"Run!" He shouts at Savannah, grabbing her shoulder as she scrambles to her feet as fast as she can. She scoops up her knife belt. They sprint back into the jungle as fast as they can.
"Go right!" Savannah yells. "The gas!"
Even though Gale saw it clear he doesn't object and they start to head off in a diagonal direction back up the ascent of the jungle. The fully fit Careers are gaining on them. A spear misses Savannah narrowly and she stumbles. They have no choice but to stop and fight.
She rips a knife from her belt and in one quick swirling motion, Savannah sends the knife flying and it buries itself into the woman from 1's chest. A canon booms through all the speakers in the room as she falls to the floor.
I feel my jaw drop. She ducks another spear from the man from 2 and throws another knife. He swerves and it hits him in the leg. He falls and she begins to head back up the hill. Gale has paused a few meters away, his bow ready but he hasn't fired. He's reluctant to kill. He still hasn't abandoned her though. Savannah artfully swerves a knife aimed at her from the woman from 4 in a graceful swirl.
"So that's how she got her 10 score," I say breathlessly as the man from 2 rips the knife from his leg. He still can't get to his feet though, the blood gushing from the wound.
Gale sends an arrow near the closest Career to Savannah who has to stop to avoid it. I can see the effort in Savannah's face as they continue to run - they still haven't recovered from their previous trauma.
A few more feet and Savannah almost trips again. Gale looks helplessly down at the advancing Careers and loads and arrow, getting ready to loosen it, aiming on target this time.
But then, something orange and furry drops down from above, landing onto the woman from 4, and she crashes to the ground. The woman from 1 screams in surprise and swerves as another creature tries to attack her.
Monkeys.
I've never seen any animal move so fast. They slide down the vines as if the things were greased. Leap impossible distances from tree to tree. Fangs bared, hackles raised, claws shooting out like switchblades. I may be unfamiliar with monkeys, but animals in nature don't act like this.
"Mutts!" I hiss in horror.
The one that landed on 4 has sunk its fangs into her chest and there's blood pouring everywhere. Savannah and Gale start to run again as monkeys rain down on them from above. Savannah slashes at them with a knife as they hurry away from the chaos. Treating the monkeys as a hunt, Gale lets arrow after arrow loose to bring them down. Every arrow must count, and they do. In the eerie light, he brings down monkey after monkey, targeting eyes and hearts and throats, so that each hit means a death. The tributes from 12 head diagonally this time as the monkeys focus their attention on the Careers.
A canon sounds, announcing the death of the woman from 4. The rest of the Careers remain where they are, trapped by their orange attackers. Gale brings down one more as Savannah rips a knife from another's chest. That was the last monkey that was interested in them and they distance themselves from the Careers.
Both of us sink backwards into our seats as our tributes go out of range. The Career mentors to our right are watching in anguish as their tributes fight against the orange mutts. The woman from 2 struggles to keep up the fight as more converge on her. They start tearing at her flesh and her screams fill the entire room. A canon booms. The mentors swear loudly and the Peacekeepers step forward to escort them out. They glare at us as they leave. They're the only ones so far who've actually seem angry instead of upset about leaving. They act like they're being forced to leave a party.
The two remaining male tributes from 1 and 4, who are a lot bigger than the others, start to retreat towards the beach. They keep up the fight, managing to stave off the mutts until suddenly they stop. The man from 4 stumbles backwards and falls. His companion ignores him and retreats further leaving him to the monkeys. The man from 4 prepares for the attack. I glance at Finnick who's watching the large screen. I'm surprised to see the seriousness on his face. The other Career mentors have been so cheery about the whole situation, his screwed up mouth and dark eyes surprise me. We wait for his death but the monkeys have stopped. They're just watching him in a line in the trees. The man gasps for air as he assess the monsters above him.
And then they are withdrawing, backing up trees, fading into the jungle, as if some unheard voice calls them away. A Gamemaker's voice, telling them this is enough.
I frown at the screen - another incident where the threat has stopped in its tracks and retreated. Like the rain and the fog, the horror stops after a certain point.
