Episode 9 - Best Friends Forever

 Day 9

The Forest:

Maple is up early and leaves the forest for the cornucopia. They are in the final 4 and she had to get the weapon at the cornucopia to survive the day!

An hour later Diana is also leaving... She couldn't get herself to leave the cozy igloo. 

Diana: Brrr... This snowstorm doesn't make it easier to be out here. Hopefully, I don't freeze to death today!

The Cave:

Rosco decided to leave the cave area early. He doesn't want to be there when Loki wakes up. He couldn't sleep last night with all of Loki's snoring. If he had a pillow he would've suffocated him. Today is a very important day, only isn't it also the last day of winter but they are in the final 4 and he should do everything in his power to get into the finals. If he doesn't get a weapon he must be ready for any unforeseen attacks or disasters. Luckily he got food from home yesterday so he won't die of hunger and is fine until the end. He just has to stay alive!

Loki drags himself out of the cave and almost goes back into the cave when he saw the snowstorm and feels the cold gnawing onto his bones. The Capitol should've given them warmer clothes for the winter. But they didn't. He's going to freeze his ass off today!

The Cornucopia:

Maple arrives at the cornucopia first and she's delighted when she saw the gun! 

Maple: Hooray! Hopefully, I can defend myself with it, and it will secure my place in the finals. The only thing that I don't have control over is disasters. I can just hope that my guardian angels will protect me until the end! *She also worries about food. Her last meal was 3 days ago and she is starving. It doesn't help she killed someone today and is in the finals but she dies of hunger tomorrow just before the end. What a disaster that will be? She really has to get food today!* Please District 7!!!! You're my only hope! And I did come far! Didn't I? 

She quickly grabs the gun and runs into the woods.

The Forest:

Rosco arrives at the forest and sees the igloo the girls made last night: Nice... Almost as cozy as the cave!

He also warms himself at the fire and starts thinking of a strategy to get into the finals. He didn't get any weapon from the cornucopia. Hopefully, he can stay hidden until there are only two of them left.  

Loki arrives at the forest and sees Rosco at the firepit. He doesn't seem armed so it will be safe to approach him.

Loki: Hey...

Rosco: Oh nooo!! Not you again! *but actually feels relieved! He could've been dead by now if Loki had a weapon. He wasn't on guard when he warmed himself at the fire. That says a lot about his strategy, he thinks and is immediately annoyed with Loki but mostly with himself. He needs to be somewhere where he can concentrate and not be disturbed every minute*

Rosco decides to move to another area of the forest and just walks away.

Loki: Suits yourself! *When Rosco leaves without a word and starts to warm his butt*

Rosco looks for a nice place far enough from Loki and when he gets it he starts to build an igloo for the night...

He also drags a stump closer and starts a fire.

And then he can warm his butt too...

Loki is surprised when out of thin air a rock counter and a Deep fryer appear at his shelter.

Loki: Another present from home? Nice... *and he reads the note: Make it spicy! Love from District 10* 

Thank you District 10! You are the best! *And starts frying himself a nice chicken leg...*

And as usual, everything disappears when he is done...

Loki: Thank you District 10! This is divine!

The Cornucopia:

Maples watches Diana at the firepit. She thinks of the gun in her pocket. She knows that she has to kill her. She's the only tribute here at the cornucopia now. And it's the rule of the games. If you have a weapon, you have to kill someone. And she has a gun! 

Maple was the first one to arrive at the cornucopia this morning and after she got the gun she hid nearby to keep an eye on the cornucopia.  She saw Rosco arrive and searched around the cornucopia for stuff and then disappeared in the direction of the forest. After an hour or so, Loki was there too, going through the crates. He also left soon after in the direction of the forest. And then Diana arrived there too. But she didn't leave after she went through the crates. She gathered wood for the fire and is now warming herself. She is here to stay for the night.

Maple pulls the gun out of her pocket. She knows that it's the right time to kill Diana now. Diana is all alone at the firepit. If she wants to be in the finals she has to kill Diana now!

But then she hesitates... She remembers their first night in the arena together. They were here at the cornucopia too. Although they didn't talk and kept their distance, they knew the presents of the other. 

Then the incident with the rifle in the forest on day 4.  If she didn't see her coming and grabbed the rifle from her, who knows who she would've killed then. It could've been her for all she knows. But she could see the relief on Diana's face when the shot goes off in the air and she realized that she actually didn't kill anyone. Diana is definitely not a murderer! And then last night in the forest... It's actually the first time they've talked. Diana told her all about how she found Robert and what happened the days Hunter and Mirrari died. She can imagine how it must feel to kill someone. It's terrible to kill one person but more than one... 

And now she has to kill. It's the first time she got a weapon. She also remembered she told the host that she is ready to kill if she must. But is she? It sounds so easy, but when the push comes to shove, will she be able to do it? Will she kill Diana?

