same mistake twice. Only one of us is walking out of here and it's going to be one of us." Peeta sighs as he looks at me, taking my hand and holding it tightly, his eyes not meeting mine./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Katniss," He looks at me and I nod in understanding, "It's no use pretending we don't know what the other one is trying to do. I don't know what kind of deal you think you've made with Haymitch, but you should know he made me promises too. I think we can assume he was lying to one of us."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Why are you saying this now?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""If you die, and I live, there's no life for me back in twelve. I'd have Rue. The two of you are my whole life. It's different for you, it would be hard, but you have people, besides just Rue, who'd make your life worth living."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I open my mouth to object to his words, but he pulls his necklace off, opening a clasp and placing it in my hand. Opening it as he hands it to me, I notice the pictures inside. My mom, Prim, and Gale. He is actually smiling for once in this picture. The word baby is scribbled onto a piece of paper and tucked into the frame with Gale's photo./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Your family, our family, needs you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"My mother, sister, Gale, and our baby. Peeta's intention with the locket is clear. Gale, seen as my pretend cousin in Panem, is actually my family or will be, if I live. That I would marry him, raise Rue with his help. Peeta's giving me his life, Gale, and my family at the same time. To let me know I shouldn't ever have doubts about it. Everything. That's what Peeta wants me to take from him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""What about you?" I finally find my voice to speak./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Nobody really needs me. Rue maybe, but she has you and your family." I know what he's implying, and it isn't going to happen. It has never been the plan./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I do," I shake my head, "I need you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"He opens his mouth to object, but I meet his lips with mine to stop the words from coming out. I need him. I will always need him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Peeta tries to pull away to continue, but after a few attempts, he stops and finally gives in to the kiss. He wraps his arms around my neck and leans forward, pulling me into him. I kiss him with more pass, deepening our kiss. This kiss reminds me of the one in the cave last games, when we got interrupted by our injuries. It reminds me of the kiss on the train, the night we made this more than a game. Our first time. The sensation, the one that I have only felt in this capacity twice before, grows warmer and spreads out from my chest to my entire body. This kiss was meant to be one of comfort, one to show how much I need him, and while it hopefully accomplishes this, it makes my need for greater. If we were alone…/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Alright lovebirds."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I hear Johnna calling, trying to get our attention from down the beach. Time to go. We slowly pull away from each other's lips and lean our foreheads together. Staring deeply into each other's eyes. I feel as though he can see all the way through me. He smiles, laughing slightly, making me do the same. He stands and helps me up./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I gather the rest of Rue's things and go to place them in her bag, noticing a wearable carrier in the bottom. I pull it out, examining it and turn to show it to Peeta. He smiles, he's known it was there this whole time. I can tell by the look on his face. He helps me strap it on so that I can carry Rue on my chest, keeping her against me and safe. He helps me secure her and covers her with a thin blanket, tucking it around her. He puts her things into her bag, removing the floor of the basinet and folding it into the bag as well. He struggles with the zipper, however he gets it to close and hands me the bag. He takes my hand and we join the group heading toward the tree./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"We walk into the jungle, sandwiched between Finnick leading and Johana in the back. They are not going to make it easy for us to escape unnoticed when the first cannon of the night goes off. I hear the anthem fill the emptiness of the jungle and look up as the fallen tributes light the sky. Cashmer, Gloss, and some other tributes flash through the sky before the seal shows again. We continue walking toward the tree, I hold Rue closer to me, if possible. As we get closer, I grow more anxious about this plan. I agreed to midnight, one cannon and we leave. If Peeta and I can take the coil together, we can split as soon as the task is done./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"We reach the tree and Beetee instructs us to keep guard while Finnick helps him with the coil. I notice they wrap a lot of the coil around a broken branch sitting on the jungle floor before turning to wrap the coil around the tree itself. I hear the wave crashing into the shore. Peeta and I make eye contact at the sound. Beetee and Finnick make their way back over to us, the tree trunk now completely covered in coil. Beetee begins to give more details on his plan./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""We don't want to be anywhere near here when this hits. Johanna, Katniss," He reaches the spool of coil toward us, "You girls take this and run it down to the beach. Make sure the coil is completely submerged in the water. Drop it and head toward the tree in the two o'clock area. We will meet you there."