Rue's Story

18

By the time we rest for lunch our plan is ready. I will handle the diversion, and Katniss is destroying the food. She is in charge of handling the supplies, and I have to make sure to get things done on my end.We prep two of the three fires I have to light by carrying wood, and lots of green vegetation that will smoke visibly so that the Careers will spot it quickly.It will be my job to set up the third fire and light it. I will have plenty of time.We set up our meeting point back at the spot where we shared our first meal. Where we became allies-real allies.She won't leave until she makes sure I have plenty of food, and matches to light the fire, in case we are separated for whatever reason. She also forces me to take her sleeping bag, in case she's still gone tonight."What about you? Won't you be cold?" I ask apprehensively."Not if I pick up another bag by the lake. You know, stealing isn't illegal here." So that's what she's getting at. She's grinning at me, but that doesn't help the uneasy feeling that's bubbling up in me."Wait!" I squeak, before she leaves. "I want to teach you my song, the one that I use to signal the work day is done." I sing out the strand of notes quickly. They're clear, simple, and they carry a message to those who know it-now Katniss is one of those people. "It might not work. But if you hear the mockingjays singing it, you'll know I'm ok, only I can't get back right away.""Are there many mockingjays here?" I'm surprised she hasn't noticed them."Haven't you seen them? They've got nests everywhere.""Ok, then. If all goes according to plan, I'll see you for dinner." She smiles at me.It's all too much-her kindness, the mockingjay song, and the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I throw my arms around her, and she hesitantly hugs me back. In such short time I've grown very attached to Katniss.Somehow I know this is goodbye. I whisper the word over her shoulder, and I know she doesn't hear it."You be careful." I instruct her."You, too." She says, and then turns back toward the stream."Bye," I whisper after her. I know this will be my last goodbye to her. Somehow, I just know.I climb high into a tree, and make my way back, so I'm just over the first fire. I make an executive decision to spend my free hours now to put together the third fire. I construct it perfectly, using the other two as my example. When it's complete I retreat into a tree to wait.I know it will take Katniss some time to reach the Careers camp from here. I absentmindedly eat some of my berries and think of home. At this point it seems very morbid to think about what I will be missing when I die, but I can't help but think about my family.I just hope this doesn't kill their spirit. Not that I put so much importance on myself, really, but I don't think the people from my district will just let me go. Even after they bury my cold, lifeless body, I doubt people will be so kind as to not bring up the topic.They aren't cruel intentionally. But I see it. The same every year when the dead tribute is brought home and buried, everyone wishes to express his or her grievances. It takes months for the whole district to work their way around to saying something to the families.The deceased's loved ones always say thank you, and they're very polite about it, but you can see the pain in their eyes. They just want to grieve alone. Not with all the people of 11, who pretend like they knew the dead tribute, but didn't. No one will understand my family's pain, and that's what kills me. Maybe they will befriend Thresh's family and mourn together.I make a silent plea that my family just moves on. They just need to pull through, for Prine, for Flux, for all of them. They deserve a future that's not tainted by thoughts of their dead sister. Just, please, grant them that much, in this messed up world.My selfish thoughts are interrupted by a noise in the trees. I turn to it, only to find a mockingjay perched three branches over. It's the perfect way for me to tell them goodbye, if I'm on screen. It all depends on what Katniss is doing at this second.Either way, singing will make me feel better. I open my mouth, but I don't sing the words to my song, just the notes. They form a simple, recognizable, melody that my family knows well. It's my favorite song, because it's about a girl who lives to protect her family. They always say she's like me, but she's not.Katniss is the very embodiment of the girl in my favorite song. I sing the melody over and over, hoping that they will play it at least once on the live screens, so my family will see. I smile at the bird when I'm done singing.During my songs it picked up the tune and sang it along with me, giving the song the layers that come from multiple people singing. I smile as it falls silent, and stare at it. As we sang harmoniously it moved closer, and it's now perched on my branch.I turn, so it appears that I'm talking to the mockingjay, but my family knows this is for them."I'm sure going to miss you." I keep the careful smile on my face, and it doesn't fly away. "Remember that song, ok?" The bird cocks its head in confusion and I laugh lightly.My family will get the message, just as long as they've seen it.Another few minutes of waiting, later, and I'm ready to light the first fire. I scramble down the tree and work on lighting the dry materials we collected first. Using the match it's a cinch, and the fire is blazing in just under two minutes. It begins to smoke heavily three minutes later when the greenery catches.I take off, moving like a shadow through the trees over to the second fire. I don't light it yet, but I do stay high, so a passerby couldn't spot me.I hear them coming closer, first it's only a few shouts, every ten minutes or so, but then it's clearer. I wince as I make out their words.In an attempt to block out their harsh conversations I light the second fire, pulling the greens off the top to prevent heavy smoke until they're in closer.I can still hear them: "When we find her I kill her, and not one person says a word. She made me look like a fool. An eleven? What did a ditzy girl from 12 do to get an eleven?" Male."I don't know, but she must not be anything special, she's been laying too low. Can't wait to see her face when we crash her little powwow."It surprises me that they don't know how smart Katniss is. One downfall of thinking yourself to be invincible-you don't take the time to learn the personalities, and in turn weaknesses or strengths, of your competitors.I add the greens to the second fire, while it's still small-not having taken to the flame as well as the first fire-because I know it will be another ten minutes before they catch, and I expect even longer before they send smoke into the sky.I block out the Careers conversation by moving to the third fire, and putting significant distance between the pack and myself.Fifteen minutes later I find that I've badly misjudged the time it has taken them to make it from fire