The Hunger Games (Katniss' Point Of View)
*"I'm fast though, and by the time they've reached the base of my trunk, I'm six metres up. For a moment, we stop and survey one another." Continued from this sentence in the book.
A pang of shock runs through me as I realize that Peeta is down there with the Careers. I thought we were supposed to look after each other, even though I lost him at the Cornucopia. But I know deep inside that this is better. Allying up with Peeta might've ended up with me killing him or him killing me. There could only be one winner. But I admit to myself that I feel betrayed. And right now the girl from district 2 is pointing up at me with the bow and arrows I spotted at the Cornucopia. Stupid Peeta, shaking his stupid head to stop me from taking them. I grumble inside me, feeling the anger shooting trough my veins. My situation would be a lot more different right now if I had them. I hear a swish and an arrow get lodged in the bark of the tree, almost three feet away from me. Clearly the district 2 girl is a bad shot. They are down there now, discussing with each other what to do next and how to get me. I feel trapped and I know that they know that I can't come down from here. Well I might as well turn in. I'm not going anywhere and neither are they. I am as safe up here as any place in this wretched arena, and since they are all way larger and heavier and better trained than me, climbing would be futile on their behalf. They wouldn't reach me, their bodies to heavy and branch-breaking.
Some time during the night I fall asleep and so does the Careers and Peeta. Then I am pulled awake by some rustling from down below. It's Peeta, silently signalling me to get down. I don't trust him though, and I stare back suspiciously. He is waving a can of some sort.
"Its chloroform!" he shouts and whisper at the same time. "They're knocked out, all of them!"
"How the hell did you get chloroform?" I shout-whisper back.
"At the Cornucopia." he answers. "I snuck it into my boot when they weren't watching. Katniss, please get down here." He pleads.
I nod and start packing my backpack again, rolling up my sleeping bag and stuffing my water bottle down an outside pocket. As I am about to descend, a silver parachute floats down gracefully from the sky. I open the package curiously and find a small container labelled 'Burn Ointment'. I whisper a silent thanks to my mentor Haymitch and treat my hands and calf. The pain release is heavenly. I give a small sigh of pleasure, before I start my descent down to Peeta.
"What took you so long?" he asks.
"I've got burn ointment for us." I say with a small smile.
"I'm so glad I have you back." Peeta whisper into my ear and gives me a hug in front of the still, soundly asleep Careers. I shoot them a glance.
"How much chloroform did you give them?"
"Just enough to knock them out." He says, taking my hand. He is about to drag me of into the forest when I remember the bow and arrows.
"Wait." I say. "We might as well make use of them while they're here." Peeta smirks at the idea. We go back to the sleeping Careers and investigate their backpacks and pockets. I grab the bow and the shaft full of arrows. Meanwhile Peeta is prodding through Cato, the large District 2 boys backpack. We make sure to get all the food and water with us and we find flashlights, matches, wire, first aid kits, knives and spears. We also find a couple of night vision glasses, like the pair I found in my backpack earlier. We take everything we would need and want with us and scatter what we don't need throughout the underbrush, making sure to hide it well. I think about finishing them of now, but I don't think I'll be able to kill them in their sleep, even though they probably would kill me if they had the chance. No, I am now well equipped and I almost look forward to the fight. Somehow I know that it will end up there. Me fighting the Careers.
I take Peeta's hand, and knowing he was with me all along, I give him a kiss and we wander through the woods, hand in hand, preparing for the days to come.