No Place Like Home

Part 14

Once Dan had helped Phil up and they'd set up camp, it was just after night-fall.

"That day went quick," Dan said and looked to the sky.
"They must be in a hurry to end the game," Phil replied and looked up as well.
"Yeah," Dan said. "How many left?"
"There was 15 left to kill," Phil said. "But we then killed those 3 guys in the clearing, so that means there's 12 left."
The tribute music started, and the holograms appeared in the sky:

Flint District 7 (the muscle guy from the clearing)

Clove District 7 (the other guy from the clearing)

Charlie District 8 (the other guy from the clearing)

Alyssa District 10

Dan looked down as Alyssa's face appeared in the sky.

"Hey," Phil asked softly. "You okay?"
Dan sighed, "I can't believe I almost lost two friends today."
"But you didn't," Phil said kindly, yet firmly. "You only lost one, who died so we could get away. Remember that."

Dan smiled, and after a while said, "Notice that most of the people who die are killed by us?"
Phil chuckled, "I guess we're just that scary."

After a paused, Dan said, "Are you alright to carry on tomorrow? If not, we can camp out here for a day—"

Phil shook his head, "No, I'm fine, trust me. My heart's beating and that's all that matters. I just wanna get out of this place now." he turned and mumbled, "I also wanna shove my foot up Snows ass; but hey, we can't always get what we want."

Dan looked down, and hesitated. He wanted to tell Phil what he said when he was dead, and if he didn't say it now, then he would never tell him;

"You know," Phil looked up, and into Dan's eyes. "When you died, it hurt. It hurt a lot more than Alyssa dying, or my dad and brother leaving, it even hurt a bit more than when my mother died. I don't know whether it's because she just left and never came back, so my dad claimed her dead, or whatever, but it hurt. And I wanted nothing more than to get you back, and God or Haymich or whoever's up there gave you back to me. And I am eternally grateful. But I promised you something, just after your heart stopped beating, we made a deal."

Phil's brows furrowed, "What deal?"

"We made a deal," Dan continued. "That I would find a way to get us both out of here, alive. You and I, and we would go back to District 4 and live in riches, and things would be okay. All you had to do was wake up. All I asked you to do was get up, and start breathing. And you did."

Phil smiled and looked down.
"So now," Dan looked at Phil. "It's time for me to keep my half of the deal."

Phil looked back up at Dan, "I guess it is. I mean, I rose from the dead for you."

Dan chuckled along with Phil, before saying, looking into Phil's light blue eyes, "We're gonna make it out of here."

Phil smiled lightly, "You promise?"

They smiled at each other and their hands touched, Dan then whispered,
"I promise."