The only other reason is the Game makers don't want to kill off too many tributes with their games and want more physical violence between the districts.
The live feed stays on the two remaining Careers as they recover from the attack. The man from 1 has abandoned his ally from 4 and is retreating as fast as he can. Gale and Savannah are putting as much distance between themselves and the Careers as their bodies will allow.
My whole body aches as I relax it. I'd been holding myself tightly for the past few hours. Peeta and I have no words and just stare at our tributes as they continue on their course. If they keep going they'll encounter a tribute from 7.
My eyes feel heavy and I'm forced to rub them. Peeta takes note and suggests that I get some rest but I brush him off.
"I'm fine."
"Katniss you need to get some rest, you'll be no good to them if you can't concentrate. The Capitol will be happy for a bit, they've had lots of action to keep them entertained for a while, and look, Gale's hunting for some food now, they'll be fine."
I watch Gale shoot down another of those strange animals from a tree nearby.
I want to glare at Peeta but I don't have the energy and I know he's right. I get to my feet awkwardly, the feeling has gone from them from sitting for so long. I ignore everyone as they watch me rise and head towards the exit. I retrace my steps to my quarters and collapse on the bedding. A large screen is playing in my room, complete with audio, if anything happens, I will hear it. Sleep finds me sooner than I expected.
I start to dream. I'm wandering through the forest in my own Games, bow in hand, surveying the area. I make it through for a distance without encountering anyone then I hear a terrible scream. A horrible, gut wrenching scream. I turn and find myself staring at Posie. She calls out Gale's name over and over, screaming. I'm frozen in shock, not sure how to help her. Then I hear another scream, and Rory is behind me, crying and calling for his brother. Then I hear another voice I can't place, I can't find the source and I turn and turn until I'm staring at myself.
"GALE!"
I sit bolt up right in my bed as my voice echoes through the room. I blink in rapid confusion. Trying to place where I am and what's going on. I feel the bed beneath me and gain a sudden stability. I turn to the screen admitting the loud screams and see Gale and Savannah running through the jungle again.
I clamber out of the bed desperately, scanning the screens for the attack but not finding any. They're not running from anything… they're searching. Then I hear the scream again. My voice, calling out Gale's name and he's running to it, trying to find me, a look of horror on his face.
I stare at the screen doing my best to figure out the situation. I'm here. I'm not in the Arena.
Savannah is trundling behind Gale, looking just as confused until she hears another scream followed by her own name.
She twirls and runs in a different direction after the voice. Gale comes to a halt, staring high up into the trees. I spot a few birds flitting from tree to tree. Jabberjays.
He realizes it too and he glares upwards in a dark anger. He hears the other voices calling to Savannah and chases after her.
She chases through the greenery after the male voice calling for her. She runs and runs until she hits something and falls backwards. It was like she hit an invisible wall. Gale skids to a halt next to her, pressing a hand against a piece of what appears to be glass. A flash of panic crosses his face as he realizes they're trapped – yet again, within another boarder. He slams his fist against it in frustration and drops down to Savannah who's curled up into a ball holding her ears. He pulls her to him trying to tell her it's not real. Trying to point out it's Jabberjays, but Posie and Rory's screams just sound too real. Horror surges through me as I try to think how they could have got those screams but then I realize my voice is mixed in there and I'm safe.
With a last sickening glance at the screen, I leave my area and head back to the control room. Peeta looks up desperately as I come in. I can see his concern. I also notice Finnick watching me from the other side of the room. He's talking quietly to Johanna again. I drop into my seat and rub my eyes, blinking to try and focus them.
"I don't think they're harmful," Peeta says quickly.
"No it's just mental torture," I grumble angrily. "There's no one near them is there?"
"No they seem to be sealed in with the Jabberjays alone. 1 split from 4 after the Monkeys, they're finally alone."
