The blood on these hands (Clove Kentwell)

Chapter 14

As they were walking through the forest Iris heard quiet footsteps behind them. She turned around to be met with a redhead a little shorter than her and was very slim. Iris tackled her and held her down about to punch her in the head. "WAIT!" The red head said. "Do I look like I am going to hurt you." The girl said with fear in her eyes. Iris didn't say anything she just turned and looked at Gabe and Katniss, they both shrugged their shoulders while looking at Iris. Iris rolled her eyes and turned back to the red head. "I am going to let go of you if you try anything I will kill you. Do you understand me?" Iris said trying to sound intimidating, but it must've worked because the red head shook her head up and down very fast. Iris got up and walked off not offering her hand to the girl on the ground. The girl got up and Gabe walked over to her and stuck out his hand. "Gabe, what's your name?" "Foxface" the girl replied as she took his hand. "Well that is what the people back at home called me because I was smart and fast." "What can we do for you." Iris said almost cutting Foxface off. "Well I was hoping you could maybe help me." "Help you do what." Iris shortly said. "I don't know survive, I just wanted to be allies with you." "Fine, but you try anything you will be killed." Foxface just sat next to a tree and nodded her head. Everyone sat down deciding to rest even though they probably needed to be moving.

After some time of silence Foxface got up. Iris was on high alert as the red head stood up. "I'm going to go find some food for us to eat." She said as she walked off. Nobody said anything to her as she walked off they just let her. "What's wrong with you I have never seen you not offer your hand to someone when you first meet them?" Gabe asked confused. "I don't know something about her feels off to me." Iris said as she watched Foxface until she couldn't see her anymore. "I don't think she's that bad." Gabe said arguing with Iris. "Ok then why don't you just go and hold her hand while skipping and finding food." Iris said irritated that Gabe was trying to argue. "Woah I never meant it like that." I know I'm sorry I snapped it's just why would you take someone's side that you don't even know." "I never took her side-" "whatever it doesn't matter I don't even know why we are arguing over something stupid." Iris said as she got up and walked off to get some air. Iris was walking in the woods when she saw a butterfly land on a tree next to her. It was a beautiful big blue and black butterfly. Iris picked it up and smiled to herself just then it flew off as a twig snapped behind her. She turned around ready to dodge something or to fight someone. "What are you doing all alone." A voice said as it came closer. Iris stayed silent not wanting to answer. Just then she once again felt cool metal on her neck. "Man someone lost a bet twice." Clove said as she took the knife off Iris neck and came into her eyesight. Iris instantly hugged her because she was so glad she was alive. Clove hugged her back as a breath of relief came out of her. "I'm so glad your not dead." Iris said as she let go of Clove. Clove just smiled at her. "What?" Iris asked "Oh nothing I just didn't know you cared that much about me. And I am also really happy you are alive too." Clove said as she smiled. That smile it was something you very rarely see. It was so cute and genuine but also you never knew what it meant. That smile was so rare but held so much power over Iris. "Hey, eyes up here." Clove said as she put her finger under Iris's chin. Iris started blushing and was at a loss for words. So instead she reached up and grabbed Cloves hand and squeezed it as she brought it to her mouth and kissed the back of it. This time it was Cloves turn to blush as she watched Iris's every move. Once again that same smile came up but was shortly gone when Iris took her hand away from her mouth. "Watch this." Iris said as she looked up and sang a few notes. The mockingbirds repeated those same notes over and over but to Iris it sounded beautiful. Iris looks over at Clove who was looking up at the sky listening to all the birds. "Wow mockingbirds, I never knew they sounded like that." Clove said looking down at Iris and making eye contact. Iris's held her gaze and Clove started blushing. "What?" Clove asked smiling. "Oh nothing just watching you with that lovely smile of yours." Clove put her heart on her chest and dramatically acted surprised. "Oh please don't flatter me." Clove said still acting. "I'm being serious, your smile, hang on no, your genuine smile is so beautiful and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside." Iris physically cringed once she realized what she just said. Clove laughed out loud. "Why did you cringe that was sweet and loving?" Clove asked still laughing. "Because I'm not really the type of person to say something like that." Iris sad as she looked down not being able to contain her smile. Clove once again put her finger under Iris's chin and lifted it up to meet her eyes. "Why don't you just come and join our alliance." Iris asked desperately. Clove moved closer to Iris's face and whispered, "Because we both know how that would end now don't we." Clove smirked as she looked at Iris's lips. Clove leaned in but just before their lips connected their was a cannon. Iris jumped back and looked back in the direction of her group with fear. She looked at Clove and hugged her before running off into her groups direction.

    When she got there she saw what she had dreaded to see it was Katniss laying on the ground and she was... dead. Iris looked over and saw that Foxface had Gabe pinned down about to stab him to death. Iris ran up behind her and picked her up from the waist and threw her hard against the ground. Foxface sprung back up with a knife in her hand ready for more. Iris held up her fist since she had nothing else to fight with. "Gabe get out of here." Iris said calmly. "No I am not going to leave you here to die." Gabe said as he tried to get up. "If you don't leave you will die." "No...... I am not leaving." Gabe said as he walked up behind Iris. Iris never took her eye off of Foxface waiting for her to make the first move. "Gabe get out of here right now because if you die I will never forgive myself. And don't even worry about me because this fight is going to be a piece of cake." Iris kicked Gabe lightly in the chest telling him to get out of here. And he finally did as she told him and ran far away. Iris was still focused on Foxface but she still wasn't going to make the first move. Iris lunged at her feet making Foxface fall over. Iris felt a sharp pain in the back of her right arm. "Your lucky I'm left handed." Iris said as she was trying to pin Foxface down. Iris got ahold of the hand with a knife in it and squeezed her wrist forcing her to drop it. Once she dropped it Iris held her down and picked up the knife. But as she reached for the knife Foxface saw and opening and took it shoving Iris off of her and jumping up just to tackle Iris again. Iris saw the knife but it was just out of reach. Foxface put her hands around Iris's neck making her not able to breath. Iris kept struggling under her until her struggling slowed almost to a stop. Iris fought to keep her eyes open trying not to give into the darkness. Finally she felt cool metal under her fingertips. Iris pulled it closer and got a hold of it in her hand and stabbed Foxface in the side making her roll off of Iris. Iris got on her hands and knees trying to breath then looked up at Foxface who was still alive but she was bleeding out on the ground. "I told you-" Iris had to take breathes in between her words just to catch her breath. "If you touch my friends I will kill you." Iris found enough strength to get up and walk over to Foxface. Iris knelt down beside her and plunged the knife into her chest, then watched as she breathed her last breath. Iris fell backwards in the grass but then noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Then she remembered...... Katniss was dead on the ground. Iris crawled over to her and noticed some berries in her hand, and she had red stained lips from the berries. "Nightlock berries" Iris whispered to herself as a tear slipped out and onto Katniss's face. Iris got the knife out of Foxface and went and found a beautiful field of lilies, so she cut a few down and went back to Katniss's body placing the lilies around her and in her hand. Iris put her head on Katniss's chest, "thank you for saving my life by giving me food and water." Another tear slipped down Iris's cheek. "I will never be able to repay you but I do hope you rest in peace." Iris said as she got up about to walk away but then glanced at Foxface. She rolled Foxface over and gave her the remaining lilies remembering that she was also just a kid trying to survive. Iris had one lily left and thought of Max, she smiled painfully then put it in her hair knowing it would probably fall out but she didn't care. Iris got up about to walk away but glanced back at Katniss's body. "Thank you" she whispered and then turned back and started heading in the direction of Gabe as a cannon went off for Foxface.