The Hunger Games Katniss Everdeen Blogs

Deep in the Meadow

Words cannot describe the deep sadness and pain I've felt in the last couple of days. Seeing the boy from District 1 plunging a spear into Rue's body felt as if I was also being stabbed. I felt the breath leave my lungs, and I didn't even have the sense to tell myself to breathe in. I stood there, mouth gaping open like a fish out of water, and it felt like time itself stopped. However, only a couple of seconds probably passed. When those seconds were over, I felt like a swimmer who had just reached the air, gasping, desperately trying to get as much oxygen into my lungs as possible.

Then I whipped out my bow and arrow, shooting the boy from District 1 right in his neck. He collapsed to the ground, and I felt disgustingly satisfied before I raced over to Rue. She was so small, and the constant flow of blood pooling around her body only made her look more tiny. She looked like a bird that had fallen from its nest, unable to get back up.

I had held Rue around my arms, and I promised her that I would win the Hunger Games. For her. I absolutely refused to be defeated by any other tribute. I would win the Games. I would avenge Rue. I knew that people would die in these Games, but I never expected to have such an alliance that I would be devastated when my ally died. I think the main reason why a lot of tributes don't make alliances is because they would never be able to trust the other person. However, for me, the reason is because I can't bear the thought of losing my ally. I'm only close with a few people in my life. Rue was one of them.

Even though I despised singing ever since my father died, I sang to Rue. She was the one who allowed me to realize how beautiful the song of a mockingjay is. I sang her a song from District 12 that was called a "mountain air." I wasn't the best singer, and tears were sliding down my cheeks and onto Rue's body. But it didn't matter. All that mattered in that moment was singing to Rue. The mockingjays also sang the song, and I listened to their melody before it was interrupted by the boom of the cannon marking Rue's death.

Before the hovercraft lifted Rue off of the ground, I arranged a display of wildflowers all around her. They covered up her wound and her blood. They made her look exactly like she was sleeping.

She was sleeping, I had told myself. She was sleeping and she would safely go back to District 11. Before I left the clearing, I pressed the three middle fingers of my left hand to my lips, and then I held my hand out to Rue. This was the same sign that the people of District 12 had shown when I had volunteered as tribute in Rue's place. It meant goodbye.

As I walked away from Rue, I thought about what would have happened if I never allied with her. We wouldn't have blown up the supplies of the Careers, and she would be safe. For then. But she would've died eventually, wouldn't she? If I never teamed up with her, would I feel sadness when I saw her face in the sky, or would I just shrug and think about how I was even closer to returning home? I'm sure that I would have felt sadness. Definitely not as much, but I would still have felt bad for her family. She was only twelve years old, way too young to die in a such a terrible way. If I'd never volunteered in Prim's place, then Prim could be dead right now. I can't even think of my little sister dying. She is the person who I love the most.

I can't help hoping that after the serious event of Rue's death, the Gamemakers will decide to leave me alone for a couple of days. However, I know that it's a false hope. It is the Hunger Games, after all.

No one is safe.