The 70th Hunger Games- Fliss' Story

30

I climb up onto my feet. Guilt bubbling up inside of me. Surly there was another way, I shake my head, pushing the thoughts away. I have to be ruthless. I turn to face Crystal, my eyes steely.

She looks at me with something that seems a lot like respect. It makes me feel sick.

I finger my spoke, ready to act. She lunges towards me. Sword sheathed. She wants to do it this way? Just like our first fight.

She goes straight for the neck this time. No mucking around. She is taking no chances, she is determined to come out on top this time. Fat chance. Her hands make contact with my neck before I can figure out a plan. My back slams into the cold hard surface of the horn. I can feel the air being slowly sucked out of me. Despite everything I start to chuckle. Maybe I've gone mad but Crystal has majorly underestimated the power of legs. She pinned down my arms but left everything else is free to move.

I swing my leg up round and jab her in the back. I've probably pulled something as my leg starts to throb with pain but it has loosened her grip. I wriggle out of her hold and stand up and lunge at her, spoke armed in my hand. She grabs my arm. With the other she grabs her sword. She goes to strike but I move at the last minute. That doesn't stop her from slicing my arm.

It hurts like hell and I can feel the warm sticky blood trickling down my arm. I turn back to Crystal. I yank my arm free and slice her side. It's not deep, but it pauses her attack. She steps backwards and her foot slips. She falls over the side of the cornucopia and into the sea below.

I step back breathless.

It is only now I allow myself to think of Ash. I pray he understood what I was trying to do. There was only one way to save both of our lives and that was to let him go. If I held onto him we would both be dead for sure. Crystal would have taken pride in killing him brutally and I couldn't let him go through that. If anything happened to him, I would never forgive myself. Especially after all that he has done for me. He will be the one to win.

I hear movement behind me and I turn slowly around. A very drenched and quite angry Ash is stood on the cornucopia. I'm not sure how long he had been there for but I assume a while.

"I'm sorry." I whisper.

"Sorry?" He questions, I may be imagining it but I swear he spat the word out.

I seem to have lost all ability to speak. I nod my head.

"Is that really all you can say? Sorry that I tried to drown you? Sorry that I wanted you to get eaten by a shark? Sorry that I wanted to fight Crystal all by myself? Sorry that I don't actually care about you at all? Sorry that I'm a two faced liar?"

His words hurt me more than the cut in my arm. I feel like I have been stabbed repeatedly. Tears escape my eyes and roll down my face. I hear a strange noise and I panic that it is Crystal come to finish me off. Then I realise that I'm sobbing.

"I thought you'd understand" I manage to choke out.

"Understand that this little charade if for the audience?" He says stepping towards me.

I can't help myself as I swing my arm back and slap him hard around the face.

"Don't make me sorry that I saved you're life" I try to sound menacing but I can't keep the quiver out of my voice.

I turn and stare out at the ocean. It is still stormy. Still windy. My hair is blowing crazily in the wind. Part of the ocean is red, I'm assuming that Crystal is being attacked by the shark.

I look around me and I see visions of the fighting on day one. That's when I realise that I will always have to live with these ghosts.

Would it really be so bad to end it here?

At least Ash would win and I would have done something good with my life.

As I am going through these thoughts in my mind I step closer to the edge.

I can almost feel the sea drawing me in.

I want to go.

As I'm coming to this conclusion someone grabs me from behind.

I jump, but then I see that it is Ash, and a little part of me relaxes.

He drags me away from the edge.

"What do you mean you saved my life?" He says with a softer tone to his voice.

"HOW can you be so stupid?" I shout at him, "Do you think Crystal would have let you get up and fight fair? YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD!"

Something flashes across his face and suddenly the gap between has closed.

His lips collide with mine.

The pressure feels foreign, strange and a little bit awkward. But it also feels perfect. I totally melt into him.

We are stood at the top of the cornucopia kissing, of all the places.

We only break apart when we need air.

"Oh God, I love you."