Reaper ~ THG AU

Ch. 33: Make Them Pay pt. 2

The sun raises as I continue preparing for what is to come. By now they probably know that I'm still alive, that their arrogance made them miss out on killing me. Ivette is still out there, no doubt planning her own way of winning against them.

Against me...

With only six of us left, I wouldn't be surprised if the finale is just hours away. I tie the last rope before reaching for the bag that still holds my food and water. I have yet to sleep or eat, the only thing keeping me going being the thought of my brother's death.

The way his body fell...

His last breath...

His last words...

Win.

I plan on honoring that. I will fight till my last breath to win for him and those back in 11 that will no longer have the opportunity to watch him come home. Briar, Sven, and Sloan have lost a close friend. Aurelia and Atlas have already lost a brother.

They don't need to lose me too...

Atlas's words come back. The ones he said when I last saw him. The look on his face strong and determined. How tight he hugged me after speaking them for me to hear.

"I can't lose both of you...one of you have to come back home..."

For him and for Aurelia...

Her crying face comes to mind as I take a drink of water. How the peacekeepers had to forcibly drag her away. Sloan crying as she watched helplessly. How I begged...

Briars words come to mind next, her voice echoing in my head. Her comforting touch calming to even my present self. Her soft brown eyes staring right at me as I take a bite of jerky.

"You can do this, okay? Your smart and fast. I believe in you..."

Sloan and Aurelia's smiles come to mind, shining bright despite the tears that were flowing down their angelic faces. How can I not win this for them? Come back to them?

"You're adaptable, fast, strong, and limber. You are definitely more capable then you realize."

Acacius's words ring in my head. The same ones he said the day the games started. There's a reason I got that ten. I'm capable of winning. I'm capable of going home to my family.

Or what's left of it...

I swallow the dried meat, moving to take another sip of my water. My eyes find the sunrise, basking in the bright red clouds mixing with the fresh sunshine. A calm breeze blows my curls around, doing little to cool the burning within.

Only one thing stays on my mind.

The thought of winning for them.

——

It's about mid-day when a cannon sounds. I freeze, branches in both hands as my head snaps up to the sky. No other cannon sounds after, only the mocking jays copying the sound.

Final five...

That means I have less time to finish setting up then I originally thought. My feet continue towards the pile of wood I have already gathered. It's pretty large, but then again....

That's what I'm going for.

I toss the branches onto the pile, the left over alcohol wipes mixed in. I sigh before moving towards the pile of dead leaves and grass that lay nearby. Using my shirt, I grab up as much as I can before moving back towards the wood. I have the pile set up in the middle of the clearing, near where Acacius took his last breath.