   

But then she puts the gun back into her pocket and walks to the firepit where Diana warms her bum now... She knows that she can't kill Diana today or tomorrow or ever. She will look for another victim tomorrow. Hopefully, there is another disaster where the boys are now and will they die of it, and she and Diana can then be in the finals. They will work something out to survive together! Maybe Diana had still those poisonous berries in her bag and can they trick the game makers!

Maple: Are your bum warm now?

Diana: Oh it's you... *giggles when she thinks of how it must have looked like* Yeah... I'm nice and warm now...  Where did you come from now? You left early this morning... *"Maple seemed unarmed and if she was I would've been dead by now," thinking*

Maple: I came here and went through the crates, and then hid in the nearby woods. Then I spied on everyone that visited the cornucopia. *chuckles*

Diana: Aww, cool! I couldn't get my butt out of the warm igloo this morning and when I did, there was nothing to find here at the cornucopia. Did you find anything?

Maple: Not something that I can use here! *she decides not to tell Diana about the gun*

Diana: Okay... So what shall we do today? It's quite early and we're not allowed to visit the other places...

Maple: I don't know... What do you think?

Diana: I know! *singing* Do you wanna make a snowman? 

Maple: Great idea! Then we call him Olaf! 

And tells Diana what to do!

Maple: Nice! *clapping hands when Diana does what she said*

Diana: Hey, you can help me too, you know! *playful*

And Maple starts helping with the snowman...

And then it's done!

Diane: Let's pose next to it! It should be fun!

And that's what they do!

After it gets boring to pose, they start a snowball fight!

Maple: Hey! Get up! I'm not finished with you!

Diana: Miss! Again!

And finally, before it gets too dark they decided to build another igloo for the night...

Maple: There! *and puts the last iceblock in.*

They also moved the snowman next to the igloo. And then they warm themselves at the fire.

Diana: Aww, that was fun!

Maple: Yeah, it was! We should do it again sometime! *thinking of Spring*

Diana: What was that? *turns around and walks a few meters toward the bushes*

Maple: What? 

Diana: There's something in the bushes over there. *pointing in the direction she walks*

Maple: I don't see anything... *she wonders if Diana didn't hear the rumbling noises of her stomach. She is starving!*

Diana: No! Look! There it is... *and walks further towards the bushes*

Maple: Don't go far and be careful! *shouts after Diana. She still thinks it's nothing and only her stomach's rumbling noises that she heard*

But then Maple also turns around when she hears the barking now and saw a dog-like creature going for Diana.

Just as the dog-like creature goes for Diana's neck, Maple pulls out her gun and shoots in their direction.

And to her horrible shock, Diana collapses to the ground and the creature runs into the woods! She has shot Diana!

She immediately lets the gun falls to the ground and runs toward Diana.

She pulls her into her arms and looks at the wound where the bullet penetrated her body and tries to stop the blood by putting pressure on it. But she knows she can't really do anything to save her life. She had already lost too much blood.

  

Maple: Diana? Do you hear me? *Diana makes a gurgling noise and seems to be alive, but just.*

Diana whispers: Maple? *her eyes flickering a bit*

 

Maple: I'm so sorry... I just want to kill the dog! *apologizes for her action*

Diana whispers: I know... *Maple takes Diana's cold hand and gently rubs over it to warm it a bit.* Don't go... *she almost didn't hear what she said*

Maple: Course not! I'm staying just here... *Maple listens to her breathing and feels her heartbeat against her chest. It's getting slower by the second*

Diana: Sing... *Maple couldn't really hear her. She just read her lips.*

What will she sing? She remembers a song from long ago and wonders if she can remember the words. But she will try her best.

And with a lump in her throat, she starts singing...

(You can listen to the song here  Here are just a few lines of the song)

Goodbye to you, my trusted friend

But we've known each other since we were nine or ten

Together, we've climbed hills and trees

Learned of love and ABC's

Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees

Goodbye, my friend, it's hard to die

When all the birds are singing in the sky

Now that spring is in the air

Pretty girls are everywhere

Think of me and I'll be there

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun

But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time

Maple sits with her until she finally blows out her last breath. Her eyes fluttered shut and her hand lost its grip and falls next to her lifeless body. Maple feels her tears running down her cheeks and sees how it drips on Diana's hand. Then she let go of Diana's body and let it lie on the ground. 

Maple: I will remember you...  *gently brushes her hair behind her ear*

And then she slowly gets up and walks away. She wished she could do more for her to save her. But she knows that nobody could.

And then the music starts filling the arena

Diana Archer from District 5 is also the last one in her district to survive the arena. Now she's gone too!

And Maple couldn't stop the tears running from her cheeks! 

And it's just here where I will end the episode!

 What will tomorrow behold? Will the final 3 become the final 2? 

And who will win this year's annual Hunger Games?

Will it be Maple, Rosco, or Loki?

Stay tuned for the Final episode!