THE 72nd HUNGER GAMES

Chapter 24

BETH'S POV

1:24, day 9

Terrified I lay in my sleeping bag, trying to stay awake, I just watched Danny kill Maddy and Josh, I knew it was going to happen, but now? I lay awake in fear, then it hit me, if Danny could do it, why not me, at that moment a plan formed in my mind, I decided that the next night I would lie in wait for Danny to try out for his next kill, then I would strike.

*the next night*

21:30, day 9

We returned from hunting as usual, with plenty of food and a need for a good night's sleep. We ate, then went to sleep, that is, all except me, even Danny slept. I waited for hours, and was on the verge of giving up when I heard movement, he was up. Then, listening intently I heard him mumble 'okay beth, it's over for you.' And that was when I realised my mistake, I'd planned that he'd just go and try to kill on of the others, then I'd jump out at him, I'd never thought about what would happen if he was going for me. This was going to go terribly wrong. He was next to me, I lay there, waiting for him to get close, then, as he prepared to kill me, I leapt, grabbing him by the collar, knocking his knife away. I held him defenceless, he struggled to move as I locked my arm around his neck, cutting off his air flow, preventing his breathing, I pulled my knife close to his neck, pushing it against the cold, wet skin on his neck, holding it against him until drops of blood began to trickle down his neck, onto his shirt, "You don't just go round killing allies," I said.
"Then what are you doing," he gasped hoarsely, clawing for breath.
"You stopped being my allie the moment you killed the sixes," I whispered, slitting his throat and watching blood spurt everywhere. Moments before he died I lay him by a weapon rack, toppled it on top of him, then weng to bed, and listened the canon go off.

Danny Penman - killed by his own mistake.