She helped Rue. I had to lead Cato away. I'm not completely sure why I did it, because she would kill me no hesitation if we were in the final two, so why didn't I just kill her than? It would have been so easy. Just like that district two girl, Clove. But I didn't when she told me she sang to Rue. Poor little Rue. That district two brat deserved it, she killed something so innocent. She killed one of the only good things left in this world. I guess I couldn't kill her because something told me she made Rue's final moments a little easier.

But not killing her is one thing; leading the biggest competition in the games away from her is completely different.

I trudge just outside the meadow in the forest that borders it. I've been walking for a few days, but I'm not sure how many. Hopefully, Cato is following me too. I'm exhausted. I have only stopped a few times for a few minutes. The ran falls heavily, no doubt the gamemakers doing for me and Cato to make it harder to travel. Anything they can do to make us a little more miserable, they'll do. My feet make loud slushing noises as I walk. I don't care if Cato hears me, or if he's stalking me right now. I can be just as big of a problem to him as he is to me.

I whistle Rue's four note tune to the mockingjays. They're quick to reply and start adaption it into something completely different as it travels from bird to bird. All of the sudden though, they stop. Mockingjays will only quiet down if they're is danger. I pull out my sword, knowing Cato must be near. I hear a twig snap behind me.

"Hello, eleven." I hear Cato say. I look over my shoulder and smirk.

"Hello, two. Come for revenge on your little district partner?" I say. Cato's face turns bright red and his jaw clenches. "Well, just so you know, the gamemakers would have never let you both live. They would never do that. They probably were going to make you kill each other at the end for exta entertainment seeing you two have to kill each other. I can tell you loved her, and so can they."

He snarls at me, "Sounds like them, but don't act like you didn't wished your little friend lived so you could go home with her." He says, trying to hurt me like I did him.

"I'll admit it; I did." I turn around, facing him. He looks pretty fit. The sponsors were probably feeding him well. But I've been taking pretty good care of myself too, and I'm a good few inches taller than him. But I'm not looking to win. I can't go home without Rue. I could have protected her. I could have told her to come with me instead of telling her to run into the woods until I could find her.

"Ready?" Cato asks, pulling out a sword, "Don't go easy on me. I want to have some fun."

I may not want to make it out of this fight alive, but I'm still not going down without a fight.

Our swords clash with a loud bang. We push into each other's swords, trying to push them into the other's face. Then Cato releases. He ducks out of the way as I trip. He's on the ground and as I bring my sword down on him, he slices my ankles and jumps out of the way. Blood flows heavily and starts to cover my pants, but I don't look to examine the damage. I swing my sword, cutting Cato's chest, but barely. He takes on of his arms and presses it against the wound. I can barely hear him gasp from the pain. So he's not invincible.

He shakes his head and gives me and evil smile, "You're gonna pay for that."

Then he quickly swings his sword with his free hand. I block it with mine before it can cut my stomach open. I lock it with his and roll my wrist around, knocking the sword out of his hand. His grin gets bigger and he lunges at me. He knocks me onto the ground. He moves my arms tight next to my body to make it impossible to grab a sword or punch him. His arm is covered in blood from his wound. Maybe it will end up killing him after this.

"This is going to be good," He says to me, "Hear that? Finally something for you people to watch!" He then yells into the sky.

He then directs his attention back to me. He gives me and evil smirk and pulls out a knife.

"See this. I took this off of Clove. This one was one of her favorites. I thought it would be suiting for you to be killed by one of her weapons." He holds the knife right in front of my face, "I thought about killing you with a rock, so you could get a taste of your own medicine. But then I though 'that wouldn't be as painful'."

"This is a death game. She was going to die sooner or later. It was going to be her or you." I snarl.

"How do you know I was planning on winning? How do you know I didn't come just to protect her and get her home?" He yells. I think I can see tears collecting in his eyes. So he does have a heart. He didn't just come for the fun of killing like the other careers do. He's different. Cato takes a deep breath, "Okay, I'm tired of waiting. Let's get started, shall we?"

He holds the knife to my cheek and then slowly starts sliding it down. I start at him coldly, trying not to show any pain.

"You killed someone important to me, I killed someone important to you." I growl. I spit blood into his face. He wipes it away.

"Well, I'm getting the last laugh." He whispers. He holds the knife high above his head and brings it down hard on my heart.

And then everything goes black.

They're a light. Far away I can see it. It seems to be the only way out of this tunnel. So I walk towards it.

"Threst." I hear a voice say far off in the distance. The voice is soft and calm. It almost sounds like...Rue!

I start running at full sped towards the end of the tunnel, "Rue!" I call. She responds with the same tone of voice. She keeps telling me to come. She tells me it's alright to keep going.

I get there, and see her. She wears a white dress that brushes her ankles. Her feet are bare and there is a little mockingjay hopping around them. When I get closer, the bird flutters up and alights on her shoulder.

"Rue...But I thought you were..."

"I am. And you're too." She explains calmly.

"So it is real isn't it?" I ask and she nods, "Are my parents here?" She smiles and then I see my mom and dad walk towards me from the distance. I smile. A real smile, for the first time in years. I can't help myself from running to them.

I crash into their embrace, tears in my eyes.

"You're safe now." My mother whispers into my ear. I nod, closing my eyes.

"Let's go home." My father says, gesturing towards the pearly white gates. I take Rue's hand and we walk together into heaven.