The Hunger Games: How It Could've Gone

Possibility 3

(I'm going in order. This is the scene slightly before the Tracker Jackers, when Katniss is up in the tree. The Careers may be evil - but even that I doubt, they're just kids, they grew up thinking their view of the Games was normal, some may even be mentally ill - but the one thing we know for sure about their "upsides" is that they're definitely prepared. They've trained all their lives for the Games, they're supposed to be talented, athletic, and intelligent. Yes, there were years mentioned in the book when a Career didn't win, but nearly ever other time they did. Which makes me wonder...if they're so great, which I definitely want to believe they are...why didn't they use their sharp cutting tools otherwise known as weapons and cut the tree down?! - You'll notice that the first possibility has some of Suzanne's original writing in it before I cut in with my possibility. This one doesn't, only because I was reading through and couldn't find a moment to cut in...)

. . .

Rue is pointing to a bulging nest a few yards above my head. I recognize it from the huge size and color of the insects hovering, circling, around it - Tracker Jackers.

"Wait!" Cato shouts to the others, it's only been a few minutes since I heard them fall asleep, "Wait, I heard something!"

I can hear them stand up and face the tree. I wonder why'd they'd be so confrontational, after all, Peeta just told them I'm not going anywhere, and they appeared to believe him. I put my finger to my lips, looking at Rue, hoping to protect her from the Careers' vision. But Rue is gone, she's leaping away, which creates more noise - I can tell she cares about me, but she knows - and so do I - that if they take a closer look at me, which they're beginning to, they'll notice her. She mouths, "I'll come back," and I barely understand in the darkness, but I accept. She trusts me to get out of this myself.

And that's okay, Rue's shown me all she needs to.

Peeta says, "I thought you guys were going to settle in for the night - I told you she's not going anywhere."

Cato frowns at him, pointing up at me. "We heard rustling in the trees, 12 is trying to get away."

Oh, Rue, I think, why did you have to move?

"Guys, guys," The smallest Career, with brown hair, the girl from District 2 who gave me the knife, and is still holding onto plenty more of her own, laughs, "This is easy."

The boy from District 1 shouts with glee. I hear a thwacking.

The Careers are going to cut the tree down.

It's going to take some time, so I ready myself, thinking of what I can do. I simultaneously scoot myself to the other side of the tree so I'm not squashed when they push it over.

It takes hours, but the moment of the final result could not be quicker. I find myself gritting my teeth and rolling off the tree in less than a second. My burns are fighting me, making me scream, but I can't show weakness right now.

I look up at Cato as he walks over, and several things happen at once - he stomps on my neck, Glimmer fires her bow and I expect her to miss but she doesn't because I'm lying so still, and the boy from District 1 and the girl from District 2 aim their weapons, a spear and knives, wait until Cato's foot is off my throat, and then throw. The knife hits lodges in my cheek and the spear gets stuck in my ribs, pointing up through my heart. In my last moments, I can see that the Tracker Jacker nest I noticed has broken on the ground and the Careers run away after they realize what they've done.

But I am not around to see if any of them have died.