Forever in the Games- UNDER EXTREME EDITING

Chapter Nineteen

"Rue" I whisper, trying not to move an inch "Rue wake up" She shuffles a little, making the rats hiss, a sign they were uncomfortable.

"What?" She mumbles. I take a small breath.

"Don't move anywhere unless I tell you, don't make a sound" I can almost hear her heart plummet, as her eyes shoot open. I slowly twist myself around, and start climbing down.

"Luce?"

"Shhh, Rue" I try so hard not to make any sudden movements, I know these rats could skin us alive, I've been in too many of these Games to know otherwise. Once I reach the bottom, I silently turn on the spot, and look up at Rue.

"Right, don't open your eyes Rue, and follow my instructions" I say to her. I know if she opens her eyes she'll freak out, and die before she even has a chance to notice that the rats are biting into her skin. One stump to the next, she manages to get down successfully.

"You can open them now, but keep your eyes on me" She does so, her hands shaking. When we're further away form the tree, I stop.

"You can look now, but don't make a sound, they'll still be able to hear" Slowly, she turned her small head. I don't see her react until she turns back around. Her eyes are widened, and her face has literally drained of it's color. She tries to speak, but only a loud squeak comes from her voice, and I knew. It was as though she had just triggered a bomb, all of the rats looked in our direction. Our staring contest lasted what seemed like a lifetime, but with one final squeak coming from the biggest rat, all of them scatter down the tree, right in our direction.

"So, can we move now?" Rue breaths. I look at her, and nod. And we run, like our lives depend on it (Well, they kinda did) in the opposite direction. They're on our tail, I can hear them, but I don't want to turn around to check.

"Rue hurry!" I shout to her. I'm not sure she hears me, so I turn around, and it's no surprise when she's quite far behind. Pfft, kids. I stop in my tracks, grab hold of her wrist when she's caught up, and pull her in front of me, at least then I'll get the worst of them.

"Which way?!" she screeches back to me.

"Anyway Rue! I couldn't care less!" Taking that in mind, she sprints towards a tree, why I didn't know, that is, until she reaches the top of a tree, and begins to swing from branch to branch. I don't slow down to ask how she did it, all I knew is that we had to get out of this area, and fast.

My feet are like ghosts on the forest floor, I can't turn around and fight them, there are too many, but I can't keep running forever. I already have a few bites on my face, as a few rats jump onto me, which I whack away.

"They've stopped!" I hear Rues faint voice from a few trees ahead. I turn around, sure enough the rats are scurrying away, only one thing could drive them away, something bigger, and deadlier.

"You can come down now I think Rue" I shout, not taking my eyes away from the rats. maybe it was the morning sun they didn't like? But no, they'd attack anyway, so what drove them away?

"Rue, something else is going to happen, I don't know what, but just-"

"Something like fire?"

"Yes! Something like fire, that was random" I frown.

"Well I thought that looked like a fireball but.." she trails off, as in the distance, I see something smokey, and orange speeding in our direction. A fireball

"Move!" I command, and shove her hard onto the ground, as it fall behind her. She scrambles up, and we both flee the scene. But, now I think of it, that fireball was followed by a few more, but where was the actual fire? I think this was the last remaining balls left for whoever was here last. If that's the case, then we're close to another Tribute.

When we begin to slow down because no more were fired, a cloud of smoke remained from the  previous fire I assume.

"Rue, stay close" I grab my knife, but don't make a fuss over the fact we could be slaughtered right now. Jokes, Rue might, but not me.  See what I mean when I say I feel at home when I'm in the arena? Yeah, I wasn't joking. 

"What's that? Up ahead?" She whispers, pointing in the direction ahead. This time, I raise the knife up to the side of my face, and carefully tread around the forest. But suddenly, Rue pulls me back quickly, that I almost loose my balance. 

"What in the-" But before I even get to finish, an arrow lands right in front. But it wasn't aimed, it was almost like it was aimed at something high, and has just landed because it missed it's target.

"Maybe you should throw the sword!" I hear a weak voice sound from a few trees away. I put one finger to my lips, and poke my head around the bush we're hiding behind. It's a sight. The Careers are surrounding a tree like there's something there they want to eat. I look up, and my heart plummets. It's Katniss. She's trapped, quite literally I might add. There's no way down for her, well there is, but then she'll be in the Careers hands. 

"Let's just wait her out" Peeta's voice sounds. Wait, what? Peeta?!  "She's gotta come down at some point, it's that or starve to death, let's just kill her then"

I forgot he joined the Careers. 

"Okay, somebody make a fire" Cato agrees, shoving the bow back in Glimmers hands. Peeta looks up at Katniss, before walking away too. I stand in the same spot for a few moments, before Katniss notices me. I smile, but it's as though she doesn't believe it, she stares at me in shock, glances away, but by the time she looks back, I'm gone from her view.