I dream of seeing Prim. She's crying while holding my hand. We are sitting on a meadow, watching the sun rise. She keeps shaking me hard, which doesn't make sense to me since she's only holding my hand. I stand up, and look up as the sun finally makes it over the meadow. The sunlight is bright and warm. The grass and wildflowers of the meadow gleam brightly.
But despite the warmth of the meadow, my mind feels tired and sluggish. My body hurts despite the comfortable position we sit in. I hear far away voices. One is yelling my name while the other two are screaming. Was something wrong?
"Katniss, you need to open your eyes." Prim's voice is as soft as the breeze that caresses our faces.
I look at her strangely. "My eyes are open, Prim."
She repeats her statement, her bright blue eyes darkening a shade. "Katniss, you need to open your eyes."
Her words make the world around me darken. The sun seems to step onto the meadow and its glare dims to a dull gold. It changes shape, to a golden horn. The sky darkens to dawn. I watch in small shock as the wildflowers die and the grass darkens to a dark green. And what seems like Prim shaking me, the hard shaking increases to painful jolts. I feel my eyes open and see dark eyes staring into mine.
There's a pain in my side, where the source of the shaking seems to be. I realize a mutt has my side in its jaws. I scream loudly and try swinging at it, but I can't seem to feel my arms.
The jaws let go suddenly and I suck in a painful breath. I look over to my neck and gasp. Cato has been reduced to a bloody pulp of raw meat. My mind feels sluggish and the brightening dawn light dances in front of my eyes. I somehow realize that the attack is over.
"Katniss?" I turn my head to the sound of my name. Peeta is sliding down the horn, making his way over to me. I see my bow and arrows in one hand, and the knife in the other. The arrows and knife are glistening with red. His eyes are horrorstruck as he stares at me. I try to smile at him, but pain shoots across my face and turns it into a grimace.
Peeta kneels by me and strokes my cheek, his eyes wary. "Can you hear me?" Confusion floods over me. Why wouldn't I hear him? I nod, and cry out. The movement hurts. I hear a small hoarse whisper nearby and look over at Cato.
"Please." I look at his ragged face and groan in sympathy.
"L-let me see the bow." I try hard to sit up. Peeta gives me the bow and I look around. All of the mutts are gone, except for the few bodies. The Gamemakers must have needed them to bring us together. Surely now they would have no use for them? It doesn't matter now.
I take the bow with bleeding hands, looking at the arrow on Peeta's leg. It is bloody, and with the arrow and a piece of cloth by it, Peeta had attempted to make a tourniquet to staunch the bleeding.
"Y-You got bitten, Peeta?" I ask him, feeling horror wash over me. If any of us, Peeta had to win. He couldn't die from injuries.
He nods solemnly, watching my face. "I needed to use an arrow. It was the last one." He removes it from the tourniquet and gives it to me. I load it and look at Cato's ragged body.
Pity, not anger, drives the arrow to his head. The cannon fires. I take the arrow from Peeta after he removed it and put it back in his tourniquet. Peeta lets me lean on his shoulder while we wait for the hovercraft. I look around with my eyes, since small movements have my head spinning.
After a couple of long minutes, Peeta stands up. "I'm going to drag you okay? I think we're supposed to move." I look at him with wide eyes as he grabs my legs. I suck in a deep breath. He drags me slowly away from the dead bodies, toward the edge of Cornucopia. I try to quiet my screams as we make slow progress. Peeta stops as soon as we get halfway.
"N-No more dragging?" My voice is hoarse from screaming.
"Nope." Peeta tries to smile at me but something tells me he is smiling for my benefit.
He sits down next to me and plays with my bloody hair while my head lies in his lap.
Seneca Cane's voice comes on, breaking the quiet peacefulness of the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, the revision of the first rule has been canceled. There may only be one tribute from District 12." Horror spreads over me as he adds in a cheerful tone. "May the odds be in your favor." His voice crackles then fades into silence. Peeta looks at me with miserable eyes. He seems to need to gather himself before he gently eases my head off his lap and draws his knife, backing away a few yards.
"Okay, let's make this good." Peeta unties the tourniquet and tosses the arrow to me. I crawl backwards, the movements hurting in strange ways.
"I can't do this." I say slowly. I drop the arrow and force myself on my feet. Liquid tickles my throat and chest. "I'm not shooting you."
Peeta looks at me in shock once he sees me standing. "Sit down!" He yells as he runs toward me.
He barrels me over. I struggle with him, feeling agony spread across me like fire.
"I'll do it." He stands up, looking for his knife. "You can win, Katniss."
I shake my head vigorously, feeling fresh blood soak my remaining tatters of clothes from our wrestling. I know that if Peeta dies and I leave the arena, I'll never truly be free. I would be thinking the way out for the rest of my life.
"You kill me, and live with it!" I yell at him. "I'm not living without you, Katniss!" Peeta picks up the knife.
"No one said you had to." I say slowly, an idea dawning on me. I look at the nightlock pouch in Peeta's belt. I beckon him forward. He moves to me, dropping his knife. I take the pouch and spoon out a few berries for each of us.
Peeta looks at me with confusion in his eyes. He helps me stand and lets me lean on him. The effort of standing up twice has my head spinning.
He turns me around to kiss me. I wrap my arms around his neck and let myself hold on tight. After a few long tender moments, we pull away. I try to smile at him. Realization dawns on his face.
We stand back to back. "On three." I say.
"Hold them out for everyone to see." Peeta says. I hold out my hand, my other hand locked onto Peeta's.
The Games must always have a victor. Without one, they'd be ruined forever. I smile in my mind. Maybe the districts would fight back.
"One." Maybe I'm wrong.
"Two." Maybe they don't care if we both die.
"Three." I push the berries into my mouth.
"Stop! Stop!" Senator Cane's voice yells urgently. "Ladies and gentlemen! I welcome you the victors of the annual seventy fourth Hunger Games! Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mallerk, from District Twelve!"
I spew the berries out of my mouth and wipe my tongue on my bloodied shirt for good measure. Peeta turns me around and wraps me in a bear hug. The sound of a hovercraft has us both pulling away and looking at the sky.
The hovercraft's metallic arm dives down to scoop up the remains of Cato. A ladder slowly lowers down to us. Peeta pushes me toward it. I feel suddenly weak as I place my hands on it.
"You can do it, Katniss! Keep climbing!" Peeta's voice is the only thing encouraging me up the ladder. Once we make it to the top, we get pulled onto the hovercraft quickly. The faces of Effie Trinket and my prep team surround us.
"You made it! I'm so proud of both of you!" Effie's loud chirp rings in my ears. Octavia along with the rest of her team congratulate us, as Effie kisses my cheek gently. I hardly hear what they are saying over the sound of my loud heartbeat.
Their faces blur as I look at them with exhausted eyes. Sudden yells and commands drown out my thudding heartbeat. The commands bring on a rustle of activity.
"Get the rooms prepped!"
"Katniss needs to be treated first!"
"Seperate them!"
Hard arms grab me from under my shoulders. My head spins as I am lifted off the ground.
Peeta looks at the Capitol nurses who are carrying me into a different room behind a large window. "Don't touch her!" Peeta starts yelling. "Don't take her away from me!" I see a flurry of fists and kick Peeta moves toward me, only to be stopped by some Capitol guards.
I lay limp as they carry me, with no desire to move. My vision clears as I blink. I stare at Effie in alarm as she plugs a needle into Peeta's arm. Peeta falls down fast, his eyes closed.
"Peeta!" I try to get out of their grip, my head suddenly light. I stare after them and try to struggle. "Peeta!"
I think I fall.