Tristan's Point of View
I saw her, lying on the ground, reaching out an arm toward the mutt with Emilia's eyes. This was exactly what I was afraid of. I knew she would never kill anything that resembled her friend.
"Stop thinking, Tristan, just act," I scolded myself.
I grabbed my knife from my belt that I stole from Denmark and whipped it into the final mutt's back. Celia's body lay motionless on the cold cave floor, her eyes shut tightly. "No, no Celia. Don't leave me," Tears leaked out of my eyes. I stroked her tangled ponytail. She looked so much like Helena, my own daughter. They were both much too young to be exposed to something like this, a televised fight to the death. I lifted her off the floor and held her in my arms to try and warm her frail body.
Boom.
"No, no, no no no no no!" I panicked. "You're okay, Celia! You're fine!" I ripped off part of my sweater and pressed it onto her bleeding shoulder. I promised myself I would protect her; I promised her I would protect her! I would never forgive myself if something happened to her now.
"Mmm," she whimpered.
"Celia! Celia, you're alive," I sighed. But she was still unconscious. And if that cannon wasn't for Celia, then it was for one of the other two remaining tributes. Well, now there was only one.
I needed to move if I was going to put Tally and Grim's plan into action. An unconscious ally wasn't going to stand in my way. Scooping Celia from my arms to over my shoulder, I began to run. Now, I consider myself a pretty fit person, but carrying an extra person on your shoulder while sprinting is no easy task, especially when you are dehydrated and starved. But there's no going back now. The remaining tribute will be out for blood, and you can bet the Gamemakers would be trying to herd us together.
I ran until I thought a lung would burst. I ran until I physically couldn't anymore. We were so close to the waterfall! I was losing hope when the miracle occurred. Celia woke up.
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Celia's POV
I slowly blinked my eyes open. "Tristan?" My throat was so dry, my voice squeaked.
"It's me," He smiled and I noticed the sweat trickling down his forehead.
"Where are we? Where are my parents and Cable and Emilia and.."
"Celia..." Tristan interrupted softly. "You were dreaming. We're still in the arena, we are in the Hunger Games."
My vision went black once again.
I was back in Emilia's lap, huddled next to Tristan. "Why are you back here?" Emilia hissed.
"Celia, I know it's hard. But I need you to be strong. Can you do that? For me?" Tristan asked softly.
"How can I? How can I go back there when I have anything I could ever want right here," I whimpered, enjoying my friend's presence.
"We'll always be with you," Emilia's expression softened. "No matter where you are."
We'll always be with you. Always. Always.
..................,.....
I opened my eyes to the dimly-lit cave; the arena. Tristan stood worriedly over me. "Celia?"
"Yeah, it's me," I sighed. Emilia was gone, again. That's what really killed me, I thought. Thinking I had her back, seeing her, and then watching her being yanked away again. I felt a tear trickle down my cheek, and quickly swiped at it with the back of my hand.
"Celia? Are you okay?" Tristan asked, concerned. "You were kind of... whimpering... while you were unconcious."
"Well, it was just a dream. What does it matter anyway?" I answered harshly. Tristan was taken aback, he didn't expect me to react so sharply. "Look, I'm sorry, okay?" I apologized, and Tristan nodded in acceptance.
"Now, come on. We have a Hunger Games to win!" Tristan laughed at my sudden change of mood, and handed me the ladder to carry.
I was putting up a front, of course. I wasn't really enthusiastic, I just wanted to get out of this arena. Tristan seemed to have a plan, and it was my job to help him put it into action. There would be time to wallow in self-pity later.
"While you were out..." Tristan began as we continued to make our way through the tunnel.
"Yes?" I gestured for him to continue.
He took a deep breath, "Another cannon went off." I stopped in my tracks. There were only three of us left. It was almost unbelievable, really.
"We should be ready for anything, then," I commented and started walking again, increasing my pace since I knew the Gamemakers would be unleashing their grand finale on Tristan and I anytime now. "You do realize, Tristan, that only one of us will make it out of here alive."
