The 150th Annual Hunger Games

Victorious?

Harper Coyle's P.O.V. (D4)

Darkness is all around me as I feel myself drifting deeper and deeper into nothingness. A cold chill surrounds me, but I don't care. I know that all of this must mean I'm dead, or dying, and I don't care if it happens. In fact, I'm glad it is, because now, Janice is going home. She's alive...

At least I can go out knowing that I did the right thing by helping Janice win. She was one of the most deserving people in the Games. Of the last few people, she was the only one who hadn't ruined herself by killing someone. I killed at least five people, and it was constantly on my mind so I couldn't forget. Now I guess I can be rid of that since I'm dead.

Janice didn't kill anybody, which some people might consider unfair. Maybe some people don't think she's worthy, but I do. She'll be one of the only Victors who actually is worthy. Janice is the only one who was successful in spite of the conditions or consequences. She understood that killing was wrong and I knew it would probably be a problem at first. Now, I feel so happy for her, realizing that she was so incredible because she didn't kill anyone. And she stuck by that until the end...

I don't know how she'll feel about me though...it seemed like she really didn't want me to go. She said she loved me. It'll probably be hard, but eventually, I'm sure she'll get over it. Maybe she'll forget all about me and find someone new, get married, and have a wonderful rest of her life.

As I sink farther into the darkness, I still feel happy for her. But now it's time for me to go...

Wait...

I look up and see a twinkle in the distance, piercing through the inky blackness. I frown as it becomes slightly larger. Then I realize I'm moving. It's not getting larger, I'm getting closer!

I feel myself getting pulled closer and closer to the light and I try to fight it, fearing what will come next. Then I am fully enveloped in the light and it's all I see around me. I can hear a loud thumping, followed by a high-pitched beeping, and a deep, echoing voice.

I soon come to realize that the thumping is a heartbeat...my own heartbeat. How is that possible?

Then the bright light is suddenly gone and I can see the wavy figure of a man standing in front of me.

I try to sit up, but my whole body feels like it's full of lead. I roll my head to the side drowsily to see a strange contraption beside me with a monitor attached to it. I watch the glowing, green line on the screen spike up and down steadily as the monitor occasionally emits a beep.

My mind is going crazy as I start to piece it all together.

I'm alive?! No, this isn't real, I'm not supposed to be here! Janice is.

"Doctor," a woman gestures to me and the man I saw before walks over. He lifts a light and points it into my eye, frowning.

"Hypovolemic shock is affirmative," he turns to the woman doctor.

Instantly, fighting through the heaviness of my arms and the pain in my side, I grab the man by the arm and punch him in the face clumsily, yelling, "What are you doing?! Why am I here instead of Janice! She won, not me! She won! Where is she?! I told her that she was going home!"

The woman approaches me from the other side of the bed and I shove her away harshly, continuing to repeat the same sentences over and over. I jump out of the hospital bed, only to fall forward when I put weight on my broken leg, but I drag the man down with me. We tumble to the ground and I can't even seem to stop myself from throwing one punch after another at the doctor's face until my knuckles are red and blood is running down his face and staining the spotless floor.