At Wits End [Chase]

Marcelene Shumway

I watch in horror as the man runs a sword through him. Oh, Daniel. Precious, precious Daniel. I gaze at his unmoving body, sprawled across the floor. Why do the innocent always have to pay?

I glare up at the Capitol official, and can't help but think that I knew this was coming. From the day we set flight from District 11, I had known some day, we would die. But that most certainly did not make this any easier.

I stand, rooted to the spot, glaring into the official's eyes. If I go down, at least I will go down with dignity. He looks me over. The second he signals up to the hovercraft, I realize what he is doing. And I refuse to go along with it.

I run up to the man, and pound at his head. He whips around and quickly overpowers me. I am on the ground faster than I can say "Capitol." I see the shiny gleam of his knife just a second before he slams it into my chest...

I wake up just as I die. I cannot beleive I had dreamed it again. It's funny how the dreams continue to run, even after Daniel has died, because surely my world would end there. I gaze down at Daniel's sleeping face. It is blank and emotionless. I have to continually remind myself that he is asleep. Not dead. Asleep. But even then, I worry that I have not covered our trail good enough. Surely I had left behind something that would lead the capitol right to us.

I rub my eyes in exasperation. Daniel does not deserve this. He should be sleeping in a nice comfortable bed right now, not lying in a sleeping bag in the middle of the woods. It was terrible, what he had gone through.

I start when I hear movement far to my left. My heart stops, and my blood runs cold. Could it be? Has the Capitol really found us? But no. As soon as the noises started, they have stopped. Whoever it was, was not after us. But that didn't mean I wasn't curious. I gaze down into Daniel's face one more time before setting off, deeper and deeper into the woods.

About ten minutes later, the sounds have stopped. I can see a clearing through the steady line of trees, and I know this is where it has gone. I push apart some branches blocking my veiw, and gasp at what I see.

A boy is sitting in the middle of the clearing, muttering to himself. He then begins to pound his head into the ground, drawing a steady trickle of blood. But he does not stop there, oh no. He then pouns his fist into the ground where his head had repeatedly hit seconds prior, and started yelling. I decided enough was enough.

I strolled through the clearing, trying to look as light and care-free as possible. Umm, what in the hell are you doing out here so late?

Marcelene Shumway

I gasped, and took a large step back. This guy was kinda starting to freak me out. I glanced at his bloodshot eyes and shuddered. I could only imagine the kind of things that went on in his head. "And you can't stop me."

I had no idea what he was planning on doing next, to get himself out of this "Hell," but I had a bad feeling it wouldn't be that pretty. I couldn't stand here and watch him kill himself.

Before he could start beating himself again, I seized his wrists, and yanked him sideways, so that he was facing me. "Listen to me! Stop this! Why the hell are you out in the woods in the middle of the night trying to kill yourself! And don't give me that, trying to escape crap!