The Hunger Games: New Origin

Chapter 12 Day 8: The Final Tributes

As soon as I wake up, I feel the intensity in the air rising. I had no idea I would ever make it this far. But somehow, I have. I should have just died in that stupid bloodbath. My friends should have just left me. But they didn't. They are the reason I am still alive. And for some reason, that makes me happy. I wake up before everyone as usual. I look at Addie and Paige and feel tears start streaming down my face. I don't want to imagine it being down to me and them. I wipe the tears of my face and look through one of my packs. I dig out the picture of my family. My eyes fall on Coopers face. My mind wanders back to the second day of the games. I go back to his screams. The group of careers surrounding him. Me not being able to save him. The axe going down. I feel my chest start heaving up and down rapidly. Before I know what I am doing, I scream. I see Addie and Paige wake up and run over to me. Paige puts her hand on my shoulder, reminding me that she is still here. I calm down and wipe the sweat and tears off of my face.

" We should go." I say. We grab our packs and start walking through the forest. I see a clearing of trees and walk up to it. Once we get to it, we see a deep canyon. There is a log across the opening. It's thin but really high.

" We need to cross it." I tell them. I look at Paige and her face has turned pale. I put the pack tighter on my back and walk up to the log. I look down. Stupid! Don't look down. My heart starts racing as I put my first foot onto the log. Then, I put my second. I put my arms out to my sides to balance myself better. I look behind me and my eyes meet Paige's eyes. She just nods at me. I start moving slowly, one foot in front of the other, taking small steps and telling myself not to look down. I have made it a few inches from the beginning when I hear something. Someone is on the log with me. The fear has made my vision go blurry. When my eyes clear. I see the careers in front of me. I turn around and try to get to the end. I get there and run into something. The stupid gamemakers have put a forcefield around the log. I'm stuck. Paige starts pounding on the forcefield. I can see her saying something but I don't know what it is. I can't hear her. I turn around slowly and pull a knife from my belt. They already have their weapons drawn. I throw my knife at the first career and it hits the strap of his backpack. I only know he's a goner when I see the blood start filling his shirt. He falls over the side and his cannon goes off. I keep thinking that the forcefield is on but he keeps falling.

" Stay there," I tell Addie and Paige. I throw another knife and it hits the second career in the throat. He falls over the side and his cannon goes off. The final career is tall and very muscular. Instead of hitting me with his weapon, he grabs my backpack strap and throws me over. I scream as I fall. But only after a short time of falling, I hit something. I hit the forcefield. I know that the gamemakers will turn it off at any minute. My hands start shaking and I look down. It looks like I am levitating in the air. The shaking in my hands gets more and more intense. I look for a way to not fall to my death. I find a long piece of wood hanging from the bottom. All of a sudden, the force field starts twinkling. I stand on my feet and get ready to run. The forcefield starts disappearing quickly and eventually, it is almost to me. At the last possible second, I jump. My hands barely get a hold of the piece. I hear Paige scream and I start climbing. There is a strength inside of me that I didn't know I had. I get to the top and see the career start walking towards Paige and Addie. I run across the log and trip the career. He tries to grab onto the wood but his hands slip and he falls off the edge. I just stand on the wood and watch as he falls. I look up to Paige and the look on her face was complete terror. But not because she almost got killed. It was because we are the final three left.

We walk in silence for hours. We finally stop and take a break. I am the first to speak.

" We have to do something." I say to them. Paige just looks up to me, completely falbbergasted.

" What? You want us to kill each other? You don't have the guts." She tells me. I stand up.

" You don't think so?" I ask, my anger rising.

" Oh I know that you don't have it in you." Paige says. She stands up too.

" Guys just stop!" Addie says. She rises as well. We just stare at each other.

" I am strong too." I say. I need to do something to prove it. I grab a knife from my pants and throw it at a tree. I throw it a bit harder than I meant to and it ricotes and hits Addie right in the back. She looks up at me and then falls on her stomach. Her cannon goes off. My eyes go wide and I look at Paige. My eyes well with tears. She glares at me and grabs her sword. She runs at me and starts trying to hit me with her sword. I slash her arm with my knife and she drops her sword. I kick her feet out from under her and she falls to the ground. She grabs my heels and yanks me down. She gets on top of me and starts trying to punch me. I knee her in the stomach and roll on top of her. She punches me and rolls on top of me. I grab my knife and slash her cheek open. She gets off of me and holds her cheek. I start to realize what I have done. Why am I doing this? To make a point? The gamemakers have officially made me a piece of their games. Grief hits my chest like a boulder and I throw my knife into a tree. I look at Paige, and she looks at me. I stand up and hand Paige her sword.

" Kill me." I say to her. She looks up at me. She shakes her head. I lay down.

" Kill me." I say to her again. She shakes her head.

" Paige kill me now. KILL ME! I am a monster! I killed our friend! I killed multiple innocent children from our own district! I watched the people I love die! If you die, I will never live with myself! I will never escape this arena! I will be stuck here forever! Please!" I say, sobbing.

" Please." I whisper. She walks over to my side with her sword. I look up to her and meet her eyes. I nod my head. She raises her sword and strikes. She pushes and I scream. She just keeps pushing. I lose feeling to my body and my limbs go immobile. She stops and drops to my side. She takes my hand and holds it. She folds my fingers so I am holding hers too.

" I am so sorry." She says to me. She has so many tears going down her face. I feel tears start going down my cheeks as well.

" Thank you." I say to her. I am surprised I have control over my voice.

" You saved me, Paige. You made me better. I can't thank you enough." I say to her weakly. The outsides of my visions start going blurry and my breathing starts slowing.

" Paige." I say, my voice even weaker. She looks up at me, her face red and her eyes puffy.

" Tell my mother I love her." I say to her. My vision blurred and my breathing slows down even more. The last thing I see is Paige's face and a beautiful willow tree. Then, everything goes black.

The end of book one