A Knife in the Dark | ✓

Forty Four

That night, I was once more awoken by a hand on my shoulder. That time, there were five figures in my room rather than two. I pushed myself up, swallowing hard, suddenly awake. All five silhouettes were so familiar that I didn't even need to take a moment to let my eyes adjust to try and determine who was who.

"So, this is it." I whispered. "You're leaving?"

The only girl took a seat on my bed beside me. She gripped my hands tightly. "It's time." She said. "The Reaping is over. We're no longer necessary here."

"But five of you? Won't someone notice?" I was panicked, knowing that I would be one of the first that would be interrogated. I was trained well and had a higher pain threshold, yes. But I'd heard about the Capitol methods of interrogation and extracting information, and I knew that I wouldn't ever be able to stand that level of pain.

"The three of them are being transferred, and he's going off to be trained as a Peacekeeper in a different district. It's been a year. It's time."

"And you?"

Her barely-visible smile was pained. "I had my own lies to tell."

I released my next breath slowly. "I don't know what I'll do without you."

"Then come with us." This came from by my nightstand.

I wanted to. I longed to get up and change clothes, write a lie of a letter for my parents to find, and take off into the dark night with my closest friends. It wouldn't have been hard; the mechanics of it were simple enough.

But the four chains holding me there were too heavy and too strong to be broken.

"I can't." My voice was so low that even I could barely hear it. "Not now. Not tonight. I'm sorry."

She leaned forward and hugged me. "It's fine. We'll see you when you're ready." She pulled back. "We should go now. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

They took turns bending down to hug me. The last one pressed a small, plastic oval into my hand. When my fingers curled around it, I felt a button. "For when you decide to leave." He whispered. "It'll be ready when you are."

"Thank you," I said. I was surprised he gave one to me. It was risky. But I knew that he did it because he wanted to be sure that I got out. Cuts from razor wire could be fixed; if I was electrocuted before I even made my escape, there would be no saving me.

"We'll be back in four weeks." The oldest informed me. "We can't visit you, but we'll be here."

"Well, not here here." The second oldest was quick to correct him. "Out there here."

"Right." I said. "Good luck getting out there. Be safe."

"We will." The four boys were quick to assure me.

She saluted me. "And may the odds be ever in our favor." She did an odd bow that made me nearly laugh (as if the mock accent wasn't funny enough), and then sobered a little. "Take care of yourself."

"I will." I promised.

In the morning, I'd thought I'd been dreaming. That was, until I noticed that my window was still open, curtains blowing with the chilly wind that had come from over the mountains. I shivered and climbed from my bed, wrapping a thin blanket around my shoulders to face the cold. Something echoed in my thoughts. When I looked down at my hand, I realized that I was still holding the little fob.