The Hunger Games: Death of the Mockingjay

Chapter 27

Just when I thought I'd made it out and into the dunes without detection I run into a group of three Brotherhood tributes making their way back to camp. Fortunately it's dark and misty so I'm concealed at a distance but I know it's only going to be matter of time before they spot me. Getting out of the swamp was a relief and the water and trees were good at keeping me hidden but out here in the dunes I have no cover and my tar stained body glistens in the moonlight.
I crouch down in some low lying heather but it's not really any good at keeping me hidden. The three tributes are now just a few metres away, slowly making their way toward me in a skirmish line with each tribute about 10 metres apart. I'm almost opposite the centre tribute so I can't even try to go round and even if I tried they'll most likely see me make a run for it. My only advantage is that they appear tired and aren't really focused on looking for me, If can take them by surprise? I make a decision but it's all dependant on speed and precision. I slowly reach over my shoulder pull an arrow and string it. The problem is I can't really take them all down because they're so spread out, the best I can hope for is take out two and hope to get the upper hand on the third somehow, it's risky but it's my only option. I pull back the string just as the centre tribute spots me and goes for his gun but he never gets the chance to point it at me as my first arrow hits him in the chest. I hear the other two react to their comrade dropping to the floor and I drop and roll forward as a gunshot rings out from one of them.  I'm already on the move, and pull another arrow as I get to my knees, string it and shoot hitting the tribute to my left in the head. He was the one who shot at me, his limp body now dropping the smoking gun as he falls flat on his back.
Now I'm completely exposed with the third member having enough time to take stock of the situation, take aim and open fire. I grab an arrow, string it and swing round to face the last member of the group.
I'm met with the panicked eyes of a young boy who can be no older than 13 or 14 with messy long hair and drab dirty clothes. Clutched in his shaking hand is a gun but I can tell he's frightened out of his mind.

"D..don't move!" he stammers out.

I look him in the eye as I slowly pull the string back further in our standoff, he has the shot on me while I have my arrow pointed straight at his head.

"Listen very carefully" I say calmly. "If you shoot me my dead body will still release the arrow and you'll die. So it's your decision, you can lower the gun and walk away with me or you can shoot and we both die"

"Shut up" he blurts out as his hand shakes even more. "You don't know what you're talkin' about, I....I'm here to win, t...to kill you!"

I shake my head at him and sigh in exasperation "It's up to you, but I'm gonna shoot. I've got nothing to lose" I say as calmly as I can. I don't want him to know how panicked I am by this. The fact is I have everything to lose. Peeta, the children....my life.

"I.....I don't.....know what to do" he whimpers quietly.

I take a massive chance and step toward him to test his reaction. His eyes grow wide in terror and his other hand comes up to he gun to try and steady his aim. "Stop, I beg you!" he screams.

"Listen, you're just a boy, you don't need to be here, you don't have to die just because of the Brotherhood of Retribution. Come with me and help us beat them"

"I....I'm not sure....." he says shakily.

I take another big chance as I lower my bow and start to turn away. "Well, I'm not gonna kill you, you don't deserve it and I'm going back to my friends at the bunker, do what you wanna do. If you wanna come with me then do it, if not head back to the camp and die with your friends"

I wince as I turn my back on him, I'm completely defenceless and hoping that he'll see sense and let me leave but in just a few moments I sense him at my side as I retrieve my arrows and search his dead comrades for supplies.

"I'm sorry" he says calmly

"About what?"

"About all of this, I'm just a sparrow from the Sprawl, I have no family, no life and things are miserable back in the Capitol, beatings and robberies happen everyday in the Sprawl. This seemed to be so much better but now I'm here...."

"It's not what you expected?"

"No definitely not"

"How old are you"

"I'm 13" he says as he offers me his gun.

I stand up and face him as I take his weapon. "You were just a little kid when the games ended, you have no idea what it's like to be in the reaping, to have your name called out and get marched into this place. Back then my whole life belonged to Snow, there was no freedom" I turn and start walking as he rushes to keep up.

"Katniss you have to listen, I was brought up in the Sprawl. For as long as I can remember it's all I've ever known"

"Yeah so what. That was my life once, my family starving with me going out hunting for food just so we could survive. Life was like that for most of the country and you complain about how tough it was living in the poorest area of the Capitol. When I was your age millions of people suffered. Just imagine that huh, everyone living the life that the unlucky few now have in the Sprawl"

"But you don't understand, in the Sprawl you have no choice. If you don't join up you're in real danger of being attacked or murdered, the Brotherhood was the only option"

I stop and turn to face him "My friend Ellie, our President tried to fix the Sprawl, to make life better for all of you but all I ever heard about was how the gangs fought back at her and blocked her efforts for peace. If there's anyone to blame for this then it's the Brotherhood. Really it's just like all the others, a gang ran by a group of trained academy tributes with no way to vent their anger at the country. They recruit the weak to help carry out their dirty work, namely you. And the Sprawl is the perfect place to do that"
I turn and stride off, my anger slowly rising. He doesn't reply but I hear him stumble as he runs to try and keep up.

We continue on in silence for a while but I'm starting to doubt my own sense of direction. Yes it's dark but a thick fog has started to descend making it difficult to figure out exactly where we are. I might of walked straight past the bunker and not even realised!

"What's your name?" I ask the boy.

"Critter" he says quietly.

"What, you can't tell me your parents gave you that name" I say chuckling slightly.

"No I'm not kidding, for as long as I can remember that's been my name"

"Do you know the arena at all? I need to get to the bunker but in this mist I think we might of missed it"

Critter stops and looks around at the dunes and takes a moment to get his bearings.
"No, I think you've got it right, we're still some way off though" he says pointing into the mist. We continue on in silence my trust now completely in the young sparrow who seems to know where he's going.

"Do you miss em?" he says breaking the silence.

"Who?"

"Your kids, it must of been hard to leave them to come in here"

"Yeah I miss them, and it is hard but I know unless we defeat the Brotherhood then they'll never be safe. Peeta and I had to do this to give Rue and Kyler and chance to live out their lives without having to look over their shoulder for the next attempt on their lives, or to be reaped into the games or-"

I stop dead at a shuffling sound coming from our right, the air smells musty, sweaty even with an underlying odour of rotting flesh. Critter crouches down low and pulls my arm for me to join him.

"What is it?" I ask

He doesn't get a chance to answer as there's a  loud growl from a wolf, this time from our left. I've seen this from a wolfpack before when they encircle their pray and slowly close in before the attack. It was one of the many things Gale and I used to watch out for when we hunted in the forest back in 12. It was another reason while we'd try and hunt together.

The problem is, Gale isn't here and by the sounds of it we're completely surrounded.