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Johanna nods as she takes the coil and I look toward Peeta./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I'm going with them to guard," He announces as he moves closer to Rue and I./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""No. You're staying here to protect me," Beetee looks between him and I, "There are two careers and I need two guards."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Finnick can protect you just fine on his own."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Why can't Peeta and I just take the coil and Johanna and Finnick stay here with you?" I offer this suggestion, hoping they will take it./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""It was his plan, we all agreed to it," Johanna rolls her eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""You all agreed to keep me alive until midnight," Beetee approaches us, looking Peeta in the eye./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Is there a problem here?" Finnick walks closer to us, his eyes darkening./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"They're catching on to our plan to leave them. I cover Rue more and turn to face Peeta, shaking my head. They're going to separate us. They better keep him alive until we meet back up. I don't think they would do anything to him, but I also don't trust them not to when the cannon sounds. It all comes down to who is going to shoot first./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""No. No problem," I assure them and pull Peeta to me, "I'll see you at midnight."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I press my lips against his, holding him longer than usual, just in case. When I step back, he leans down and kisses Rue on her forehead and then covering her more./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I'll see you at midnight."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Johanna and I walk back toward the beach. I glance back at Peeta, the longing in his eyes matching mine. Should I have left Rue with him? I turn away and keep walking. Johanna hands the coil to me as we continue on our path./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Let's hurry up. I want to put as much distance as possible between me and that beach before this thing hits. Frying is not how I want to go."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I unwind the coil carefully, making sure not to snap it. We make our way over some rocks, and I feel the coil snag. I turn around, tugging lightly on it. It doesn't budge. I pull harder, still no luck./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""There's something…"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I look at where the coil is snagged on the rocks and feel panic rising. The coil isn't stuck on something. Before I can warn her, the coil snaps and flies toward us, I manage to move sideways quick enough to dodge and she follows my lead. Johanna quickly pushes me onto the ground, shoving my head against the rocks roughly. She's going to kill me. I reach for Rue instinctively, trying to shield her from and blows. Johanna pins my arms to my sides and I feel something stabbing into my left arm and then sharp digging. Johanna is using her knife to slice into my arm. She runs her hand down my arm, smearing my blood down the arm and then runs her hand along my face. She covers Rue more, including her carrier so it doesn't look as though I have her. I feel my blood pooling under my arm and into my palm./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Stay down," she hisses at me and then she disappears out of my sight./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Stay down? I hear footsteps and voices, not trying to conceal their presence. Stay down, her words repeat in my head./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Come on, leave her. She's as good as dead."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"The voice belongs to Brutus. The other voice, I can't make out what it's saying, but I know it belongs to Enobaria. The other two careers have found us. I stay down, willing Rue to stay quiet and covering her the best I can. Once the footsteps fade, I push myself to my feet. Johanna turned on us. The alliance is over. Finnick is probably in on this as well, they probably made plans to leave us tonight, just like Peeta and I had. Peeta. If I became fair game, Peeta did too./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I force myself toward the tree. I can feel the blood running down my arm as I move and my head throbs with every step. Peeta is waiting there, unsuspecting and an easy target. I have to make it back to him before Finnick kills him. I lean against a tree, forcing myself to stay upright. I move the blanket back and check on Rue, she is awake, but she doesn't make a sound, just meets my eyes. Even she knows to be quiet. I hear footsteps again and quickly slide into the brush, sinking to my knees. I see Finnick making his way toward me. Johanna has turned on me, I can no longer trust Finnick either. There is a deeper alliance between them forged by years of being victors and forced proximity in the capital than what there is between us./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Katniss? Johanna?