The Hunger Games-One Direction Edition

Chapter Eight

Alicia's Point of View  

I opened my eyes to the bright sunlight outside, glancing over to Liam’s alert form sitting beside me. I yawn and stretch, standing up and checking outside with a searching stare. After I make sure we are alone, I pick up my backpack and pull out the large stash of food we had gotten. Being from District 4 had its benefits, but we weren’t with the Careers. Liam and I had decided that we didn’t want to be with them after the blood bath, for the simple fact that it would mean Liam would be with Zayn, and we knew that meant the other Careers would assume things between them. The thought of Zayn makes my heart wrench, and I fight back tears as I toss Liam four packages of food. I relax and open a package of dried beef, slowing eating to help me think about our move from here.

Liam clears his throat and I turn my head and meet his eyes, my heart melting at the warmth in them. Damn, I loved how he could make me feel protected and safe, but the feeling of loneliness without him always hid behind my smile. Even before he became famous, I had fallen in love with Liam Payne.

“Alicia, we should move on after we’re done eating,” he replies, the sadness in his eyes lingering. I nod and I catch the glimpse of desire in his eyes, and my heart soars when I realize that he felt the same way. “We need to try and re-group with Harry, Niall and Lauren.”

‘So he did see the announcements last night,’ I secretly think, and I can’t help but feel even more alone. Now Zayn and the girl from District 11, who was District 12’s ally, were dead. “Harry will try to meet up with Niall, where ever he is with Lauren, even if he’s lost Heather,” I whisper, finishing up my food with a final bite, and I stand up and brush the dirt off me.

“Are you ready to move?” I ask, quickly packing up our things and wielding a sword, my belt of knives secured to my waist. He pulls himself up and brushes himself off, drawing his own sword.

"Yeah, let’s go,” he mumbles and leads the way into the forest, his figure tense and alert. We travel quietly through the forest, but I know something is wrong as soon as we enter a clearing and no birds are singing. I am knocked to the ground, the lighter weight informing me that my attacker was smaller and also female. I grab a knife from my belt while she’s trying to pull her own out of the ground, and with one quick movement, she has her throat cut and her cannon fires as I push her body off of me to stand up. Two boys, one smaller than Liam and the other about six inches and close to fifty pounds heavier than Liam, are circling him. I throw two knives but one misses by a few inches and one hits its mark on the larger boy’s shoulder, catching his attention.

At the same time, the smaller boy lunges and pins Liam to the ground, their struggle causing me to go into the offensive. The larger boy flees as I throw another knife, hitting a tree less than an inch away from his head. I whip around to see the smaller boy astoundingly pinning Liam and holding him there. I am running to kill the boy when I see the spear in his hand, a scream of horror echoing when I see the spear being raised then stabbed through Liam’s gut.

“Liam, no!” I wail, frozen for an instant before throwing my final knife, which pierces the boy’s neck and kills him. I throw his body away from us as his cannon fires, and I remove the spear. Liam is fighting back tears and clenching his fists as I cover my mouth to try and muffle my sobs, but my tears stream freely onto his chest.

“Liam, I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault and I should’ve known something was wrong and I shouldn’t have hesitated. It’s my fault you’ll die in my arms and it’s my fault you’ll never live the life you wanted because of me,” I cry, and I see the agony and sorrow in his eyes.

“Alicia, none of this is your fault. And can I request one thing from you?” he whispers, and he motions for me to lean closer to him. He places his warm hands on my face and pulls me onto his gentle lips, his touch demanding but kind. We stay like this for a few more seconds before he releases me, his rich brown eyes shimmering with joy.