two to fire three. I scramble, trying to light the fire, as they run in my direction, suspecting a trick. When the wood won't catch I abandon trying to light it, and I scramble into the trees.I jump three trees over, but I can still hear their conversation-for the most part."Where did she go?" The leader-Cato-screams angrily, "Split up. Find her. Bring her to me. Alive." I shudder at the thought of what he might do to her, if she were really here. I'm glad I could assist her with this dangerous mission.They branch out to search, but no one comes my way. Three minutes later they give up searching, seeing that 'Katniss' has disappeared.I freeze in my tree as the noise hits me. It's an explosion, no doubt. The ground rumbles, and the noise deafens me briefly, even at this distance. I can't imagine being closer-Katniss! I think with concern, but I quickly dismiss the thought, she knows what she's doing.Cato, and the pack freeze at the sound, until the exploding stops."Sounds like we got someone," His voice sounds smug-until the next wave of explosions begin, triggered by something or someone."I swear if that good for nothing boy from 3 just blew up all our supplies-!" Then he takes off running back to the base with the pack on his heels.I smile, because our plan has worked, but I head back to the third fire, thinking I will light it, before making my way back to the rendezvous point.I think about who may have rigged the food to explode and I decide it must be the boy from 3. Unfortunately for him the Careers aren't too happy, and I suspect he's the cannon I hear minutes after the Careers have left the scene of the third fire. I can't bear to think they may have gotten Katniss. She's smarter than that-I hope.I stop short when I realize it's growing dark, and the Careers will probably be out hunting, especially after our little trick. I also think about the fact that they think whomever blew up their food is dead. They will know that whoever that person was had an ally on their side. I'm hoping that what they don't know-at least until the anthem plays-that the person responsible for the explosions isn't dead. That will give Katniss time to get out of there.By the time night falls I decide to double back, and stop about halfway from the second fire to the third, unlit fire. I snuggle down into the sleeping bag, thanking Katniss silently for her generosity. I fall asleep quickly, after the anthem and the faces confirm that Katniss is still alive, and I don't wake up at all during the night.When I wake up it's just before dawn, as usual. I begin to prepare to make my rendezvous with Katniss. I listen for a second for the sound of a mockingjay. There's nothing. I'm puzzled; there have been mockingjays all over this arena. The only time they weren't present… my heart speeds up. The only time they weren't present was when there was a tribute besides Katniss of myself around.I freeze in my tree, listening. Sure enough I hear rusting of leaves, and a person speaking."I'll wait here. You go back." It's a male, speaking to other people. Must be a Career."Fine. Come back before nightfall." Oh no, I think. With him waiting just under my tree, as far as I can tell, I can't go meet Katniss. Even if I were to stay in the trees it's too close to him for me to be moving around, he'd see me for sure.I'm stuck in this tree until he leaves. Great. I can't leave this spot in this tree until nightfall? I can't even sing to the mockingjays, I don't sound like a bird when I sing, I sound like a human, for obvious reasons, and that would give me up. I have to sit and wait.Half the day passes quickly. I munch on berries and roots. They fill my stomach, and I slowly ease the sleeping bag off inch by inch, so that the movement would be imperceptible from the ground. I pack my things away, and prepare to move whenever the unknown tribute leaves.I hear a few scuffles that suggest movement coming from the direction of my third unlit fire. I begin to panic. It's slowly turning into evening, and Katniss could have decided to come look for me after I didn't appear at the rendezvous all morning. Oh no. She'll walk right into this trap.I can't exactly climb down without getting myself killed instantly, so I can't warn Katniss that way. I have to think of something. I decide to risk singing to the mockingjays. If I whistle my tune to them as if I were a bird someone might not question that I wasn't just another bird.It's risky, and I can't decide what Katniss's reaction would be to hearing it. She may return to the meeting place and wait, which would be ideal, but I think it's more than likely that her instincts will takes over-she'll try to come get me. To protect me. Unfortunately that would lead to my death, because I would willingly die for her. I think she would come towards the mockingjay's song.At this point, I don't have many options that don't end with me dead before nightfall, so I decide to try whistling to the mockingjay close by. The tribute staking out my tree hasn't moved all day, so some of the birds have came close enough to hear my song.I whistle the tune once, then twice. The tribute below me doesn't move, so I assume he hasn't heard my songs. I'm motionless in my tree waiting for Katniss to hear my message.In a few moments she sings back. That would comfort me, except she's coming closer. I'm running out of time. If she comes too close the Career will hear her, and kill her. I can't let this happen.I shift on my branch so I can look down on my enemy. It's the boy from 1, Marvel. I feel a little sorry for him, if this goes according to plan Cato will not be happy-he'll be returning without any kills.I take out my slingshot and send a rock flying through the air. It lands a good hundred feet from his hideout. He gets up and walks that direction slowly, giving me enough time to descend from my tree-I have to stop Katniss. I can hear her approaching.I drop the last few feet to the ground, but just as my feet connect with the earth I feel pressure release, almost as if I've triggered something. One glance up and I see that I have. A huge net collapses on me, throwing me to the ground. I know I'm as good as dead now, and Marvel knows I'm here.I cut my losses-I know I'm about to die-and scream out, trying to warn Katniss. I'm hoping she'll do what a normal person would, and run away.The net is heavy on my chest so I can only manage to call "Katniss-!" Before I have to take another breath. I breathe deeply and scream "Katniss-" But I'm cut off by her response."Rue! Rue I'm coming!" No! I know she's trying to deflect the attackers off me. No! That's not what I was going for!I see her crash through the trees seconds after her scream.I poke my hand through the net to shoo her away-she has to go! Doesn't she see that? "Katniss," I begin to tell her she has to leave.Then I feel the spear pierce my abdomen. A pain so sharp, so concentrated that it makes thinking a challenge rips through my body. I know this is the end for me.