YES I KNOW! IT TOOK WAY TO LONG FOR ME TO WRITE THIS BUT, I'VE HAD SUCH A MAJOR WRITER'S BLOCK THAT IT COULDN'T BE HELPED. NOT TO MENTION ALL OF MY SCHOOL WORK AND PROM IS IN NINE DAYS AND I FEEL LIKE SCREAMING AND THROWING THINGS (preferably my kunai) AT A WALL OR PERSON.
Katniss
Come on Katniss, wake up.
Please?
I peel my eyes open slowly and stare up at the stars. I move to sit up and wince when the cuts all over my body reopen. I let out a hiss of pain and automatically feel a hand supporting my back.
"Thank God" Marvel lets out a breath
"When'd it get so dark?" I ask groggily as I rub my eyes.
"That doesn't matter, we have to get back to the Cornucopia" he says, carrying me to Kiera and planting me onto her back. I grasp her velvety fur and Marvel sets our direction back to the Cornucopia. It's silent for a few minutes and I notice that Marvel is unnaturally stiff.
"What is it?" I ask in a whisper
"The plants" he replies, also in a whisper. I look around the trees and notice something odd.
Their vines are stretching, growing quickly as they crawl their way up the trees like snakes
I look above us and notice some of them descending, Marvel does as well. We look at each other before nodding.
"Run" we say. The cats break into a run just as the vines whip at us. One of then catches Kanji's tail and jerks him back with a howl of pain. Marvel lets out a strangles scream as a vine snaps itself around his neck. Within second more vines tie together his flailing limbs as they quickly mummify him. I notch an arrow before realizing that if I shoot I may hit Marvel and that's not a risk I'm willing to take. The vines pull him higher and higher and wrap around him tighter and tighter. My own breath escapes as a scream of desperation. His vine covered body could be seen fighting against the binds.
Meanwhile, I'm just sitting here, helpless and desperate.
Just as I collapse to the ground, a flash of white blurs by and leaps towards Marvel.
My first thought is mutt as I scramble to my bow. I take my aim just as the beast grabs the vine suspending Marvel and rips it from the tree. It lands with a thud and glances at me before bolting to, what I believe to be, the beach. As soon as the white creature is out of sight, the vines begin to whip at me but, I cut them down with the knife I stole from Clove.
"Let's go!" I scream to the cats. Kiera and Kanji race to follow Marvel. I grasp onto Kiera's fur and hoist myself onto her back. With breakneck speed we follow the path of clawed trees and trampled ground. Between heavy breaths and slicing away wicked vines, we make it to the beach quickly where the vines lay in shambles and the sand is stained with blood. The animal I now recognize as a white wolf is sitting on the beach with blood on it muzzle and Marvel nowhere in sight. I notch my arrow warily and take aim. My fingers just begin to release when-
"Katniss!" Marvel interrupts. My arm spazzes and the arrow flies into a nearby tree. I spin around and I'm face to chest with him. . Taking a step back, I look at his injuries. Purple lines of bruising cover his arms, neck and a bit of his face.
"Are you okay?" I ask, prodding his arms to see if there are any broken bones. He shrugs my hands off and lets out a chuckle.
"A little out of breath and a bit sore but, other than that, I'm fine." He nods his head to the wolf "That puppy clawed off the vines"
"Don't scare me like that ever again!" I yell, punching his chest. He laughs again and pulls me into a hug.
"I'll make that promise as soon as you do" he says. My anger at him dissipates. Letting out a laugh, I hug him back.
"You're an idiot" I say into his chest. He squeezes me tighter.
"But that's why ya love me" he jokes. My cheeks heat up and I bury my face into his chest even more, hoping he doesn't notice. We hear a hiss from behind us. Marvel and I break apart and turn around to the cats, who are eyeing the wolf wearily.
"Be nice" I order Kiera
"You should talk, you were about to put an arrow through its skull. You should have known it was here to help" Marvel says with a teasing grin.
