The Future Mockingjay🕊️

Chapter Nineteen

The gong rang out, and I sprint towards my weapon. It was already strung, ready to be engaged. By me. Yes, that's right. It's meant for me.

I turn and notice Mark packing up some knives. Behind him about 5 metres away was someone with a spear, aiming it at Mark. I pick him off with my arrow, and search for Thyme. Before I can do that I saw movement towards my right, and instinctively ducked. The knife whizzes past, but not before nicking my ear. I shot an arrow at the direction it came from, and hear a scream. I'm too occupied with another target coming my way with a sword to care about my injured ear. I let my arrow fly, hitting his chest. He falls to the ground. I look frantically for my brother and Perla.

I spot him a few metres from the bare woods, spears in his hand. Perla had a pack of bow and arrows and backpacks. They ran towards the woods. I decided to run, too. But not without Mark.

"Mark! We should go!" I yell. He nods and back away quickly, turn, grab my wrist and run. I steer him towards where I last saw Thyme and Perla. I follow their footprints easily in the snow. After about two long hours of trekking and resting, we reached a wide and huge cave. I peer inside it, and found them huddled up together.

" Willow! Mark! Thank god you are safe!" Thyme breathes a sigh of relief.

I catch my breath, and look towards the trees outside. I realise I would never be living in them, never be able to hide and seek comfort in those trees. I sigh.

"Is anyone...hurt?" I ask, checking my ear. The knife had nicked of only a small part of it, as I am smart enough to duck. After I'm assured that I have no other bruises, I check the others body for some. Apart from a slash on Mark's forearm, a small cut on Thyme's palm and absolutely no bruises from Perla, I sit down to rest.

The cannon booms, and I count 8. The killers must have gone. Including me. 8 dead in the bloodbath. I killed 3.

"Did any of you kill?" I ask curiously.

"One. He was coming to me with a scary grin, trident in one hand. Here's the trident, by the way." Mark replies.

"Thyme? Perla?" I turn to them.

"None. No one even paid any attention to us. We were, after all, at the edge of the woods." He replies.

I check our resources. A trident, lots of knives and spears, two packs of bow and arrows, and the two backpacks. I found a pack of crackers in one, accompanied by a sleeping bag and 4 thin pieces of bread. An empty plastic bottle. Dried plums. A coil of wire. In the bigger backpack was another sleeping bag, two pairs of glasses, dried fruits, more crackers and some dried meat. Oh, and a torch.

"I'm cold." Perla remarks, and I realise I'm chilled to the bone. I shiver and feel Mark's arms wrapping around me, but I shrug it off. He protests, but I lay down the two sleeping bags and he understands. He helps me and I hold my weapon to my chest, in case an enemy decides to visit.

"Let's just get some rest first." I suggest, and all of them nod in response. "I'll stay guard."

"No, I can stay guard" Mark argues.

I hesitate, but he nudges me towards the sleeping bag. I give in, and lie down in it, one hand still on my bow.

Mark joins me in the sleeping bag with knives in one hand, the other around my shoulder protectively.

"Go on to sleep." He says softly.

Thyme was huddled with Perla in his arms. I close my eyes, willing myself to sleep, but I can't. I sit up and entertain myself by sorting the packs. A few knives and spears in one backpack, and equal amount of crackers in both. I look up into the sky, and its already late evening.

"Mark. Do you know Dylan Odair from District 4?" I remember that he was one of my mom's friend's son.

He tenses. "Oh, yes. I watched him train. He's really good with a trident. Why?"

"Nothing. Just...he should be allies with him." I say.

"If we find him, yes." He pauses. "The interview. Is it true?"

I smile. "Yes. I thought you didn't return my feelings, but I guess we were both wrong."

He smiles back, and orders me to close my eyes for at least an hour. And I do, and am surprised that I am able to drift of to sleep...