Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
AS NIGHTS AND days pass without the two allies seeing other tributes, but in the past time 3 more tributes died, excluding the one on the first night, making the careers existing out of districts 1, 2 and the girl from 4, the girl from seven, the girl from eight, Harl, Thana and Jack the only left standing. Ten tributes are left and Thana is sure they will run into at least one of them very soon.
"Thana?" Jack awakes the girl from thoughts, both of their infections are growing, but Jack's is way smaller than the one on Thana's right upper thigh. "I have been thinking about this for some time now, you know." The girl nods, of course, she knows, it is all they seem to do next to finding eatable plants and moving around as much as they can. "What kind of flower was the yellow flower that you held after the reaping?" Immediately Thana understands why he only asks now, it is a touchy subject, seeing that she only cried yesterday when she talked about her little brother Latif.
"It was a black-eyed Susan," Thana's eyes are cast down, "I always gave them to the tributes of nine when I turned ten and I knew the full meaning of the Games and the meaning of the flower." she sighs thinking back to the day she started her tradition to run as fast as she could to the flower fields to pick the yellow flower so she could give it to the tributes. "A black-eyed Susan is a flower that is best given as encouragement in a trying time." Thana's left-hand plays with her pocket watch as she looks at Jack, "at first everybody found it strange that the tributes of nine left with this particular flower, but after some time it was normal to them I guess."
"I think it is a nice sentiment to be your legacy," Jack offers the girl his hand to get up.
Jack and Thana continue walking, and the girl's hand touches the trees lightly as they have done the whole day. Before her Jack stumbles through the mud, never in their whole life did they expect that scenery like this one could even exist. Thana tries as good as she is able to, following in his footsteps not wanting to fall or with an accident provoke any form of trap set up by the game makers. Thana knows Jack thinks the same, his big hand holds hers while they form a strong alliance, one with blind trust and a real friendship. The most dangerous alliance in the Hunger Games. Thana has always known that having friends in the Hunger Games would be one of the hardest things, and if she is honest she still thinks so, but in reality, she also feels incredibly lucky and happy knowing that she is truly not alone in this godforsaken swamp, that she is with somebody she cares for just as they care for her.
With one step that isn't placed well, Thana falls against a small tree, Jack turns within a second after hearing her scream. He checks the surroundings and helps Thana get on both of her feet again. With a crack, the tree, where Thana was only seconds ago fell onto, starts to move and the allies set their steps as fast as they can away from it. With crushing comprehensibility, Thana realises that it is falling towards them, they start to run while the tree keeps falling, seconds turn into hours and Thana knows their pace is not fast enough. With all the power left in the girl's body, she pushes Jack further away as the tree is seconds away from touching the ground. The tree bounces once it hits the ground, pushing Thana down who manages to get away from the tree as it hits the ground again. Both Jack and Thana are muddy as they get up hugging each other, knowing if they weren't fast enough they wouldn't be standing here.
As the evening fell and Jack and Thana tried to remove as much of the mud as they could they noticed that for the third time since they have been in the arena no faces are showed, signalling that no one died today. It has been six days since they set foot in the arena and 14 tributes have died so far.
With a beep Jack and Thana are reminded of the possibility of sponsorships, above them, in the clear air a small parachute floats down, and Jack gets up and catches it out of the air. As he sits down again next to Thana he opens the bin, a small card upon it.
For the infected wounds and hunger, stay close together. ~ C & W, R
Underneath the small letter, two other bin-like things are present. One carrying an ointment and one filled with soup. As they both take care of each other's wounds, hoping to stop the infection the best they can, they interlace their pinks as a promise to the end. Jack and Thana shall not give up without a fight, they will stay together until they are parted through death. And with the encouragement given by their mentors, they are sure that they will get through, one of them has to get through, though they can only hope. The warm soup is also very welcome to their stomachs that only had plants for the past day or two.
The next morning they take care of the wounds again before leaving their hiding space. Thana and Jack manage to leave without leaving any tracks that would lead them to them. The early morning in combination with their infected wounds taken care of makes them move faster in hopes of staying clear from other tributes. Sadly that last one doesn't happen. After walking for about 30 minutes they almost run into the girl from eight. There is uncertainty about what to do in Jack's eyes as he knows the girl. But Thana doesn't so as her eyes meet hers her scimitars are already in her hands and her eyes scream death.
Using Jack's uncertainty the girl from eight runs to him, but Thana manages to get before him and block her attack. The girl from eight tries to slash her sword to hurt Thana, as Thana tries to stab the girl with the scimitars. And Jack, Jack is frozen in his place not knowing what to do.
"I am going to kill you," the girl from eight smirks as she sees Thana trying to protect Jack. "Mark my words, you and Jack will be dead within an hour."
The girls continue to fight and blood flows here and there, both of their faces are sweaty as Thana manages to get the upper hand and push the girl into the mud. The girl from eight rotates as much as she can until she is face first in the mud and Thana her head in it pushes. Kicks and stomps are given by the girl from eight as Thana keeps her face locked in the mud.
When the canon finally goes off after what for Thana feels like forever, Jack unfreezes from the initial shock and sees Thana hover above the dead body of the girl from his district. Tears flow over their cheeks as their eyes meet.
"I had to," Thana mutters as she reaches Jack, "otherwise she would've killed you."
The boy hugs the girl and tries to calm her down, "it is okay, I would've done the same for you."
Nora speaking here!
I just love Jack and Thana together, my heart is going to break when they will no longer be together. I never planned for him to be such a big part in Thana's life, but I guess he just slipped right past it and gave Thana something that she deserves; a true and honest friendship/relationship outside of her family. I love them <3
Furthermore, I just really wanna say that my favorite line that I have ever written so far is Jack's: "It is okay, I would've done the same for you." It is just so vulnerable, real and it feels almost touchable. I am in love with the line and want someone to hold me and say that to me too, or something that is alike it <3