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"He calls our names out, I don't answer. I remain silent and I cover Rue's mouth with my hand, begging her to stay silent as well. He takes off in the direction Johanna and the careers went and I continue on my path, as quickly as I can. I have to get to Peeta. I hear the cannon go off. It could be anybody, but with everyone running around in this arena, I know the cannon means this is now a free for all. Everyone will kill first and question it later. I force myself to speed up. I hear the hum of insects still, reassuring me that it's still in the eleven hour, but how long do I have left?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I reach the tree, the hum is starting to fade. Peeta isn't here. I notice Beetee, he is holding the knife that Peeta had earlier. I quickly go toward him, attempting to wake him and to get his attention, but he doesn't answer. He just gives a soft moan and goes back out. The cannon wasn't for him, he isn't dead. I realize that my ears have stopped ringing, the buzz of the insects is gone. I don't have much time. I have to get myself and Rue away from this tree. I hear a voice yelling my name, getting louder as it gets closer. Peeta. I answer him, hoping to draw attention to this area, if I can get more of the tributes here, they will be struck when the lightning hits. Peeta's voice is too far, he won't make it here in time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I hear more footsteps, turning back to see Finnick and Enobaria. They are on opposite sides of the tree; I can see them. They can't see me or each other. I hear another cannon. Peeta's voice calls out for me again. I prepare an arrow, pulling back my bow and preparing to launch toward Enobaria. Rue has fallen asleep against my chest again. I hear Haymitch's voice. Remember who the real enemy is. That's when it registers. They aren't the enemy. Snow is. I drop my bow and look at the knife in Beetee's hands, then back to the branch on the ground. I know who the enemy is. I quickly wrap the coil around the end of an arrow. I can feel a buzz and the clouds above the tree begin to form. I load the arrow and pull back my bow, letting the arrow fly toward the sky, toward the forcefield. Lightening strikes the tree, the wire glows white, and an explosion of blue erupts above me. I lower myself quickly to the ground, kneeling down and using my body to shield Rue. As everything goes black, I catch the glimpse of one star. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I think we need to go," I stand up, Peeta takes my hand, pulling me back down./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""This plan will work."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""If it does, then we both know what happens next. I don't want to be the one to shoot first."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""What if they don't either? What if we all refuse to shoot first? It worked last time."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""And they won't make the same mistake twice. Only one of us is walking out of here and it's going to be one of us." Peeta sighs as he looks at me, taking my hand and holding it tightly, his eyes not meeting mine./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Katniss," He looks at me and I nod in understanding, "It's no use pretending we don't know what the other one is trying to do. I don't know what kind of deal you think you've made with Haymitch, but you should know he made me promises too. I think we can assume he was lying to one of us."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Why are you saying this now?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""If you die, and I live, there's no life for me back in twelve. I'd have Rue. The two of you are my whole life. It's different for you, it would be hard, but you have people, besides just Rue, who'd make your life worth living."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I open my mouth to object to his words, but he pulls his necklace off, opening a clasp and placing it in my hand. Opening it as he hands it to me, I notice the pictures inside. My mom, Prim, and Gale. He is actually smiling for once in this picture. The word baby is scribbled onto a piece of paper and tucked into the frame with Gale's photo./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Your family, our family, needs you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"My mother, sister, Gale, and our baby. Peeta's intention with the locket is clear. Gale, seen as my pretend cousin in Panem, is actually my family or will be, if I live. That I would marry him, raise Rue with his help. Peeta's giving me his life, Gale, and my family at the same time. To let me know I shouldn't ever have doubts about it. Everything. That's what Peeta wants me to take from him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""What about you?" I finally find my voice to speak./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Nobody really needs me. Rue maybe, but she has you and your family." I know what he's implying, and it isn't going to happen. It has never been the plan./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I do," I shake my head, "I need you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"He opens his mouth to object, but I meet his lips with mine to stop the words from coming out. I need him. I will always need him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Peeta tries to pull away to continue, but after a few attempts, he stops and finally gives in to the kiss. He wraps his arms around my neck and leans forward, pulling me into him. I kiss him with more pass, deepening our kiss. This kiss reminds me of the one in the cave last games, when we got interrupted by our injuries. It reminds me of the kiss on the train, the night we made this more than a game. Our first time. The sensation, the one that I have only felt in this capacity twice before, grows warmer and spreads out from my chest to my entire body. This kiss was meant to be one of comfort, one to show how much I need him, and while it hopefully accomplishes this, it makes my need for greater. If we were alone…/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Alright lovebirds."