Here is the latest chapter! Please keep reviewing! :)
Clove's POV
I wake up some time around midmorning, the sun already high in the sky. I find my head nuzzled into Lectro's neck and almost puke, but I feel Cato's hand gripping mine and feel less grossed out. I scoot myself out from my sleeping bag and leave the tent. It's hot outside today. I find Peeta, Glimmer, and Marvel sitting in a circle, holding their weapons of choice.
"Good morning, sunshine!" enthuses Glimmer. I yawn loudly and try to stretch the stiffness from my limbs.
"Morning," I greet everyone. "What's for breakfast?" Peeta holds out a bag of beef jerky and I greedily take it. As I sit to eat, Cato and Lectro enter into the daylight. I look at Cato. All traces of our time last night, any tears he might've shed or and pain in his eyes, are gone. He is back to his arrogant and cocky self. Glimmer waves him to the spot next to her and they snuggle into each other while sharing a box of crackers. Lectro takes an uninvited seat next to me and digs his hands into my bag of beef jerky. How attractive. I smile and giggle, acting along as though it were the cutest thing in the whole country of Panem. After breakfast, we get bored. By late afternoon, Cato has sharpened his swords so much they gleam brighter than the light reflecting off the lake. Glimmer can actually work the bow and arrows now with so much practice. Lectro has drawn diagrams in the dirt of different electrical traps he learned about in school. Marvel has broken three spears throwing them into trees. Peeta and I just keep sharpening our knives, only to dull them again by tossing them at trees and into the dirt.
"Hey guys, do you see that too?" Peeta asks just as the sun begins to set. Off into the distance an eerie smoke begins to appear. We see the orange tips of fire licking up trees and tiny fire balls being launched into the air. Cato turns and gives us all suggestive grins. Hunting time.
"We should go by the lake," I suggest. "Anybody in that fire is going to want water and the lake is the most accessible water source around. They'll be weak and easy." Everyone shouts in excitement and we run to the lake. We walk around the circumference of the lake a few time, slices through underbrush and tall plants to make sure no tribute is hiding. We find no one. Our disappointment and anger is obvious as we return back to the Cornucopia. We silently mope around the camp, stacking up our supplies in the center of the mines. Glimmer suddenly stands up from the rope she was bending over, looking wildly towards the clearing smoke in the distance.
"What is it?" Marvel asks grumpily.
"The other night, when we were hunting, do you guys remember seeing that pond or spring or whatever it was? Over at the edge of the forest?" Glimmer questions. I do remember it, a tiny spring fed pond surrounded by smooth rocks in the thicket of trees. Hurriedly we all grab our backpacks and weapons and take off towards the pond where surely a thirsty tribute, a weak tribute, will be resting for the night.
Cato's POV
Our pack races to the area where the pond is. I take the lead, naturally, while Peeta falls to the end, making sure no one follow us. We left Lectro back at camp to make sure no one infiltrated our mine system. The adrenaline of thinking of who our victims will be makes my ears ring in excitement. If we're lucky, it'll be Thresh or Katniss. But I doubt either of them is dumb enough to camp by a water source. We can hope though.
Smoke left over from the fire chokes us as we move, somewhat slowing us down. Our voices become raspy and we take breaks every so often to try and stop our coughing. It is nearly dusk when we reach the pond, when Clove points to a small figure drifting to sleep near a group of lilies. I smile as the face registers in my mind. It's Katniss.
We let out whoops of joy and close in on her, but she jumps up and starts climbing a tree. She appears to be injured on her leg, probably acquired it during the fire. Katniss is still able to make her way up a tree though. We all stop and stare at her, thinking of all the possible ways to finish her off.
"How are you?" she calls down with a smile. So annoying.
"Fine, you?" I answer, getting aggravated at her courage. She blabbers on and invites me up, an invitation which I graciously accept. She scurries up to higher branches. I continue making progress, but a thin branch snaps beneath my weight and I fall to the ground. Glimmer grumbles and gives it a try, also falling. Finally we resort to having Glimmer attempt shooting her with arrows, which ends disastrously. We regroup, trying to figure out a way to get her down.