I just nod and watch miserably at the screams as Gale and Savannah suffer through the screaming. Gale has his arms around Savannah, his eyes screwed tight as if that will stop the screaming
It's the early hours of the morning and half of the mentors are asleep. The live feed switches from our tributes to others dotted around the Arena. We all look up when the door from the main control room opens. My heart stops, expecting Snow but Plutarch comes into the room instead. He stays on the balcony, not saying anything, just watching us. I'm surprised he's up this late.
He pulls out a pocket watch – the same one he took out during the Victory Tour. I suddenly remember the Mockingjay that flashed across the screen. Then the all of a sudden before I can think it through, the screaming stops. I look up at the screen and the Jabberjays have vanished. Gale slowly uncurls himself to look upwards. His face looks almost broken and my heart aches.
His face soon clouds over and he turns his attention back to Savannah who hasn't uncurled herself from her ball. She takes some coaxing but he finally manages to get her to look up. Her face is stained with tear tracks and she's unsteady when they finally stand.
They look exhausted. They haven't slept since entering the Arena and haven't eaten in hours.
"We have to send them food," I say almost instantly. I know it's the right thing to do even though Gale can hunt. They need this sign of comfort. Remind them we're still here. We settle on bread that's still relatively low credits.
Peeta selects two loaves and then our two tributes on the screens. The credits deduct from their totals and we watch as it makes it way into the Arena. A few minutes later a parachute drifts down. Gale looks up as soon as he notices it and snatches them out of the air. He lets out a small breath as he realizes it's food and looks up to the sky. I can see the thank you written on his face. He breaks one of them in half and tries to get the still devastated Savannah to eat something. It takes a while but she slowly starts to nibble on the end.
It's a relief to finally be able to be helpful. When I look up Plutarch is gone.
"Sleep Peeta," I say quietly. "I really can't right now."
He squeezes my hand and leaves. My mind starts to churn as they eat their bread. I think to the gold band on Finnick's arm. I think of the Mockingjay on Plutarch's watch. I can't help but feel there's some form of connection. Did Haymitch set this up? Why didn't he tell me?
I look at the cameras around the room, the Peacekeepers, and I answer my own question. It's too dangerous to talk. My thoughts start to drift to the uprising in the Districts. Snow is using these Games as a distraction. But distract me from what? I can't start a rebellion. There's no chance we would win.
A sense of hopeless defeat settles in my stomach as I watch my two tributes. Gale eats all of his and encourages Savannah to do the same saying that it's too difficult to carry and he can hunt anyway. She chews on it when they get to their feet. Gale glances around the Arena, unsure of where to go
They need sleep, that much is clear. He finds them a dense patch of trees and tells Savannah to rest for a few hours whilst he keeps watch. She doesn't protest and is out pretty quickly. He wraps up her unfinished bread for her in leaves and binds it with vines. He then sits down, bow in his hands and looks out into the darkness.
I stare miserably at my screen.
11 Tributes still remain after one day of action. I feel like I've been in this room for a lifetime. I still can't blink away the images of Cinna being beaten to a pulp. Part of me wants to contact Haymitch but I'm not sure how to go about it. I glance at the Peacekeepers around us and sigh in defeat. I rub my tired eyes, just watching Gale keep guard.
If he hadn't kissed me that day I was leaving, he wouldn't be there right now. I wonder who would have taken his place? Would Prim have gone in? My mother? Would Snow have found another way to torture me?
"You look like crap," Finnick startles me a little.
"Shouldn't you be getting your beauty sleep?" I mutter.
"I promised the first night shift," he shrugs. "I'm more of a night owl anyway." He smirks a little but it falters.
"Oh crap," we hear Johanna shout and we both look at the large screen. The feed is following the man from 1 creeping through the forestry. He's enclosing on someone huddled around a fire. I grimace at the stupidity. It's over pretty quickly. The cannon booms and I look to my own feed to see Gale's head snap up at the sound. He gets to his feet and circles the area but finds no threat.
"Idiot!" Johanna shouts at the screen, she glances to Finnick who has his eyebrow raised. She just glares at him. "It was the one thing I told him not to do. At least your tributes have common sense."
"One of my tributes is dead too," he argues back. "Trying to kill Katniss's."
