Through a Fox's Eyes

FINALE

"Emi, hey, wake up" I heard Marvel say, his deep voice echoing in my ear. Marvel?

"Emi, hurry, the food's getting a bit cold, you don't wanna miss the pancakes I made"

I hurriedly get up, hugging Marvel and kissing him. It was just a bad dream, then? All of it?

"Whoa, slow down hot shot, you haven't even brushed your teeth yet!" I heard Marvel's laugh again, so familiar, so safe. 

"I missed you so much" I tell him, while hugging him. He hugged me back. "Well, nothing's gonna separate us now"

His hug became tighter, and his hands were as cold as ice. I looked at his face and it's torn, blood coming out of his mouth. I struggle, shrieking and pushing him away

"Emi, why are you doing this? Why don't you want to be with me?" he says, even tightening his grasp more. 

"You're not him!" I say, pushing him completely off me.

"You don't love me, you left me! " he says, leaving my sight, but his words stayed in my heart, haunting me, as I wake up from my nightmare, sweat and tears mixed in my face.

I look up the sunrise, no canon booms, no dead tributes, as of now. It's really weird and peaceful, but I remember that it's still the games, there are still killings to happen, and it takes me back to reality.

I get down the tree, feeling a big stab to my heart, except nobody did it, nobody but Marvel, and his words in my dream.

As I trudge along the woods, I hear footsteps. I stop, hiding under a bush.

I see Peeta raking the bush beside mine, getting berries, wait, Nightlock berries? What does he intend to do with those? Nightlock berries kill whoever eats them in just seconds. You won't even finish the whole thing, just a trickle of juice and you're dead. 

Will he use it as poison? 

Peeta puts it in a cloth, along with other non-poisonous berries. Oh, he thinks it's edible, then? 

Well, Nightlock berries sure sound like the easiest way out. No pain, no time to regret.

Peeta goes over the next clearing, to find more berries, I suppose. I make my way to the pile of berries.

I really want to be with him

I really want to make him happy.

Is that how he felt, when he died, and I didn't? When he went on alone, without me? When he lost?

I want to taste the sweetness of his lips once more

I want to be held by his strong arms

I want to be hugged from behind, again

I want to talk about anything, everything, with the person who I know will love me despite everything I do.

I want to be with him again, I want to be with him now.

I take the berries with my hand, carefully saying a silent prayer of thanks, and sorry, to the people who believed in me and rooted for me, to the people who trusted and invested in me. 

Better make my death beneficial, thank me later, Peeta.

I love you, Marvel, and I'm coming to see you now.

With that single thought in my mind, I pop a single berry into my mouth look up the sky. 

I see Marvel, I see home.