'"Don't look back! Don't look back!" I hear Peeta scream at me as we run through the forest. I want to ignore him and turn around to see what we're running from, but I am physically not able to move my head at all. A rush of fear and adrenaline flows though my entire body. All I can do is sprint as fast as I can. It almost feels like I'm running in a circle. I'm not even sure where I am right now. Tens of thousands of tress pass by me as I get the feeling that I'm running for my life…away from a monster that I can't see. Blurred images of blood and gore race through my mind and I try my best to block out the images of severed limbs and spilled guts. 'Come on! You're a hunter. You should be used to blood!' But human carnage is far from being the same as wild game. I find it extremely humous to the point of it being sick that the Capital sees us as a type of game. They view our lives as a play thing, as something they can just throw away whenever they feel like it. Therefore, they've created this gruesome event…a massacre, otherwise known as The Hunger Games.
Even though I'm still not sure what sort of monster the game creators have made, I can hear the growls and howls of whatever creature the Capital has decided to sic on us. It sounds big from the sound it makes as it runs. I can hear the comparison between the way the leaves crunch under my boots and the monster's. It seems like the creature is gaining on us, and I do everything in me to keep as far away from it as possible. At a couple moments, I can feel its warm breath very close to my leg. I hear the snap of teeth, but luckily Peeta and I are quick enough to avoid it. My life is flashing in front of me. Cliche, I know.
"Where are we running?" I hear myself ask. My voice is breaking and labored. I sound completely out of breath.
"I don't exactly know." I look over at Peeta to see the pupils of his eyes, a baby blue. "It's getting lighter."
I look up at the sky briefly to notice that the light is starting to break through the trees. It would have been gorgeous, if it wasn't for the threat of death hanging over us. I look straight ahead to notice a sliver of light reflecting off of something. "Peeta! I found the cornucopia!" He turns his eyes from me to look forward and I notice he speeds up slightly. I sprint along side of him as we both run forward towards the middle of the arena. I realize as we run into the open field that I can no longer feel the creature's breath on me. I don't risk slowing down though. The sky is now almost completely lit up with a bright blue. Peeta makes it to the cornucopia first and hauls himself up onto the metal structure before turning around to see where I am. I'm right behind him as I jump up to grab onto the metal and Peeta holds out his hand to pull me up. I feel the creature's warm breath as it snaps at me and my pant leg is torn. Peeta holds onto me though and I hold my breath until I am safe on top of the cornucopia. I notice I'm still holding my breath as I turn around to look at the creatures for the first time.
A gasp is let out as I gaze at the monster; It is huge as I excepted, but I didn't image it would look like a dog…..or that I would feel like I'm looking into Rue's gentle brown eyes. It's a smaller one and has a dark brown pelt. As I look around, I realize that every single creature has the eyes of a fallen tribute and their pelt matches their tribute's hair color. I see a bigger dark brown one and it has Clove's dark brown eyes filled with a hatred I can't imagine anyone having. A sandy blonde one emerges from behind the brown one and I immediately recognize Glimmer's light blue eyes, determination and a need for revenge in her gaze. I notice FoxFace's fiery red pelt and vibrant purple orbs; I just see sadness and regret in them…she was so close. I find myself looking for a pair of blue eyes with a golden pelt, but I can't find it.
"Mutations is what the Capital calls them." Peeta tells me as he looks down at the mutts. "I know…the eyes are freaking unsettling."
I feel like crying for the fallen tributes, but I have to stay strong for myself and for Peeta. "Where's Cato? Did his canon go off while we were running?"
Peeta stiffens up for a second and I realize that he has completely forgotten about the career from District 2. "I don't see a mutt resembling him…"
The mutts continue to growl and whine at us until suddenly they stop and run back into the forest. "I don't understand…why are they leaving? Did the capital tell them to leave?" Peeta asks.
I pause before answering because I'm scared of being right. "Maybe they were ordered to leave because it's the finale or…."I dread the next answer, "Maybe they sense something dangerous…." I feel my blood turn to ice and I look around the arena for what the mutts could have considered a threat. I finally see it….or I see him. "Cato…." I whisper.