The Last Mockingjay [ON HOLD]

17. The Mockingjay's Melodies

Before I could ask him further questions, he barges in. I stumble behind him, my arrow steadily balanced. Although I should be feeling nervous and scared to be fighting such a lot of skilled people, I'm not.

And part of that reason is Orion. He now reminds me so much of Finnick. If he is truly Finnick's son, and is made up of what Finnick was also made up of, there is no doubt in saying that he will fight until the very end.

I take glances at him, while also trying to survey the situation. With the knowledge that the hunger games were all a hoax, no mentors are gathered in the aerial room. Instead, I can hear murmurs coming from another room behind us.

Orion automatically glues his ears to the door. I follow him, trusting him to know what he's doing,

'We'll go to the Capitol,' I hear a woman's voice.

'It's Paylor,' Orion whispers to me. I nod and focus to the conversation.

She continues. 'We'll always be one step ahead of them.'

A different voice replies. 'There probably is no point. They don't even have a hovercraft, and they must know that all the deermeras are following them - filming them.'

Deermeras? I look up to Orion for help. He quickly picks up the confusing look in my eyes and points to a deer outside the small window. With those sea-blue eyes, but also the unnatural red pupils in the middle. It seems to be staring at us, but that probably couldn't happen, as the window is too small and we are crouching down.

'They'll get there somehow. Katniss isn't that dumb - I'm sure she knows where the emergency food supplies are.' Paylor replies.

Another man starts to argue. 'She can't possibly know where the shed is.'

Wait. The shed. The truck. Where is Peeta and Finnick? They should have singnalled to us by now.

'You. Go guard the shed,' Paylor replies hastily. Within a couple of grunts, I hear the door slowly open. I snatch Orion and quickly run out the door, hoping they didn't see us. However, when I turn my head around, I see that same deermera. This time, it's pupils having multiplied - it's ocean blueness all nearly gone, and covered by the redness.

That's when I realise.

'Orion! The deer has been filming all of this,' I whisper. He swiftly turns around, and catches the deer's eye. He quickly grabs a cylinder-looking object from inside his jacket. He presses a button, and I watch in awe as it unfolds itself to a trident. The deermera stands still, no doubt trying to catch this moment. However, that has clearly cost it it's life. With no hesitation, he aims the trident at the deer.

As it pierces it's eye, it falls limply. The red is dilated into the blue again, and my heart sinks. It's almost like I killed Finnick Odair - the deermera's eyes stare back at me with such lament, that it's impossible to forget the imagery. Although Orion turns away quickly, I catch his sentence.

'Bye, Brade,' he whispers. It takes me two seconds to realise how close he must've been to the deers - after all, for the past couple of days of his life, he was on the same team as these monsters.

However, we have no time to mourn his death - a tune from the mockingjays travel through my ears, fianlly reaching my brain and alerting us that Peeta and Finnick are done and still safe. Orion starts to sprint to the entrance where we dropped Peeta and Finnick off, and I maniaclly follow.

'Come on Katniss,' he yells me words of encouragement, trying to get me to go faster. Just as Finnick Odair did in the 75th Hunger Games.

I somehow gain power at that, and start to really gain my speed. When we have ran to the other side of the building, Peeta and Finnick are in the truck, waiting for us. Just before I open my mouth about the secret food stash, I see that they have already gathered the food. I smile at Peeta - he always knows what to do.

We have a few seconds of peace as Orion and I hop on this empty space at the back of the machine. It's rusty and old, but still is built like it could withhold anything. I hear the two men who were ordered to guard the stash yell in annoyance. They barge the door open, just as Peeta steps on the black pedal peeping from the bottom.

Although we should be moving forward, we don't. However, we do move - backwards. I hear the agonised screams of the two men as they realise that they are squished under the tyres of this massive machine.

Horrible squelches fill my ears, causing me to scrunch up my face. Although I have killed many in my years, this is a frightening sound that refuses to leave my ears.

The screams finally stop, but a few must've heard them too; some of the other men have come to see what is the problem, and a few faint as they see the remains of the two guards.

Orion stares at them, silent. 'We...we can't just leave them. What we did was really wrong.'

Although he is right, it just makes me worry. Finnick wasn't like this - sure, morally correct and supportive, but not caring about the smallest things - just about the big picture.

However, Peeta is the one to yell. 'Orion. I know you're young and everything - but maybe you just don't get it. Sacrifices must be made.'

I look at Peeta, stunned. I had always been the one to realise the truth, before he considered other options. Orion nods, clearly agreeing to Peeta.

Some of the other guards have now got what is happening. They come after us, but Peeta does not know how to drive this thing. Surprisingly, Finnick sighs and quickly takes the seat, driving us forward.

'It's what school does to you,' he quickly says, smiling. Although he probably did not mean it in an offensive way, it makes Peeta's face fall all the same.

Just as we drive off, I hear a sharp change of melody from the mockingjays. It's Rue's song - the one which indicates that she is in trouble. Far in front, I slowly begin to see a couple of figures - as we approach, all leave but two.

The two figures are not too tall or muscly. One with long blonde hair and the other with brown curls, it is obvious that they are both women. They scream in agony, but the brunette soon falls limp. I pray, hoping that what I'm thinking is wrong. That Rue and Mom are safe and sound.

I can slowly make out the blurry women. I stare and stare, hoping not to believe my eyes.

It's Rue and Mom.

However, as we go closer and closer, I can see their faces. And it's not the two of them.

But Annie Cresta and my mother.

Where's... where's Rue?

Hey guys! I hope you liked this chapter - I loved writing it! Leave comments and vote! Also, send me some good front cover pictures :) Check out my new book, Spin that Bottle. It's a book about first love, and cliches. Please, just read the first chapter, it would mean so much to me. Love you all, and thanks for all your support!