Panemonium 7: Change of Pace


It has been a week since the bloodbath, and I still haven't had the courage to face Cato, again. It seems that every time I reach a decision; I contradict myself into changing my mind. The only death was the District four girl. I saw her die, but nothing actually happened; I just think she had a late reaction to the element.

Being alone in the wilderness isn't that bad, except for the fact that when you're alone, all you have is your thoughts. My thoughts drifted, as always, to Cato. Being away from each other makes it harder to keep away from him. The longer I keep away from him, the more I think of him. Actually I think he is the only thing I think of nowadays.

I had made shelter in a small cave just off the creek that ran through the arena. It's not much but it kept me warm, and safe. I awoke at the crack of dawn because the first ray of light peeked into my cave and splashed across my face. I emerged from what seems to be a moss covered boulder; this was provided by me as an extra precaution. Then I saw the smoke, and then the flame. The arena was on fire.

I didn't register this at first, because the fire was too large for just a normal campfire mishap, but that was when I saw a body on fire. It was running at me, spreading the fire in its wake. I was in shock, but the adrenalin had kicked in. The fiery body was inches from me, when I wheeled around the body, juking it, and it barreled into the creek, sizzling with smoke.

Above me a storm was starting to brew, no doubt a Gamemaker production to calm the fire, before it spread too far. Seconds later it was raining a monsoon's worth of water.

I run into the creek and pick up the unconscious body, and laid it on the shore. It was Katniss; she was the one who was on fire. I start CPR, going off the little video tutorial shown to our entire school during safety week.

"Okay thirty pumps, two breaths." I muttered to myself as I got to work. I was pumping as hard as I could, and I gently breathed life into her body. This was repeated over and over again, I never stopped. I just waited for the sound of the cannon. When I will know I have to stop.

I was in mid breath when she coughed up the water from her lungs, I quickly jerked back, as the water dribbled out of her mouth. Her eyes opened in a flutter and found me. I sat back and sighed in relief. I saved a life in a game where I am supposed to kill, the irony almost made me laugh, but I had no humor left in me.

~xXx~

Cato POW

The fire had destroyed everything. The supplies were burnt into cinders, and Marvel was incinerated. Glimmer's body had probably gone up in flames too, but that wasn't the reason she died. She died because she was slow, and slow witted. The tracker jackers got her, that assaulted her, probably saving Clove, Me, and almost Marvel. I have lost have my team, but I'm not that down about it. They were going to have to die anyways, I'm just glad it wasn't another death on my hands. I had other problems now. My clothes were missing once again.

I had phased into my tiger while I was attempting to escape the giant fire. I knew it was going to happen once I pushed my limits running as fast as I could. Once in my tiger form, I was doubly fast, and had to go back and save Clove from being swallowed by the flames. I jumped into a huge lake with Clove on my back, and I phased back, my protection going with it.

The parachute came with the winds of the false storm the Gamemaker made to counter the fast growing fire. It was blown of course, and into the forest. There was only one way to get. I swam to the edge of the pool, and ran for it. The loud beeping noise was like a beacon calling me, from the trees. I had to scale the tree about some 20 feet to retrieve it, wearing nothing but my birthday suit. It contained something that I will always be thankful for.

The message read:

This was too expensive; it dipped into my own pocket. Make it worth my while! - Gloss

P.S. It's a suit with Panemonium weaved into the fabric; it's supposed to stay with you while you phase.

I could kiss Gloss right now. I know that my nakedness is a minor problem given the situation, but there are millions of people watching so I would like a little privacy. The suit was skin tight, with a V shaped, silver colored, mesh patch from the color to my navel. The suit itself was silky black, and fit me just right, the sleeves going to my elbows, and to my ankles.

I regrouped with Clove at the shore of the lake, and we decided to make a camp there, taking turns sleeping.

