Haymitch woke me up at midnight and we traded for the watch. It sprinkled with rain a little and I inched closer to the walls to avoid the drops. A few times my concentration lapsed and I found myself staring at Haymitch or the wall, or anything else that just happened to be in my line of vision. My face felt a little tender, I assume I have scratches again, the dreams didn’t go away.

As the sunlight started to stream through the trees I heard a bird song and looked up. “Mockingjay?” I whispered in surprise.

You don’t see many of them anymore; the Capitol tries to hide the evidence of them. They were a mistake, never meant to exist and so they stand as a sign that the rebellion could still be alive, at least that’s what I assume they’re scared of. I have only ever seen a few, before they were shot out of the sky.

That’s the order in the Capitol; mockingjays are shoot on site birds. But they are so amazingly wonderful singers. They don’t sing for me, though I’ve never really tried, like I said, I have only ever seen a few.

They’re probably so angry that one even found its way into the arena, it made me smile. I saw something shiny fall through the trees, a parachute. It landed about two metres away from me and I just sort of stared at it for a moment.

I felt something land on my hand and I looked down to see that a tear had fallen. I inhaled sharply and let out a sob.

“I’m so close… I’m so close…” I whispered through the tears. “I have to finish this, I have to do it!” More sobs.

I opened the sliver container to find that it was full of creamy chicken soup.

This was the only chance.

“I have to do it… please understand… I’m sorry.” I cried some more as I reached into a pocket and took out my lipstick.

I smeared some on my lips before breaking off the tip and putting it into the soup and dissolving it with help from the spoon. I had to keep up the façade so I reached into my bag and pulled out the last of the plant root and took a large bite. Swallowing was hard because I was still sobbing. When I finally finished it and calmed down I threw a small piece of rubble at Haymitch.

He flashed his blade around and blinked rapidly before he sighed and lay back.

“We have breakfast.” I said.

He sat up and looked down at the silver bowl of steaming soup ravishingly.

“There are two spoons.” I smiled faintly.

“What kind is it?” He looked like he wanted to dig in right away but he wasn’t going to do it.

“Chicken.”

“Fancy.”

“Just eat, you look starving.” I said as I took a spoonful of soup and held it under my nose and breathed in deeply before opening my mouth and taking it in.

It was amazing, warm and creamy and it made my whole body sigh.

“How is it?” He asked.

“You better eat some soon or there won’t be any left.” I said as I took another spoonful with a big chunk of chicken on it.

He was quick to react. He downed about three spoonfuls in a second. We basically scoffed the soup and I didn’t stop spooning it into my mouth until I saw Haymitch slow down.

I looked over at him and he was blinking quickly and looking down with a confused look on his face. I was staring now, probably looking slightly guilty.

I was definitely looking guilty because Haymitch dropped his spoon and looked up at me with spite in his eyes. “What did you do?”

“I had to.” I choked the words and his body dropped, he was lying on his back and breathing heavily.

I leaned over him and put a hand on his chest. He tried to curse me but his words slurred.

“Everything will be fine.” I said as a tear fell down onto his jacket and his final breath left his body.

The cannon sounded.

I packed my sleeping bag quickly and kissed Haymitch’s forehead, a golden smear was left by my lips. It was the last day, it all ended today. This was it.

I headed in the direction that I thought the cornucopia was in, I knew that I’d be herded back there if I was going in the wrong direction. About midmorning I heard another cannon, I don’t know who it was, all I know is that there are only three of us left.

It was an hour later that I felt a breeze blowing from my right. It got stronger and stronger and when I heard a chilling howling sound I ran with it. I almost thought that I was going to fall, it was propelling me so quickly and I had to dodge the trees and shrubs and all sorts of other things. Then he came out of nowhere, and I collided with him. We both flinched at one another when we picked ourselves off the floor.

“Hey you’re that girl from the Capitol!” He pointed at me and I could see cuts on his face and his clothes were ripped.

I recognised his face; he was Haymitch’s friend from training, Michel.

My fingers twitched as I thought about my lipstick. Time to put on the act.

“You have to help me, please!” I cried, forcing the tears to well up in my eyes.

I stepped towards him.

“Whoa, whoa, there’s no time for that!” He put his hands up to try and keep me away.

“Please help me, I don’t want to die, please help!” I walked up to him and looked him in the eye.

I may have been faking the hysteria but it was hard to keep it that way, each tear, each pleading word, it all brought the panic to the surface. It didn’t stop my hand from reaching into my pocket and popping the top off my lipstick.

“Look, I can't help you!”

“Then let me help you.” This time I spoke with complete clarity.

