it was always you

the third

In the underground of the arena, Amara stood next to Peeta, helping him shrug his jacket on. It was the day of the games. The last day she would ever be able to see the boy in person. Starting tomorrow the probability of him returning alive will dwindle down until it hits zero.

"Don't" Peeta whispered, noticing the tears holding her eyes.

"I can't."

"But you will."

Pulling her into a tight embrace, Peeta's lips meeting hers. It didn't contain sparks, or the other fantasies painted within kisses. It was passionate yet placid. It was the running water of a stream on a warm summer day. It was moving yet calm. As the terrors of the future became the terrors of the day, the two separated with their arms still entwined.

With the alert, Peeta started his trek into the tube. As it closed around him, he mouthed the three words he believed.

As light tears fall down Amara's face, she finds herself mouthing the same words.

In a blink of an eye, the blonde boy was no longer in the tube and instead in the arena.

"Miss Crane, follow us." The pair of Peacekeepers spoke.

Following the two, Amara was led into a helicopter, and was quickly brought back to her home.

Entering her apartment she saw the scrapped designs on the table. Saw her bad sketches of the boys face. Saw her cursive spell out P.Mellark and under it was a scratched out heart filled with P&A.Mellark.

Amara was as stupid as any teenage girl. Fantasizing about being married to the forbidden boy. But the girl wasn't upset at her fantasies, she was rather angry at her allowing herself dream about a good future. She knows that as long as President Snow is in power her dreams won't be granted.

As she turned on the television, she saw that she missed the bloodbath. Luckily enough, the black and white pictures on the side of the screen didn't show Peeta. He's still alive.

But as the night falls, bodies don't. The only deaths today were those at the start.

Amara eventually falls asleep. Her body and mind were worn down. She doesn't wake up until the sound of a cannon films the room the next morning.

Opening her eyes she sees a sight she wishes wasn't true. Peeta stood over a dead body.

At least he's alive, was the one thought filling her head.

The cameras catch Katniss in a tree above the body, Peeta is still standing there. The two make eye contact until a loud yell echoes.

"Hey, Twelve let's move!" It's one of the careers.

It pains Amara to think that Peeta is so suicidal that he joins the Careers to stay alive. While it might work, it won't last long.

The scenes change, following the other tributes.

Amara hesitantly stands up. Wanting to miss nothing. Despite this she pulls herself to her shower, bathing in an array of soaps.

The best thing about showers is that they hid tears. The flowing water disrupts the stains on her cheeks, and hides her puffy under eyes.

The next day, day three, follows the same routine. Although, today there aren't any deaths.

Amara didn't realize that she sat in one spot starving for so long. She didn't know until her stomach sounded a loud yell.

But the girl didn't eat much, she had one of the protein bars her brother had bought her for days. She is so focused that she doesn't eat it. The bar replaces a day's worth of meals.