The Hunger Games- What If's (Fan Fiction)

Chapter Eleven

   I had a fight in me. A new fight, not a fight like the Hunger Games wanted. I had a fight not to get revenge, I had no blood thirst, but it was still a fight. A fight to survive. A fight to thrive. A good kind of fight, one that didn't require killing. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible.

   After all, I was in the Hunger Games. I now needed to win for myself, Prim, Peeta, Haymitch, and maybe even Gale. I didn't want to hurt anyone. But I would have to, wouldn't I?

   After I cried my heart out, I fell asleep. I woke up to the Capitol's seal in the sky, the anthem playing, but no new faces. Just Peeta's. I reached my hand up to the sky as if I could pull him out of the picture. Unlike so many others, Peeta smiled in his picture. I'm not quite sure why, but he was probably the first one in the history of the Hunger Games who ever smiled. Maybe he thought it would give others hope, but it did exactly the opposite for me.

   The reality of Peeta's death finally set in for me. The smile on the boy's face filled me with dread; I couldn't protect him. I never could. I never would be able to now. I only wish he knew how much I cared for him, not how much I loved him, but that I did care. After all, he had to make quite an effort to act like he loved me the way he did. I wondered if anyone actually believed that we were in love. 

   I had had enough time to think. If I was going to move, I had better do it soon. It was night, so that was an advantage. No one would be able to see me if I kept in the shadows, and maybe I could get one step closer to winning the Games if luck was with me. I doubted it would be, though. It's not like I had been all that lucky at that time or ever, really.

   I gathered my belongings and brushed myself off before starting my journey. I decided to try and find Foxface first. It wasn't for revenge, but I didn't want to kill Thresh in his sleep, if he was in fact sleeping. With Fo- I mean, Elvira, I had no problem with the somewhat cowardly move. I wouldn't strike her back though, that wasn't the amount of respect she deserved. After all, she did make it to the final three in the Games. Too bad I would have to make sure she wasn't in the final round.

   I began to wonder when the Gamemakers would release some mutant or other. I assumed that I was the only one looking for a fight then. After all, I was the only one who had lost something dear to them; I was the only one who wanted to recover when Elvira took from me.

   But I couldn't. The only thing that I could do then was to make sure Peeta would approve of what I was doing. Even though Elvira was the one who murdered him, he would want her to die a noble death for whatever reason. To be honest, I wouldn't exactly want to kill her in a pathetic way. I would make sure she had a weapon as well, even if she was sleeping. If I died killing her, that would be fine. I could tell Peeta sorry, Thresh would win. If it's not me, Thresh should win. I bet that he will win.

   Without realizing it, I had been walking through the night. Not once did I feel tired or hesitate in which direction I should go. I was untouchable, the sun was rising just for me. I felt brilliant; the sun warmed my face, my footsteps couldn't be heard. I left no evidence where I passed, I was untraceable.

   I should have known then that I shouldn't ever feel that good when hunting. Not ever. Not without Gale behind me, not without somebody watching my back for me. Gale would be disappointed. I could see him in that moment, shaking his head, whispering my name softly. When he glanced back up at the television, his eyes were blank and empty.

   I cried out in pain as I was pushed over. Pain seared through my body as I felt several blades scrape across my flesh, into my shoulder. Someone was on top of me. I could tell by the weight that it wasn't Thresh. I turned my head to the right, and saw it wasn't Elvira either. It was a mutant.