Running With The Careers- A Hunger Games Fanfiction

Chapter10- Fire

"Aaliya! Are you ok? You're covered in blood! Let me help you!" Marvel says and runs over to me.

"Marvel, I'm fine," I say as tears continue streaming down my cheeks.

"Then why are you bleeding, and crying?" he asks puzzled.

"It's not my blood, Marvel. It's Brady's, he's dead," I say and I start crying harder again. "He's dead Marvel, I loved him and he's dead!"

Marvel instantly offers me his hand and I take it, and he pulls me into his arms. "I'm sorry Aaliya, I'm so, so sorry."

I cry into Marvel's chest and he rubs my back and whispers things in my ear, trying to get me to calm down. Eventually I run out of tears to cry and just close my eyes, not to sleep but to block out the world.

"Aaliya, we gotta get going. If we don't move away from the bodies the Gamemakers will forcefully move us."

I let go of Marvel and look him in the eyes. "Where are the rest of the careers?"

"Aren't I enough for you?" he says with a smirk.

"Answer my question, Marvel!"

"Their back at the cornucopia. I was trying to find a rabbit or something. Instead, I found you." I nod slowly. "Come on, now. We have to get going."

I nod and grab my trident from the boy from 8, along with my pack, and the knife that killed Brady. As I walk away I turn one last time to look at my best friend, he looks so peaceful. Maybe it was for the best, I won't have to worry about him anymore, but I long for him to be here with me still. I raise three fingers out towards the sky, and Marvel follows my lead. "Good-bye Brady," I say and smile, shedding one last tear, turning around and walking away, without looking back.

Marvel and I continue walking a bit and I begin to feel we're walking in circles "So, do you really know how to get back to the others or are we lost?"

"We're not lost, Aaliya. I'm a very good tracker," he says and I laugh. Like Marvel's a good tracker.

"Aaliya, stop!"

"Marvel, last time someone said that to me, they died."

"No ones gonna die, Aaliya. But, do you smell that?"

"It smells like-"

"Smoke," he says, putting the pieces together. And that's when I see it. Even through the glare of the afternoon sun, my stinging eyes can still see it. It's kind of hard not to see a wall of fire coming right at me.

******************

If Marvel hadn't been here beside me, I would have been dead. Instead of moving my feet stay planted to the ground. "Aaliya, come on, grab my hand!" Marvel yells frantically. But instead I don't move an inch, paralized in fear.

"Aaliya, grab my hand now or we're gonna die!" That's when I lunge at his hand and grab it.

The world has transformed to flame and smoke. Burning branches crack and fall in showers of sparks at our feet. The heat is terrible, and worse than that is the smoke that threatens to suffocate me any moment. I pull the top of my shirt over my nose, thankful to find it soaked in sweat, which will offer me a thin veil of protection. And I run, choking, my bag banging against my back, my face cut from branches that materialize from the gray haze without warning, because I know I'm supposed to run.

This is no tribute's campfire gone out of control, no accidental occurrence. The flames around us have abnormal height, meaning they are human-made, machine-made, Gamemaker-made.

Marvel and I continue running, coughing, trying to put as much distance from the fire as possible. That's when the fire-balls start. One came at Marvel's face, then mine. Then one crashes into my arm before I can dodge it.

I scream collapsing in pain. Then the world begins to spin and strong arms wrap themselves around me. The last thing I remember before passing out is Marvel's frantic screams trying to wake me up.

**************

"Aaliya! Aaliya wake up!" The voice belongs to someone I vaguely remember. Then I realise who it belongs to. The voice belongs to Peeta Mellark.

A/N: So this chapter was pretty short.  Sorry about that.  Anyway, I think we need another poll.  What chapter is your favorite so far?  Mine is Chapter 8.  Leave your answer in the comments!  Chapter 11 coming Monday!