It's growing dark, and the others haven't returned yet.
Felicia is in the cornucopia taking care of the baby. While I've kept watch.
I've kept the fire glowing brightly, hoping that they would be able to see it if they got lost.
Suddenly I hear a cannon fire, then another one.
Two more tributes dead. Add that to the eleven that died yesterday, and there is only eleven of us left.
I wonder who just died, I'm not held in suspense. after a minute or so, I hear the anthem begin to play, and the pictures of the girl tribute from nine, and the boy from six, light up the night sky.
Well hopefully that will keep the audience entertained for today. We don't want them sending any surprises our way.
Felicia joins me by the fire.
"Hey."
"Hey. Where's the baby?"
She nods over her shoulder.
"Asleep. He went down pretty easy after I fed him. Any sign of the others?"
I shake my head, and we sit in silence for a little while.
"Bruce."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
I add another log to the fire.
"For what?"
She shrugs.
"Just for everything you've done for me. Over the years, you've always been there for me, no matter how bad it was, you have always believed in me and been my friend."
I'm about to say something, when she leans forward, and kisses me.
I'm taken completely by surprise.
She pulls away quickly.
"I'm sorry...I just..."
I brush my finger tips down her cheek, and slide my hand to the base of her neck, underneath her hair.
"Don't say anything."
I whisper quietly, then I pull her closer to me.
When we kiss, I feel like a piece of me that was missing is returned. A piece of me that I never knew was missing, but now that the space is filled, I know I couldn't live without it.
Felicia wraps her hand around the back of my neck, and twists her fingers through my hair.
I don't know how long we kiss, but I pull away from her, and look her in the eyes.
"Felicia, I love you. I've always loved you."
She rests her hand on my cheek.
"I love you too."
I hold her face in my hands, and kiss her softly.
We break apart as we hear something behind us.
I look across the fire, at the edge of the mountain top.
"Sheira?"
She is standing about twenty feet from the fire, holding her sword ready. She is panting hard, and covered in blood and sweat.
"Why are you covered in blood?"
Felicia asks nervously. Sheira looks from Felicia to me, and snarls.
I watch her carefully.
"Sheira?"
She narrows her eyes, and snarls.
I grab Felicia's arm, and pull her up.
"Something's wrong..."
Sheira leaps forward swinging her sword. I push Felicia towards the cornucopia.
"Go! Get the baby, run!"
She dashes for the cornucopia, as I grab my sword, and turn to face Sheira.
I block her swing.
"Shiera! What's wrong with you?"
She bares her teeth, and as her head turns toward the fire, her eyes reflect red.
"Shiera! What happened? What did they do to you?"
She attacks furiously, and It takes all my skill to parry her blows.
"Shiera snap out of it! They've done something to you!"
She pauses for a moment, and I relax slightly. She blinks, then I jump to the side, taking the blow that was meant for my heart, in my shoulder.
I react instinctively by stabbing her in the heart.
She gasps, and her eyes lose the red reflection. She looks at me in surprise and confusion.
"Bruce?"
Then she falls to the ground, and I hear the cannon fire.
I gasp in shock, staring down at her body.
Did I just kill her? What did they do to her?
"Bruce!"
The cry comes from the cornucopia, and I run there as fast as I can.
"Felicia!"
I yell her name as I run.
As I enter the cornucopia, I see Felicia standing between Flash and the baby. She is bleeding from several wounds, and trying to block his knives with a sword.
I run in, and face him.
"Flash listen to me! The game makers did something to you! You aren't yourself. Snap out of it!"
He blinks several times, looking confused. Then he swings his long knife at me.
"Bruce?"
I block his blow.
"Flash! What's wrong with you?"
He shakes his head, as he slashes at me again.
"I don't know...I can't control myself."
He avoids my block, and his knife hilt slams into my head.
Temporarily stunned, I stagger back, and fall over. Flash raises his knife above the baby.
"No!"
Felicia throws herself in front of Flash, and takes the blade in her stomach.
"Felicia!"
I try to stand, but I am so dizzy from the blow, that I just fall over again.
Felicia sinks to the ground, the knife still sticking out of her torso. Flash stares in shock at her, then he turns to the baby, and raises his other knife.
"No!"
He yells, and I can see his whole body quiver as he fights whatever is controlling him.
"Bruce I'm sorry."
He closes his eyes tightly, and stabs himself in the chest. I hear the cannon before he hits the ground.
I drag myself over to Felicia, and hold her in my arms.
"Felicia...no."
She pulls the knife out of her body, and gasps as blood starts pouring faster out of her wound.
"Bruce...is the baby all right?"
I look behind her, and see the baby watching us with solemn eyes.
"Yeah he's fine. Listen, you need to lie still okay?"
She holds my hand, and closes her eyes.
"Let me hold him."
I swallow hard, and pick up the baby, and hand him to her.
She cradles him tightly in her arms, tears running silently down her cheeks.
"Mommy is so sorry baby. I wanted to protect you, but uncle Bruce is going to have to look after you now."
I feel tears begin to run down my face as I watch Felicia say goodbye to her newborn son.
"He needs to be fed once every two hours, and let him sleep when he wants."
I nod silently.
"Bruce, I love you. Please take care of him."
She hands me the baby. Then closes her eyes.
"Bruce, the baby's name is..."
She pulls me down close to her, and whispers in my ear. Too quiet for the audience to hear. I barely catch what she says.
She says it with her last breath, before I hear her cannon fire.
I don't know how long I sit by her side, before I finally take her body and lay it outside so that a hovercraft can come take it away.
I return to the cornucopia and pick up Felicia's small child.
"Well, it looks like I'm going to be taking care of you from now on."
I gather up as much supplies as I can carry in the largest back pack, and with the baby sleeping peacefully resting against my chest in the sling. I set off for the forest.
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