I look up to him in surprise at his response. I'd forgotten that Finnick's had fallen to the Monkeys.
"Sorry," I find myself saying but he looks at me like I'm crazy. I realise it's weird to apologise over the death of someone who was trying to kill my Tributes. I give my head a little shake as if it would clear it. I'm getting into the mind-frame of a Mentor already and I feel a little sickened by it.
"You get used to it," Johanna says, watching me and she comes over to the both of us. "You have to learn not to take these things personally. Finnick's tributes butchered both of mine before your Games."
Finnick's mouth pulls into a tight line.
"Not on orders," he says quietly, glancing at the Peacekeepers.
"Never is," she replies, sitting down on my other side. She throws a glare at the control room. "Not ours anyway."
I assess the two Victors and their seemingly active distaste towards the Capitol. It dawns on me that not all Victors are how they seem. I see a small glimmer of hope that I won't be changed but the dark look on Johanna's face shows me something much worse. Even Finnick's faltering arrogance makes me question how the most popular and rich Victors still has so much resentment to those who provided it for them. My mind races over their lives since they won but we're too public to ask. I'd never thought about the Victors before. They were always killers in my eyes but then I realise that's not true. Peeta survived without killing. Finnick definitely isn't what I expected and he's a Career Victor. I think of the poor girl who went mad from his District. She survived on luck too. I look around the room. No one's laughing or smiling anymore. I can see the tired and bored looks of having to do this time and time before. I wonder how much my soul could take if I had to watch tributes die year after year. Haymitch and alcohol crosses my mind and I understand the urge to cross the room and grab a glass of wine.
Then an important question occurs to me.
Do the Victors want an uprising?
"You're the only district with two tributes left," Finnick comments, glancing at the betting board above us. I look up at the only two names highlighted next to each other. 2, 6 and 8 have lost both and everyone else has one.
"Five isn't looking good though," I say, looking at her bad odds.
"She hasn't found water," Johanna says in a bored voice. "She'll die from dehydration pretty soon."
My own mouth feels dry when I think back to when I almost died from dehydration and I wasn't in an environment as near as hot as the one they're in now.
"Shouldn't we mention the spiel?" I ask them quietly.
"She hasn't got much sponsors and the price will have rocketed by now," Johanna says with a yawn. "She's doomed. Anyway, I'm going to trade with Blight, see you in the afternoon."
Finnick watches her go before rubbing his own eyes. We both turn back to the feeds but nothing interesting is happening. Gale and Savannah are safe for now. Finnick's tribute Cress is eating the seafood he caught for himself. I find I have a number of different questions I want to ask Finnick but I'm not sure which are safe to broach out loud.
"You're not what I expected Odair," I finally say. He smiles in a tired sort of way and plays with Haymitch's bangle on his arm.
"You are," he replies. "And so much more."
"I like your bracelet," I say quietly, gauging his reaction.
"Thanks, a friend gave it to me," he says, putting emphasis on 'friend', twists it around and his green eyes glimmer with implications. "I should buy one for Johanna too."
Why is Haymitch trying to give me allies? Why do I need allies as Mentor?
I open my mouth but I'm cut off by a scream. We look up instinctively to see a large creature, a monstrous mutt ten times the size of the ones we encountered last year ripping apart the woman from 11.
I feel the urge to vomit as we watch her get eaten. I glance at the time; 6:02. I think to the localized horrors and Plutarch's watch and it slots into place that things are being triggered by time. I pull up a large diagram of the map in front us.
"What?" Finnick asks, trying to look for what I'm looking for.
"The Arena is a giant circle, and look, twelve spokes."
"One for each District," Finnick says in a bored voice.
"No, one for each hour," I say quietly and my mouth falls open slightly as it aligns in my head. "That's why Gale and Savannah were trapped in the Jabberjays for about an hour. And just now, that mutt killed that Tribute just after 6."
Finnick blinks a few time as he tries to focus and he's scanning the map. He looks up incredulously.
"That's brilliant. Plutarch's outdone himself."
I turn to stare at him in horror.
