𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 ☘︎ 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 ☘︎ 14

"We know Thresh took off, Cato's gonna be by the cornucopia, he's not gonna go some place he doesn't know. Foxface, she could be anywhere, watching and listening."

That morning, Austin had taken a liking to food again, which meant we had to go hunting because we didn't have much left. All the sponsor's food was long gone.

So right then, we were trekking through the woods, trying to find somewhere good to start. I was so happy to see Austin doing better, because now, he could walk and he only had a slight limp.

"We better hunt round here," I say, taking out my weapons.

"Okay, I'll take the axes," Austin says. It's only when he chuckles that I realise he's joking. "I'm only kidding, I'll just pick some stuff over here."

He and I split up as I go out into the woods, reminded irresistibly of the morning before the reaping. I shut this down immediately, though. I can't afford to think of home now.

I quietly tip toe through the woods with my axe hand outstretched, weapon, of course, clasped in it. I try to get the boy from One out of my mind, but I can't. It rips your soul apart to kill people.

Suddenly, the boom of the cannon jolts me to life and I turn. "Austin!"

I'm so terrified that he's dead, that Cato or Thresh has him. Oh, I've been so stupid- why did we split up?

"Austin!" I shout louder, tears coming to my eyes. Suddenly, I see some berries lying on his jacket in the clearing. At first glance, this is fine, but not when I see what type they are. My father's voice comes back to me.

"Not these, Willow, never these. They're nightlock. You'll be dead before they hit your stomach."

"Austin! Austin!"

I sprint towards nothing just as I crash into him. "Woah, are you okay?"

"I heard the cannon-" I cry. Then I notice the berries in his hands. "That's nightlock, Austin! You'll be dead in a minute!" I bat the berries out his hands and hug him tightly. "You're so stupid, god damn you," I whisper to him.

"I didn't know," he whispers back.

However, I soon find out who's cannon it was that went off.

Personally, I was hoping for Cato, or even Thresh, but no. It's her. She's just lying there, so peaceful, her eyes big and glassy and her mouth slightly stained by nightlock Berry juice.

Nina.

☘︎☘︎☘︎

"I never even knew she was following me," I'm dimly aware of Austin saying behind me.

"She's clever," I say, tears starting to sting in my eyes. "Cleverer than any of us- she's...amazing."

Austin frowns at me, and I sigh, briefly explaining Nina and my brief alliance with her.

"So, in the end, it was her wits that killed her," I say slowly. "She must've assumes that if you were going to eat them, they were safe."

I nod to the berries in his hand.

He sighs. "Shows how much I know, right?"

I nod.

"Though, we'd be dead too if we'd tried them," Austin begins, but I shake my head. "Oh, of course, you recognised them. What did you say they were called again?"