~xXx~

Peeta POW

The anthem of Panem played into the night sky, announcing the death toll of today. I saw Glimmer's, and Marvel's faces in the sky, the last death was of Thresh. The anthem played out, and the sky was once again black and empty.

I returned back into the cave, where Katniss was beginning to awake. I sit by the fire, stoking it, and watching the smoke disappear in the cracks of my cave.

"Are you feeling better," I ask her.

"Just a little water logged, but other than that I am fine." she replied.

"So what happened, exactly?" I questioned again, handing her some berries.

She ate them in one bite before speaking. "Well it all began, when I awoke with the Careers camping out under my tree. I couldn't get down from the tree without waking them up so I searched for an alternative, then a little birdie showed me my solution. The tracker jacker nest was near where I slept the night before. I cut it off the branch only getting stung once, and it dropped right into their little camp. The problem was that now I was trapped until they cleared out, the tracker jackers and the Careers. I began to panic, and then I caught on fire. The tree I was on started to burn as well, too well. It burnt up fast, and I feel about forty feet I was knocked unconscious, still on fire. I woke up soon after with the forest burning all around me. I ran off to the nearest source of water, my plan was to extinguish myself first, before I could burn the whole arena. Well you know the rest."

I listened intently, I was fascinated that she survived all that. That was when I first heard it. I thought it was just my inner voice in my head that contradicts me. But it was a girl's voice in my head, not mine. I know Katniss was hearing it too, because my own curiosity was reflected in her eyes. The voice grew more powerful, saying this:

"End all of your fighting, it isn't worth it. Follow the stream south, and soon you shall meet me. Be there before dawn." It faded away, her message ringing in my ears.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I don't know it freaks me out, I feel like they messing with our heads. She certainly got into my head. What does it mean?" she said.

"I think she wants us to meet at the end of the creek, going south. Maybe there is someone, another tribute maybe, who got put into the games, or it is one of the original tributes playing with our head, like you said." I said.

"Do you think we should check it out?" she asked.

"It couldn't hurt, we should be cautious though, it is probably a trap, but we could kill them just as easy as they can kill us. Either way it's a win- win. Unless we die." I said.

"I don't know, something feels off about this." She began.

"What if it isn't a trap though? We have to know. Maybe one of the other tributes has the ability to speak to minds, and wants to make a pack between us so we can take the Careers? Like I said, we have to know." I said, shuddering.

Fine, we will go." She hesitates before asking, "How are things between you and Cato?"

I turn away, my face falling with a single tear. "There is nothing."

"So long as I have to kill him, we will never be anything. We choose not to get attached because we knew one of us was going to die in the end."

Katniss looked anguished, as if she struggle deciding what to say next. She bit her lip, but didn't say anything I walk out to glance into the sky once again. There was a faint shimmer of dawn in the eastern sky, which meant it was time to go. I turn back to holler at Katniss before setting off south, alongside the creek.

~xXx~

Cato POW

This was absolutely stupid. The games were already difficult enough, so why did she have to make it even more complicated? The voice told us to meet her at the end of the creek. I didn't want to do it, but Clove said she needed to go, like she felt drawn to follow her instructions. I'll admit, I felt the need to follow her voice, my instincts told me otherwise, but I had this gut feeling that kept me walking. So here I was walking the creek.

The stream floated lazily down the hill. The sound was soothing and relaxing, but there was no time to relax. To relax requires putting your guard down, and I wasn't about to let that happen.

~xXx~

Peeta POW

Trouble. This is exactly the word for it. All of us that are left in the game; Clove, Cato, Me, Katniss, Rue, Foxface, and Three other guys, (Tekk, Jute, and Drake), are all here at the end of the river. All of us have our weapons at hand, glaring and leering at each other. Cato wasn't to me though, he had a blank expression staring at me, but I could see hurt in his eyes. I am sure he could see the fear in mine. We couldn't trust anyone but ourselves in the games.

"Stop." said the voice in our head. We all looked around and at each other, as if the other guy was the cause of this.

