The New Games: A Hunger Games Story

Chapter 37: Left Behind

Chapter 37:

The girl carries Hunter, Talon carries Luke, and I carry a gun. We're moving as fast as we can, going up stairs, through hallways, into different buildings, checking every room to try to find a doctor.

About a half hour of running later, the girl stops, puts Hunter down, leaning him up against the wall, and sits down.

"I...can't...run...anymore." she says through heavy breaths. "You guys...go." She pauses. "Find...someone to...help."

"No." I say, also catching my breath. I can just imagine how exhausted she must be, I am and I was only carrying a gun. "We can't...leave you...both."

I go over and give her the gun, then grab Hunter.

"C'mon Hunter, please." I try to shake him awake. "We can't do this without you...you gotta wake up." I look down, knowing it's hopeless, resting my head against his chest.

"Hunter?" I hear the girl move over towards us. "Hunter!"

"Don't bother, he-"

She cuts me off, "No, Hunter!"

I look up to see his eyes flutter open.

"Hunter!" I exclaim.

"Hunter," she says. "Hun-"

"Yeah, I know." he says with a small smile. "I know what my name is, chill."

The girl hugs him tightly, he hesitates, but hugs her back.

"Okay, guys, sorry to cut your reunion short but, he's getting pretty heavy." Talon says, mentioning Luke.

"Luke?" Hunter says, trying to get up.

"Hey, easy there big guy." I say. "You were just like that two minutes ago."

"What?"

"No time to explain now." I hold out my hand. "Let me help you up."

He grabs my hand and I pull him up, the girl helps to steady him.

"Can you walk okay?" She asks.

In answer, Hunter takes a few steps, almost falling at the last one.

"Not really I guess." he says.

"I'll help you, you guys go ahead."

"You sure?" She asks.

"Yeah." I respond. "Take the gun and we'll be right behind you. If we lose each other we meet at the main entrance."

She nods and runs past Talon. He runs behind her soon after. Hunter and I walk, half-jog, together, picking up speed as much as we can.

We pass hallway after hallway with no sign of anyone that could've been here recently.

"Was there even anyone here when we arrived?" I question.

"Yeah, this is strange." the girl opens a door to a room, finding that it's empty. "There were hundreds of people here before we got you guys."

"Where did they go?"

"I'm wondering the same thing." Hunter says under his breath.

We continue walking, hearing gunshots every now and then in the distance. We keep going, Hunter can run with us on his own now so we've picked up the pace.

"This is hopeless." Talon says, putting Luke down. "He's getting way too heavy, I can't keep carrying him."

"I'll carry him then." Hunter offers.

"No, you were in his same position a half hour ago, and he's twice your size."

"Well what are we going to do then? We can't just leave him here!"

No one says anything. We sit in silence for what seems like forever trying to come up with a plan.

The girl speaks up. "Someone has to stay back with him while the others go for help."

"We're not leaving anyone behind." Talon says.

"He's not exactly helping us right now."

I look over at Luke. He's still breathing, which is a good sign, but he's still unconscious.

"I'll stay back." I say. "I'm the slowest out of everyone, I'm just holding you guys back."

"No," Talon replies, "I'm not leaving you behind."

"It's okay. Please, just go find some help."

Talon hesitates, but then agrees. I walk over to give him a hug, not knowing if this will be our last.

"Be safe okay."

"I will." he assures me.

I go over and hug the girl, telling her to be safe as well.

Hunter comes over to me and hugs me.
"Please make sure you guys come back, okay?"
He nods.

"Let's go. We gotta make this fast." Talon explains. "Kamela, see that room down there?"

My eyes follow his hand to the room at the end of the hallway where he's pointing. I nod.

"We meet there in an hour."

"If you're not back?"

"We'll be back in an hour." He assures me.

He starts running down the hallway and Hunter and the girl follow him.

I simply stay here and wait, praying that they'll come back soon.