A Whole New Game- Chapter 20 -A Hunger Games Story

Chapter 20: A Foul Amoung the Flock



Katniss

Hope. Just a tiny glimmer of it sparks in each of us now that we have a plan, an extremely dangerous plan. But it's enough to take away some of the dread that has been filling our hearts since the announcement. And I would finally see Prim once again.

But there is one thing I have to do before this all begins. I have to tell Rue that her whole family has been captured by the Capitol, and that she might die.

I walk slowly to her room, dreading the news I bring.The doctors had told me that she had been improving greatly, but she still shouldn't be moving around too much.This worries me. All of the tributes would be required if this were to work, and Rue was no exception.

I pull back the curtain to find her sitting up in a sterile white bed. "Rue-" I begin.

"I already know," she says quietly. Now that I look, I see her eyes are wet. "What are we going to do?" Her voice breaks.

I bend over and nearly bury her with a hug, "I'm so sorry Rue, but don't worry," I drop my voice to a whisper, "We have a plan to get them out."

I fill her in with what we have as a plan so far, but some of it even I don't know. "Do you think it'll work?" Rue asks, doubt in her voice.

"We have to believe it can work.We will get our families back, Rue." Though I don't believe a word of it, I find myself saying, "I promise."

There is something about Rue, that reminded me so much of Prim. I feel as though she is my own sister, my own responsibility. I don't know how we would do it, but looking into those beautiful brown eyes, I will stop at nothing to make sure they are safe.

All of me just wanted to break down to sob, exhausted and honestly scared, but I know that won't help. I won't turn into my mother. I have to be strong... For Rue, for Prim.





Athena



I sit, staring aimlessly at the ceiling above my bunk.There is no running away and hiding this time, not when Samantha is involved.There a plan, a plan that has a fifty-fifty shot of working, or completely failing. But at least there is a chance. I may finally hold Sammy in my arms once again.

Finnick told us that this mission will test our bravery. I have never been terribly brave. Running about behind the corners of everyone's eyes, dodging stares, hiding in dark alleyways while I count the money I made from the daily loot back before the Games. I would always feel shame, but looking at Samantha's hungry eyes would mask it all.

Beetee once called me brave, but am I really?. I remember,suddenly, something my father once said to me.

"There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity, it's only stupidity if you fail."

Oh yeah? Well,l look where you are now, dad.Would you and mom consider yourselves brave? Or stupid? Because you both failed.You were right, it's only stupidity if you fail, and you died.You failed me, you failed Samantha. And now I have the responsibility of taking care of my three year old sister, which evidently I have failed at as well, considering she now lies somewhere imprisoned within the Capitol.

I want to believe that my parents were brave for doing what they did, I want to believe that the rebels are brave for standing up against the horrible Capitol. But do they really have courage? Or are they all just holding on to an ignorant belief that the Capitol can be stopped?

And look at me, being a hypocrite. I stare down at my new arm, the signature on the contract of my allegiance to Rebellion. Maybe I'm blaming the wrong people. The Rebellion didn't take away Samantha, the Capitol did. And that is all that matters now, at this moment.

The plan replays itself once more in my head. I know what I have to do.The courage that I usually lack, fills me, but the courage comes from fear. Fear that I could loose Samantha forever.






Clove



The fleeting hours of the next day go by much quicker than I would like.The tributes are secretly made aware of updates throughout the day, and as we get more and more, the more frightened I become. It's simple really. Dangerous, but simple.



Step 1: Defy Coin's orders and board the Capitol hovercraft. Without her knowledge of course.

Step 2: Comply to all orders given from the Capitol and their leaders, while unknown to them they are tracked by a Rebellion ship from afar.

Step 3: When the families are located, plant coordinates and rescue the tributes, whilst sending in another rebellion force to rescue the families.



Carver had confirmed to me he had the rest "covered". He wouldn't tell me what that meant, or how exactly he planned on doing all of that.

It was a relatively simple three step plan.That is, if we could survive step one.

All too soon it's time to go.The lot of us follow Carver as he leads us down the hall, the three other generals trailing at his heals with the assistant tagging behind them. He had picked up the tributes, and wordlessly began to lead us to where we would meet the hovercraft, and prepare to head back to the Capitol. My heart pounds away nervously, and the assistant, Alec, drops back, noticing my trepidation. "Don't worry, everything will be alright. I'm sure of it." He smiles after saying this, laying a comforting hand on my shoulder, gliding his hands along the stretch of my arm. Marvel's fists tighten into balls. Alec doesn't seem to notice, but his hand abandons me as he quickens to join the generals, and Marvel takes his place.

Carver leads us down hall after hall, and soon, we come to a door. He opens it, and it leads into a wide tunnel which he follows through without a second thought.

The four generals and the assistant lead their way though the tunnel, their silhouettes humming ahead of us and disappearing in the dark.The other tributes follow ahead, but I hesitate a moment, my nerves becoming evident. And then, my fingers are not alone. Someone takes them in their own, and I look up, way up, to find myself staring into shimmering gemstones.

"Whatever happens," Marvel says, "We do this together, remember?"

I nod, and we walk together into the darkness.

A few minutes later, we emerge from the tunnel, and out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Katniss, her hand entangled within that of Rue's. Marvel's grip on my own tightens, and I feel his pulse race.

We walk outside, atop a dilapidated structure, deep in the woods.The birds chime, the wind howls, and I forget what is is like to be outside. In fact, I don't think I have inhaled fresh air since the arena...

We must be outside the walls of the actual District now, on a structure long forgotten, though it's occupied now. A Capitol hovercraft greets us, it's bay doors open wide like a gruesome monster, smiling with inner fluorescent teeth. Peacekeepers surround the doors, eagerly awaiting to take us to our demise.The crevices of my fingers pool with sweat, my heart begins to pound, thundering in my chest and echoing in my ears.

Would it be to late to turn around?

I turn to Carver and he nods, gesturing us forward toward the peacekeepers. They approach us with surprising speed. Marvel's first, and they peel him off of me, my hand lingering in his as the guards surround us. He turns back to me as they take his arms and cuff them together, his gemstone eyes twinkling. I feel someone grab my arm, and soon I'm cuffed, being pushed forward towards the craft. I'm the last in line, with Cato ahead of me. His eyes have already found me, with a promising look of protection, of assurance.The peacekeepers lead us into the craft, and just as we make it inside the shadow of the bay doors, I look back. Carver's face is solid and stoic, but bold and hopeful all the same. Beetee's eyes twinkle nervously behind his glasses, Finnick knits his brows together with a look of worry.

Alec, however, follows, and continues in.The guards don't stop him.

I stop and turn, the guards at my side attempting to tug me forward. Alec and I make eye contact for a brief moment, his green eyes gleaming. His smile suddenly turns vicious, and he spins around, snatching two guns from his belt, poising them up high, and begins firing away.

Only, he's shooting at the other generals.

"No!" I scream, and the rest of the tributes turn to look in horror as the scene behind us warps in terror. Finnick screams, his shoulder hit.The other generals fall, avoiding the bullets as they rain overhead. Carver looks up, his eyes a furious blaze of panic as he manages a single phrase.

"Alec! You son of a bitch!"

And then the bay door closes, and Alec laughs maniacally as the hovercraft takes to the air, and flies away, the sound of gunfire still ringing in my ears.