Katniss lets out a screech, and the other mutts start to sprint towards the Cornucopia. I can feel my heart beating into my ears as I ready an arrow and shoot it at the mutt of Sparkle. It hits her in the shoulder and her arm disappears into ash, but she keeps sprinting forward. I shoot another arrow at her and it hits her forehead. Her whole body explodes into fire and ash, and where she stood before a fire begins. The fire starts to spread on the grass.
I realize there is no way to escape this death. If we kill them, we will burn. If we do not, we will suffer worse as they destroy us.
I wonder if the single victor will even apply anymore. If the Gamemakers cannot see us anymore, they cannot stop our slaughter.
We will all die here.
I feel a burning on my ankle and look down. Liam’s mutt has wrapped his hand around my ankle and is using me to climb on the Cornucopia. I can feel the flames scorching my skin, blistering me. This is not the safe fire that Katniss had engulfed me in. This is death.
I kick Liam’s head with my other foot and he bursts into ashes, fire exploding on to the Cornucopia. I scream as it clings to my skin and clothes. Harry, Gale and Niall are fighting against the other mutts as they try to climb the Cornucopia, fire exploding on the steel surface. The whole Cornucopia is slowly heating up from the mutts touch and the fire they spread with death.
We will be cooked alive on this thing.
Katniss lets out another scream and the mutts become more aggressive.
She must be the leader.
It’s sickening to think of. The once promising future leader of the rebellion, leading a flaming army of the Capitol. But she is the leader.
She needs to be taken out.
“Harry,” I say, my voice almost a whisper. Harry kicks away a tribute and looks at me. His face is burned, but he is still as handsome as ever.
“Kate?”
“May the odds be ever in your favour,” I say, and jump off the Cornucopia and into the flames below. I hear Harry scream my name as I start to run, shooting the heads of tribute mutts as I go. I am determined. I will not die until I am there.
If I burn, she will burn with me.
The Katniss mutt has caught on to my plan, and is sprinting towards me. I reach for another arrow, and I can only feel two left in my cleaver. My heart is racing, I only have two shots to end this.
I can see her running at me in the corner of my eye; Primrose. I turn and aim an arrow at her head.
I can see her as she was, beautiful and happy. Her laughter fills my ears and my hands start to shake.
“I’m sorry Prim,” I whisper, and I close my eyes as I release the arrow. My tears sting on the burns of my face. When I open my eyes, there is only fire. Fire and Katniss Everdeen running towards me with fury in her eyes. I reach for my last arrow and release it straight at her head, but she ducks and the arrow goes flying into the trees.
Fuck.
Katniss slams into me, and I go flying backward. I roll in the singed grass and look up at her. She is standing above me, staring. I lunge at her, ignoring the pain of my burns. I will not let them win.
I bring up the bow as if it were a sword, knocking Katniss’s shoulder and turning her left arm into ash. She screeches, and knocks me away. Her body suddenly transforms in front of me. Her teeth jut out and become jagged, and her fingers grow into claws. With one swoop of her arm, flames surround us in a circle. I am trapped with the girl on fire.
I search the ground frantically for my bow, but the wooden weapon has burned away. I stand up, ready to die unarmed.
Katniss lunges at me and roll out of the way. She screeches again, frustrated and angry. My mind is rapidly trying to figure out how to win, but my body is breaking down from exhaustion and pain.
I am dying, even without her killing me.
I close my eyes as she lunges again.
I expect death, but I am still breathing.
I open my eyes and see Katniss’s face, returned to normal, staring at my coat collar. She’s crying, her tears putting out the fire of her skin.
“Katniss?” I whisper as she reaches her right arm to touch the mockingjay pin. The flames of her skin start to turn to ash, but she is underneath. The real Katniss, in the flesh.
“To protect you?” She whispers, and locks eyes with me. My heart is beating rapidly, but the heat of the flames has disappeared. I look at myself and realize that I’m engulfed in flames too, but I am not burning.
Katniss and I have become my dream.
“Katniss…” I start to say but I can’t find any words. I am lost.
“Reignite the spark…” She says, and starts to burn away. I try to grab on to her, desperate.
“KATNISS!”
Her ashes fly away in the wind, and the fire surrounding me goes out. I start to feel feint, and collapse to my knees. The air is cold, colder now that it ever has been in the arena. I lay with my back on the grass and stare at the sky, breathing deeply.
My eyes start to flutter closed as the sky opens up.
I sleep.
