Heart of a Willow (51st Annual Hunger Games)

Part Fourteen - Day Four

LEIGHA'S POV

The warmth of Noah's hands on my cold cheeks brings me out of my sleep. I bury my head back down into the sleeping bag and moan; "Five more minutes"

"Come on sleepy head. Now we have Kicks with us, i'll never have you to myself. I do want some time with you alone" He shakes my shoulders softly. i dig further into the bag.

"I'm not awake, Noah" i say.

"Who's talking then?" he asks me.

"You have reached Leigha Hancock. Sorry, she cannot talk at the moment because she's sleeping. Leave a message after the beep." i say before making a beeping noise.

"Hey baby. It's Noah here. Just wishing you a very special seventeenth birthday. Ok. bye. By the way, it's been five minutes sleepy head" he laughs. I slowly crawl out of the sleeping bag.

"It's not my birthday" i say, partly confused.

"It is" he pulls out a box. "it was sent this morning by Blight"

 I open it to find a chain with my name at the bottom. A necklace? But i'm sure it isn't my birthday. Noah offers to fasten it for me. I shudder as the cold metal comes in contact with my neck.

"It's beautiful" i say. I see Noah grinning. "What?"

"Just like it's owner" he says. I blush almost immediately. I lean over and press my lips against his. I feel his lips curve into a smile. His arms wrap around my waist and I place mine around his neck. 

Suddenly, he jumps back in pain. His hands come to his neck. "My neck"

"What's wrong? Noah?" I ask but the answer is revealed in his hands. He grabs something between his fingers and shows me. It looks like an ant. It's pincers fullof blood; Noah's blood. He presses together hi fingers, ending the ant's life.

"Get me some water" he points to the corner. I run and quickly fill a bottle and pass it him. i then go and wake up Kicks.

"Noah's been bitten or something. An ant. It bit him and now he's pain" He looks sleepily over my shoulder and then bolts over to Noah, who is now propped up against the wall.

"Noah? How bad's the pain? I need you to talk" he examines the wound. "Oh no! This is bad."

"What? What is it?" i ask him, gripping Noah hand tight.

"It's a Cross-Fire ant. He won't die unless you or me have to kill him. It- erm- changes their victims minds for twenty-four hours. So you need to stay away from him, Leigha" he warns me.

I refuse to let go of Noah's hand. "What do you mean?"

"I mean if he loves you then within a few minutes time he will be trying to murder you" he explains.

"Leigha" Noah says in extreme pain. "If Kicks is right then you. Need. To. get away from me"

i still refuse to release his hand. "No, i'm not leaving you"

"Please" he wriggles his hand out of mine. "Stay over there"

 I turn and head of down towards the waterfall. Kicks turns away from him as well and starts to walk away. Then the un-expecting happens. I swiftly look back to see Kicks falling to the stone floor. Noah has changed already. He charges at me and knocks me against the wall. Arm up at my throat, not strong enough to fully cut off my air but enough to make me struggle. A rock the size of an apple in his hand. He raises it but before hitting me, Kicks drags him off me and throws his to the ground.

"Sort yourself out! Fight it, Noah,. You don't wanna kill her" Kicks has Noah firmly on the ground. The small rock in Kicks' hand. He raises it and it plummets onto Noah's head. He's knocked out.

"You could've killed him, Kicks" i shout as i kneel besides Noah. He pulse weak but he seems ok, just unconscious.

"He was going to kill you!" He argues back.

"You should have let him kill me. One less for you to kill but i never want it to come to us too. If so, he has to live" i spit at him.

"I'm going hunting" Kicks say. "Stay here with Noah"

"but we have food!" i call after him but it's too late. He's already gone. Thanks Kicks! Leaving me with my unconscious psychopathic boyfriend.

"Oh Noah" i say brush his hair with my hands. "I am really sorry"

A sit next to his motionless body. One, two three hours go by and Kicks doesn't return. I have a feeling he has broken the alliance by why would he leave his packs here? I banish the thought from my mind when a canon sounds. At first, i think it could be Noah and rush to find a pulse. 

Relief floods through me, he's fine. Then I think of Kicks but he's smarter than that. He wouldn't go and get killed but sometimes you can't help it. I hope it isn't Kicks.

Night falls and he still isn't back. Noah still has around twelve hours left before I can be sure that he's safe. The pictures of the fallen shine in the sky. There his picture is; Kicks. Looking as he did this morning, just fine. I curl up in the sleeping bag before remembering that I may have to stay up all night. 

"Good night" i whisper and gently kiss Noah's forehead and place the blanket over his seemingly lifeless body.

 I finally think the games are sinking into my head. Noah hurt and passed out next to me. Our ally killed the day after making the alliance. Too many people have died and i killed two of them. I don't deserve to win. It's Noah who does.