Heart of a Willow (51st Annual Hunger Games)

Part Twelve - day two

i wake to find the morning sun seeping through the small gap. I don't remember Noah waking me for the watch, meaning I slept the entire night. He said he'd wake me up for my watch but I think fatigue overcame him.

  I look over to where he is sat against the wall. He looks uncomfortable and cold ,even though he is curled up. That's how he used to sit when waiting for me outside. That was when I was too little to defend myself from Gabby and after I screamed for my mother, she would go and get Noah to help me calm down. She made Gabby apologise to me but it never stopped her.

  Only a ray of sunshine illuminates his perfect features. The rest of his body lies in darkness. Silently, i grab my blanket and walk over to him, gently placing it over his body. His eyes slowly flicker open.

"Good morning" i whisper.

"Hey" he replies. "Sorry I fell asleep"

i smile at him. "It's fine. why where you over here?"

"Didn't want to wake you" he lifts up the blanket and i get under, my head resting on his shoulder. "Do you remember that place we made up when we were like eight?"

"How could I forget? Beautiful willow trees, a large lake with sawns and ducks, the amazing fields of delicate plants and flowers" i sigh at the memory. "Why are you asking?"

He doesn't answer for a while and thinks iabout it for about thirty seconds. "I'm not sure. I think seeing death approach me has made me remember all the things that were special"

"Oh. Do you think we should go and check out the area? We might have a better advantage" i suggest. I don't want to talk about memories and home. It brings a pounding in my head and an ache in my heart.

"Yeah. Sure" he says stretching and standing up. He packs away the coat and the blanket and passes me my backpack. Then he scoops up his own as well as his weapons as heads towards the waterfall, pausing just to check for no tributes near the entrance.

  While walking, we share a packet of dried fruit and each have a small sip of water from the waterfall - we left our container in the cave- and head off in direction of the cornucopia. There is no real change in landscape, just the same pine trees and dead leaves and matter on the ground. But slowly sand starts to appear meaning we aren't that far from the small desert. Coming to the edge of the forest, we see some deserted items that seem to have been ignored at the bloodbath. Crates full of disregarded weapons and things like that.

"There" Noah points. "in the backpack. There's a load of food. We could get it."

i nod in agreement and just as we are about to run in for the backpack, we see the boy from four run in and grab another bow and arrows to add the collection he found yesterday and run to the other side. I thought he had made an alliance? He was with the careers, i heard him talking with them. We decide not to wait any longer and as the boy disappears, we make a break for the Cornucopia.

 the sound of a canon brings me to a stop but Noah has carried on. I come to my senses and carry on running, but mind keeps telling me that this isn't right. That the canon was too close likings.

"Look in the crates for anything useful, Leigha" Noah says. i nod and head over to the crates. Around a minute later, a voice stops me again.

i turn to see Jack. "Aww, it's the two lovebirds" 

"Get lost, Jack" i say, my axe in hand.

"Tiara! Go and get Charley and Ryan, they can see my performance" Jack orders Tiara. She turns and runs off.

"Noah go get her" i say, keeping an on Jack.

"No, i'm not leaving you" he replies.

"Do you want to deal with Charley and Ryan? Go and get her" i say impatiently. He runs around the  Cornucopia and Jack makes no attempt to go after him.

"Is little Leigha all alone now" Jack says sarcastically.

"Very funny" i say.

"Is Noah going to cry when you die?" he pretends to wipe his eyes. "is he..." he stops as a canon goes off. "Tiara?"

"Aww, has little pretty Tiara died? Do you want to join her?" i say. He realises what i'm about to do and avoids my axe. he ludges at me and pushes me against the Cornucopia, his hands locked around my throat. I can't breathe, struggling for air.

"How do you feel, eh? Like being the victim" he taunts me. i try scratching at his arms but the grips too tight.

"Please" i choke out.

"No! Why should i? I'm going to win! Not you, not Ryan or Charley and not Noah! me!" he laughs.

 I see a small dagger next to my arm and slowly reach for it. its blade covered by the sand. I gently pull it out and with what little strength I have left, ,drive it into his chest. He releases me and falls back. I gasp for air, and slowly sit up as Jack rives on the floor in pain. Slowly bleeding to death. I grab an axe that I couldn't reach before and lodge it into Jack's back. He collapses and his canon sounds.

"Leigha? Leigha?" i hear Noah shout. "Leigha?"

i watch as he emerges from the forest and run over to where i sit.

"Leigha? baby, what happened?" he asks me. I cannot talk but show him the hand marks on my neck and then point at Jack.

He bring me towards him and I take a huge breath.

"Let's go back to the cave" he gently helps me up and we slowly walk back to our little hide out.

"Go to sleep for a while" he brushes the stands from my eys and i curl up into a ball. I don't want to talk. I don't feel like eating. My throat hurts alot. The sooner these games finishes, the better. No matter if I leave them dead or alive...