recklessheroism:
they’ve made it through so much of the games already, jim thinks that maybe they’ll all pull through. everyone involved in the coming rebellion, at least. but it’s naive to think this, he realizes, when he hears gaila’s scream. even before he races back to the water from the edge of the wood where he had been scavenging, he knows.
“ —— gaila! ”
as the spear whizzes back toward her assailant, jim runs toward gaila as leonard runs toward the male tribute from district 1. he falls to his knees beside her just as her district partner falls at leonard’s hands.
he holds her head in his lap, tears welling up in his eyes as he gazes down at her. “ i’m sorry, ” he says. “ i should have been here. i . . . i thought we were safe. ”
it’s only a moment later that she is falling to the ground, her knees sinking into the sand as she struggles to breathe. she can hear commotion, but nothing comes into view until jim’s face is in front of her. “ shhhhh. “ it’s whispered, because anything more hurts. gaila knows it’s not good. she can just make out pris & leonard in the background. the threat must be eliminated. “ win for..... us all. “ to anyone watching, she was clearly talking about the quell. but to anyone in the know, it was completely different. “ beat them, jim. “ when she tries to touch her wound, she can feel the blood pooling.