"Oh Im sorry" I spat sarcastically before mounting Kiera. If he feels like making fun of my actions, I won't sit here and listen
"Calm down Katniss, I was only joking" he says, his grin fading
"I know but what did you expect me to do? I saw the vines on the ground, and the dog had blood on its mouth and I couldn't see you so I-"
"You what?" he asks, a smile growing back onto his face
"I panicked okay?" I huff
"I knew it!" he proclaims triumphantly
"Knew what?" I say, resisting the urge to scream at or hit him
"Nothing" he smirks before turning to mount Kanji. I growl in frustration.
"Tell me!"
"The wolf doesn't have a note on its collar; the others must already have it." He says, completely ignoring my words
"You're changing the subject!" I accuse
"Yep" he grins cheekily.
"Why?" I ask, finally getting to the end of my nerves.
"Because you're not ready for the answer yet, Kitten" he trots off, as if his words were a suitable answer.
"That's not my name" I hiss when I'm next to him again
"I like it" he flashes me a smile before urging Kanji into a run and pulling ahead. I take multiple long breaths to try and calm myself down. If I don't, I'm sure Marvel would be tied to a tree by the time we get back to the others. Beside me, the wolf whimpers and points its nose to a clearing in the brush.
"What is it?" I ask as I lean down to pat the wolf's head. A few seconds pass before I hear a mixture between a whimper and a roar. Yet again, the hairs on the back of my neck rise in alarm. I quickly and quietly retrieve an arrow from my quiver and notch it, aiming for where the bushes are now rustling. A large black paw plods out from the leaves, followed by the head of an animal I'm actually familiar with.
A grizzly bear.
I have to physically restrain myself from releasing the arrow when I realize that A, the bear is injured and B, it has a collar with something hanging off it.
The bear looks up am me and its eyes widen. Letting out a yelp of relief, it charges towards me, nearly knocking me off Kiera. It pants like a dog and lolls it tongue out.
From my place on top of Kiera, I leand down and grab the note off of the collar.
Dear Tributes,
This one belongs to Thresh and his name is Makarov. He has a video camera, live screening with a microphone and speaker so we can hear and see whatever you're doing, on his collar so we can communicate with you all and see if there's anything we can do to help you guys. We have a feeling that you maybe have two weeks, maximum, left in this arena. When the time comes, be ready for battle. Snow is going to send his forces into the arena to capture you all as soon as the forcefield blows. Problem is we have no idea how to do that. This means Snow is ahead of us but, if you can break the forcefield from the inside, that would give Snow the surprise of his miserably life as well as up the chances of all of you surviving. So come up with ideas. And tell us before you execute them.
~ Freesia
I read the note over a few times, letting the information sink in.
Two weeks.
That's all that's left.
Two more weeks and we'll all be done with the games.
"I'll get to see Prim again" I whisper in disbelief. Tears prick my eyes.
We're all so close.
I wipe my eyes and urge Kiera to the Cornucopia, Makarov and the wolf trailing behind.
"Sweetheart? Can you hear me?" the voice rings out of nowhere and nearly scares me off of my seat. I follow the sound and I'm led to Makarov.
"Haymitch? Y-Yes I can hear you!" I nearly cry into the microphone, I resist the urge to jump off Kiera and plant myself right in from of the camera.
"Thank God! We just switched the camera on, are you guys in a jungle? And where are the others?" he pounds me with question so fast I can barely register them.
"Haymitch, you're probably worrying her, slow down!" I hear a not so shrill voice ring clearly.
"Effie?" I say, being close to speechlessness.
"Hello Katniss" she says. I can picture her smiling warmly from the couch in twelve's suite, though I know she's not there, she's probably somewhere deep in District Thirteen.
I relish in the sound of familiar voices, it almost sounds like home-
"Katniss?" asks a soft voice. My throat closes and my lungs empty. After a few moments of not breathing, I compose myself as much as I can with tears on my cheeks.
"Prim?" my voice cracks
"Uh-huh! Mom and Gale are here too!" she chitters excitedly
"Hello Honey"
"Catnip! Nice to see you again! Well… sorta"
"Yea yea yea nice reunion and all but, Sweetheart, we need to know what's going on in there. Is everyone okay?" Haymitch says above the others. I scowl at his intrusion before racking my brain.
