firelight {my chemical flower} day 5

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The cannons are echoing into my ears over and over. Listening to the two shots just soon after I took a life to save my own. Surely the doc would justify it when it's in self defense. When I didn't attack first this time and when I was overwhelmed with the whole fight in general. My mind is clouded, listening to Sorrel's frantic calls to me and it seems that every games day, I'm being heralded by her to escape and I feel a sense of pride knowing that she hasn't felt the bit of a blade like myself. My body is used to the harsh conditions of district twelve, but to suffer from these wounds?

I'm only glad that she was spared despite the one gash on her arm that looks furious.

I hold onto the spear lodged in my chest and gasp out as I mount the sled once more. Tux's whines fill my ear as I urge him on, and it takes everything I have not to scream out with each turn we take and any sort of jostling of the wounds.

The edges of my vision want to waver again and just as last night, I don't want to succumb to the effects of growing unconscious. It's only time before I know my time will come to an end. It's only a matter of time before I can't do anything more to help Sorrel survive but at least I tried thus far.

"Sorrel..." My voice commands outward as we start to slow. I pull on the javelin still embedded in my chest and the action alone has my pain receptors caving in and my cowardice to leave it alone. I hiss out as when my partner helps me out. She sits by my person and as her eyes scan my wound and her hands go to touch the weapons handle, I place my hand against hers.

"How come you always end up pulling weapons out of my body?" I say, focusing on her eyes. I know what's about to happen.

"Why are you always being impaled?"

I find a gentle laugh really set the mood, drawing my lip up on one side into a foreign smile. "That I don't know. I have such charisma that people are launching themselves and their weapons at me?"

"You don't have to smile at them. Maybe just duck away?"

I shake my head. "Where's the fun in that though? Besides, you've got some really good bedside manner. I normally don't get that kind of treatment. You spoil me." A sudden movement has the javelin being yanked from my chest, and my body convulsed in response to it for a moment. I feel like I'm unable to cope with the pain as her weight is pressed against the wound and my eyes close while breathing becomes a mechanical thing.

"Sh... shit..." Unsure of how much time has passed, my chest was wrapped, the bleeding stopped for the moment as Sorrel busies herself to start a fire and suddenly the warmth returns after two days. The last time we had fire, it feels like forever. I miss those warm nights in district twelve sitting and sleeping in front of the fireplace with the rest of my family. I miss those nights where Josiah would sneak into my room to seek warmth because his family couldn't chop enough wood to survive the night.

"Hey, Sor - will you come sit by me." I put my arm out for her, being careful not to move too much so the stitches don't rip out. My leg aches more than it should and it's something that I don't want to cause mention to right now. All I know, is that after today, mercy is something that isn't part of the games anymore. The last thing I saw really started to bother me more than taking the final blow on that girls life at the end. "Talk to me. Get my mind else where please."