One Last Hunger Games

Chapter 24

My body hurts all over. But I work through it, trying to find Ava. I play over in my head what I told Ash before I left. "I'll be home soon. I promise." Now I realize I don't know if I really will be home soon. I might have broken my promise.

I tread through the forest for about an hour until I find her. She's curled up in a little ball, resting her head on a tree. When she hears my footsteps, her head jerks up. I probably scared her. In a pleading voice she says, "Please don't hurt me!" I walk closer to her. "No, I won't. I promise. I want to be allies," I say in a hoarse voice. I probably shouldn't be talking after what just happened. But I don't care.

Cautiously, she stands up and slowly walks to me. I laugh. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." Then she runs quickly to me and wraps her hands around my waist. "You saved me. You were willing to sacrifice yourself for me. I will never be able to repay you," she says gratefully. I shake my head. "You don't have to. It's okay." By now it is late afternoon and we should start finding somewhere to stay for the night.

"We should find somewhere to stay, Ava," I tell her. "You know my name," she asks, surprised. I laugh. "Of course I do. From the interviews." She laughs. "Oh." We walk for about 3 hours until we find a cave. By now, it is dark out. "This would be good," Ava says. I nod and we walk inside of it.

She lays down and falls asleep instantly, but I lay there for a while, thinking. Thinking about the Games. Thinking about all the possible injuries I probably have. My neck hurts and I know that can't be good. I have a couple cuts. I still haven't washed the blood off of me. It's on my neck from the boy's hand and on my clothes. I get lost in my thoughts and I slowly drift off to sleep.