Eliza had never been great at sports. Back in District 12 it was hard to see someone that was, other than some rare exceptions; you can imagine it would be difficult to like running and jumping around when you are constantly underfed.
However, in District 13 she did not have that excuse anymore. For the last week, she had been given constant and satisfying meals every day for the first time in her life. She almost felt like smiling when realizing the amount of time one can save for other things when they are not constantly worrying about what their next meal is going to be.
"Listen up." Officer Heath gestured for everyone to approach. "We'll continue on the same regime from last week. Newcomers, try to keep up." He said that last part sparing a look to Eliza and the two other people next to her. Kai, a scrawny looking boy that was only a few inches taller than her, and Bella, a girl that she had gone to school with. The hesitation looks on their faces mirrored what Eliza thought would be hers as well.
"We're here to get you ready for battle in case you need to. I do not want to see anyone giving up or doing the bare minimum. Remember, whatever they give you in there," he pointed to the ground, close to the trapdoor they had used to climb out to the surface, "it's not for free. It's expecting something in return. Do your part."
A chill went down Eliza's spine. The others started to gather in groups, apparently in a fashion they were already accustomed to, and Officer Heath came to her and the other two 12s, to let them know where they were supposed to go. Once they had been separated among the other groups, he gave the cue to start practice.
"We'll start with a basic orientation exercise around the woods. The quickest group gets dessert for dinner, so I would run, if I were you."
Eliza barely held back an exhale, thinking to herself:
Great, more running.
No sound. It had been ten minutes since the last one fell. Eliza tightened her grip on the hem of her shirt, not knowing what to do with her hands anymore. Erica sat by her side holding on to her belly, her eyes closed and a continuous mumble coming out of her lips.
All the others around them were quiet as well, even the children. That was until a man appeared from a bit deeper into the woods, "they've stopped for now. Will probably start to send the soldiers. We have to keep moving, before they start to search here!"
The people scattered around the bushes and trees started getting up, some of them following the direction he pointed at, others meaning to go back.
"Erica, we have to go," Eliza said to her friend through the rag covering her mouth, while laying a hand on her shoulder.
"He isn't back yet, Eliza. Where is he?" Her voice was low, but her eyes looked back at her, dilated in despair.
"I don't know, but we can't stay here, c'mon." She took her friend's hands in hers, helping her up on her feet in spite of her prominent belly.
"Ma'am, you can't turn back now, there's nothing left," The man that just arrived was explaining to a woman that seemed about to have a nervous breakdown.
"But, my son went for the neighbors, he could be—"
"There's no time. If he survives, he'll find a way to come after us. But we can't go back there. If they spot any movement, they'll drop more bombs or likely a search team to kill whoever's left."
"No! I'm not leaving, I—"
"It's okay Mrs. Baker," Eliza said, getting close to them. "Maybe he is still hiding somewhere, or he could be ahead, for all we know. Either way, it will do him no good for us to stay here calling for attention."
"I'll take one last look, to see if there's anyone left," the man said, turning his back before Eliza could say anything to stop him. She grabbed one of the woman's hands and asked her to come with her and Erica, following the path the others had already started before them.
They had walked no more than ten minutes, when another bomb hit, shaking the three of them to the ground. The screams around them were muffled by the sound of the explosion, and many people started to run as soon as they could stand on their feet.
Every fiber in her body urged Eliza to do the same, but she could not leave the other two behind.
"Let's go, faster," she pleaded to the elderly woman, helping Erica, and then her, cross a steeper part of the path. They were finally getting closer to the lake area Gale talked about, but somehow, nowhere seemed far enough.
"C'mon, just a little longer, I know you can do it!" Eliza heard herself say it over and over again, sparing looks behind her, to see if she could spot the man coming back. "We're almost there!" She insisted, when Erica suddenly stopped, trying to catch her breath. "We can't stop; it will only make it worse. C'mon."
"I can't, you go without me, I can't!" her friend burst into tears, and it took everything Eliza had not to do the same. She got down on her knees and forced Erica to face her.
"Look at me." She took a deep breath, looking her in the eye "You are not giving up; you have a baby to take care of. I'll help you through this, ok?"
"I can't run anymore Liza; you have to leave me here."
"Nonsense. Get up, we'll go slower."
Eliza checked her sides. Mrs. Baker was a bit ahead of them but stared in her direction, as if asking if she needed help. Eliza gestured for her to keep going, and then turned back to Erica, pulling her upwards.
"Let's go, I'm not leaving you."
Erica did get up, putting a hand to her belly and breathing heavily.
One-step at a time, they made their way across the forest, following the steps left by the others, and also being outrun by people that could move quicker.
