to win - haymitch abernathy

¹⁵ 𝓌𝒶𝓉𝒸𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝒷𝓊𝓇𝓃

"Are you ready?" Lizzie asked, her voice tinged with a mix of determination.

"No," Rosemary replied honestly, a hint of sarcasm in her smile. "But I don't wanna die."

Lizzie took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's do it, then."

As Lizzie began to open the trapdoor, Rosemary stopped her, her mind racing with doubt. "Wait," she said, her voice filled with uncertainty. "What if it doesn't work?"

Lizzie met Rose's eyes and tried to muster a reassuring smile before replying, "I'm trying not to think about that."

With a collective breath, Lizzie opened the trapdoor, and they descended into the unknown. Rosemary felt a wave of relief as they saw that none of the boys were in the small space. They had likely retreated into the cafe.

Lizzie jumped down first, and Rosemary followed closely behind. Their escape had begun. But their plan seemed to be unfolding earlier than they had anticipated. They heard footsteps approaching.

"Did you hear that?" the older boy's voice rang out.

Lizzie, thinking on her feet, whispered urgently to Rosemary as she looked at the drapery, "Open the flask, now. This is our chance."

Rosemary quickly unscrewed the flask's lid, and the noxious fumes of the fluoroantimonic acid stung her face. Without wasting a moment, Lizzie pulled aside the drapery. Time seemed to stand still for an instant as the girls and the boy locked eyes, frozen in place. But then the older tribute broke the silence with a sinister laugh.

"Walking right into our deathtrap, are we, girls?" he taunted, drawing one of the swords he had by his side.

The feeling of suspended time vanished, and everything happened in a blur. The older tribute charged toward them, his sword raised menacingly, poised to strike and end their lives. Lizzie grabbed Rosemary's left hand, yanking her out of the small space just in time to avoid the lethal strike. The older tribute smirked, his intent to kill them both painfully clear.

"Sweethearts, please try to stand still. It will make this so much quicker," their assailant said, taking a step forward. Lizzie, still holding Rosemary's hand, instinctively backed away. His chilling words and predatory demeanor sent shivers down their spines.

"Maybe I'm not going to kill both of you," he continued, his tone dripping with malice. "You're quite beautiful; we could have lots of fun." He traced a sinister pattern in the air with his sword, hovering dangerously close to Rosemary's body. His eyes lingered on her curves, and he licked his lips.

"You wouldn't dare," Lizzie retorted, a mixture of fear and defiance in her voice. However, her words only earned a sadistic laugh from their assailant. "Try me," he sneered before lunging at them, forcing them apart.

With quick thinking, Lizzie pushed her friend away to ensure her safety. Rosemary stumbled and fell to the floor, gripping the bottle of acid tightly in her trembling hands. She held her breath, praying that the acid wouldn't accidentally spill.

"Protecting your friend, huh?" their attacker taunted, swinging his sword menacingly. "You know, I've heard District Three is quite overpopulated. Thank goodness these Games exist so we kids can have some fun."

He took another step forward and ruthlessly kicked Lizzie, causing her to wince in pain as she hit the ground. His malevolent grin grew wider as he raised his sword, ready to deliver a potentially fatal blow. Rosemary watched in horror from a few meters away, her heart pounding in her chest. Lizzie cried out in pain when he flung his weapon, cutting her left shoulder.