My body feels paralyzed and numb. My eyes, which feel pasted shut, only see darkness. Suddenly, a wind of fresh air blows across my body and I begin to regain feeling. That's when I begin to regret it because my back begins to feel like flames are boiling the skin there. I start to scream and arch my back, thinking another whiplash was going to be sent my way. A warm hand clumps my mouth shut and I bite down hard, making the hand back away quickly. The owner of the hand begins to howl in pain. Then I hear someone else with a familiar voice laughing hysterically.
"Catnip what the hell was that for?"
My eyelids fly open and I scream out, "Gale!" If I could I would've ran to him but I realize I'm being carried. I twist my head and look at the blond headed boy whom I'm resting on.
"Peeta!" I cry happily and try to hug him while hanging over his back.
"Hey," he says unemotionally.
"I'm sorry-" I begin but Gale comes behind me and clamps a hand over my mouth. He then signals for Peeta to start jogging, making both of them break into a sprint. They seem extremely serious and it's as if they're trying to escape someone. I gaze at the body flung over Gale's back and I smile joyfully because they brought Keel. I point her way and signal to ask how she's doing. Gale only shrugs lightly then moves out of my sight and in front of Peeta.
"Why are you two running?" I ask Peeta quietly.
"Capitol guards are on our heels," he responds between breaths. My eyes grow big and I begin to tremble. "Don't worry Katniss, we'll take care of you," he reassures me while trying to press a cloth filled with medicine onto my back with his free hand. I take the cloth out of his hand and do it for him.
"I can run on my own," I reassure him and try to wriggle out of his grip. Instead, his grip becomes firmer and he shakes his head. "Come on Peeta," I beg.
"I don't want to lose you again," he says with hurt drowned in his voice.
"I'm sorry I left."
"But why Katniss?" he asks between breaths. He then pulls out the crumpled note from his pocket and shoves it into my hand. "That's BS Katniss. After all we've been through together you're still afraid for me."
"But I am, Peeta," I whisper while slowly placing the note into my pocket. I give up and place my head on his shoulder while I wait for them to stop for a break.
"Katniss," Peeta begins. I move my head so I'm looking directly at him. He stops running for a second and suddenly kisses me. "I missed you," he whispers while hugging me on to him tighter. Gale stops in front of him and calls out for him to hurry up.
"I missed you too," I say. I play and knot my hands in his hair as I wait impatiently for them to reach wherever their destination is. After that I press my head against his neck and breathe in the scent I had been missing for so long.
After another hour of running Gale takes us into an area where the trees were much denser. Peeta slowly slides me off of him and onto the ground and Gale does the same with Keel. Gale then puts his finger to his lips to quiet us down as the sound of running footsteps near us.
"Where did they go?" an elderly voice calls out.
"I think they went down this path," a younger Capitol guard replies and the two of them dash past us and through another set of trees.
"Wherever they are, they will be dead by tonight," the elder one orders while fading away into the forest.
Both Peeta and Gale let out a sigh of relief as the guards' footsteps fade off into the distance.
"That was close," Gale says.
"Where did you two come from?" I ask because it's the one question that is nagging at me.
For the first time Gale finally fixes his gaze on me. "You left us," he says gravely.
"Yes, I had to," I try to tell them.
"Katniss you never leave us, understood?" he tells me seriously.
"I guess," I say quietly, unsure if I was telling the truth.
"Do you not understand how worried we were?" says Peeta hysterically, joining the conversation. "We wake up and you're just missing! Anything could've happened to you! And that stupid note wasn't reassuring at all!" His blue eyes were blazing with anger. I drag myself over to him and give him a hug because the memories of my nightmare were seeping into my mind again.
"But of course I could predict you. I brought a second copy of my map so we followed the trail we were supposed to take," sneers Gale from behind me. I begin to laugh and Gale joins in.
"But look at the mess you got you and that girl into," Peeta says while placing a fresh towel on my back. "When we came to rescue you we were sure you both died of blood loss or maybe even blood poisoning."
"How is she?" I ask while pointing at Keel who is propped against a tree trunk. Gale goes to tend to her back while answering.
"Her heart is still beating and everything. I'm pretty sure she'll be conscious in a couple minutes or so."
"It's all my fault," I say.
"You bet it is," Peeta reinforces with no humor in his voice.