"I've seen a lot of Arena's in detail Katniss, this really is genius.
"We don't have a way of telling them," I chew on my lip in frustration. What's the use in me knowing? Gale and Savannah need to be aware to avoid walking into danger. The dangers are working their way around so their zone should be safe for a while - at least until this afternoon, unless they decide to move…
Peeta wakes around 8 and switches with me. Gale and Savannah haven't moved from their inactive zone and I explain my clock theory to Peeta before I get some sleep.
When I awake a few hours later I awake to the sound of Caesar Flickerman's voice. Nothing appears to be happening in the Arena and they've started to switch back to different broadcasts. Caesar is promoting an upcoming event and I realize in my dreary state that it's for my wedding, which has been scheduled after the Games. I wonder if I can pull off the blushing bride after Gale has died. I drag myself out of bed with mixed emotions churning through my system. I arrive into a quite control room. Everyone is starting to get bored.
Peeta is talking to Johanna at her station. He smiles at me when I enter and retreats to our controls.
"Everything okay?"
"Both alive, both fed, both rested. Although, Blaze from 1 is getting dangerously close to them."
"Are they in the same place?" I ask, scanning the map.
"Yeah they're using the same tree," he replies, pointing at the 4-5 wedge.
"They'll be safe from the Arena for a few more hours then but what about Blaze?"
"He is also fed and rested and thirsty for some bloodshed I'd imagine," Peeta grimaces. "The Captiol have had an uneventful morning. There was almost an incident earlier with a tidal wave but the woman from 5 outran it. It was weird, it was like you said, and it was if it hit an invisible barrier."
Peeta and I both eat at our station.
"I think we've made a friend in Finnick," I try to say casually, picking at some cheese.
"I guess we need to make them, we'll be doing this for years." The impact of his words unsettles us both. I can't face doing this year after year, watching kids die under my mentoring. I put my plate down, losing my appetite.
"There he is," Peeta says sharply, pointing at the moving dot on the overview of the map. He's not far away from Gale and Savannah. Gale is asleep whilst Savannah keeps watch.
"Come on Savannah, hear him," I hiss desperately. For a moment, I think she can't hear anything but then something makes her head turn. She shakes Gale awake and they both look towards the trees to their right. They jump to their feet, grab what they can and start to run. Blaze breaks through just as they run and he spots them. With a sickening smile of satisfaction he picks up his pace. Our two tributes start to run at a diagonal and I realize they're running upwards.
"They're going to run out of Arena. What happens when they run out of Arena?"
But my answer comes when Savannah, running full pelt, hits an invisible wall. She's thrown backwards by some force but we don't watch her body fall. We're all staring in fascination at what is revealed behind it – I see open space over a short stretch of bare earth. The live stream isn't showing it, but our monitors are. The edge of the Arena. Gale is staring at it to, and then Savannah hits the ground hard and doesn't stir. He drops to his knees to pick her but he stops, dropping further to press his ear to her chest. His face twists in horror and he glances up at the wall in front of his again.
"He needs to resuscitate her," Finnick shouts not to anyone in particular as he watches the large screen with real horror on his face. "The impact will have stopped her heart.
"How?!" I call out desperately. I ache with the feeling of helplessness. Blaze isn't far off. "We need to do something."
A few heads turn my way in sympathy. Even Blaze's mentor turns to look at me with pity. No one else has made this much of a scene when their tributes were dying. The idea that they're used to it crosses my muddled mind and I feel even worse.
"We need to send some medicine," I can feel the panic rising inside of me as I turn to Peeta. I can see his own fear on his face and he fumbles around the screens.
"Katniss you can't, there's nothing that will save her except Gale," Finnick says. "And I don't think he knows what to do."
We all watch Gale struggle to decide what to do, he leans in to hear to hear her breathing and searches for her pulse. No cannon has sounded yet. Unsure, he lifts her over his shoulders as Blaze appears behind him. Gale moves but falls when a knife buries itself in the back of his leg.
With a loud grunt he and Savannah crash to the ground as Blaze moves in for the kill.