"Glimmer's been poisoned. Everyone else is fine but, what's going on in this arena Haymitch? Poisonous gas and Greek beasts? Blood Rain and Flesh-Eating Beetles? Jabberjays? It's one big death-trap." I realize how stupid I sound, of course it's a death trap; we're in the Hunger Games.
"That's what's been going on? Kat-" Gale is cut off by my rambling that I can't seem to stop
"Not to mention the knockout gas. Snow has cut our days down to twelve hours." I stop realizing, it's almost time for us to be gassed.
"Shit!" I gasp and kick Kiera into a run, Makarov and the Wolf, after a few moments, begin to follow. I can imagine Effie flinching at my language.
It takes about two minutes for me to burst onto the beach. Everyone at the Cornucopia turn their heads to me.
"Get in the Cornucopia!" I scream. My words ring loudly and they all file into the giant metal structure. I lead the animals to the strip of land that connects the beach to the Cornucopia. Once we reach the island I look back and see the Chimera lurking on the beach, right next to where I was minutes previously.
"The hell is that?" asks a startled voice from beside me. Haymitch.
"One of Snow's creations, a Chimera. It breathes fire by the way" I smirk
"Katniss, who are you talking too?" Damian asks from behind me, eyeing the Chimera warily.
"I'll tell you and the others when I get into the Cornucopia" he nods and walks back. I take a deep breath and brace myself for a long explanation.
By the time I finished, I can tell they're going to gas us any minute.
I nod to Marvel and he seems to understand.
"Get comfortable everyone. It's almost bed time." He says with a grim expression.
They all huddle into their sleeping bags.
"Papa, Mama, can we sleep on the top again?" Rue asks
"Of course we can" Marvel smiles. Rue grabs the remaining sleeping bags and scuttles up the Cornucopia. Marvel and I follow and soon we are all perched on the cool metal roof.
"Rue why are there only two bags?" Marvel asks suspiciously. I look over to where Rue had laid them out. One is small, with barely enough room to fit Rue and the other is large enough for two people.
"Rue?" I ask, demanding an explanation. She grins cheekily before answering.
"These were the only ones left" she explains
I let out a small groan and Marvel chuckles.
"You two get the bags, I'll sleep without one." He says. Rue pouts and looks defeated. I nod and we all fall into our sleeping arrangements.
I can feel the temperature drop even through the thermal coating on the sleeping bag.
I look over to Marvel who is trying valiantly to not look cold but, failing miserably.
A few more second pass and I can feel my will crumbling.
No! I will not be duped by a twelve year old!
A few more seconds and I hear Marvel's teeth begin to chatter.
NO!
A second later…
God Damn It Rue!
"Marvel?" I say, grabbing his attention.
"Yea?" He responds. His breath shows as mist.
"Get in here" I order, unzipping the bag, just enough for him to be able to squirm in.
"I'm fine" he insists. I roll my eyes.
"Yes I can just tell by the sound of chattering teeth, now, no complaining and get in here before I change my mind" I laugh quietly. He laughs too before sliding into the bag next to me. he turns to face me and my face heats up when I realize how close he is.
"She planned this you know?" he whispers, jerking his head to Rue's direction slightly.
"Yea, she got us" I admit
"Not that I'm complaining or anything" he adds "For a small body you are very warm" he sneaks his arms around my waist and pull me into his chest. I let out a squeal of surprise and try to push away but, he's too strong and he is very warm.
I hear the familiar hissing of gas and I brace myself for sleep. Through my foggy thoughts my conversation with Marvel earlier floats to the front of my mind.
"What did you meant earlier when you said 'I knew it'?" I ask with a yawn.
"Nothing"
"Liar" I say weakly. My eyes droop close and I am nearly asleep when he answers again.
"I meant that I knew you liked me" he says so quietly I barely catch it. But, I do, and those are the words I fall asleep to. I feel a light pressure on my forehead and, with that; I let the darkness take me
I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY... I KNOW IT'S SHORT TOO.
I'LL DO BETTER NEXT TIME!
~*~MOMO