A/N: In case you can't tell, I'm going for 3 themes per day. This one is Breathe Again, obviously, and it's in Peeta's POV. A little weird, and also connected to the 5th theme, Break Away. You'll see.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.
7. Breathe Again
I swing my knife ahead of me, hear the sharp zap and then I can't breathe – I can't – can't—
And I'm floating, weightless. Drifting away from myself. A gray mist all around me, pressing in, except I'm not me so there's nothing to press in on. Just existing with the mist, yep. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Very peaceful. A nice change from that – hmmm. I can't remember. Well, it's got to be better than wherever I was before.
And then – no. This is wrong. I don't want to feel air going into my – I have lungs? I mean, I had them, but I thought – and why is my heart beating? Why do I have a heart? I don't need one in the mist, it's not like – hey, where's the mist gone?
I don't like this.
My newfound, unwanted eyes open slightly and there she is, a half-remembered girl staring down at me with fear and desperation on her face. Small droplets of water rain down… tears…
Then I remember what happened, the horrible suffocation, and I take great shuddering gasps of air and life and I can breathe again and oh, great, I'm back in this stupid jungle.
"Careful," I tell her, as soon as I can speak. "There's a force field ahead."