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I hear Johnna calling, trying to get our attention from down the beach. Time to go. We slowly pull away from each other's lips and lean our foreheads together. Staring deeply into each other's eyes. I feel as though he can see all the way through me. He smiles, laughing slightly, making me do the same. He stands and helps me up./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I gather the rest of Rue's things and go to place them in her bag, noticing a wearable carrier in the bottom. I pull it out, examining it and turn to show it to Peeta. He smiles, he's known it was there this whole time. I can tell by the look on his face. He helps me strap it on so that I can carry Rue on my chest, keeping her against me and safe. He helps me secure her and covers her with a thin blanket, tucking it around her. He puts her things into her bag, removing the floor of the basinet and folding it into the bag as well. He struggles with the zipper, however he gets it to close and hands me the bag. He takes my hand and we join the group heading toward the tree./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"We walk into the jungle, sandwiched between Finnick leading and Johana in the back. They are not going to make it easy for us to escape unnoticed when the first cannon of the night goes off. I hear the anthem fill the emptiness of the jungle and look up as the fallen tributes light the sky. Cashmer, Gloss, and some other tributes flash through the sky before the seal shows again. We continue walking toward the tree, I hold Rue closer to me, if possible. As we get closer, I grow more anxious about this plan. I agreed to midnight, one cannon and we leave. If Peeta and I can take the coil together, we can split as soon as the task is done./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"We reach the tree and Beetee instructs us to keep guard while Finnick helps him with the coil. I notice they wrap a lot of the coil around a broken branch sitting on the jungle floor before turning to wrap the coil around the tree itself. I hear the wave crashing into the shore. Peeta and I make eye contact at the sound. Beetee and Finnick make their way back over to us, the tree trunk now completely covered in coil. Beetee begins to give more details on his plan./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""We don't want to be anywhere near here when this hits. Johanna, Katniss," He reaches the spool of coil toward us, "You girls take this and run it down to the beach. Make sure the coil is completely submerged in the water. Drop it and head toward the tree in the two o'clock area. We will meet you there."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Johanna nods as she takes the coil and I look toward Peeta./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I'm going with them to guard," He announces as he moves closer to Rue and I./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""No. You're staying here to protect me," Beetee looks between him and I, "There are two careers and I need two guards."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Finnick can protect you just fine on his own."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Why can't Peeta and I just take the coil and Johanna and Finnick stay here with you?" I offer this suggestion, hoping they will take it./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""It was his plan, we all agreed to it," Johanna rolls her eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""You all agreed to keep me alive until midnight," Beetee approaches us, looking Peeta in the eye./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Is there a problem here?" Finnick walks closer to us, his eyes darkening./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"They're catching on to our plan to leave them. I cover Rue more and turn to face Peeta, shaking my head. They're going to separate us. They better keep him alive until we meet back up. I don't think they would do anything to him, but I also don't trust them not to when the cannon sounds. It all comes down to who is going to shoot first./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""No. No problem," I assure them and pull Peeta to me, "I'll see you at midnight."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I press my lips against his, holding him longer than usual, just in case. When I step back, he leans down and kisses Rue on her forehead and then covering her more./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I'll see you at midnight."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Johanna and I walk back toward the beach. I glance back at Peeta, the longing in his eyes matching mine. Should I have left Rue with him? I turn away and keep walking. Johanna hands the coil to me as we continue on our path./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Let's hurry up. I want to put as much distance as possible between me and that beach before this thing hits. Frying is not how I want to go."