Deep in the Meadow - Peeta Mellark X Reader

10. Devastating Loss

Only one pair can win.

If not a pair, then only one tribute.

My heart aches at the thought, and we keep walking, only stopping when we hear the obnoxious chattering of the careers. We tuck ourselves away, not wanting to face the confrontation. Sure, it was even number wise, but three lethal careers versus three underdogs was no match we wanted to face. Thresh can handle his own, but all I have is my knife, and Rue has nothing. We'd be at a severe disadvantage.

Once the coast is clear, we come up with a plan to take away their food source.

"We avoided them this time, but next time we won't be so lucky and our numbers will be lower. We take out their food supplies, weaken them. They've never gone hungry, they won't know what to do. By the next time there's a confrontation, they'll be weaker. At least, that's the hope. Peeta can wait, this needs to happen now while they're away from the cornucopia." I state, and the other two seem to be heavily on board.

However, no plan ever could go so perfectly.

The whole thing felt like a fever dream. A nightmare waiting to be over.

It went well at first, the food was destroyed, and the careers killed off the boy with the crutch, who I had been surprised made it this long. I suppose he was meant to watch over everything, and had set mines from the platforms around the supplies, set to go off if a tribute stepped on one while trying to steal from the pile.

The girl from five seemed to have known this, knowing exactly where to step and sneak away without being caught stealing. We used the platform to our advantage. I had been tucked away into a bush as Thresh and Rue set fires to keep the careers distracted, throwing rocks that I had collected at the mines. It was hard as I was far away, trying not to be caught by the boy with the crutches. Yet, even if he caught me, what could he do? Call out for the careers? Would they even hear him?

I move a little closer, chucking a rock as hard as possible. It flies, seeming to be another failed attempt, but the next thing I know, there's a loud explosion, the impact sending me backwards. I lost hearing in one of my ears, but I managed to get away before the careers could find me as they sprinted into the clearing. That's when Cato killed the boy.

I had waited by our designated meet up spot, not finding Rue or Thresh. I begin to grow concerned, wondering if they had abandoned helping me find Peeta and ran off on their own, or if I had missed cannons.

I have a sinking feeling in my gut, urging me to search our fire sites. That's when I had come across Rue. She was trapped in a net, and as I had freed her, Marvel hit her with his spear. The impact was lethal, and I instinctively threw my knife, hitting him directly through the heart, killing him instantly.

Rue had asked me to sing for her, and I couldn't stop myself from sobbing as I held her innocent body, watching the life slip away from it. I hadn't known her long at all, but she was too young. Too sweet, too innocent. I toss the cursed spear aside and begin placing flowers around Rue's small body, placing a few in her hair and in her tiny hands. She was the embodiment of a child. The childlike wonder in her eyes, the way she spoke, and even now, the way she lays in this bed of flowers, lifeless.

I close her eyes, unable to refrain from crying, and stick up three fingers, kissing them before holding them into the air, a final goodbye to my fallen, short lived, ally.

As I collect the knife from Marvel's body, Thresh comes sprinting through the trees. He takes in the sight, his face twisting and contorting as he tries to piece together what happened.

"He did this?" He asks angrily, and for a moment, I fear that my body will be laying on the ground next. But much like Marvel, I will have no one to sing to me or place flowers around me. I shake my head silently.

He stares at Rue, the flowers displayed around her, and I feel as though I can see tears forming in his eyes.

"This alliance is over, twelve." is all he says before he runs off back from where he came. I don't fight it, only thankful that he once again spared my life.

I set off to find Peeta on my own, the tribute number now down to six, if I am not mistaken. I lost track at this point as I try to recall all of the fallen tributes, trying to piece together who remains.

Me, Thresh, Peeta, Cato, Clove.. Who else?

The girl from five. That sneaky girl who I had told myself I would keep out an eye for. The one I had only seen at the cornucopia this morning. She was fast and slick, reminding me of a fox with her slyness and red hair.

I head towards the direction I believe Rue had pointed in, though I have no idea if this was it or not. I've lost all sense of direction. I'm all turned around. I can't hear out of one ear, my leg is starting to hurt again. The odds are starting to not feel in my favor.