A/N

DOUBLE UPDATE! (yeah it's short but there aren't a lot of tributes left in the arena)

~~~

"Hello." It was a whisper, a sound from a girl laying down on the ground with spider bites the size of golf balls. "My name is Rosaline Cee. I am from District Eleven." With each word, her breath got more and more hasty. She knew she needed to say what was on her mind, because there was no way her spider bites were going to go away.

"I was reaped for the 54th games and was thrown into an arena to play as a pawn in the Capitol's TV show." 

Rosaline's head rested on a rock, and she let her hands down from her side. She winced, but kept them down. Blood rolled down her skin and she could feel the venom flowing deeper inside her. Each word was even harder and harder to say.

"I didn't want to die. Not like this. I wanted to win. I wanted to go home and live at my district in peace. All the peace I could ask form, at least. I believed that I could escape the mess of Panem once and for all-"

Her last word ended with a scream as she felt the poison reach her hand. Her words were even quieter from them.

"-but that's not going to happen."

She repeated her words words again.

"My name is Rosaline Cee. I am from District Eleven. I was reaped for the 64th games and was thrown into an arena to play as a pawn in the Capitol's TV show."

She paused, and a tear streamed down her face.

"The Capitol's murder."

Her mouth didn't close once she said the last word even quieter. Her bites were still bleeding, and her eyes closed. It wasn't reflex, it was choice. She had wanted to die peacefully, but in her opinion, she said what needed to be said. She needed to affect the audience.

When she died, she didn't know that she did. Even if it was just a small spark.

***

"We shouldn't have left Kelvin," said Zane. They had no backpack, but a bunch of supplies. Zane and Amethyst had each taken off their jackets and tied them together so they could put their supplies in them and they could carry them around. It felt nice since it had been extremely hot then.

"Why not?" Amethyst asked, stepping over a large log. Zane jumped over it right after. "He needed the rest."

"Yeah, I know, but still. It makes me feel like we're abandoning him."

"Abandoning? We're coming right back!"

"Hopefully," Zane muttered under his breath.

"Don't say that," said Amethyst. She tried to hide her fright. "I don't want to think like that."

Zane looked up from the ground and into Amethyst's light blue eyes. He tried to force a weak smile, but it didn't come out the way he hoped. Amethyst didn't even try, because she knew it wasn't going to come out right. She looked away from him, and painfully back on the ground.

"As allies, we agreed to protect each other until we die," said Zane. "and I'm not breaking that promise I made to Kelvin. And you." And without notice, Amethyst stopped. She looked back up from the ground and back to the boy from her district. Then, she wrapped her arms around him. She needed a friend, somebody she could count on. She was even more than grateful to have two of them. Zane felt the same way. She was didn't want to cry, but she did. Just a little. 

They let go of each other and Amethyst wiped the tears from her eyes before Zane could see. She should have kept them down, and she would have saw the tripwire that Zane was about to step on as he took a few steps forward. He tripped over it, and flew up into a net hung from the tree before he could even take another breath.

***

She stared at the crying boy. She didn't know why, but she did. Fiona wanted to help him, she really did, but she was scared that he would attack her. So she waited behind a tree, debating what to do. He had a weapon, but she didn't think he was the type to use it. She couldn't remember his name, or what district he came from, but she could tell he was gentle. He was crying in a forest, alone after all.

Then, her foot hit a branch. She winced, and cursed under her breath. The boy's head turned to her and she hid behind the tree, trying to make it cover her whole body. He wasn't really crying anymore, and held up a sharp, shiny knife. Fiona gulped.

"Who's there?!" He asked. "Show yourself!"

Fiona had no choice. She prayed that he wasn't going to throw the knife as she stepped behind the tree, her hands in front of her, showing mercy to the boy. He kept the knife up, debating if he should throw, but Fiona kept trying to convince him otherwise. Finally, after silently pleading for him to put the knife down, he did.

Fiona sighed in relief. "I don't mean any harm," She said nervously.

"Are you sure?" The boy asked, as nervous as her. She nodded. Finally, he dropped the knife onto a log. "Why are you here?"

"I-uh-heard you crying," Fiona answered awkwardly. The boy's face turned as red as blood. "I'm Fiona."

"Alexsandr," The boy said. Fiona looked Alexsandr in the eye as she cautiously got closer and squatted down on the ground.

"District Three?" She asked. Alexsandr shook his head.

"No, eight." Fiona silently wondered how she could be so stupid and mistake him with the fallen tribute from three. "You?" 

"Nine." Alexsandr nodded, then looked down at the ground, not paying attention to Fiona.

"Um," Fiona started. She didn't know if she wanted to ask. "why were you crying?"

Alexsandr lowered his head further, and fidgeted in his seat. He didn't know how to answer. Could he trust her? Should he whip out his knife? He was stuck. Finally, he decided to tell the truth. "I miss my family back in my district. I had hallucinations with them and I just want it to end." He held his hands together awkwardly, wondering if he made the right choice.

She didn't judge him in the least bit, she understood. "I miss my sister." She didn't tell him that she couldn't ever see her again, even if she won the games.

Alexsandr didn't tell her that he didn't want to go back in a way. He didn't want to confront Cassandra again, even if winning made her love him, he wouldn't accept it anymore. It was too late. "Yeah," was all he said.

They hadn't realized they had just become allies. Woof didn't need to help Alexsandr, not then.