When the careers find our camp, I manage to drag Peeta into the bushes away from their eyes. However, when the tracker jacker nest falls onto our camp, I don't have the strength to pull him. So I run, I run away without looking back. I run until my feet give out and the world turns black.
When I wake up, my arms are numb from the venom in them. Maple leaves cover all the stings and I reach for my bow, protecting myself from whoever is near. Her brown hair is curly and her eyes are filled with love, and maybe a little fear. "You can come out, Rue." My voice is raspy. "I won't hurt you."
Her small frame comes out from behind the tree and stands in the shadows. After a few minutes she works up the courage to stand a little closer and I give her a small smile. She reminds me so much of Prim.
The smell of pheasant roasting over the fire fills the air, and she eats her's down to the bone. "Here you can have mine." I offer her my meat and she takes it greedily.
"Can I ask you something?" Her voice is soft and childish. I nod my head in response. "Is all this star crossed lover stuff real? Are y'all actually in love?"
I sit still for a moment before looking to her. "I guess it depends on who you ask; everyone has their own opinion on it."
"You didn't really answer my question." She laughs and I shake my head, shying away from the subject.
The moon fills the sky and she curls up next to me, sharing my body heat. Her soft snore is soothing, but my mind constantly turns as I think of the boy I left behind. I look at the stars and watch as the fallen tributes faces fills the sky. He's not on there. He's alive. But all I can feel is remorse for what I did to him.
"I'm sorry, Peeta." I whisper before sleep finds me.
The sun fills the sky sooner than I would like, but I rise anyways. Rue stares up and watches as the birds fly through the tree tops.
"I have to go find a friend." I say to her and her smile drops. "I'll be back, but for now I have to go."
When I turn to leave her voice rings through the air. "He's down by the river." I turn and hug her quickly before leaving.
The water is loud and flows across the slippery rocks. The red stains the rock and I follow the trail of blood, before coming to a cave. I load my bow before entering the dark cavern. His blue eyes stand out in the dark, but they are dull. They're no longer bright and filled with hope.
"Katniss." His voice is weak and filled with pain.
I walk towards him slowly and cover my mouth when I see his leg. It's filled with puss and is black. I'm not a healer, but I know that if I don't clean this he won't get better. "Your leg is infected."
He grits his face in pain as I pour water over the wound. "I'm sorry." I tell him and he looks up at me. "For leaving you. I shouldn't have run." I clarify and he shakes his head.
"I'm a lost cause, dead weight."
"No you're not." I say and look him in the eyes. "We had a deal and I intend to go through with it."
After cleaning out the puss and washing off the blood, I back away from him. "I have to go get someone, but I'll be right back."
He looks at me confused and reaches for my hand when I leave, but I'm too quick for him to grab it.
It takes me hours to walk back to the camp Rue and I shared, but she's not there. I whistle a three note tune, hoping she'll hear it. But instead the forest stays silent, or at least until it's filled with her screams.
"Katniss!" It echoes through the trees and I run as fast as I can to reach her.
She's trapped underneath a net and struggles to get free. "Hold still!" I tell her and cut the rope as quickly as I can. It falls away from her and she hugs me tightly, but then he appears in the woods.
"Duck!" I yell and grab my bow as I shoot the boy with the spear. He drops to the ground, and blood pours out from him.
I turn around and catch Rue as she falls. The spear embedded deep into her stomach, causes blood to pour out around her. "I'm so sorry." I feel the tears fall down my cheeks and she shakes her head.
"This isn't your fault." She whispers and gasps for air. "You have to win, Katniss."
"I'll try, I promise." I choke down a son and she grimaces in pain.
"Sing to me." Her voice is barely above a whisper, but I hear her.
"Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise." Her eyes droop and she clutches my hand.
"Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you."
Her eyes close and her hand drops from mine. The color leaves her cheeks, and her skin grows cold. She's gone.
I slowly stand and back away from the small girl, she didn't deserve to die. She was too young, too sweet. I run away from her, not wanting to see her like that. Dead and cold.
I reach the cave and find Peeta laying in the corner shaking. I sit down next to him and hold his hand.
"You came back." He whispers and I smooth the hair back from his face.
"We have a deal, remember?"
A.N. Awwwe so katniss is close to falling in love with him. She's right on the edge!!
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Always
Fanfiction"Will you stay with me?" He asks as if he's unsure. I look him in the eyes and kiss his hand. "Always." I whisper. Book 1 Peeta loved her first and she loved him second, or was it all just a ploy to survive? They were thrown into the games together...
