The Hunger Games

Chapter Eleven

Duck! Move out of the way, do something!

I move my head to the side, and the knife catches me in the corner of my forehead. I tightly grip onto the knife and pull it out. The boy from District seven is charging straight at me, and I move out the way, giving him enough room to run straight into the tree. Once he's on the ground, I check his pulse. Still breathing. He's unconscious. I move my eyes over to Rue, whose already being lifted up by the hovercraft. My head is pounding, and blood is dripping on the ground, but I manage to yell for Rue.

"Rue! Rue!" I scream, not caring who is around to hear. But it's too late. The hovercraft is long gone and the birds have begun to sing again. I stagger away from the boy and try to navigate my way through the forest. I manage to sit down on a stump and examine my forehead. I look at my hand and see it covered in blood.

Blood is oozing out my forehead and down my face. I let out a scream, but no noise comes out. This is when I know I'm hopeless. I can't even get out a scream. Tears slide down my cheek and mix in with the blood. I hear a noise, and get up and stagger away. I make another silent scream.

I hold my head tightly, trying to stop blood from oozing out so I don't leave a trail. The noise gets closer. I know I'm a goner. I feel helpless. I slowly start to fade out, and fall to the ground. Something catches me, but my eyes are drooping and I can't make out the face.

"I'm here." It whispers. I realize who it is and desperately grab onto their collar.

"Peeta..." I whisper, but my voice trails off. I shut my eyes and black out.

Hours later, I open my eyes, and it's pitch black outside. The only form of light going is the small fire I assume Peeta set up. My mind is racing and I can't think straight. How long have I been out? Obviously very long if it's dark out. I feel my head. A piece of fabric has been tightly wrapped around the wound and my head is throbbing less. Peeta sees that I'm awake and is by my side in an instant.

"Prim, how do you feel? Are you OK?" He asks. I nod my head. "I'm fine, my head just hurts a little that's all." He sits me up and pushes me closer to the fire. He hands me a rabbit's foot and I push it away. Peeta sighs.

"Prim, you need to eat. Please." I shake my head. "Peeta, I'm not hungry. You eat it. You need it more than I do." I say. He thrusts the foot at me. "Prim. Eat." He says sternly. I am about to argue, when the Panem anthem plays. I clutch my wrist in anticipation.

I don't think I can watch this. I can't see Rue up there. I can't get it through my head that Rue will never be able to see daylight again, I can't seem to realize that she is getting ready to be sent back home in a wooden box for her whole family to have forever. And it's all because of me. If I hadn't kept walking and just stopped where she wanted..

I begin to cry. And really cry. I've never cried this much since my father passed away. I look up to the sky and see Rue's face appear. My eyes are watery and I can only see a blur of her.

"Rue," I choke out through my tears. Peeta wraps an arm around me and tries to comfort me. "I'm sorry." He whispers. I sink my face in his chest and stain his shirt with water. Nine of us. They're are only nine tributes left. I make it my mission to win for Rue. Yes Prim, win for her. Rue deserves at least this. You must win now. You must.

Peeta cradles me now, and rocks back and forth slowly, hushing me and telling me to calm down.

"Shh," His soft voice says. "No more thinking. Go to sleep." I try to stay awake, but I can't fight back his reassuring voice. My eyelids become heavy and I shut them once more.

The birds chirping is what wakes me. I look around, and see that it is morning. Morning. Another day in the Hunger Games. I dreamt that I had been sent home, and the Hunger Games were over. I hadn't won, but instead of dying I was just shipped home. Home, where my mother and Katniss waited for me with a pot of stew, my favorite thing to eat. The only thing we ate. And then, as if by magic, my father came out of his bedroom and scooped me in his arms like a baby, just as used to do when he was still alive. I'd play games with him and it would be just how it used to be, before anything bad ever happened to us.