Chapter Two

"Hi, Whytt." Said the bubbly voice that came from next to me.

"Hello, Rachel." I replied with a smile, her happiness contagious.

"Do you want to go check on the canaries with me? It was supposed to me and Ethan's turn, but he bailed on the last second."

"Sure, I haven't done that in awhile anyways." I accepted.

"Great!" she beamed her eyes sparkling.

"So, how's Katniss?" she asked when we started down the mine tunnels. Rachel had watched over Katniss when Terra was pregnant with Prim and after she had given birth. Then, she was still young enough to enter the Games, but now she worked down in the mines. "I haven't seen her in such a long time."

"She's doing fine, she tried to go out hunting this morning when I was leaving for work." I replied, a small smile forming on my lips when I recounted the memory.

"Did she really think she would get past you?" she laughed.

"I guess so." I said when we came upon the first cage.

The yellow canary hopped on the bottom if it's cage, singing happily as it searched the floor for seeds. Rachel reached down into her pocket and pulled a small, rough sack that was closed with a piece of twine. The bird flew onto the roost that swung slightly at the top of the cage when she opened the door and poured the contents onto the metallic floor. When she had withdrew her hand the bird chirped a more high pitched song as it greedily ate the grain it had been given.

"I wish I could let you go, you shouldn't be locked in this little cage." Rachel told the bird sympathetically.

"Rachel, you know that we need the birds in here though." I said when we made our way to the next cage.

"I know, its just sad to see the poor things stuck in a cage underground when they should be flying on the other side of the Fence." she said sadly.

"Maybe they will someday." I said hopefully.

"Maybe." she murmured and then stopped in her tracks. "Do you hear that?" she asked frantically.

I strained my ears before replying, "Hear what?"

"Exactly!" she screeched and took off down the tunnel.

"Rachel!" I called, but she continued on, "Damn it Rachel." I hissed before taking off after her.

When I made it down the tunnel I found the girl standing eerily still in front of the next cage. "Rachel!" I called again, short of breathe from the sprint. "What were you thinking?" I demanded when I stood next to the young miner.

"It's dead." she whispered, never even looking at me.

"Pardon?" I asked confused.

"The canary, it's dead." she said more loudly and stepped aside to where I could clearly see. At the bottom of the cage rested a small bundle of brightly colored feathers with two legs sticking straight out.

"We need to get out of here, now." I said, fear evident in my voice. Grabbing Rachel by the shirt I hauled her down the tunnel at a frantic sprint, my heart racing with adrenalin.

As we got closer to the main part of the mine I began to scream, "Get out! Get out now!" All of the miners looked at me in confusion, but some obeyed and started to head towards the elevator shaft.

"Hey, what's going on?" the deep voice of Crusis Yule, head of the mines, demanded.

"Sir," I explained, exasperated, "The mines, they're filled with fumes that will kill us all if we don't get out now."

"Ha, and where's your proof?"

"The canary," Rachel butted in, "We found the canary dead in it's cage."

"Impossible, I've worked these mines for twenty years and not once have I had a problem with fumes." he said in a matter of fact tone.

As he turned to leave Rachel argued, "Why don't you get off your high horse and listen? Everyone in this mine is going to die if we don't evacuate now!"

Faster than anyone deemed possible, Yule spun around and gave a blow to Rachel that knocked her onto her knees. Coughing with shock and pain Rachel spit out a small clot of blood and looked down at the ground, scared she would receive another blow if she looked up.

"Why don't you listen when I say, 'No one is leaving this mine?" he questioned and kicked coal dust and dirt onto her bruised face.

"Hey, no one does that to her!" I shouted, making my way over to the man. Several of the miners had to restrain me as I tried to beat him, his stupid grin plastered on his face.

"You wouldn't dare." he laughed.

"Oh, but I would." I spat between clenched teeth, trying to shrug off the three men who held me.

"I would like to see you try." he taunted.

His dare was the last thing I needed, slipping between the men I ran up to him and punched him harder than how he hit Rachel. By that time all the miners began to shout and pull me off of the bleeding Yule.

"Let me go!" I screamed, but we all stood still and silent when a tremor ran through the ground.

"What was that?" Yule demanded as he dabbed the blood from his broken nose.

"Fume build up." I replied, looking down the tunnel I had just come from. "Everyone out now!" This time no one questioned me and frantically made their way towards the elevator shaft.

"Move! Me first!" Yule squealed like a pig who was frantically trying to get away from the butcher.

"Whytt!" I heard someone scream from behind me. From the mob of people I saw Rachel hunkered down on the ground, covering her head with her hands as she was almost trampled on by the fleeing miners.

"Rachel!" I called as I pushed past the stampede of miners. "Rachel." I said gently once I was crouched down next to her.

As I began to pull her up on her feet I heard one more grumble and then a blast of air that rattled my bones. Somehow, by some miracle from God, the elevator made it to the top of the shaft and was slowly coming down. Time seemed to slow down as miners, who had no faith, wept and prayed to God that the elevator would reach them in time. But, immediately after the blast of air, the explosion came; coal dust sprayed out of the depths of the mine and those who wore short sleeves were ripped clean of their skin. Rocks tumbled down from the perfected structure and crushed the remaining survivors. Screams continued to echo through the mines, screams of pain, screams of terror, screams of miners who knew their spouses would be widowed.

Me, I don't remember much of the explosion, I remember the pain though. The pain from the dust ripping at my face. I remember her screaming, she wanted me to save her. I tried, I tried to save the girl, and yet, all my efforts were in vain. I failed myself, Rachel, Galen, and all of the miners in the mine.

As I thought these things, I was knocked out, whether it was from pain or a rock, I'll never know. All I know is that I blacked out in the middle of the explosion, never to hear the sounds of the miners again.

Did Rachel survive? Were there any survivors at all? What really caused the explosion? Tell me what you think should happen and, you never know, you may see your prediction in the next chapter;) ~God Bless

Ninja Out