"I have to go." I say holding Ruth's hand, and hugging Gale. Peeta was still in our room. Dallas was asleep.
"No." Says Gale, and Ruth at the same time. "No I just found you, and I can't lose you agian."
"Gale. If I don't, then Ruth, and all of my friend's kids will have to go into the games."
"And if you do then you will die." Ruth says. I can see the hurt in her eyes.
"And if I don't you will die." I stroke her chin.
"Mom, I won't. If she makes another games I will have a chance to win. I will win. I have your aiming skills with bows. I have dads strength. Please I don't want to lose you. Please. I can win." She doesn't know what she is saying I thought.
"Honey, it will be ok. Please you don't know what you are say-" Peeta cuts me off. "Yes she does. If you go we will never survive. Without you I- WE will have nothing. Please. Katniss with the right training she can win."
"ARE YOU CRAZY? WHOS SIDE ARE YOU ON?" My anger rising. We just can't send her into the arena. We should go ahead, and throw her in there ourselves if he's gonna think that way.
"YOURS OK. I'M ON OUR FAMILY'S. IF WE WANT TO STAY TOGETHER..."
"Ok." I say, not wanting to yell anymore. "I'm sorry." I hug him.
I look into Ruth's eyes with tears in my own. She has Peeta's eyes. I'm thankful she doesn't have gray eyes like me. Her eyes start to water, and I go to her. I take her hands into mine, and I start to feel better. She's right. I can't go, not now anyways. I do not want her to go into the games, but it seems as if I have no other choice. She has to.
My hands start to tremble when I realized one tiny detail that we all have missed.
"I have to. I have no other choice." I can see Peeta glare at me.
"Why? Why do you have no choice. Why do you want to go?"
"Did you not hear her. She said...bring her to me. There are going to be people coming to get me. I have to go, or else the Capitol will kill you all!" My heart is pounding.
I feel a small hand curl into mine, and I look down. There is Dallas. Smiling sweetly up at me. "Mommy? Why are you crying?" He says yawning.
I stand there, looking down at him. I want to cry harder, but I know I must stay strong.
"That's it!" Say Gale. "We hide. We go hide in the woods!"
I look at him. Peeta nods his head in consideration. "We could you know. We talked about it before...before the first games." Says Gale as the memory comes to my head of us sitting there in the Meadow.
No. I think. We can't, not in this situation. They will just track us down. I look up at the clock, it is past twelve.
"We can't. They will just send peace-" I get cut off by an explosion. It sounds like it is coming up from the distance. I look out the window. I gasp as I see fire all around the forest.
I fall to my knees, as I see the whole forest go up in flames. My ears are ringing, and my head is spinning. I look up at the window and I see a message written in smoke in the sky. You have 36 hours - M.S I scream. I hear people behind me, stroking me. Calming me. They won't. I won't. I'm not going to talk. She can go ahead and have a hunger games. She won't be using my children.
These thoughts are a lie. She will have me, and will have a hunger games.
I see Snows face laughing at me in the darkness.
I feel like I am being pulled back. I try to stand up but wind up hitting something hard. I look up one last time to see a new message in the sky. MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR. I close my eyes, and let the darkness pull me back.
