A Victor's Ally - The 73rd Hunger Games (Fanfiction)

fifteen

The next morning was colder than the previous. The snow was falling heavier than before, and I could no longer feel my hands. Moe was beside me, getting ready to move. She rubbed her hands together roughly, attempting to get feeling in her fingers, but to no avail. Her small nose was bright red and her cheeks flushed, most likely reflecting my own face.

"We need to keep walking, it's the only way we can stay warm." I reasoned, my teeth chattering with every word. Moe nodded, pulling her small jacket tighter around her. The snow storm only made it more apparent that the finale was near. Considering the arena suits given to us by the Capital, we weren't meant to survive long in this weather.

"I can't see anything." Moe furrowed her brows, squinting through the falling snow.

"I think that's the point." I replied, trying for sarcasm but just sounding tired.

We walked together in silence, warier after yesterday's run in with Mandy. I had no idea where we were headed; I just knew we needed to continue on. The thick trees seemed to be closing in on us and I decided that we were in the very center of the forest. No matter how many times I tried to leave and go to other places in the arena, I always ended up back in the forest. I wasn't sure whether it was a blessing or a curse.

It was Moe who broke the silence first. "Why did you choose to stay and ally with me?" She questioned, sounding like the curious thirteen-year-old she should be, rather than the killer the Capitol forced her to become.

"Why did you save me from Atlas?" I responded with a question of my own. Her bright eyes looked up at me with an ambiguous expression.

"It just felt like the right thing to do." Her response was cryptic, and I didn't press further. I knew first-hand that things happened in the arena that couldn't be understood. If I were in her place, I would have saved me too. And not just because I was the one who needed saving.

"Okay," I started, feeling as if it was my turn to answer the question, "I allied with you because you saved my life. Isn't that obvious?"

Moe shrugged, clearly not satisfied. "But you could have just run off, no questions asked." The younger girl paused to adjust the heavy bag on her back before resuming the conversation. "And when Mandy attacked us yesterday, you could have just left me on my own. But you didn't."

"I wasn't going to let you die."

"Juliet, it's the Hunger Games. If one of us is going to win, the other is going to die at some point." She put words to the uncomfortable tension that had lingered over us for the past few days.

"Yeah, well, let's not think about that right now." I managed a smile, attempting to rid Moe of the bitter look on her face. She didn't respond, choosing to focus on the snow-covered ground.

"You remind me of my sister." I admitted. My ally looked up at me, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. I continued, "You both have that bright blonde hair, fiery eyes, and unbreakable spirit."

Moe smiled at that, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. I must have been stupid, trying to cheer her up when we were being hunted. She walked as if she had lead in her boots, each step dragging more than the previous.

I wondered who she had watching her right now, praying that she would come back alive. I felt conflicted; I obviously wanted to go home to Luke and my family, but I didn't want Moe to die. I couldn't imagine going on the victory tour and having to stare into the broken eyes of her family when it could have been her instead of me.

But I knew myself. I knew I was selfish, and I knew I was a coward. If the choice came down to it, I would value my life over hers. Was it so wrong of me to think that? I would get Moe as far as possible, but when the final fight came I knew I would have to leave her. It saddened me and I felt ashamed, but I had a bitter realization that I probably needed her more than she needed me.