"This fighting is unnecessary, and it is time for it to end. Tekk you know what to do." She said.

We all looked at the male tribute of Three. He walked ahead a few feet and came to a halt. He raised his hands and his head bowed in strain. His face, barely visible in the moonlight, was contorted in concentration.

Something peculiar was happening that was for sure. The forest in front of Tekk was shimmering a blue white. Then the shimmering turned into tremors that shook through the entire arena, visible waves of blue white quaked throughout the dome. I wondered what the Capitol was doing about this. Were they waiting to see what we are doing to attack, or are they waiting for us?

Static hung in the air, and hole was widening in front of Three that showed what was really on the other side, black and steel, it was too dark to make anything out. The hole was big enough for us to ease our way out of the arena, Tekk was dripping sweat his eyes crammed shut.

"Go," he said. "I don't know how much longer I can hold this!"

The black and steel was blown out by a mysterious force revealing the actual outside world. There was no time to think about it, as one by one we each escaped from the arena. Once we emerged from the arena we entered a realm of lush mountain foot. There was a twinkling city lights above the tree top due north. The dark of the night inhibits my ability to distinguish details, so heading into the forest would make us lost for sure.

I noticed that once Cato was out he was hovering near me, we all had our weapons, but now that we aren't apart of the games anymore it doesn't make sense to use them. Still, I gripped my sword firmly.

Bright sparks and loud static crashed as the hole had collapsed. I was pretty sure all of us had made it out of the arena, but I couldn't do a head count to be sure. Then I was grabbed from behind, hand over my mouth and dragged off deep into the woods. I knew it was Cato before I even looked around, not that it would help in complete darkness.

"What is wrong with you?" I spat at him.

"What is wrong with you? We haven't talked in a week. You didn't stick around during the bloodbath, or even come back afterwards. I thought I meant something to you." He spat right back.

"I couldn't come back, when I saw you change into that tiger, I just couldn't do it." I said, flustered.

"Why not?" He said pointedly.

"Because you will kill me." I said.

"What?" he said. I could almost feel the hurt that was in his voice. It hit me like an icy cold smack across the face.

I told him about my dream, and how it was the exactly the same tiger he can change into. I told him that I thought it was a prophetic dream, and that I decided so long as we were in the Games that I would distance myself.

"There is no way I could kill you, especially if we are alone." He said.

"You don't know that." I shot back.

"I do actually. Because for one, I am in total control of myself when I'm in my tiger phase. Secondly I wouldn't every kill you, let alone try, I seriously doubt if I ever could bring myself up to do it. Lastly, when we are alone, nothing could take away my happiness, or even threaten me to trigger an adrenalin rush, because when I am with you, my world is complete." He said.

"Oh." I said. I really hate myself now, and my overthinking brain. I always do this, and it brings me nothing but pain. I have hurt Cato, thus hurting myself.

I bring myself closer to him, pressing against him, my anchor to reality. I step onto my toes, and look up at him. Cato understand my desire, brings his lips down on mine, sending sparks across my lips that shake me to the core. I had forgotten what it was like to kiss him, I felt like an addict receiving a dose after rehabilitation. You never miss what you have until it's gone.

We walked back through the woods, my hand in his, smile on our face. We can be happy now, together.

Chaos grew louder and more apparent as the rest of the tribute came into view, they were going absolutely nuts, panicking, babbling, and muttering. Hovercrafts were zooming in on us, my own panic rose within me. I couldn't think, I felt the desire to calm them down so I could do so.

"HEY!" I yell. They were actually shock into silence, and then I started back as quickly as it ended.

"BE QUIET!" I yell again. This time it stayed quiet. The hover crafts were coming in closer, and my panic shot adrenalin through my body.

"We need to run, head to the trees!" I shouted. They all rushed to the tress without hesitation, as if they had to obey my order. I think this is my Panemonium.