One Last Game -Haymitch Abernathy-

Chapter 60

Amelia fell into a deep sleep, her lips parted. She was in the watch rotation. Her watch was supposed to be after Katniss's. But that isn't what woke her up. She woke up from something else. At first, she hears Peeta. He's calling for Katniss. But there's something else, something sinister deep in the tunnels.

"What is that," Lieutenant Jackson questions.

Amelia immediately sits up. Whatever it was didn't sound entirely human. "We have to go," Peeta was frantic. "We have to go!"

"Keep your voice down." That was Gale's biggest concern.

"They released mutts," Peeta's voice was louder. Amelia grabbed her spear, gripping it tightly. If Peeta was right and the Capitol did let out mutts, they were not only in danger, but the Capitol knew about them.

"Pollux," Katniss said. "What's the fastest way out of here?" He pointed through a tunnel.

"Okay, go. Go." They couldn't stay here. They had to keep going. Amelia followed the others back into the water. The water didn't bother her anymore. She had bigger issues.

Gale shot an arrow forward. It hit the wall, creating an explosion of fire. There were no mutts. That meant it was safe to continue. So, they did. It was slow. The only sound was of the sludging water and heavy breathing. A few minutes ago, Amelia was sleeping peacefully, her mind millions of miles away. Now, she was back in another dangerous situation. Mutts are far more dangerous than anything they had gone against yet. Amelia had seen them tear children apart in the arena.

Something is wrong. She can't tell what it is. Amelia feels her gut twist. She tries to convince herself it's just the situation. They're being hunted by mutts, but there's something deeper. As if everything is about to change.

Gale glances around another corner. He fires an arrow. Amelia assumes it's safe because nobody says anything. They keep moving. There's a hole in the wall. It's an awkward size. Pollux crawls through, struggling slightly. He makes it to the other side but holds up a hand. He's telling them to wait. He takes out his gun, wanting to defend himself if he's attacked.

They're cautious. Lieutenant Jackson keeps her gun aimed behind them, searching for any mutts. There aren't any. What scares Amelia the most is that it's silent. Before, the creatures were whispering in the tunnels, almost taunting them. Now, there's nothing. She feels as if they're watching her, but she knows it's just paranoia.

After a moment, Pollux waves them through. Gale goes first. He sets his crossbow down and crawls through the small hole. Once he's through, Katniss goes next. Then Castor, Messalla, Cressida, Peeta, and Finnick. Amelia sets her spear down and crawls through the hole. She tries to move quickly. Homes and Jackson are still waiting. The other side is the same as the last. The water splashes under their feet. It's the only noise heard.

Homes goes next. Jackson prepares to crawl through but doesn't. Something got her attention. When she turns back around, she's attacked. Lieutenant Jackson is taken down by the mutts quickly. Amelia gasps, not having expected it. Katniss lifts her bow, firing an arrow. There's an explosion of fire, but the mutts don't stop. The force knocks Katniss down, but Gale lifts her up. "Go, go, go, go," Homes screams. They start shooting at the creatures, but it does relatively nothing to slow them down. They're running again. "Pollux, get us out of here!"

They're trapped underground. Amelia runs frantically with the group. The tunnels blend together, each one looking like the last. Without Pollux, they would be lost.

Five corridors later, Amelia doesn't hear anything. It's just them running for their lives. They enter a long corridor that leads somewhere unknown. Suddenly, mutts attack from the side. They take down Castor, splitting the group in two. "Castor," Homes screams. He's gone.