The Hunger Games: Fan fiction draft

Last night's kill has still got me seriously perplexed. It's like a Macbeth scene. There's long thin trails of blood trickling towards me and my hands are stained red. I feel like I am going to pass out. I can barely stand up right. I can't breathe properly. That's what happens when you keep thinking about breathing too much. You forget how.

It takes me a moment to realise I'm going into a panic attack. I put my hands flat on the nearest tree. Closing my eyes, trying to find a constant breathing pattern, counting slowly in my head. I have enough breath to just about shout, "Peeta!"

Peeta comes sprinting. His clothes ripped, face scratched and arm wounded. Something about his injuries makes him look so strong yet vulnerable. I've never felt so attracted to him before. I want to run over and give him a hug but a sudden thought came to mind. I wonder if he's found Rue. With Cato's body just below my nose lying on the floor with over 7 stab wounds and a spear in his neck dripping with blood, a tear runs down my right cheek. Peeta notices and walks over to me concerned.

"Katniss. What's wrong?"

I look at him, my eyes heavily watering now.

"Is it about last night?" Peeta asks.

"What do you think?"

"Look, I was just trying to protect you."

"By killing him?"

"He was going to hurt you!"

"No he wasn't Peeta. He wanted to help me."

"No he didn't."

"Yes he did."

"Katniss, he pinned you to a tree and was going to stab you in the neck! What the hell did you expect me to do?"

"No he wasn't!" I yelled, "he was going to…"

"To what?" Peeta looked extremely worried.

"He was about to kiss me." I say calm and slowly.

"Bullshit!" There was a silence.

"It's true," I say after about 2 minutes.

Peeta took a few steps back, one hand either side of his head looking down, his face red with anger. I went to walk towards him but he came walking back towards me. He cupped my face and looked at me with such disappointment. "Was you going to let him?" Peeta asks.

"I don't know. You grabbed him before anything happened." I say truthfully.

Peeta took his hands away from my face and went to walk away, I grabbed his hand before he could, and hugged him tight.

The thought of Rue comes back to mind. With only us three left, what is going to happen? I let go of Peeta. He goes to grab the spear from Cato's neck. He comes back over to me and looks down at the spear.

"C'mon Katniss," Peeta then looks up and grips my hand gently, "if we hurry and quickly do this without thinking too much about it, we can win this and go back home."

"What?" I say confused, but knowing what he meant, "you're not saying that we should kill Rue are you?" Peeta didn't say anything, he just looked at me as if to say yes but not in a happy way. More like an 'I'm sorry but we have to if we both want to go home' way. The thought of Rue being killed makes me hurt inside. It chokes me up and feels as though I have a lump in my throat. Peeta lets go of my hand and goes to run off.

"Wait!" I quickly yell, "Peeta, please don't kill her, she's only a little girl." I say, my voice slightly croaky.

"Katniss, it's either she dies, or we die. We can't win this and go home with her still alive." Peeta says sadly, regretting every word. Why must the Hunger Games be this cruel? Peeta slowly comes back to me for the last time, like he's forgot something. He cups my face and leans in close. Our lips touch and both our eyes close. I place my hands around Peeta's torso. His kiss makes me feel so secure and safe. It lasts for about 7 seconds. But it felt so much longer. I don't want it to stop but Peeta's soft lips leave mine and we both open our eyes. Peeta then hugs me tight and whispers into my ear, "I love you, I will never let anybody or anything hurt you. I've never felt that way about anyone. You've changed me Katniss."

"Peeta…"

"And I'll wait," he cuts me off, "I'll wait; forever if I have to. For you to love me. The way I love you."