Tristan stopped walking and pulled me close to him, and he knelt down so he could whisper in my ear quietly, too soft for the cameras and microphones-that covered the arena-to hear. "If this plan works, it won't have to be like that."
"But-"
"Shush," Tristan covered my mouth with his hand. "Let's keep moving."
I nodded, and we pushed onwards. Finally, we reached the end of the tunnel, where the waterfall once stood. Our view of the waterfall was now blocked by a giant mass of rock. The giant pool of lava that was created by the earthquake was still there; it seemed like we had reached a dead end. Upon a closer look, I realized the land that we were standing on was drifting steadily closer to the land at the opposite side of the cavern. The land we were standing on was acting as a boat and bringing us across the lava lake. "This movement must have been caused by the second earthquake," I reasoned to myself. Tristan, undisturbed by my mumbling, was tapping his foot impatiently on the rock beneath us.
"We're moving too slowly!" He grumbled. "Any minute now, the Gamemakers will-"
As if on cue, a giant, cone-shaped nest fell from the stone ceiling. "Tracker Jackers!" I screamed, identifying the bee-like mutations that swarmed from the nest. Tristan glanced around frantically, trying to spot an escape route. We were only metres away from the other side of the cavern, but there wasn't enough time to wait for our make shift boat to reach shore. We couldn't avoid the tracker jackers stingers forever.
"Grab my hand," Tristan ordered, palm outstretched. I grabbed on, just in time to be stung on the wrist by one of the mutations.
"Ow!" I squeaked. "Tristan, it stung me!"
"Just hold on!" Tristan screamed as he leaped from the side of the rock we had stood on to the rock where the waterfall once stood. I had flashbacks to a few days ago, when the first member of our alliance had died. Tale.
I heard the rumbling of the earth. Tale didn't look concerned, but I knew something was up. The earth split in front of us. Tale lifted me up and threw me over the lava, to land safely on the other side. I looked up just in time to see Tale leap and fall short of Riyla's outstretched hands, and fall, never to be seen again.
Tears fell down my cheeks. I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for Tale. He sacrificed his life for mine, and I would never be able to repay him.
Bam. Tristan and I crashed safely on the other side. I managed to cushion my injured shoulder, and the heat from the lava prevented the tracker jackers from following us. We both lay on the stone for a minute, enjoying the semi-peace. But we could only rest for a moment before we had to stand and push onward. We were still in the Hunger Games, with one other person. Tristan walked over to where the waterfall used to be. It seemed to be covered by a massive boulder, however, I noticed that if I listened closely I could still here the rumble of the rushing water. He examined the boulder carefully, probably trying to find a way around it. "Yes!" He exclaimed suddenly, and disappeared around one side of the boulder. "Celia, come here, quickly, and bring the ladder."
I jumped up excitedly and snatched the rope ladder from the ground. Tristan disappeared around the boulder again, but this time I followed him. Just like I expected, there was a small gap between the boulder and the cave wall that led to the concealed waterfall. The water was falling from above the ground, and the sun was shining above our heads. "Sun!" My pale skin welcomed it's old friend. Tristan laughed, and took the rope ladder from my hands. He grabbed a medium-sized rock from the ground that was very heavy and tied it to the extra rope that was hanging off of the ladder. "What are you-" I didn't have time to finish my sentence before Tristan drew his hand back and threw the rock-and the ladder-with all his might, towards the sunshine.
Most of the ladder still hung into the cavern. "The rock will make sure the ladder won't fall when we are climbing it," Tristan explained, and gave the ladder a good tug, and it didn't move an inch.
"We're gonna climb it?" I asked in awe. As if the Capitol heard me, and was angered, the waterfall's noise changed from a rumble to a hiss, and the pure water suddenly changed to acid.
"Climb!" Tristan ordered and helped me up the ladder. "Before the acid breaks down the rock!"
I quickly scampered up the ladder, and was greeted by a blinding light.
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An early update, just cause I felt like it.