What if district 13 didn't get blown up? And what if there was a 14th district hidden from everyone?
District 14 wasn't known to the public, it was kept hidden due to the lack of people. They were told that as soon as their population increased than...
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The plan was that Rue, and I were to set fires with the leaves so they would produce lots of smoke. This would then cause a diversion for Dawn and Kreed who were going to shoot at the mines to the set them off. As long as everything went to plan, we'd be perfectly fine. If only my future self could know the truth.
~
I almost didn't miss the hand holding that went on between the two District partners and I knew what Rue was thinking when I looked at her, already to see she was already looking at their connections. "They're so cute." We whispered behind them like school students, giggling at the sight. Memories crashed down hard on me as I remember Mateo and I seeing our parents together acting as if they were a high school couple. Dawn looked back at us and shook her head like she was a parent going to scold her children. "Do you like anyone?" Rue seemed like the younger sister who was way into romance more than any child should be. I never had conversations like this with Mateo, every now and then he would talk about how pretty this girl from school was but that was about it.
The thought that something could go wrong crossed my mind on numerous occasions. I didn't want anyone to be hurt after the plan goes through, not Rue, not Dawn, not Kreed and not Clove. At any point she could come back to the supplies and end up the explosion. "Okay, so as soon as you light this fire you move, don't come back here, don't come anywhere near this area. We'll meet up somewhere afterwards, okay?" Dawn spoke with authority. I needed someone like her to guide me through this.
I was left alone with Rue as we got ready to light the fire. "Once we light this fire, you get up into a tree and I'll go light the other one. Don't worry about us, you just focus on surviving." I couldn't decide if Rue felt like a daughter or a younger sister, but I knew that I had to protect her from the everlasting outcome. One of was bound to die and either way it would be suffering.
~
I lit the fire and ran. The next fire was quite a fair bit away and would give me time to run to the third. Although I was too busy focused on getting to the other fire that I hadn't noticed the blatant trap that was set up. As soon I stepped in, I was swept off the ground and let a shriek that gave my position away.
I rummaged around frantically trying to get out of the ropes. "Marly!" Rue approached the rope that I was encased in. She looked around at the rope and tugged harshly.
"Rue, leave. They will be coming; you have to go!" My initial worry for myself was long gone now that Rue was here. Anyone could be nearby and once they heard the trap go off than they'd be on their way.
"I'm not leaving you." She was stubborn and now was not the time to be like that.
"Please Rue. I don't want you to get hurt. Leave!" I begged to the girl in front of me, but she refused to leave.
"And I don't want to see you hurt. I care about you Marly. I am staying and that's final, you-"