He looked confused but before he knew it I had the lipstick at his mouth and was forcing the end inside. I put my finger inside his mouth to make sure he swallowed it. He chomped down on my finger and I kneed him in the groin to make him let go. As we separated I fell to the ground and watched as he tried to spit out the lipstick. It was too late; he only needed to swallow a little bit.

Soon enough he fell to his knees, clutching his throat and looking up at me in horror. I got to my feet and headed off again, I had to get to the cornucopia, there were two of us now, and in the pit of my stomach I’m sure I know who it is. Blaze.

I was right. I finally made it to the clearing with the cornucopia in the centre and she was waiting for me, her blonde hair flying wildly around her face as she stood on top of the golden structure.

She laughed madly when she saw me enter the clearing.

“I’ve been waiting for you, princess!” She yelled.

I watched her leap off and land with grace that I didn’t think she had. She walked towards me and I stood, almost frozen with fear, as she got closer. She stopped about five metres from me. Some of her hair was singed, she had scratches all over her face; it looked like she got caught up in the mist as well. Her grey blue eyes were tempestuous, her hair was windswept; she looked very unstable.

“Why me Blaze?”

“Because this’ll be a fun way to end the games, getting rid of you.”

“I suppose it is a bit of payback.”

“What are you talking about?” She snarled at me, showing her teeth like a rabid animal.

“I was the one who killed Cress.” I thought I heard a growl low in her throat.

“If we hadn’t gotten separated I would have at least made his death enjoyable, I bet you did it as revenge for killing your little lover boy.” I must have looked surprised because she laughed. “Yes, I know about him, we saw the two of you before we got caught up in that mudslide.”

“You’re right, it was revenge.”

“Hopefully it hasn’t taken too much out of you; I wouldn’t want this to be an embarrassment for you.” She sneered and I exhaled shakily.

“Don’t worry, it won’t be.”

“You think you’re so much better than me because you’re from the Capitol, well you know what? That makes you pathetic and weak and nothing you do now can save you.” As she uttered the last words she lunged for me.

Her body slammed into mine and we hit the floor hard. She clawed at my face; I felt her take some skin as her nails raked my neck. I grabbed her blonde hair and ripped at it. She screamed and I managed to get her off me as I flung the hairs off my fingers. She was right back at me again. I forced my hands into her face and her teeth found my hand.

I shrieked as she did so, I’m sure she broke something. I used my other hand to pinch her side. She recoiled in pain and rolled away; she must be bruised or burnt because I barely caught skin. I ran at her, she kicked out her legs and caught my shins, sending me crashing into the ground. My head hit the turf and I felt momentarily dizzy.

Before I knew what was happening she had my hair and was dragging me towards the cornucopia. She let me go, or maybe my hair tore away from my head, my adrenaline is pumping too much for me to feel it.

“Get on your feet!” She raged in a husky voice that I didn’t recognise.

I did as she said and she came at me again, I copped a punch to the face right as I managed to thump her in the stomach with my fist. I recovered faster and I managed to pin her down. I reached for my lipstick but she head-butted me and overpowered me, climbing over me again.

My fingers couldn’t close down on it, I couldn’t get to it. She was going to end like Cress, or I was. I built some strength inside me and kicked her off.

I slammed my fist into her face and she fell back into the cornucopia. She slumped down and lay motionless. I saw her chest rise and fall, she was still alive.

This was going to end badly either way. I thought frantically, Peeta. I turned around and thrust a fist into the air. I left it there and closed my eyes. My breathing slowed, I started listening to everything from the wind in the grass to the beating of my heart. I heard her stand and exhale in a frustrated snort. I heard her pull something out of her pack and my spare hand fluttered by the knives in the belt of my backpack.

I counted her steps… one…three…four… she was nearly on me and when I heard that fifth step my hand closed over the knife and I opened my eyes as I spun around. Her hatchet pierced my arm and grazed my side as I buried my dagger under her ribs. She gasped and I used my other arm to support her weight as she dropped her weapon and started breathing quickly. Blood started dribbling from her mouth and her once cold eyes had lost all of their ice and I felt like I was holding a scared child in my arms.

I slowly lowered her to the ground and held her hand as the light started to fade from her face. I leant in close and put my lips to her ear. I whispered so quietly that I know only the two of us heard.

“I’m sorry.” She looked up at me frantically before the hand that was gripping my arm went limp and her face lost all expression.

I pulled the knife out of her side and tossed it away. I heard her cannon go off and brushed my fingertips over her eyes as everything hit me.

Everything was spinning, her body seemed to get farther away from me with every second, Seneca Crane’s voice rang out in the background of my consciousness ‘congratulations to the winner of the 75th Quarter…’, a ladder descended in front of me and my hands reached out to take it, I was lifted into the air, and then I started crying, screaming, I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t see through the tears, but I was alive.