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I unwind the coil carefully, making sure not to snap it. We make our way over some rocks, and I feel the coil snag. I turn around, tugging lightly on it. It doesn't budge. I pull harder, still no luck./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""There's something…"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I look at where the coil is snagged on the rocks and feel panic rising. The coil isn't stuck on something. Before I can warn her, the coil snaps and flies toward us, I manage to move sideways quick enough to dodge and she follows my lead. Johanna quickly pushes me onto the ground, shoving my head against the rocks roughly. She's going to kill me. I reach for Rue instinctively, trying to shield her from and blows. Johanna pins my arms to my sides and I feel something stabbing into my left arm and then sharp digging. Johanna is using her knife to slice into my arm. She runs her hand down my arm, smearing my blood down the arm and then runs her hand along my face. She covers Rue more, including her carrier so it doesn't look as though I have her. I feel my blood pooling under my arm and into my palm./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Stay down," she hisses at me and then she disappears out of my sight./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Stay down? I hear footsteps and voices, not trying to conceal their presence. Stay down, her words repeat in my head./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Come on, leave her. She's as good as dead."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"The voice belongs to Brutus. The other voice, I can't make out what it's saying, but I know it belongs to Enobaria. The other two careers have found us. I stay down, willing Rue to stay quiet and covering her the best I can. Once the footsteps fade, I push myself to my feet. Johanna turned on us. The alliance is over. Finnick is probably in on this as well, they probably made plans to leave us tonight, just like Peeta and I had. Peeta. If I became fair game, Peeta did too./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I force myself toward the tree. I can feel the blood running down my arm as I move and my head throbs with every step. Peeta is waiting there, unsuspecting and an easy target. I have to make it back to him before Finnick kills him. I lean against a tree, forcing myself to stay upright. I move the blanket back and check on Rue, she is awake, but she doesn't make a sound, just meets my eyes. Even she knows to be quiet. I hear footsteps again and quickly slide into the brush, sinking to my knees. I see Finnick making his way toward me. Johanna has turned on me, I can no longer trust Finnick either. There is a deeper alliance between them forged by years of being victors and forced proximity in the capital than what there is between us./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Katniss? Johanna?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"He calls our names out, I don't answer. I remain silent and I cover Rue's mouth with my hand, begging her to stay silent as well. He takes off in the direction Johanna and the careers went and I continue on my path, as quickly as I can. I have to get to Peeta. I hear the cannon go off. It could be anybody, but with everyone running around in this arena, I know the cannon means this is now a free for all. Everyone will kill first and question it later. I force myself to speed up. I hear the hum of insects still, reassuring me that it's still in the eleven hour, but how long do I have left?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I reach the tree, the hum is starting to fade. Peeta isn't here. I notice Beetee, he is holding the knife that Peeta had earlier. I quickly go toward him, attempting to wake him and to get his attention, but he doesn't answer. He just gives a soft moan and goes back out. The cannon wasn't for him, he isn't dead. I realize that my ears have stopped ringing, the buzz of the insects is gone. I don't have much time. I have to get myself and Rue away from this tree. I hear a voice yelling my name, getting louder as it gets closer. Peeta. I answer him, hoping to draw attention to this area, if I can get more of the tributes here, they will be struck when the lightning hits. Peeta's voice is too far, he won't make it here in time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"I hear more footsteps, turning back to see Finnick and Enobaria. They are on opposite sides of the tree; I can see them. They can't see me or each other. I hear another cannon. Peeta's voice calls out for me again. I prepare an arrow, pulling back my bow and preparing to launch toward Enobaria. Rue has fallen asleep against my chest again. I hear Haymitch's voice. Remember who the real enemy is. That's when it registers. They aren't the enemy. Snow is. I drop my bow and look at the knife in Beetee's hands, then back to the branch on the ground. I know who the enemy is. I quickly wrap the coil around the end of an arrow. I can feel a buzz and the clouds above the tree begin to form. I load the arrow and pull back my bow, letting the arrow fly toward the sky, toward the forcefield. Lightening strikes the tree, the wire glows white, and an explosion of blue erupts above me. I lower myself quickly to the ground, kneeling down and using my body to shield Rue. As everything goes black, I catch the glimpse of one star. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" /p