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I won&039;t close h fury I think to die with sonity Asas I can see, which will probably not be an extended period of time, but I will stare her down, I will not cry out I will die, in my own small way, undefeated

"Yes, I don&039;t think you&039;ll have much use for your lips anymore Want to blow Lover Boy one last kiss?" she asks, I work up a mouthful of blood and saliva and spit it in her face She flushes with rage "All right then Let&039;s get started"

I brace ony that&039;s sure to follow But as I feel the tip open the first cut at reat for I&039;m too stunned at first, too unable to process what has happened Has Peeta somehow come to my rescue? Have the Gamemakers sent in some wild animal to add to the fun? Has a hovercraft inexplicably plucked her into the air?

But when I push myself up on ling a foot off the ground, i hi doll I re, but he see, he seeht in the arena He flips Clove around and flings her onto the ground

When he shouts, I ju heard hiirl? You kill her?"

Clove is scra backward on all fours, like a frantic insect, too shocked to even call for Cato "No! No, it wasn&039;t me!"

"You said her nas a fresh wave of rage to his features "You cut her up like you were going to cut up this girl here?"

"No! No, I - " Clove sees the stone, about the size of a small loaf of bread in Thresh&039;s hand and loses it "Cato!" she screeches "Cato!"

"Clove!" I hear Cato&039;s answer, but he&039;s too far away, I can tell that et Foxface or Peeta? Or had he been lying in wait for Thresh and just badly s the rock down hard against Clove&039;s te, but I can see the dent in her skull and I know that she&039;s a goner There&039;s still life in her now though, in the rapid rise and fall of her chest, the lowher lips

When Thresh whirls around on ood to run And one in Clove&039;s direction I&039;olden brown eyes "What&039;d sheyour ally?"

"I - I - we teamed up Blew up the supplies I tried to save her, I did But he got there first District One," I say Maybe if he knows I helped Rue, he won&039;t choose some slow, sadistic end for me

"And you killed him?" he demands

"Yes I killed hi her to sleep"

Tears spring in oes out of me at the memory And I&039;m overwhelmed by Rue, and the pain in irl a few feet away

"To sleep?" Thresh says gruffly

"To death I sang until she died," I say "Your district they sent me bread" My hand reaches up but not for an arrow that I know I&039;ll never reach Just to wipeemotions cross Thresh&039;s face He lowers the rock and points at o For the little girl You and me, we&039;re even then No more owed You understand?"

I nod because I do understand About owing About hating it I understand that if Thresh wins, he&039;ll have to go back and face a district that has already broken all the rules to thankthe rules to thank me, too And I understand that, for theto smash in my skull

"Clove!" Cato&039;s voice is much nearer now I can tell by the pain in it that he sees her on the ground

"You better run now, Fire Girl," says Thresh

I don&039;t need to be told twice I flip over and my feet dip into the hard-packed earth as I run away from Thresh and Clove and the sound of Cato&039;s voice Only when I reach the woods do I turn back for an instant Thresh and both large backpacks are vanishing over the edge of the plain into the area I&039;ve never seen Cato kneels beside Clove, spear in hand, begging her to stay with him In a moment, he will realize it&039;s futile, she can&039;t be saved I crash into the trees, repeatedly swiping away the blood that&039;s pouring intolike the wild, wounded creature I am After a few minutes, I hear the cannon and I know that Clove has died, that Cato will be on one of our trails Either Thresh&039;s or mine I&039; I load an arrow, but Cato can throw that spear al cal the thing he needs desperately If I had to bet, Cato headed out after Thresh, not me Still I don&039;t slohen I reach the water I plunge right in, boots still on, and flounder downstrealoves and press the to staunch the flow of blood, but they&039;re soaked in minutes

Soh the rocks In the dappled light, I pull the little orange backpack froround One sli, I jam the needle into Peeta&039;s arer

My hands go to my head and then drop toI rereen-and-silveron the curve of my wrist