AN: Finished editing. Maybe I shouldn't be such a drama queen. "HOURS!" turned into fifteen minutes. Anwayyy...
Enjoy. :)
Peeta lays there, and while there are no other tributes coming to take his life, he's sure it's only a matter of time. It's obvious- they're going to target me and kill me.
Peeta drags his fingers through the grass, feeling the coolness of it. His tears ended a long time ago. Now he lays here with a pounding head and an empty heart.
He doesn't notice it, at first, because at the same moment it falls from the sky, another cannon is heard. Seven deaths, five alive. He sits up and stares, wishing it were him who set off that cannon. Wishing he could die a hero's death opposed to feeling like a sheep being picked off for dinner.
He finally detects the silver parachute package that had landed in front of him. He reaches for it, and opens it up, curious as to who would want to sponsor someone so pathetic.
He finds a large loaf of bread- his family's trademark loaf. It's got lots of herbs and nuts baked in its crust, and it's very hearty and fulfilling. He thinks it's kind of silly to send food so early in the games, before he distinguishes why this loaf is so significant.
He remembers a time when Katniss was starving. Literally starving. Her bones were more prominent than he'd ever seen. She looked like a walking skeleton, and Prim wasn't much better. His father was always making comments, wanting to help the girls, but his mother simply sniffed and turned her nose up.
One day, he heard his mother yelling at her. Telling her she'd call the Peace Keepers. Peeta dared a glance out the window and saw her, looking dejected as a beaten-dog. He knew what he had to do.
He purposefully dropped the loaves in the fire, burning them so they were still edible but not sellable. His mom had screamed so loudly, and even hit him across the face. He hurried outside, but instead of feeding the pigs like his mother had demanded, he tossed the bread to Katniss. He saw her face light up, and it only further cemented his feelings for the Seam girl.
He pulled the bread out of the box to find a note tucked in the bottom. It's in her messy scrawl, and it says…
Peeta reads her words; he's ready to faint with happiness.
I don't love Gale. Written clear as day.
He isn't sure what to do with the loaf- he isn't hungry, so when he spies a back pack on the ground, he grins and shoves the bread inside. We're going to eat this together, he vows in his head.
Filled with newfound motivation, he takes off to the woods, carrying his knives and the hatchet that 8 had left behind. He doesn't just want to win now, he needs to.
It is hours of walking, before he finally finds District 5 and Glimmer wrestling on the ground. He actually hears their grunts and screams before he sees them- tangled in a ball of blonde and red. They remind him of a campfire, and he is stunned into staring, before he remembers what he has to do. He looks around; they appear to be the only two around, which means the others left must be Thresh, Cato and the boy from District 4.
He doesn't make his presence known, and instead, watches for a bit as both girls fight. Glimmer is obviously larger than District 5- who's tiny frame and clever features remind him distinctly of a fox. Her hair color doesn't help. Part of him is determined to step forward to end the fight- to end the violence- but then his voice snidely mocks him. Then what, Wonderboy? Ya gonna rescue the fair maidens so they can turn on you?So, instead, Peeta watches, and tries to separate himself from the situation. He thinks of Katniss, and her warm eyes and dark skin- practically the epitome of a mug of hot-chocolate- when a loud screech calls his attention to the fight. Both the girls have seemingly made fatal blows on each-other: Glimmer shoves an arrow in 5's stomach, while 5 cuts a slit down Glimmer's back. It's gruesome, and both girls scream out in rage and pain but they keep wrestling. Peeta doesn't want to step in, but when he sees Glimmer get up and 5 stay down, he knows he has to act.
The cannon's booming hides his pounce as he appears from nowhere, jumping at Glimmer. He's desperately hoping she makes the first attack, which she does. She snarls at him, her pretty facade disappearing by the second. Her hair is now muddy and bloody, and her face has several scratches on it. She has long abandoned the bow and is now just piercing the other tributes with arrows, which she attempts to do with Peeta. She misses anything important, and gets his shoulder. Peeta pulls it out without wincing and tosses it to the side. Glimmer, not down for the count, leaps on him and tries to stick him with another arrow. This time, Peeta is ready, and he shoves her aside. She makes impact against a tree, which wouldn't normally have meant anything more than a massive bruise, but Peeta hears a buzzing noise which makes his knees go weak.
"Tracker jackers!" Peeta yelps, and runs as fast as he can away from the tree. Six months ago, he wouldn't have stood a chance against the bees, but this time, he just runs. Just as he ran from the carnage before, he runs from nature this time. He runs and runs until he finds, by luck, what he needs- a pond. He dives in to cover his scent, without receiving a single sting. He waits a good half minute before popping his head up, gulping the air. The water feels nice, but he knows not to take a drink of it. He's seen far too many games where tributes have died from drinking impure water to try his luck.
He stands up and doubles over. The pain in his shoulder was made worse by the running, and he can't raise his arms above his neck. He's only slightly worried about this, however, because night is falling and that means the boys- Cato, Thresh and 4, would be after him. He climbs the nearest tree, not before checking for any nests, and wraps himself against a branch. He waits up for the pictures to be displayed across the sky- of those dead.
He wonders if the three other tributes are teaming up, or fighting one another. He's equally worried about both scenarios.
These thoughts plague him as he falls asleep, and while he should be having nightmares about the darkness that is sure to come, he can't help but dream pleasantly about Katniss- the girl that makes going the distance worth it all.
AN: Whoooah! Lotsa action, hmm? Originally, the Games ended in this chapter, but I didn't like how... rushed it all felt. So I am separating the games into at least two chapters- possibly three- with more Katniss observation. Isn't her gift so sweet and sentimental? And I'm trying to stick as close to the book as possible (Glimmer- death by Tracker Jackers) so we'll see how ya'll like it.
Thanks for reviews/favorites/alerts/etc. I appreciate 'em all!