Life goes on

Chapter 21

I nod my head to signal I'm ready and Peeta hits the button to open the door.

The large man on the other side that has been waiting to collect us is surprised and we're able to catch him off guard.

Peeta and I grab him and fling him into the hospital room. Peeta elbows him in the jaw and he falls into the floor. We won't have much time till he just walks out of the room and grabs us.

"Come on Katniss, run!" Peeta shouts and starts to turn to run away.

Just then an announcement starts to play on the overhead speaker. "This was a false alarm. There is no fire. Everyone please re-enter the train."

We have to act fast. There's no way we'll be able to outrun the man. Plus, this isn't the Games. I don't feel like being hunted.

I grab the knife from Peeta's hand just as the man is getting up, I close the door and use the knife to destroy the controls.

I'm hoping that this will prevent the man from opening the door but I'm not sticking around to find out.

I take off running and Peeta follows my lead. The closest exit is a few train cars down so we'll have to run quite a bit.

By now all the people are starting to board the train again. Peeta and I are sprinting with this blaring alarm still playing.

We've reached the third train car and we're a few feet away from the exit. I guess my plan worked and the man got stuck in the hospital room because he is not following us.

That's when I see a row of guards come from the train car in front of us. Someone must have figured out this was an escape plan.

This is confirmed when the alarm switches and a voice yells over the loud speaker, "Do not let them escape!"

I know if they get us there's no escaping, it'll be over. I will not let that happen. I'm not going to the Captiol against my will again.

The train starts to move, but at a slow speed before it gains some speed.

I process all this in an instant and look back to Peeta who screams for me to go towards the exit.

I take off for the open train car door at the same time the guards do. With the adrenaline pumping I make it to the door at the same time as one of the guards.

He is about to engulf me in his arms and crush my plan of escaping the Captiol, but in a flash Peeta comes out from behind me. He lunges at the guard and gets him off me.

"Jump Katniss! Go! I'm right behind you!" He yells as he elbows the guard in the chin.

The train is moving faster now and it's Peeta's continuous chants of "Go!" that push me off the edge.

I am falling for a second before I tuck and roll. Ow. Something is definitely injured but there's no time to assess now.

I look back at Peeta as he yells "Run! They're right behind me!" He takes a leap to jump off the train and I turn around to run.

I've put a great amount of distance between me and the train. I am assuming Peeta is right behind me.

"AHHH!"

I whip around and see the guards have caught Peeta just as he was almost off.

Just as we were almost free.