Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took some time. I spent a long time trying to decide what to do for this chapter. I hope you all like what I've decided to do:) Please remember this scene was never in the book or movie. I made it up because I wanted a few action scenes. Enjoy!
~Wallflower95
11
The sound grew louder and louder.
"What is that?" The tree shook. Katniss held up her hand in silence. The wind blew softly. I was about to speak when I heard the sound. The tree shook again. A rumbling sound came from below. We edged forwards and looked down. Below was a monster. I've only ever heard of bears before. I was told they were large and violent beasts. This creature was beyond that. Dark fur covered its body. His claws and teeth were long and sharp. And I might have been imagining... were it's eyes glowing red?
"What is that?" I gasped. Katniss was shoving the items she had into her bag.
"We need to get out of here. Now!" She untied the rope that strapped us to the forked branch into the tree. That's when the bear started to climb and it climbed fast.
"Rue!" Katniss pulled me up. I saw the branch of another tree and I leaped for it. I turned back to where Katniss was.
"Come on!" Katniss jumped just as the bear clawed for her. The bear roared in frustration.
"What is it Katniss?" I screamed.
"That is a muttation."
"We need to stay in the trees. We'll be safer that way." I nodded. And we swung to the next tree. The bear was smart. He climbed down and followed us by foot. I've seen a few muttations televised in previous game. One year there had been a muttation tiger that had ripped out one of the tribute's throat. Muttations are experiments the Capitol work on for their little games. It was their entertainment.
Our plan was working for a bit. Until the branch snapped. One moment I in the trees and the next I was falling.
"RUE!" Katniss screamed. I fell to the ground and kept my arms over my head. I grunted and groaned in pain when I felt the impact. I was bruised but nothing was broken. Branches flew past me and the bear roared. I looked up and there it was. I stood up and ran as fast as I could. I didn't look back but I could hear the beast running on all fours behind me. My backpack slammed against my back as I ran. A branch above me snapped. I threw myself to the left as the branch hit the ground where I had been standing.
I backed up and hit a tree trunk. The bear stood on its legs and let loose a terrible roar. I wanted to scream but nothing came out. I remembered something. Something Thresh once said to me.
I had been climbing and jumping from tree to tree one afternoon during work in the fields. I came down and noticed Thresh smiling at me.
"What?" I asked. He shook his head and chuckled.
"What?"
"I was just thinking how dangerous of a tribute you'd be in the games." I flinched at the thought of being at the games because reaping day was only weeks away.
"And why is that?" I asked.
"Because you're small and fast. They can't kill you if they can't catch you."
An arrow hissed through the air and hit the bear. The bear turned towards his new prey. Katniss sat in a branch, setting another arrow in her bow. The bear bolted for her. Her eyes widened in terror. The bear hit the tree and Katniss fell down.
"Katniss!" I screamed. I ran towards her, slipping the sharp rock and my slingshot out of my bag. I shot a rock at the bear.
"Hey! Over here!" I yelled but the beast didn't turn. It had Katniss backed up against a tree. She was dazed from the fall. You're small and fast. They can't kill you if the can't catch you. I ran towards the bear with the sharp rock in my right hand and I jumped on it's back. The bear roared in frustration and tried to throw me off but I held on tightly. I raised the rock above my head and brought it down hard into the bear's back. I brought it down again and again. Finally, the beast fell without another sound. The rock was still lodged in it's back. I was still upon it's back. Gasping for breath.
I've never killed anything before. I didn't even think I was capable of performing such an act. Going into these games, I actually hoped that I could get through it without harming anyone... or anything. I stepped backwards until my back hit a tree trunk and I slid to the ground. I wasn't feeling victorious after winning a battle against a muttation. I was feeling regret for taking a life. I saw my hands. Stained with the creature's blood.
Katniss knelt down in front of me. She said something that I didn't really hear. All the sound was muffled. As if I was listening from another room. She was talking to me but I didn't respond. All I saw was the creature lying in front of me with a rock in it's back.
Sorry its not a long one you guys. That was all I wanted for this chapter. I'm thinking I can make 3-4 more chapters work before then end. Thanks for reading. Please comment and review!
~Wallflower95