"Who is she anyways?" Gale asks. I tell them the whole story after I left them. Peeta and Gale were angry at me when I tell them about the gang that caught me before Keel saved me.
"I should've been there to chop off all their heads," Peeta growls.
"No, I would've done it to those pervs," says Gale coolly. His face is expressionless. I then continue my story and tell Peeta how Keel is actually Rue's sister. They even grow shocked when I mention we had passed District 11. When I finish off my tale, Gale suddenly hushes me. He points at Keel who is starting to moan.
"Katniss?" she mumbles clumsily. I scamper over to her and try to get her up.
"Keel! Yes I'm here. Were fine now, Keel. Please wake up." Suddenly, her eyes flutter open and Gale shifts a little in his seat. I gaze over at him but he's only looking down at the ground.
"Katniss oh thank goodness!" Keel begins while getting up slowly and holding on to me. "What happened?"
"Let me introduce you to my two friends, Gale and Peeta," I say while pointing each one out.
"Nice to meet you," she says politely before returning to the subject. "So what happened?"
"Gale?" I ask, wanting him to continue.
"Err. Well we came in just in time to see them whip the life out of you two. We instantly killed them off and untied the two of you. Right when we had you two in our hold, we heard Capitol's coming in from somewhere. We thought the three guys we killed probably told them they found you. So when we heard them, we carried you two off and well yeah, we came here."
"Thank you two so much," Keel cries. She then grabs the ragged towel off the floor and starts applying the medicine to her back. "They got us pretty good, huh Katniss?" she asks while reaching for her back. I grin at her and nod. "They can try but they can never get rid of us," she announces. Gale smiles from next to me and goes to aid her with the medicine.
"Let me help you with that," he says while taking the rag out of her hand and pressing it onto her back. Peeta then comes from behind me and starts applying the medicine onto my back. We sit there quietly before Keel starts to talk.
"So I heard you're dreams are the same as mine? To overthrow the Capitol?" she asks Gale.
"Yes. I want to destroy every bit of them," he says with anger, pressing harder onto Keel's back.
"Ouch. Watch it, my back isn't something you can exactly take your anger out on right now," she jokes. Gale turns red and lightens his grip instantly. "We're saving all that anger for the Capitol," Keel finishes off.
"The problem is though, I don't know how to defeat the Capitol," Gale says with embarrassment. That thought finally hit me and Peeta. We all begin to ponder when Keel breaks in.
"That's where I come in," she begins while lifting her hair for Gale to get medicine around her upper back. "Let me explain to you the whole government of the Capitol." Keel drops her hair and begins to draw out everything she is about to say to us next with a stick onto the dirt. Her eyes are so into her fantasy and drawings that she doesn't notice me and Peeta moving closer to see.
"You see this person?" she begins while pointing to a stick figure she drew on the ground. "That's President Snow. He's the leader of Panem."
"Yes we know that," whispers Gale.
"But he isn't only the leader you see," she continues, "He's the thoughts, minds, and spine of the Capitol. Without him to lead, there is no Capitol."
"So that's it? We just kill him?" Gale questions uneasily. Keel shakes her head.
"Of course not. There wouldn't be any fun in that," she jokes. "You see, he's practically dictator of the place. Because of that, getting through his guards won't be so easy. What they send at us now is the easy stuff. The guards of the president, well, they're something else. Tons of them and extremely dangerous. And his advisors and elderly, they aren't just known for their colorful wigs. If we kill them off, the Capitol will be in chaos, making it easier to reach the President."
"I like it," Gale says instantly. Keel looks up at him with a smile. They look at each other for a second too long.
"I guess that means we've got to train," Peeta says, breaking the uncomfortable status.
"Definitely," says Gale. Me, on the other hand had a stomach that was just about ready to come out of my mouth. The nightmare I had the night before was haunting me. Was it a glimpse into the future or just a regular nightmare? I gulp uneasily and look over to Peeta who's also staring intently at me. I let out a wary smile and he does the same.
"Shall we get the fire going?" asks Gale, "The sun is setting."
"Sure," I mumble and Keel and I watch as the boys set up the fire. Next to me, Keel is smiling happily.
"Katniss, I have a good feeling about this. We're going to make history."
"Or we're going to be history," I say under my breath as I gaze at the two boys and girl who may not even live to see another day. After all, everything around here was becoming unpredictable.