The 76th

13

What's happening? I'm hugging Raven? I guess her friendship is important to me, more important than I thought. I pull away and clear my throat.

"Uhm- uh Ill find us fresh water." I grab my bow and start walking.

"Hey wait Aster," Finn grabs my shoulder "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, i'll be okay darling, I love you." he nods and I kiss him and smile.

"Okay. I love you too." he releases his grip on my shoulder and I begin walking. I can still feel him watching me anxiously. He's always been a worrier, and now he worries even more. I don't blame him though.

The nearest river is far away, i've been able to hear the water all day, I keep turning over my shoulder and checking up in trees, just to make sure nobody is watching me.

Finn's POV:

She tells me she's going to be okay but i'm a worrier, especially about her. Aster has always been so self sufficient and can take care of herself but I don't want her to have to. I want to take care of her, for the rest of our lives she truly is my everything. She's only been gone twenty minutes but it feels like forever. Im just praying that I don't hear the canon sound.

"Should we go?" Reed asks.

"N-no, she'll be okay. She will." I stammer and fidget with my fingers, tracing the necklace she got me when we were kids. It's a small dog tag and on the back of it it reads:

Don't forget to stop and stare at the stars.
Love Aster.

When we were kids she'd always be outside watching the stars and seeing what shapes she could make, and one night when I was walking I asked her what she was doing, she simply told me she's staring, and I should stop and stare at them every once in a while. Since then i've always made sure I stop and look at the sky. For her.

All of the sudden i'm snapped out of my dream state by a scream and the boom of a canon, I jump up faster than I ever have before grab my spear and take off running.

"Shit shit shit!" I say to myself, I shouldn't have let her go alone dammit! I run faster than I ever have. "Aster! Aster Primrose?! Where are you!?" Branches are scraping my face but I can't feel the pain, the only thing i'm focused on is finding her. The girl I love. I can feel Reed and Raven following close behind me but I don't turn to try and look for them. I call for her again.

"ASTER!?" I use all of my voice for this, i'm starting to lose hope and I begin to drop to my knees and cry. I feel Raven put her hand on my shoulder and I place my hand on top of hers.

"Finn!?" It's her. It's Aster. She's not far.

"Aster! I'm coming love!" I call and jump up to run I catch up to her and am immediately slowed down when I see her with her bow drawn straight at the male tribute from district seven, he doesn't look happy about seeing either of us.

"It's a party!" He laughs. His face is busted up and there's a dead tribute next to him, I can't tell what district but it looks like he put up a fight. I slowly start to step to Aster's side and he raises an axe at me I continue and wrap my arm around her waist and push her behind me.

"Your mother!" he yells. "She ruined everything! This is your fault!"

"Johanna?"

"No. That bitch Katniss." Aster grabs into my arm.

"Okay...look. If she hadn't done what she did we'd still be in this situation." I tell him trying to keep Aster behind me but I can feel that she wants to get him. He keeps his axe raised at us.

"Well....Her bloodline must end! We can't risk another revolution!" He's clearly psychotic thinking the way he is. He's breathing heavy and looks distraught.

"Look, no revolution is going to happen okay?" I say trying to calm him down. "But if you stand here another second my friend here," I nod to my spear, "Is going to be one your friend too, and I really don't like to share my friends." I narrow my eyes at him and feel Aster's grip around my arm tighten. He finally lowers his axe and before I can even think he's throwing it again I push aster down to the ground with me and hear the axe hit the tree behind us next thing I know there's a canon but Asters behind me so I know she's okay. I look up and see an arrow in his chest.

I turn around to see Aster shaking with her bow in her hands.

"Finn..." She begins tearing up.

"Shhh darling." I pull her into my arms and hold her tight. "You saved us okay? You did."
I feel her nod into my chest. She's always been shorter than me. Once I pull away from her I turn to see Reed and Raven both in shock by what she did.

"I guess we have a bigger target on our backs than I thought." I squeeze her hand and we start walking.

Back to Asters POV:

I killed him. I killed a boy with a family. People who loved him, he probably loved someone. I killed him. I had to, he was trying to hurt Finn. It might sound selfish but I can't live without Finn. Right through the stomach. My arrow flew faster than anything i'd ever seen, I didn't even know I could shoot that straight or that fast. I guess it was the adrenaline? Or maybe fear? Fear of losing Finn, the love of my life. I still don't even understand what just happened, I can't seem to process it all but one thing I do know is that Finn and I both are coming out of here together. No matter what.