Erica managed a little strength in the beginning, but after a few minutes, she was breathing heavily again, and walking slower with every step. Eliza held her friend's arm over her own shoulder, and tried as much as she could to keep moving. Trying to keep her mind from thinking the worst, like all the people that were left behind. She tried pretending that everyone was safe, that everyone had been able to escape before them, and had found a miraculous shelter just a few yards away.
We'lll just walk until that tree. Just one more step. Just a little bit farther. Just a few more yards. We are almost there.
Whenever Erica seemed about to give up, Eliza would hit her with one of these. Hold her body a little tighter, pull her a little further.
Then Eliza noticed that there were no more people going past them. She lost track of how much time had passed, not knowing if it was harder to see what was in front of them because it was getting dark, or because of the smoke and debris that had started to approach even that part of the forest.
It got to a point where Erica could barely move her feet. She could see her friend's face white from exhaustion.
Eliza gave in, and decided they would rest just for a few minutes.
"Just for a little bit." She mumbled, hanging to the tree Erica leaned into. Her eyes hurt from the smoke, as well as her throat and nostrils since the rag she'd put on her face a few minutes earlier kept falling off. Her clothes glued to her body from the sweat and she felt so ill, that she wondered how Erica had even made it that far while being eight months pregnant.
She did not.
When Eliza looked at her, she was throwing up whatever was left in her system, and looked as pale as a sheet of paper. Eliza tried to speak to her, but she had passed out, completely unresponsive, no matter how many times she called out for her.
Eliza got up, looking all around them, hoping that someone was still falling behind. Maybe the market square man was still out there. He could be about to show up, at any time.
One more look in Erica's direction told her there was only one more thing Eliza could do at that point.
"HELP! PLEASE, IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE? HELP!"
She began screaming as loudly as she could in whatever direction she could think of. She could not even see the trail marks anymore, not even knowing which way they were supposed to go. By that point, they could be headed in the wrong direction and have no idea.
"Help! Somebody!"
For what were probably a few minutes, but felt like several hours, Eliza screamed and looked everywhere for the faintest sign of help. She felt an inch away from crying, not knowing what else to do. There was no water or food in sight. If she was to find any, Erica would be left alone, but how was that even an option?
Fuckin' hell Eliza, how useless can you be? What would Katniss do?
She surely would not be sitting around crying.
Eliza took a seat next to Erica, tapping her gently on the cheek to see one more time if she would come to her senses, but nothing came of it. She lowered the shirt from off her nose just to check on her breathing. Although shallow, it was still there, even if it was not of much comfort given the state of her. Until,
"Hey!" a faint echo was audible, so subtle that she wasn't sure until she heard it a second time. "HEY!"
In a second she was on her feet, screaming back.
"Over here! Please! We're here!"
Just when she thought she might be imagining it,
"Where are you?! We are coming!"
Eliza kept screaming desperately, even taking the piece of cloth off her face. She kept screaming and screaming, waving her arms in the air, until she finally saw a few figures in the distance, in between trees.
"Over here, please!" Once the first one caught up to her, she ran to show him where Erica laid. "We couldn't go any further, and then we stopped and she passed out and..."
"Eliza!" Jacob exclaimed from her back.
"Jacob! She's here!" She could barely speak anymore, amongst all the smoke, screaming and dehydration, that made her start to cough uncontrollably.
He ran past her, getting down to Erica.
"She's completely out. Help me lift her." The other guy said, even if Jacob was already on the ground, crying of relief from seeing his wife.
Eliza almost started to cry as well, once the two men took Erica between them and started to move her quickly, back where they came from. She meant to follow them, but could not bring herself to run anymore, and a few minutes later, she had already lost track of them. She fell on her knees, trying to catch her breath in between coughs, on the verge of spiraling in despair once again.
"Hey, hey, take it easy."
Gale was somehow right by Eliza's side. His eyes were the only thing she could see, with a tight rag on his face to protect it from the smoke as well. He held out a canteen of water, which she took without even thinking, choking on it almost immediately.
"I'm sorry, I was a bit behind them. Mrs. Baker said you guys had to be here somewhere."
Eliza's head was spinning, but she managed to get a few sips inside her, feeling the release in her throat with the passing of the water.
"We're not that far from the shelter. Are you ok to walk for a bit more?"
She wanted to nod yes, but it only made her feel dizzier.
"C'mon, it won't take long." She heard him say, and then put his arm behind her back, hoisting her up.
It took everything Eliza had left not to let herself lean on him completely. The water she drank gave her a tiny bit of strength, letting them walk a few yards. At least she thought they did. Every step was becoming more and more difficult, her breath getting heavier, and her head hurting. Her vision started to blur again after a few more minutes, and the ground seemed to slip from under her feet.
"Gale, I..." then everything went dark.
