I’m hot, dehydrated, tired, and scared out of my mind. I don’t know how much longer I can do this. After these past two weeks I’ve grown a respect for all the previous people who’ve suffered through the barbaric Hunger Games. I don’t want to end up being the reason that someone someone doesn’t make it out of this cruel prison. I wouldn’t kill out there so I can’t do it in here. Except I also can’t not see her again. I stuck my hand in my pocket and pulled out a long yellow ribbon. Every time I looked at it I was brought back to that night. The best and worst night of my life.

It was the night before the reaping. The night where everything is uncertain. I was sitting outside on our porch, which longed for a fresh coat of paint, but it would never get it. The wood boards were cracked and rotting away. I did my best to help keep it in shape, but just like everything else, it was falling apart. I sat there on that chilly night trying to forget about tomorrow. Except if I could do that I would have been sleeping instead of gazing off into no where. I remember hearing a soft shuffling sound in the dirt followed by a creek in the wood when she sat down next to me.

“Whats goin on in that head of yours?” Pansy said softly leaning her head against my shoulder. I turned to look at her. Her face was glowing in the moonlight and her blue eyes sparkled like a rare gem. Her silky brown hair is the color of milk chocolate I’ve tasted only a few times in my life. Her eyes met mine expecting an answer.

“I don’t know…” was all I could say. She laughed at this for some reason.

“Stone, stop being such a boy!” She laughed again. “You do know. You just won’t tell me.”

“Tomorrow.” That was the simplest way of putting it.

“Me too.” Pansy replied as a tear slid down her check. There are very few times when Pansy is anything less than joyful. The night before the reaping is usually one of them.

“I just hate that I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again after tonight.” I barely got out. “I want more time.”

“Me too,” she repeated in her calm, angelic voice.

“Pansy.”

“Yes Stone?”

“I wanted to wait to tell you this, but I don’t if I’ll get another chance to say it,” I said nervously.

“Well what is it?” She asked.

“I…uh…I,” Why was this so hard for me to say!? I looked back at her glowing beautiful face. She was always there when I needed a friend, and someone to lean on. She was always positive and cheerful even when I couldn’t understand why. She’s the only person who can really make me laugh. Shes my everything. “Pansy,” I said shaking. “I lo-“

Pansy smiled and cut me off. One more time she repeated, “Me too.”

We sat there in silence for at least another hour. I held her in my arms as we looked up at the sky. Finally she looked at me and said, “I should probably get going.” She sat up and before she walked off the porch she brought her hands up to where her hair was partly up. She untied the shiny yellow ribbon and gave it a little kiss. She smiled again and handed it to me. “Goodnight Stone.”

That was the last time I saw Pansy.