The End; Always the End

Chapter eight:

I'm tackled. My head is hit pretty hard, and best to my luck it was on a rock. I look up, and there's Fugy. His eyes are showing that he's really scared. I'm surprised he could find the courage in that, but who's to question? He did it, and that's all I need. I bet the Careers wouldn't do that. That's why I trusted him. He made himself look weak, but he's strong inside. Better than everyone else.

I grasp my knife, and Fugy is right beside me. "Killer" has his knife, and we're fair game so far. Killer doesn't know what he's doing, well I don't think. I mean, I feel sorry for him. He had to make up a name like that so he could sound "dangerous" or whatever. Who cares? If you're dangerous, you show that in training and in the induvidual scores. Not your name. But I wouldn't want to kill him. But what's my choice? He tried to kill me, and here we are, standing here, about to strike at each other.

I didn't know whether to talk to him, but I looked at Fugy. He had a rock in his hand, and an idea formed in my mind. Maybe I could distract him - than Fugy throw the rock, and boom, he'd have to go over there. And, we'll get away, we may even kill him. "You're dead," he said to us.

"Really?" I ask him, wrinkling my eyebrows, "You can't kill us. If you were to, you'd die too, because I'd throw my knife." He seems to let that thought sink in before even saying anything to me and Fugy.

"Doesn't matter." He says, with dismay caught into his voice. He shakes his head as if something were on it, or to stop that dismay in his voice. He puts an evil grin on his face, and looks back at me. "I've killed some people, 2, you already know how dangerous I am."

"Two isn't my name!" I snap. I hate the joy it brings the other tributes to call me "2." It's pretty sick of that pleasure.

I take my knife, and I stab him in the leg, and I grab Fugy before he can do anything. I don't want to kill him. Hurting him is OK, but no killing for Loren. I climb up the tree as fast as I can, and I take deep breathes of air.

"Loren?" Fugy asks softly. I shift my eyes to look at him. His sore look makes me feel bad. I had to get him into that? He's been through enough this Hunger Games. It's all my fault. Everything that's happened to him. When Alco trapped him, it was for me to come. Plus, he had to save me; and I know he didn't like that. And, who knows what happened to him before I split with the careers? I really shouldn't have really talked to him. He'd have a better Games - with way less pain than I bring him into.

"Fugy..." I'd really like to split the alliance, but what can he do? He's too weak without me, and he's dangered with me, too. It's never going to work. I should've never got allies. They all end the same way. One of the Tributes dies, or they kill each other. "I'm not sure whether I should..." No. I can't say it. He saved my LIFE and I'm considering to leave him here so Killer can get him? I'm sick. I could see someone like Isile doing this; but not me. "Nothing. I'd just like to say thank you. You saved my life, and you're defiantly the perfect ally one could have."

He smiled, and his cheeks turned red. "Um... no." He said. "I can't do anything. I'm bad a running, throwing knives, bows and arrows...and more. I can't do anything! I don't even know how I saved you. I felt as if I had to....because you saved me."

"No," I say. "I didn't save you. It was my fault you were in that mess, anyway. You see, Alco didn't want to kill you, he wanted me. He just used to because you were my ally."

"It doesn't matter. You still went back to save me even though that happened. You weren't forced to save my life, you did it willingly." It's really nice of him. He can't do anything...but it's not that bad. He saved my life...and after I attacked the careers, I realized how bad about that they really were. They didn't try. But not only did he try, he succeeded, and that is the best thing.

I smiled. It seems as if it's better to take turns.

But when will I leave him for...for....myself?