Chance || Peeta Mellark

The Finale [23]

She bit her nails as the two on the screen ran; howls of the mutts echoed throughout the forest. The camera cut to Thresh who screamed out in pain, the mutts had gotten to him first, they jumped on the top on him. Alexis closed her eyes and slowly turned her head away from the screen, such a gruesome death. She sucked in a deep breath has the canon boomed, he was gone. The chase had given her deja vu, it felt like she was running there along with the tributes; running from an evil.

The grass was covered in the gleam of the moonlight, it as dark, but not too dark that she couldn't see. She was standing in a forest, no direct path to how she had gotten there, as if she had just came into existence in that spot. Her clothes had changed. Instead of wearing one of dresses the capitol supplied for her, she was wearing a black shirt, moss jeans and a jacket. Her high heels had turned to leather boots and her hair was in a bun. She looked up to the sky; the stars and moon looked too close, too artificial. She was in an arena. But not the one she had been in before, no, this one was different.

Panting caught her attention, along with heavy running; turning she saw two figures. As they neared, she could see their faces. Katniss and Peeta. Sprinting. They passed her quickly, as if they didn't acknowledge she was even there. There was a moment of calm behind more thuds of running echoed between the trees. Her hand instantly fell to her thigh where she had kept her knife a few years ago, only to find nothing.

Out of fear she quickly took off after the two, running through the trees and leaves. Branches scratched her face, and leaves blinded her from the path she was following. Howls of mutts filled her ears as she broke out into the open field. She could see Peeta and Katniss struggling to get on top of the cornucopia as some mutts where already there, she called out to them but still they couldn't hear her. Alexis ran closer and closer but as she neared the bottom of the cornucopia, the mutts had turned to her. "Peeta!" She screamed as the dog like mutts clawed and ripped at her. Killing her.

Alexis sucked in a deep breath as she regained her vision, "Alexis?" Haymitch asked as he placed his hand on her shoulder. Her head snapped in his direction, a deer in the headlights look in her face. "You okay?"

She looked back to the screen to see Katniss, Peeta and Cato all on top of the cornucopia, "I don't know." She breathed as she scanned the scenario, just as Cato pulled Peeta into his grip. Alexis' whole body tensed, she can't lose her new friend and a person she only found out she cared so deeply for. Katniss aimed her bow at Cato as he spoke to her. He made a point, he's dead anyway.  Not only were the odds not in his favour right now, but he only now understood the true meaning of the games, and what they stand for. How the lone survivors, never win.

Alexis couldn't take her eyes off Peeta, the scared but also confident look in his eyes. That was when her eyes followed his arm to his hand, where he was slowly drawing an 'X' on Cato's hand in blood. "He's a smart boy." Haymitch murmured, not taking his eyes off the screen.

The girl nodded, "He is..." She breathed as Katniss let the arrow fly, digging directly in the middle of the 'X' on the boys hand. Peeta kicked back, driving an elbow into Catos stomach, then Cato fell to the Mutts. Alexis' face lit up, "They won!" She called out in excitement, "They won!" She yelled before crashing into Haymitch's arms, "I knew they could do it!" Laughter escaped her lips before she turned and hugged Finnick.

His arms wrapped around her waist, "You're a good mentor..." The boy breathed while moving the hair out of her face. "You made them surv-"

He was cut off buy the intercom announcing something to the tributes causing them to break away and look up at the screen in confusion. The sun had now risen, Katniss and Peeta were back on the grass beside the cornucopia. "Attention, Attention, Tributes." A million thoughts raced though Alexis' mind, this wasn't the normal congratulations... "There has been a slight rule change. The previous revision, allowing for two victors from the same district, has been... revoked." Alexis' face dropped, "Only one victor may be crowned. Good luck. And maybe odds be ever in your favour."

"No." Alexis breathed, "No..." her voice got louder, "No! You can't do that!" She aimed her voice towards where the Gamemakers room was, "You can't change the rule last second! You monsters! Maybe we should throw you into the Games! Let you fight to the death!" Her voice broke as she looked up at the screen, while Haymitch pulled her towards him.

He held her at arms length, "Do you know what you just did?" He rasped to her, "You just targeted the Capitol. The Gamemakers. Alexis, that was a dumb move. If they come for yo-"

"I don't care." Alexis said frankly, "Let them come for me, kill me, I'd rather die than watch those two die right now." She said as she gestured towards the screen, yanking herself away from Haymitch. As she looked back to the screen, she saw Katniss pull out the berries from earlier. "Oh shit..."

"Katniss!" Alexis called out before it was time to take the tributes down to the catacombs. "Katniss!" She caught up with her and Haymitch, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Haymitch nodded for her, "Be quick."

Alexis dragged the girl away from the man and over to the cupboard where they had stuffed a rug into only a few days ago. "Hey... You know the plan... right?"

Katniss nodded questioningly, "Star crossed lovers?" Alexis nodded, "What about it?"

Alexis looked around for anyone looking, "I have a feeling it's going to work... but only for a little..."

"What do you mean?"

"Ever heard of Night lock?" Alexis questioned quietly.

Katniss was taken aback, "Yes..." She breathed, "Do you want us to kill ourselves?" She asked, "Are you crazy?!" She rasped.

"No." Alexis spoke calmly, "This new Gamemaker is different, he always wants the Capitol to be happy, if there's a point in the games... we're you and Peeta are put in a situation where...." Alexis trailed off.

"You want us to fake it?" Katniss asked.

"Yeah." Alexis said bluntly, "The new Gamemaker won't let you both die, they need a winner." She said quickly, almost contemplating if she was making a mistake. "I can't let you both die... Not in the Games... Not like that."

Katniss looked down, "I'll try, but, if it comes down to it, I don't know if we'll both survive, but thank you for trying."

Katniss pulled Alexis into a hug before leaving. Alexis took a deep breath, had she made a mistake with trying to get them to live?

Alexis held her breath, there was a chance this wasn't going to work. She had completely forgotten about the conversation the two girls had. If the two winners didn't work, why would the berries? "What are they doing?" Haymitch questioned, sounding mad. She closed her eyes as the two lifted the berries to their mouths.

"Stop! Stop!" The intercom broke out, "Ladies and Gentleman, may I present to you, the winners of the 74th Annual Hunger Games."

Alexis fell back onto the floor in complete and utter shock, her plan worked. It was a stupid, dumb and reckless plan, but it worked. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the screen to see the aircraft going to get the two winners. "They are alive."

Haymitch looked down at Alexis, "They are. But we can say for how long..." Haymitch kneeled down to her, leaning toward her ear so only she could hear. "They defied the Capitol.. So did you, and if they find out that that stunt of theirs was planned by you... all three of you are in deep shit." Alexis looked up at him, confused on how he knew it was her plan. If he could figure it out, the Capitol sure would. "The Capitol doesn't take these things lightly..."