The Hunger Games

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ᴏɴᴇ

Aspen was there for Katniss everytime she broke out in sobs. Katniss was sad, hearbroken. Aspen was livid. Another person that she cared for was killed because of the games. It made her even more angry than she was before. It made her want to kill someone for herself.

"Attention tributes, attention! The regulations acquiring a single victor has been suspended! From now on, two victors may be crowned if both originate from the same district. This will be the only announcement." A voice said.

Katniss and Aspen grabbed each other's hands. Aspen wanted to smile, but she couldn't. Not after Rue and Michael.

"There's a chance you and Peeta will both make it out of here." She sighed, hugging Katniss. Katniss shook her head.

"And you. It's either we both do, or we both don't. End of story." She argued.

Aspen wasn't going to argue with Katniss. She knew there was no point.

"We need to find Peeta." She said instead.

The two girls went out passed where they were all set up in search of Peeta. When they finally came to a medium sized river with a few rocks by the edge, Katniss noticed something Aspen didn't.

A small almost dried up puddle of blood.

They kept venturing, following the blood until the traces of it came to a stop. Then, when Katniss looked down, she saw Peeta's face disguised into the rocks beneath her.

"Oh, my god! Peeta!" She said, bending over. He looked hurt.

Aspen and Katniss quickly started taking the rocks and moss off of his body. Then, Katniss lifted Peeta up and let him join her into her arms.

Aspen had to look away. She thought about if things were different, if she would be going that with Michael right now. Or, even Gale, if she was blessed to not have been reaped.

"We've gotta find a safer spot. C'mon." Pen noted, interrupting the two's reunion. They both nodded and got to a more secluded area, tending to Peeta'a leg right away.

"What was it?" Katniss asked, looking at the gash. Aspen stared at it closely.

"A sword." She answered, even though the question was directed toward Peeta. Peeta nodded.

"It's bad, huh?" He asked.

"You're gonna be fine." Katniss said, getting ready to perform stitches.

Aspen got up and wiped her hands off on her pants. She didn't want to sit here and watch Peeta and Katniss bond. It was just something Pen didn't have.

"Where are you going?" Katniss asked, looking up.

"Meet me at that cave we saw on the way here. I'll look for food, leaves, wood, whatever I can find." She said. Katniss opened her mouth to protest, but Aspen already started walking away.

She went to the cave, looking for things as she walked like she promised. She got a few branches and leaves, starting up a fire. It was kind of unsuccessful since the cave was so damp, but it kind of worked.

The fire started crackling lightly and faintly, and Aspen took this time to rest. As she was deep in thought, she thought about the new announcement where two tributes could win. She couldn't help but let her mind wander to what would happen if Michael was alive, if she hadn't killed him. If, maybe, the two of them could be the ones to make it out of here.

She looked around the walls of the cave, making note of the fact that this could very well be the last thing she ever saw. It wouldn't be the worst way to die, but it would be ironic; killing yourself before you get killed. Because Aspen couldn't be killed by anyone. She was too proud to let that happen. She couldnt let that happen.

But what she could do is give Katniss and Peeta a better chance of getting out of here.

She took the pen Charles gave her out of her pocket. She wondered what it felt like to be stabbed with a sword. Having a heroic death would certainly be better than a pity one, at least.

Aspen clicked the pen. A big, white sword shot out of it before she knew it, and she now held the sword in her hand. It was bigger than any of the swords they supplies here, and certainly heavier.

What if she just let it fall into her skin?

Katniss and Peeta wandered into the cave, Peeta leaning on Katniss for support. Pen put the sword down and went over to help.

By the looks of it, Katnisses's stitches weren't that great. But, she didn't think she could have done any better.

"Nobody's gonna find you in here." Katniss told Peeta. He looked up at her.

"They already found me." He said.

"You need medicine." Aspen said. Peeta scoffed.

"I'm not gonna get many parachutes."

"Well figure something out. Something." Katniss said, trying to look on the bright side. She then bent down and kissed his cheek, and Aspen stood up for the other end of the cave.

"Here." She said. She picked up some of the leaves she had gathered and started wrapping them around Peeta's leg like Rue did for her and Katniss. It wouldn't help much, but it's all they had for now.

Peeta fell asleep quickly afterwards.

"You're avoiding me." Katniss said, staring at Peeta. Aspen looked over at her, the two girls being the only ones awake in the cave.

"I'm not avoiding you." Aspen said.

"I know why you are. I'm sorry about Michael."

Aspen shrugged.

"We didn't get along." She pointed out. Maybe if she looked on the negatives for Michael, it wouldn't hurt as much. She wouldn't feel as guilty.

"I know your upset-"

"I'm not upset." Pen cut Katniss off. Katniss looked over at her, and Pen stared.

"I want revenge." She said.

Katniss saw a look in Aspen's eyes she's never seen before. If she was being honest, it scared her. She didn't know what Aspen was capable of when she was angry and vengeful.

The girls heard a small dinging that almost sound like a bird whistling. They left the cave and saw a small parachute, a sphere attatched to it like the one Kat and Pen got when they needed medicine.

Katniss opened up the sphere and pulled out a note.

YOU CALL THAT A KISS?
-H

Aspen smirked and pulled out a container, initially thinking it was medicine. But, when she saw that it was just broth in the container, she realized what Haymitch meant.

You want more soup, better sell the show.

Aspen handed Katniss the container, and Katniss turned and headed back into the cave. Aspen was just about to when she stopped, hearing the same dinging sound that she just heard when Katnisses's parachute arrived.

When Aspen looked up, she saw another parachute on its way down. She reached up to grab it, and carefully opened up the sphere.

DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.
-C

Aspen put the note aside and pulled a lighter out of the sphere. Charles must've saw her struggling to light a fire.

He also must've knew what Aspen was thinking when she clicked the pen he gave her.