Final Breath (KATNISS'S FATHER ONESHOT)

Katniss's father, Simon, scrambled through the mines along with two of his best friends. Ronald and David. They were all running to the exit of the mine because one of the leaders of the mining field had announced a bomb threat from the Capitol. All of the workers were to either get outside or get to a safe spot in the mine.

Simon and his friends had been pretty much as far away as possible from the safe place inside the mine so they were trying to make it to the exit. “Simon you got your shovel with ya?” Ronald asked, obviously worried.

“No. Why? Do you need it?” Simon replied, fear in his eyes. He had left his shovel where they had been mining, not even thinking about bringing it. His friend didn't reply. “Ronald?”

“Yeah ….. we may be in trouble here ….” He said, rubbing his sweat stained forehead. He was looking around the corner of the cavern they had been walking through.

“Why what is-” Simon looked around where Ronald was looking and sighed with immense sadness. Rocks blocked the entire cavern. David came up and looked around the corner. He sighed, too tired to cry, and sat on a large boulder. “What are we going to do?” Simon asked, rubbing his temples.

“Dig,” Ronald said, already getting on to the ground and pulling rocks from where they were fixed. Simon followed and so did David but they all knew it was no use. Either they were going to die from the explosion or from suffocation. Either way Simon knew he was never going to see his wife again. He was never going to see his sweet Katniss again.

Blood eventually made it's way from Simon's fingernails from the hard work he had put in to getting out. The blood made stains on his olive skin as it spread. He slightly winced but then went back to clawing out the rocks, gasping with every pull from the pain of his wound.

Ronald was making quick success, finding the biggest rocks possible and prying them from their hold which would release an avalanche of more rocks from the top. There was already a small gap in the top but would it be enough? Would they make it out alive?

David was making poor progress, tired from his hard work. He was the oldest of the three and, therefore, had less amount of strength in him, let alone speed. He gasped with hard work but often it was more of a gag than a gasp. He choked on his own spit as he clawed more rocks from their holds, blood covering his hands in a thick layer of gooey, fresh, red liquid that was only increasing as the work ensued.

Eventually the men took a break from their extreme efforts, only to hear a voice booming from speakers built into the ceilings. “The bomb has been confirmed. The Capitol has warned us that they are going to drop it on us in 10 minutes for poor work efforts. We will try our best to get every man to safety. Good luck men. I-” The transmission was cut off from who knows what, maybe another rock avalanche.

“I love you, man.” Said David, patting Simon on the shoulder. His gaze was fixed with sadness and regret. He had a wife and 4 kids, 3 boys and a girl. He had so much to lose, so much to miss. Simon patted his shoulder in return and nodded his head, not being able to say anything without tears spilling from his eyes and staining his skin. “You were always the best of us,” he added with a reassuring smile. Simon nodded with thanks as he looked at the wall of rocks that still blocked their exit.

Simon, after short moments of grief, lunged at the wall and began to dig again. He threw rocks behind him as he tried his hardest to get him and his friends out of this pit of doom. The entire time he dug he remembered his daughters face as she rocked in his arms. She would smile the widest smile imaginable and hold on to his arm with all of her might. He had to see her again.

David and Ronald joined in soon after, only taking from the bottom no matter how small the rocks were. “5 minutes, men.” The intercom said. They must have got the problem fixed with the speakers. Simon, sweat pouring from his hair, pulled out one rock and it caused a major landslide to ensue. The rocks fell from the wall in a heap and landed directly on Ronald. They covered him and Simon couldn't see his face.

“Oh my God,” Simon said to himself, hands clinging to his hair as he charged for where Ronald was under the rocks. He repeated it several times as he uncovered Ronald's face. When he saw it there was blood from the corner of his mouth and his eyes were wide open in terror, in fright. His mouth bubbled with blood as Simon wept over him.

There was no time for grief. He had to get out of here. For his wife, for his daughter, for his family. He tugged away more rocks but failed to make the wall crash down. It was too late. He was pretty much dead no matter if his chest still moved in and out with the breath from his lungs. He would never see his loved ones again. Ronald was dead and David still clawed hopelessly at the debris. “10, 9, 8-” The intercom began, almost mocking him.

“7, 6, 5-” He remembered his daughter's face as he would tickle her sides before putting her to sleep.

“4, 3, 2-” He remembered her arms around his neck as he would hold her in his arms, walking around the house.

“1.” His last breath was used to utter one word. One word that meant the world to him.

“Katniss.” His vision went black.