The New Games: A Hunger Games Story

Chapter 32: The End

Chapter 32

Talon and I decide to go and get some more food and water. I climb up the tunnel first and Talon follows after. We use the rope to help us climb out. Once we're out I keep a look out while Talon hides the entrance.

We walk over to the steam and collect the water.

"I..." I mutter.

"Hmm?" Talon looks over at me.

"I don't know." I close the cap to the now filled water bottle. "I guess I was just hoping that when I would see you again would be in our district."

"I know." he says.

"C'mon," he says after our water bottles are filled. "We need to find some food."

We walk around the mountain and over to the forest area. He walks behind me, constantly watching for the other tributes. We both hold our knives in our hands, ready to defend ourselves at any moment.

We reach the forest, which is a longer walk than it looks taking a good ten minutes. It's early in the afternoon, the temperature is actually quite comfortable, the sun is hidden behind lingering clouds. Once we get into the forest, the temperature drops a few degrees, leaving us with the cool air and small breeze.

Talon and I both make some traps using twigs and branches from the trees. It takes us a few minutes to arrange and place the traps.

"Alright, now we wait." Talon says after placing the last trap.

"What should we do until--" I cut myself off when I hear footsteps and turn around quickly.

"What?" Talon asks.

"Shhh." I whisper.

"What?" he whispers.

I start walking away, motioning Talon to follow. He turns back to where I was looking before and by the look on his face, I know he knows why we're moving.

He stops following me and stands still.

"What are you doing? C'mon!" I whisper.

"Here!" he says, starting to climb a tree.

I hesitate to follow him, but climb up behind him. We're a good forty feet up by the time we stop.

Talon looks through the branches down to the ground. I climb a few more branches up to get a better look and stay close to the trunk of the tree. I see figures, at least two, pass underneath the tree we're in. They stop right after they pass our tree, but then keep walking. A weight is lifted off my shoulders that I'm safe for this much longer.

I start climbing back down the tree towards Talon. Carefully stepping on the thinner branches. I put pressure on one and hear a small crack. I immediately lift my foot off and try another branch. I don't have much luck with this branch either, I hear the crack again and the branch breaks. I fall five or so feet before I can grab onto a branch. My heart is pounding out of my chest, palms are sweaty, and I'm shaking. I glance down and see that I have ten feet until the next branch I could grab onto. There's no way that I can't fall.

I notice that Talon is climbing down the tree, trying to reach me.

"Kamela!" he says. "I'm coming, just... just hang on, okay?"

"I'll try!" I say, slipping. "I don't know if I can hang on any longer."

I look down again to see that the figures are back, they heard me fall. There are three of them, two boys and one girl. One of the boys starts to climb the tree towards me.

"Talon!" I yell. "Help!"

"I'm trying!" he sounds panicked. "Just hang on, I'm sorry!"

"Hey!" the boy yells.

"Talon!" I yell.

He doesn't say anything, just concentrates on climbing down to me.

"I can't hang on!" I yell, trying to regain my grip.

"Grab her!" I hear the girl say. "Hurry, she's falling!"

I don't know what they want from me, if they want to kill me or not, but right now isn't the best time.

I lose my grip with one hand, and try to get back on, but fail. Now I'm relying on my right hand to hold me up.

"Kamela, I'm almost there." Talon says trying to find a place to stay.

"I can't hold on," I say slipping.

"I know, just try, I almost got you!"

"Talon!" I scream.

The last thing I see before I fall is Talon's hand for me to grab on. I fall, passing the boy who was trying to reach me, his hand outstretched, trying to catch me. I hit the hard branches on my way down, trying to grab onto anything, but I just can't find something.

'This is it.' I think to myself. 'This is how I die. If I don't die from the fall, the tributes waiting below will probably kill me. And if I don't die, there's not a very good chance that I'll last long.'

I remember how whenever someone is about to die, their life flashes before their eyes. The life I see isn't mine. It's almost what I wish mine was. I see Talon, glimpses of my family, friends, people from my district. I see the field, the small beach, Talon's house. The day we found each other replays in my head over and over. It feels like I'm falling forever.

I hit the ground with a thud, my head pounding and my vision hazy. I can't do anything, move, breathe, speak. I see the boy and the girl above my head, leaning down to me. I think they say something, but I can't make out the words.

And then my world goes black.