The Hunger Games

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ

Katniss and Aspen both went to different points to watch the Careers, the group that was hunting them. Aspen saw all of their weapons and supplies, and wanted so desperately to just go up and take it. But, she held back and waited until they left.

The main thing she noticed was that Michael wasn't with them. But, he surely couldn't be dead already.

Soon, like the girls had planned, the group noticed the fire smoke. Most of them left, leaving a guy to stay guard until they got back. Katniss and Aspen made eye contact across the grass.

As Katniss stared, she noticed piles of dirt by the supplies. Aspen was about to go and take whatever she could, but Katniss roughly shook her head no. She then pointed to the mounds, but Aspen mouthed a "what the fuck?".

Katniss was about to mouth back that it was a trap, but Rue started jumping over the mounds. Then, she started running for the woods, being a decoy for the guard.

Aspen was ready to go, but Katniss put her hand out to stop her. She didn't want Aspen to grab anything anymore, thinking it was too risky. She'd rather blow everything up and destroy it instead.

So, she managed to hit a basket of apples with an arrow, and just like she had suspected, an apple fell to hit a mound and set off a small explosion.

Aspen jumped back and gasped. When she did, the explosion made her stumbled back even further. The Career's quickly came back. Aspen watched as Cato yelled at the guard and snapped his neck, which made her gasp again and run back into the woods to stay hidden.

When she did, she whistled the same tune Katniss did. The mockingjays above her repeated, and then heard them again. Soon enough, Aspen heard Katniss's own whistling.

"Did you find Rue?" Katniss asked, the girls reaching each other. Aspen crossed her arms over her chest.

"What happened to sticking with the plan? I was supposed to grab stuff for us, remember?" She said. Katniss shook her head.

"It was too risky." She said.

"You don't get to call all of the shots. This is a team effort. We just need to get back to Rue." Pen argued.

Katniss shook her head again, both girls annoyed with each other. Katniss whistled, and the mockingjays repeated like always. This continued until they made it back to the spot they promised they would all meet up.

But both of their hearts dropped when Rue wasn't there. She should have been the first one back.

"Aspen! Katniss!" Rue yelled. Both Aspen and Katniss made eye contact before sprinting in the direction of the scream.

"Aspen, help! Katniss! Help!"

Eventually the girls found Rue underneath a net, stuck in a trap. They hurried over to get her out, kneeling down by her side.

As Katniss cut away at some of the rope with a knife, Aspen cut the other rope with her sword.

"You're okay. You're okay." Aspen said once Rue was let go. Rue hugged her and Katniss like she had before, and they enjoyed a quick second of relief that was interrupted by the single snap of a twig.

Katniss and Aspen's head whipped around. Michael was standing there, and he threw a spear behind Katniss. Since he was standing directly in front of her, he also made his hands for her neck and threw her at the ground, trying to choke her.

Aspen drew her sword and put it against Michael's neck from behind.

"Let go." She said, her voice deep. Michael let go and put his hands up, getting off of Katniss slowly.

Both Katniss and Aspen looked over at Rue. The spear Michael had thrown was lodged into her stomach, making her look down for a second, process what had just happened, and tear it out.

Katniss rushed over to catch Rue when she fell, trying to help her. Michael took this moment to catch Aspen off guard and turn around. Pen kicked him in the knee, though, and threw him down on the ground. She got on top of him and pressed her sword to his neck again.

"You promised..." Michael said, staring up at her. She stared at him back, but then looked at Katniss struggling with Rue. She knew Rue was going to die, and it was all Michael's fault.

She felt sorry Michael was forced into this life. And she felt sorry his sister past.

"I'm sorry." Aspen whispered.

But, most of all, she felt sorry for what she was about to do.

Aspen had taken the edge of her sword and pierced his neck with it. She cried and Michael's blood splattered on her, but her expression quickly went cold.

She looked over and saw Rue dead in Katnisses's hands. Katniss sobbed, picked up Michael's spear, and threw it at a tree in frustration.

Then, she let out a sad scream.

The last time Pen felt numb was when her father died. But now, that feeling was back.

Because she couldn't feel sorry for the man who killed an innocent little girl, but she did. Because she killed him, and she broke a promise to him. A promise that seemed to mean everything to him, Pen showed meant nothing to her. And she couldn't feel more guilty.

Aspen and Katniss picked flowers and surrounded Rue in them in silence. Katniss carefully put a bouquet she made in Rue's hands as Pen kissed her forehead.

The girls got up and started walking away, but Aspen turned and found one of the tree cameras. Showing her loyalty for Rue by killing her killer wasn't enough.

Katniss and Aspen made eye contact before holding up the number three with their hands, their expressions angry and remorseful. District 12 was Aspen's home, and the three fingered symbol was a District 12 tradition.

It showed unity. It showed admiration for Rue. It was Katniss and Aspen telling Rue "thank you". It was their goodbye to someone they loved.

It was the beginning of a rebellion.