AUTHOR'S NOTE: Summary says it all. This is just a little story I wrote because I didn't feel like updating my other stories. Tell me what you think. Do you like it, do you hate it, do you think something more can come of it? I am not copying anyone, and I honestly didn't find any stories like this. So here you go.

I run through the jungle, trying to make sense of everything. Just a few minutes ago, Katniss was with me. If only I had listened to her, when she said we needed to leave, we could be together right now, safe. But she is somewhere in this jungle, and all I know is that I need to find her.

The moment she and Johanna left, everything was plunged into confusion. The wire was somehow cut, and our end sprang back, wrapping itself around the tree. Finnick left immediately, wielding his trident. I tried to get Beetee to come with us but, for some reason, he refused, saying he had a job to do. That was when I left. I need to find Katniss.

I run right into a small clearing. Not a clearing really; just a spot with no trees. Brutus is standing with his back turned to me, but Chaff is looking right at me. His eyes widen in surprise for just a second, then Brutus's spear goes through his chest, and the light leaves his eyes. Brutus pulls his spear out mercilessly, the shaft dripping with fresh blood. Chaff falls, his stump of a hand bloody, probably from the fight.

Brutus turns, spear in the air, still dripping red. He looks surprised to see me, but not for long. He throws his spear with great force. I dive to the side at the last minute, and the spear buries itself in a rubbery tree halfway up the shaft. If I had hesitated a second longer, I would be dead.

I reach into the pocket of my suit and pull out my knife. Good thing that Katniss gave it to me, or I would be utterly defenseless. This leaves me with a weapon and him without one. He's still trying in vain to pull his spear out. With a final tug, he manages to pull the part that was sticking out of the tree, but it's not a clean pull. The end is sharp and ends in a thousand splinters. He grins evilly, putting it in a defensive position.

Brutus lunges at me before I can think. On instinct I push through the air with my knife. The blade connects and sinks into the flesh of his forearm, and he lets out a scream. I pull the knife out, causing him to drop the stick and grab at him arm. I kick the stick and it rolls under a bush-like thing.

Brutus, still clutching at his wounded arm, stumbles backward, tripping over the spongy ground. He finally falls down and onto one of the bush things. I lean over him, holding my knife over his chest. I hesitate for just a second.

Brutus slaps the knife out of my hand. I lunge after it, and my fingers just grasp the handle. I roll onto my back, but Brutus is on top of me, trying to grab the knife out of my hand and snarling viciously. I do the first thing that comes to mind: I shove the knife up. It goes right through his forehead, and his struggling stops instantly. I hear the bang of the cannon and know he is gone.

I lay there for another moment, panting. He is a lot heavier than I would have thought, especially with his dead weight on me. I struggle to push his heavy body off of me. I finally manage it after several moments, and I roll over, gasping for air.

I almost just lie there. It would be so much easier to stay down than get up. But the thought of Katniss, and how she is probably freaking out because she heard a cannon, gives me the strength to get up. I push myself onto shaking arms, then start limping in the direction I was heading earlier.

I hesitate, then turn. I will need a weapon to defend myself in this chaos. I feel awful, but with trembling hands I pull the knife out of Brutus's skull. I can't bring myself to look at the horrible wound, so I turn sharply and walk away. I know that he and Chaff will be somewhere better now. And they were destined to die anyway, because I need to save Katniss.

It still doesn't make me feel any better, though.

Through the trees, I see the glint of a weapon. I don't know who it is, but no face is a friend's except Katniss's. Ally or not, everyone must die. Including me.

I hurry over as fast as my legs will carry me. "Peeta!" It's Johanna. Her arm is bloody, but I see no wound to match it up with.

"Where's Katniss?" I snarl at her.

"Peeta, come on! We have to get moving! Brutus and Chaff-"

"Dead," I narrow my eyes at her. The blood on her arm that has no wound, the absence of Katniss- "Where is she?"

"I don't know! The last thing that happened, I cut the tracker out of her arm-"

That's enough for me. I dart at her with the knife, but she pushes me away from her, and I hit the ground hard. "KATNISS!" I bellow, hoping that maybe she'll hear me and yell back so I can find her. "KATNISS!"

"Shut up," Johanna hisses, "Do you want to get us all killed?"

I want to ask her what she means. Or laugh at her. We are already dead, we're just waiting for the Capitol to kill us.

I try, with my last efforts, to reach her, "KAT-"

That's when the world explodes.