The Hunger Games: Foxface

Chapter Sixteen

There she is. The girl that I should have protected along with Katniss. So little, and so much like the people back home. I hide in the bushes while Katniss tries to hide her tears. Rue knows, though. Rue knows that she has to go. I see Rue whisper to Katniss, saying that Katniss has to win. Rue has no idea how accurate she is. I slowly sit down, doing my best to stay hidden, while Katniss does her best to make Rue comfortable. The spear is deep into Rue’s abdomen, but Rue is not scared. She’s actually determined. Determined that Katniss will win, determined that everything will be okay because Katniss is there. I hold back tears so I do not interrupt their moment. 

A cannon goes off.

My heart goes off.

Rue.

Katniss has the exact same thought but turns back to Rue. It must have been the District 1 boy that was shot with Katniss’ arrow. The boy whose spear is killing Rue is dead himself. 

Rue is fading, but asks for the same favor the girl from District 4 asked me. To sing. Music calms people who are scared, even if they don’t realize it. Katniss starts to sing a beautiful song to Rue.

“Deep in the meadow, under the willow

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes

And when again they open, the sun will rise.

“Here it’s safe, here it’s warm

Here the daisies guard you from every harm

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you.

“Deep in the meadow, hidden far away

A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray

Forget your woes and let your troubles lay

And when again it’s morning, they’ll wash away.

“Here it’s safe, here it’s warm

Here the daisies guard you from every harm

“Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you.”

There are no other sounds when she finishes. Rue passes silently. You can hear the mockingjays start to repeat the song, as if they are mourning Rue’s death just as much as I am, and even more as much as Katniss is. The mockingjays are sending Rue off to the next step, and it feels like they are creating a bridge from the Arena to where Rue came from.

The cannon fires.

A single tear slides down my face, but I’m silent. No one can know I’m here.

Katniss retrieves the pack from Rue’s murderer, and takes Rue’s pack as well. Suddenly, there is a wave of utmost fury in her eyes, and she runs off towards the flowers.

I can hear the hovercraft coming, but Katniss seems oblivious. As she makes her way farther into the field of wildflowers, I approach Rue’s body. The hovercraft does not come closer, it’s motors are just a distant hum. I brush the hair from Rue’s face, and begin tracing her face with my fingertips, as the custom in District 5 is for when someone you care for dies. Katniss is beginning to finish up, so I slink back into the shadows. I try to leave, but I find myself glued to place. I have to be there to keep Katniss safe, and to respect Rue. Many tributes have died while grieving another tribute that they cared for, but others have been saved from another tribute who was respecting a mutual friend.

Katniss brings back wildflowers that are definitively a hybrid of some sort, but their blossoms are gorgeous. They are a mixture of purples, yellows, and whites. She folds Rue’s hands over a bouquet of flowers, even though the spear stays in Rue’s stomach. Katniss puts the brightest colors in Rue’s hair, bringing out the undertones in Rue’s skin. Rue’s body is surrounded with beautiful flowers, and I can only think of one thing, How the Rebellion is going to love this. If this doesn’t start a revolt in Rue’s district, nothing will. 

Katniss folds her thumb and pinky to her palm, and places her pointer, middle, and ring fingers on her left hand to her lips, and hold them out towards Rue. Just like my District has our customs to say goodbye to the beloved, so does Katniss’.

The hovercraft is beginning to come our way, and Katniss begins to leave, when a young mockingjay starts to sing a melody that strongly affects Katniss.

“Good and safe,” Katniss says as she walks past the bird.

Once Katniss leaves, the hovercraft comes into view. Not want to be exposed, I whisper a goodbye to Rue, and set off on my own, away from Katniss.

As I’m walking around looking for a place to spend the night, I recognize my surroundings. To the right of me, is the den that I found my first night. I cautiously push away the bush only to find it exactly as I left it. No one else has found it. I guess this will be my hideout for a while.

Except, something is different. Once inside, I can feel a breeze coming through. I scoot farther back. I thought it ended. The farther back I go, I realize that it’s a tunnel. I go on all fours, praying that the Gamemakers won’t collapse this on my head, and make my way forwards. It’s a short distance, sorta like a back door, or an escape route. It comes up a few yards away from the entrance, and actually where the tracker jacker nest fell. No wasps are left, and have actually made a new nest closer to the ground. I go back into the middle of the tunnel and decide to stay there, on a raised section. If anyone comes on either side, I’ll be ready, but hopefully they won’t realize how far back it goes. The anthem begins playing, so I crawl to the backdoor entrance and stick my head out of the tracker to watch. The only faces that show up are Rue’s and the boy from 1. Six of us are left. 

As I snuggle into my hoodie and blanket, all I can do is pray that Katniss will survive the night.