Let the 25th Hunger Games Begin

Madeline...

'Ugh...' Were the first words that escaped my lips. My head was pulsing, the blood washed from my face. Colours clouded my vision, and thoughts jumbled my brain. The attack. The cannon. Eli. Madeline. Madeline! Shaking uncontrollably, I frantically sit up, looking left to right in panic.
'Madeline?! Maddy? MADELINE!!!' I cry, my hair whipping my face. I wasn't where I was before. No, I had been dragged somewhere else, somewhere close to the edge of the arena. Yet the arena was still small. 300 meters away I could see the top of the Cornacopia, the still red sunlight bouncing off of it. Eli must have left me here to die in the next DUMB. Probably had better things to do. My legs were scarred, some on my skin. ripped, hands cut, arms bruised. Yet I stood. My legs scrambled for stability as I jumped up my body screaming in pain. Stumbling around like a blind dog, I screamed out again.
'MADELINE! MADDY!' My voice broke halfway through. No. No no no no no. It couldn't have been her cannon. But then Eli... No. No no no. NO.

The thudding if footsteps on the earth are brought to my attention, and I fall to the ground, overcome in pain and sorrow. I curled up in the fetal position, everything aching. Tears would not come. I would not let them. I sense the person is near me. Probably Eli. I don't care anymore. I close my eyes and breath in cold, sharp breaths.
'Do it. Kill me now. I failed.' I sob. My chest is heaving, my emotions like a raging fire. Silence followed my request. I was angry now. I rolled to face the Tribute, hair sticking to my face.
'I said KILL ME!' I cried. 'I have no reason, no family, no will to live. Just do it!' I wept. A single tear rolled down my cheek. 'Please.'

'Why would I do that?' A familiar voice questioned.
Madeline's voice.
A hand extended and pulled me up. I accepted it and faced a person I never thought I would see again.
'Ma- Madeline- Eli killed you- you're alive?' I spluttered. We hugged, both bloody, torn, ruined Tributes, two of the final four in the 25th Hunger Games. I didn't know how much time we hugged. When we finally released each other, out fate dawned down on us.
'But Eli killed you! I heard your ribs crack and all!'
'You mean HER ribs- She plundered her sword into the tree, then I speared her right in the ribs. I never though I would enjoy...killing so much... Oh what have we become?' She cries. I shake my head.

'Look, Abgiail, I've been thinking- only one winner can come out alive, and-' Maddy begins. I raise my hand to silence her.
'And that winner will be you. Now come on, how much food and medicine do we have?' I ask. You can see she was thinking about the abandoned topic, yet ignored it. She checked her small orange back pack. Where was the sack?
She saw my expression and answered my question.
'We don't need the sleeping bags and the rest- this is the last day- or night- or whatever. We only have some nuts, your bird, two eggs and the tetanus medicine. The plague killed all other animals- every last one. I was just searching now- its a graveyeard.'
'This whole arena is. Now- your tetnus- how is that going?' I ask her. She taps her shoulder through her poncho, which was only spluttered with a bit of Eli's blood.

'All good. But you got some cuts when I dragged you here- I don't think they will heal... in time.' She says, choosing her words carefully.
'Maddy, it will heal just enough for me to take out Keil and Cydney- with your help, of course. And anyways, if I do get killed, I will be killed protecting you- and your family. Remember- your life counts, not mine.' I didn't realise, but tears were slowly forming in my eyes. Madeline hung her head, her hair a matted curtain. The waves close by were angry, screaming at us, demanding us to leave. I heaved a heavy sigh, then looked up at Madeline. She weakly smiled, then took my hand.

'...if that's how you want to do it. It's just so sad that this is the final hour.' She mumbled, and I nodded in reply. Final hour- something rang in my head, deeply woven in my memory.
'... Hail Mary, full of grace....' I muttered. I surprised myself, wondering where it came from. It hit me- my childhood in 8. Morning started off at school with this prayer, and out measly dinners began and ended with this prayer. Asking for guidance and forgiveness.
'Our Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.' Madeline continues, staring down. The rustling of the impatient wind in the trees quieted down, listening to our final words.
'Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now...' We say in unison. Madeline can't bring herself to say the next line, and I know why.
'...and at the hour of our death.'
'Amen.'