We Can't Make It **Merome**

The bell rang. I kind of zoned out for the next minute or so. I didn’t even watch where anyone else ran. I was just out of there. No supplies. No anything. I just turned and ran.  As I entered the woods, the darkness surrounded me. Suddenly, my sense of direction had abandoned me. I just kept running straight. As I went, I heard many different cannons go off. At least 7 had  died already. The fear drove me farther.

Eventually, I did stop. Breathing deeply, I really wished I had water. My throat was already scratchy and burning. I jumped as another cannon went off, and I knew instantly I didn’t have a chance. People were dropping like flies

Tears slowly started sliding down my face. Oh, how I wished mother wasn’t at home watching this. Her last child, and this was how she’d watch me go. I could already hear her sobs, and I could see the tears running down her face in rivers. Oh, how I pitied my mother. With no one left, who would take care of her? Back at home, in all the crap of District 12, she wouldn’t last another year without me.

Suddenly, I stopped. I batted the tears away, turned around, and started walking the way I had come. Every rustle of brush and every snap of a branch made me jump. If I was going to die, it would need to happen quick. I do recall seeing daggers, and bows and arrows, and swords. I’d have to go back to the cornucopia. I’d have to get in the middle of a fight.

And that will be how I will die.

I don’t know how far I ran, and it frightened me that at any moment I could step out from the brush and instantly be at the cornucopia. My plan made it so that they won’t be able to torcher me for the entertainment of the capitol. By ‘they’ I mean the ‘Careers.’ These are the ones who train for the Hunger Games and then volunteer when it’s their turn. They usually come from District 1 or 2, and they win almost every year.

Screaming. I could hear it in the distance. I had to be getting close, right? I was forcing my legs forward now. I was starting to shake, and my breathing was speeding up. Death can’t be that bad, right?

Suddenly, someone jumped in front of me.

“Jerome! What are you doing?!” The stranger whisper-shouted. I jumped about a mile back when I focused on his face. It was Mitch, from District 2. This scared me even more. He obviously had materials. There was a backpack slung over his shoulder, and he had a bow hanging from his fingertips.

“N-nothing.” I stuttered. He was supposed to be a career! Why isn’t he with the rest of them? He had been eye balling me since the beginning of the week, and I couldn’t figure out why. He got a rating of 7! Why hasn’t he killed me yet? Oh dear god, he’s going to take me back to the rest of them. This is going to be it.

“Are you stupid?! The careers will tear you apart! You’re going to die!” He was started to push me back.

“You’re not going to… take me back there?” I waved my hand to the area behind him.

“Of course not! Come on! Let’s go.” He grabbed my wrist and started pulling me the way I had just come from.

“You’re going to kill me though, right?” I muttered, my eyes already filling with tears. He stopped and turned to me. His face was completely serious.

“No. Consider this,” he motioned between us, “a team.” He turned, still holding my wrist, and continued pulling me. I was speechless. Why did a career want to team with me? While he had gotten a big huge 7, I got stuck with a 4. He kept dragging me, until we reached the base of a huge tree.

“Can you climb?” He asked. I looked up, widening my eyes. The tree was huge!

“Yes. I’m scared of heights, though.” My voice kept coming out all small and squeaky, and not manly at all. Great.