Safe and Sound (The Hunger Games)

Chapter 29 - Alone

I am surrounded by darkness and my mind is empty as pain rushes through me. My ears are ringing. I can't move or speak. I am full of fear and nothing else.

Then it all stops. Everything stops. It's like someone just clicked the pause button on a television remote, stopping all sound and movement. Then the only thing I hear is the song.

Just close your eyes, the sun is going down.

You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now.

Come morning light, you and I will be safe and sound.

The last words echo in my empty mind and I'm calm. Safe and sound... Then it's as if someone presses the play button, and all pain and worry returns.

~

"Get her on the table!" I hear someone above me yell.

"Three, two, one, clear!" I hear someone else shout. Electricity surges through my body and my body lifts off the table and falls back down with a thud.

I open my eyes.

"She's awake." A man above me says with a kind smile.

I blink again and I see a staff of three or four medics around me. Everything is moving in slow motion and I feel dizzy and confused. I open my mouth to speak, but no sound escapes. I need answers. I need to know what's going on.

I start thrashing around, and all of the medics who were moments ago relaxed and exhausted, are now fighting to keep me down. At one point I think I kicked someone, or maybe punched. I'm not really sure, but I do feel a pinch in my arm, and I slowly stop fighting.

It feels like I am disappearing through the table. I'm falling. Little by little my sight is fading. I reach my hand out to hold on to someone above me, but no one saves me and I return to darkness.

~

I hear my heartbeat and nothing else. I guess I am still alive, but who knows for how long. Then I hear my song again. You and I will be safe and sound... I sang that song the last time the day before the reaping. Home. In district four. I miss home. I need to go back home. I need to wake up and go back home-

~

And my mind goes blank. What was I just thinking about?

Suddenly, the darkness turns white. A few figures start to appear in the distance.

"Kaya," I hear a voice. But I know that voice, I've heard it before.

I blink and the three of them suddenly appear clearly. Crystal, Dylan, and Elliot. It was Elliot's voice. They are free of scratches and wounds. They look as if they were in the arena. Like they never died.

"I miss you guys so much. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." I cry as I tun into their arms."It's my fault. It's my fault that-"

"It's okay. You did save us." Crystal says with a kind smile.

"What... what do you mean..." I say with my mind swarming with confusion.

"We are free." Dylan says.

"Free?" I ask. Dylan nods. "I want to be free too... I want to stay with you guys. I miss you so much and I want to stay-"

"You can't stay. You have your brother to look after. You have to go home." Elliot says calmly.

"No! I can't lose you guys again. I just lost you and I can't leave you again. I left all of you in the arena and I'm not leaving you again."

"Think about Brent. Your family. My family. They all need you back." Elliot says.

"They will live and move on. I was in the Hunger Games, they probably accepted my probable death weeks ago." I say.

"They will be in danger if you die." Elliot says. "There has to be a victor of the game. And the victor is you." He says as he runs his hands through my hair.

"But-" I try to say, but then I turn around to see the light turn to darkness behind me. This can't be happening. This can't be happening!

"We love you. And we are so proud of you." They all say. I run over to hug them one more time, but they all fade away by the time the darkness returns.

And I am alone. In the darkness. Alone.