Chapter Three

'The female tribute for the next Hunger Games is... Katniss Everdeen.'

A small, frail girl with a black braid slowly moved her way through the crowd, her cadaverous face stared down at the ground. In her hands she held a small medal, the blue ribbon that it hung on was wrapped around her wrist like a bracelet.

'Well, come on up here dear.' the accented voice of the woman called sweetly to the girl.

With the help of a lone man next to the stage, Katniss climbed up the rickety steps and stood next to the pink woman among a crowd of dull greys and blues.

'Now, where on earth did you get that beautiful medal?" the Capitol lady asked her with forced awe.

'President Snow gave it to me.' she choked into the microphone.

'And why would he give you that?'

'My father died in his mines, he died serving District Twelve and I received his medal of honor.'

'What a tragic story.' the woman cried, 'I hope you win the games so you can return to your family.'

When the girl looked up, every crowd member had kissed their three fingers and raised them in farewell. Another child of District Twelve was sent to the slaughter house, never to return.

"Katniss!" I tried to scream but the coal dust that had found its way into my mouth made the name sound more like a cough.

When I opened my eyes everything was black, I blinked to make sure my eyes were open but the darkness was still there. I looked around from left to right, looking for something to tell me where I was, I didn't even know if I was upside down or right side up. Thinking quickly, I spit and the saliva came back and hit me between the eyes, right side up.

Now that I knew what position I was in I reached up with my arms and felt for anything that was on top of me. My arms went up about a foot and then my hands hit something rough and solid. I pushed on it, thinking I could move it, but the only thing I did was jiggle the rock and send dust into my eyes. After several minutes I finally gave up, my arms burned and my breathing came out as scratchy rasps.

"Hello?"

I froze. "I'm imagining this." I murmured to myself.

"Is someone under here? I saw the rock move."

"Rachel?" I whispered.

"I just imagined it." I heard her say to someone.

"Rachel I'm sorry, but I don't think Whytt's alive."

"No! I'm here! Rachel!" I screamed, trying to move the rock again.

"Whytt?" Rachel called. I could hear her moving aside rocks, sending more dirt and dust into my face. "Whytt!" she called, her face peered down from the gap she had created and then disappeared again. "Someone help me with this!"

I heard two pairs of feet rush over to where I was buried and the rock suddenly began to move. When it was up high enough I pulled myself out of the rubble and the two men dropped the rock, grunting when the weight was gone.

Before I could even stand up there was a flash of soot and a weight was suddenly flung on me, knocking me on my back.

"I thought you were dead!" Rachel cried as she wrapped her arms around my kneck.

"Rachel, I was almost crushed by a rock, I'm being crushed again." I rasped.

"Sorry!" she apologized and backed up, helping me to my feet.

"So how many survives are there?" I asked, looking around at the four men who stood in a group behind Rachel.

"What you see, is all we have, we haven't found anymore survivors yet." Rachel said mournfully.

Then it struck me, "Galen."

"Who's Galen?" Rachel asked.

Without explaining myself I took off towards the medical tent, running down the hall and into the empty room.

"Whytt!" Rachel called.

When I reached the place where the medical tent had been I froze, devastated by the sight I saw. Where the room had been there was merely rubble and the fabrics from the entrance. In the middle of the pile I saw a hand reaching out to anyone who would save them. I fell on my knees, not having the strength to stand when I saw Galen's destroyed hand in the pile of dust.

Suddenly, I felt someone kneel down next to me and wrap their arm around my shoulder. I didn't care who it was, though I knew who it was, I cried into her shoulder.

"Whytt, I'm so sorry." Rachel whispered.

"He was my friend, and this was the one thing he was scared of, dieing and leaving his wife widowed." I cried.

"I know, but we need to get out of here."

"Not until I can bury him." I protested, pulling away.

"Whytt, you know this place, there is no ground soft enough to dig six feet under. And," she continued on more softly, "Do you really want to remember your friend deformed from the trauma the explosion has possibly given him?"

I looked at the pile of rubble and tried to picture my friend, smiling and giving snide comments to the Peacekeepers. Rachel was right, I didn't want my last memory of him being beaten beyond recognition.

"Then let's go then." I said gruffly and stalked out of the cave, Rachel struggling to keep up.

"Okay," I said once I had gotten to the main hall where the explosion happened, "Now that we're trapped in here, I'm going to need to know your names to make it easier."

"Easier to do what?" the eldest of the group asked.

"To get out of here." I replied with a smirk, "To start things off I'm Whytt Everdeen and this is Rachel Blanche."

"I'm Firn Nairn." the first man replied.

"Okay and you." I nodded to a gruff looking man.

"Tiberius Saltcoat."

"Ramsey Aldjoy

"Atlas Cronin, sir." the last boy stammered, looking down at the floor.

"Tell me Atlas, how old are you?"

"Eighteen sir, just started here a week ago."

"He's in shock." Rachel whispered, "We found him with his head pinned under a rock suffocating from the coal dust around his face."

"I see." I whispered back, still looking at the boy. "Alright, now that we know names, who knows a way out?"

No one responded, Firn scratched his head while Tiberius cracked his knuckles, Ramsey just stared at me and Atlas was muttering something to himself that was inaudible to all of us.

"Fantastic. But let me rephrase that, who has an idea as to get out of here?" Again, nothing.

"Whytt," Ramsey spoke up, "There is no way out, all of the tunnels have either collapsed or have been filled with debris."

"Have you checked to make sure?"

"Well, no, but it's the most logical answer."

"Then how do you know there's no way out? Tell me, do you have a family?"

"A girlfriend Dixie."

"Alright, do you want to see Dixie again? Maybe, marry, Dixie?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then I suggest you go and see if all the tunnels are blocked if you want to see her again."

"Yes sir." and he raced down one of the tunnels to check for any possible ways to escape.

"Now, anymore stupid remarks?" I asked the group, clapping my hands together. "No, good."

"They're coming for me." Atlas began to mumble. "The earth and air have failed, water and fire are all that remain. They know I have it."

"Atlas, who are coming for you?" I asked the boy.

"Them, always, and forever, Them."

Hello! Sorry for the update but here's a Hunger Games Christmas present for you! I saw Catching Fire again yesterday and I realized I hadn't updated this in a while do I did! Hope you enjoyed and I now have an Instagram for my Wattpad account called scottish_ninja. It just has pictures of all of my characters on there. It would mean a lot if you guys would check it out. ~God Bless

-Ninja Out