Pain.
All over me.
My body is on fire.
I was woken from my sleep as I heard the snap of a branch from above. Something flying through the air, I thought. I looked up, and it was this big brown thing, just flying towards the ground. Its edges were all fuzzy, and there was a distinct humming sound in the air.
But now all I can see and feel is pain. The creatures are on me – all over me, inside my clothes and stinging my skin with fire. My body is out of control. I flail my arms about madly, but they won't go away. They won't leave me alone.
I look around amidst the terror and I see everyone is the same. Time is frozen. Cato bats his head wildly, Marvel thrashes his spear about, Glimmer has her mouth open mid-girlish scream – Mackie is nowhere to be found.
But then time moves again, and everything is fast.
Cato screeches and tumbles through the bushes into the clearing by the river. Marvel follows. Mackie – now I see her! – she is crying with pain, but the noise is distorted and pleasant to my ears. I am the last to exit the forest, but I have time to look up into the trees where the nest came from to see Katniss and that little kid from 11 smirking in the trees. I'll get her. I'll get 12. I'm going to take my time with that one – the audience'll love that. I'm gonna KILL HER.
I also look back and see this … this thing writhing about on the floor. It screams constantly in pain. You can barely see the shining emerald eyes through the swollen pink mess that expands with every bite of fire. Its hair isn't glowing and golden anymore. Its voice isn't silky and flirtatious. It is a mess. It is UGLY.
Finally.
Cato won't love you anymore, Glimmer.
I see the thing look up at me and scream. Its green eyes lock onto mine, pleading with me, begging with me.
I turn away. I scream and stumble through the trees, struggling with the insane mix of colours blurring my vision. I see someone that looks like Bunty Hessleworth, the escort of District 1, tutting impatiently. She mutters in her chirpy Capitol accent, "Tut, tut, Petal. Or was it Flower? You didn't pay attention in training."
I scream at this illusion but she merely waves me off with a laugh. "Don't you remember?" she chuckles harshly. "But, Rosebud, how could you forget the tracker jackers?"
Her words ring through the air like shattered glass as I tumble back into the murky waters.