"She'll have to come down sometime," Peeta points out. "Let's just leave her until morning." All of us grumble but agree. Clove starts a fire and we set up our supplies from our backpacks. We have no sleeping bags, so Glimmer lays her head on my arm. Marvel takes first watch alone, his spear resting in his lap. The stars begin to come out and I drift to sleep, excited to kill one of our toughest competitors tomorrow.
A crashing sound above me wakes me up, still drowsy in the early dawn. Out of nowhere a large grey sphere burst on the ground, and flying creatures explode in a fury of gold. Tracker Jackers! I've never seen them up close, but after years of watching the Games I know to avoid them. Peeta and Marvel are up and running in a split second, shouting at us to go to the lake. Glimmer screams and I pry myself from her, Clove yanking me free and holding onto me as we make way to the pond, which is closer than the lake. Marvel waits there when we arrive, his head the only part of his body not submerged. Clove and I dive in, and then rest on the bank when the wasps' buzzing is gone. We three sit by the bank and pull out stinger from the golden devils, green oozing out of each lump. I have stings on my chest, my cheek, neck, and ankle. Clove escaped with just one on her neck. Marvel has none, he ran off soon enough.
"Where's Peeta and Glimmer?" I ask, wincing at I yank a stinger free from my ankle.
"Glimmer got it bad, Cato. I don't think she made it," Clove says with a hint of happiness in her tone.
"Peeta got the Trackers off his scent and then ran back to the tree. He was yelling Katniss' name," Marvel comments. It all makes sense now; he was double crossing us. Rage fills me and I grab my sword, making my way back to the tree. I hear Peeta screaming at Katniss to run, to hurry. As I burst into the clearing, I see her wobbling away. I look down to see Glimmer's disfigured body, covered in stings and green ooze and reeking in the early morning air. Good, no more acting like I like her. Peeta and I circle each other; he has picked up my other sword I left behind when we ran. I laugh at his gall to go against me in a sword fight. His face looks drawn and pale, as if he knows he will not survive this.
My mind takes me back to last night, the understanding I felt for him over love. He is protecting her, paying the price to save her. I truly admire him for that, but we're in the Games. Cruelty takes over the pity I felt and in two swift motions I slice his cheek and arm. He drops the sword and falls to the ground, lying on his back. The harshness of my academy training and years of watching the Games tells me to make his death a slow and agonizing one. So instead of delivering an instantly fatal blow, I swing my weapon down to his leg, until I feel the metal meet bone. Peeta cries in agony, tears making streaks down his dirt covered face. I take one last look at Glimmer's deformed body, the bow and sheath missing. Katniss must've taken them, that must be her strength. I walk away, leaving Peeta in agony and my pretend true love dead on the ground.
Clove's POV
We leave the pond once Cato returns, wiping the blood from his sword blade on a leaf.
"Where's Peeta?" Marvel question, glancing nervously at the gore.
"He double crossed us, helped Katniss escape. I didn't kill him, but once infection sets in that leg he'll wished I'd have killed him," Cato hisses. He looks at me and reaches to help me up. To counteract his act of kindness, I play with his fake romance.
"I'm sorry about Glimmer. I know you cared about her," I tell him, just a hint of sarcasm creeping into my voice. "You too, Marvel. She was your district partner."
"It's okay," shrugs Marvel. "I didn't really know her anyway." We both look at Cato, and I can tell he is trying to figure out the best way to play the audience.
"At least I won't have to kill her now," he grumbles. Silently we gather our newly refilled canteens and make our way back to camp. We leave Lectro on all night watch; the rest of us are too tired to stay up. Lectro gives me a hug goodnight, and I seriously contemplate stabbing him in the back. Maybe later. I crawl into the tent in between Cato and Marvel. As the air turns chilly, I fall into a deep sleep with nightmares full of every possible way Cato could die.
This chapter was so hard to write. Peeta is my FAVORITE character and I hated to hurt him:( So this is where the plot line starts to get a little mixed up from the actual book, but try to stick with me! Thanks for reading! :)