A/N: Well, because you guys didn't give me any advice on Kyli or Snow's contempt for Katniss and Peeta like I asked (Cough, cough, *thanks a lot* cough, cough), I'll have to find a way myself, but I can't guarantee that you'll like it. If you still want to give me suggestions, look at the bottom of chapter 15 for what I'm asking you give me a suggestion with. Please, please, PLEASE REVIEW! Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games or any of the characters. I do own Terrin Vanders, Thenna Vanders, Kyli Winston, Aggie Dooley, and Reed Apoly.
New A/N: THOSE NAMES. How did I come up with those names? And how did both Aggie and Terrin turn out to be ACTUAL names? I already knew Reed was, but AGGIE and TERRIN? Yep, turns out they exist! Anyway, on with the show!
And then there were three; Terrin, Kyli and Cato. I still have no idea or even a theory about how this will go down. Terrin won't be killing Kyli and Kyli won't be killing Terrin. Cato's death can only buy them so much time before one of them has to be killed and a winner announced. Will they just sit there in the arena before the gamemakers decide to kill one of themselves? Right now, that seems to be the reality.
Thresh killed Clove to avenge Rue, even though it was the boy from 1 who did that. I guess getting back at one of the only living careers is the next best thing to getting back at the actual culprit. Clove started screaming for Cato when she saw the rock in Thresh's hand. But that wouldn't save her. He smashed the rock into her skull. The dent in her head was sickening to look at.
Cato was beyond furious. He tracked Thresh down during a storm and overpowered him, something he had to be insane to do. Thresh was bigger than him, but in that moment, Cato's mind was so far gone that he had no concept of pain. It's like he had super human strength. Watching him do that was like watching a train wreck; you know you should look away, but you don't.
As I sit on a stump during one of our meetings, I can see the terror clearly written on everybody's faces. We know what today is. Today is the finale. There's no way the gamemakers are going to keep letting everyone go on as usual. They are going to want to end it as soon as possible. As usual, Katniss is the one concealing her feelings with a mask of calmness on her face. The rest of us don't bother to.
"Being the last day of the games, we only need to discus one thing. We need to prepare to run." It's the moment I've been waiting for since Dad died. A chance to run. A chance to abandon this cruel place in favor of a better life. This is not at all how I imagined it happening. I didn't imagine leaving everyone else to die. I didn't think I'd be taking a large group. And I sure as hell didn't think I'd be travelling to District 13 of all places.
"We have a problem, though. We can't all travel together," Katniss says. We all look at each other, confused. Why can't we stay together? We're a group, after all. Katniss senses this confusion.
"Think about it. All of us, plus our families, plus a select few friends. We'd be in much better shape just traveling in separate groups." She makes a good point, but there is a flaw to the plan that I can see will make a few people angry to bring up.
"How will we decide groups? And isn't the group carrying Terrin at a higher risk than the rest? We can't just dump a select few of us with that responsibility," I explain. Katniss scowls at me like I've ruined her plan. Of course, she understands, but the added stress of figuring that out too is a bit too much right now.
"That's just a risk we have to take, Peeta. Now, who here is willing to carry Terrin in their group?" Thenna raises her hand immediately. He's her brother, of course she wants to be the one who has him in her group. However, no one else lifts their hand or even so much as twitches it. We're all thinking the same thing. We don't want to put ourselves at a further risk.
Thenna looks at the rest of us, bewildered. "Are you guys joking or something?" she asks angrily. I'm quick to reassure her.
"Calm down, Thenna. We're not raising our hands because we have too many people to take with us. I have Katniss, my mother and my sister. My mother and sister are clueless when it comes to the woods, so that's something that will slow me down right there. Gale has his mother, Madge and his three siblings. I'm sure that you and Terrin could travel with Reed and Aggie." Thenna takes a deep breath in and out to calm her nerves, something that has been jumpy in her ever since the games started. She gives me a shaky nod. I smile and pat her shoulder.
"Now, let's move on," I decide.
Katniss continues, "So gather your groups as soon as Terrin is free to visit the woods. Bring some food and other necessities with you. I'll make a few fishing poles for each group that doesn't know how to hunt. Remember, you should only be in the woods for a little over a week at most if you use the route correctly." She puts on her best Capitol voice when she starts to say, "And may the odds-"
"Be ever in your favor!" Aggie finishes for her. Katniss nods.
"Meeting adjourned."
We all stand up to leave. Katniss walks toward the house, while I'm heading to town to pick up something from the apothecary. I'm still scared to go into town after getting attacked, but I just have to get in and out quickly then I'm done. If I ignore standing in one place for too long, no one will notice anything besides a flash of blonde hair. I walk past hurriedly and hope that people think I'm a merchant because of the way I look. I reach the apothecary's door when a Peacekeeper stops me.
"Come with me, boy," he commands gruffly. I tense up. I hope that it's like last time and I'm not in any trouble. I've always had to be more weary of Peacekeepers than most, but now it's just ridiculous.
"Yes, sir," I say stiffly. I dislike most authority, so calling them 'sir' is a hard thing to do. They don't deserve it. What have they done for us? Sit by and watch us starve to death?
He leads me to the Justice Building. When I get inside, another Peacekeeper is holding a phone.
"Peeta Mellark? You have a call from Haymitch Abernathy in the Capitol."
I stand frozen in shock and apprehension. I didn't even know that calling from the Capitol was allowed. I've never spoken to Haymitch. He doesn't even know who I am. Well, unless Terrin told him about me. But that would mean Terrin told him about everything. Everything. Who trusts a drunken victor with this type of information? He would probably spill it to someone while wasted.
"Um, hello?" I half-ask.
"So, are you the Peeta Mellark I've heard about from the boy?" he asks gruffly. It clicks in my mind; so Terrin did tell him.
"The one and only. What do you want?" It comes out sharper than I intended.
"Someone's a little hostile. Look, all I need is for you to give Terrin some advice."
"What kind of advice?"
"Don't play stupid, boy. It's urgent."
He's being vague because we're on the phone and we can be heard, but I know what he's asking for. A way to get them both out. The answer is so simple. Katniss explained it to me when we got home from watching the games last time. We came up with our own escape plan together. Nightlock is the way out.
"Nightlock."
"What?"
"You heard me. Nightlock."
There's a long pause on the other end.
"Suicide." The fact that he threw caution to the wind and said the word out loud surprises me, but I don't care. Who would want to listen to my conversation? Maybe I'm being reckless, but oh well.
"Well, let's just hope that they'll stop them before they actually do it, but yeah, suicide."
"I'll just put 'use the nightlock' on the note I send him."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Oh, and kid?"
"Yeah?"
"...You've done good, boy." Is that a compliment? From Haymitch Abernathy?
"Thanks, Haymitch. Just make sure he comes back to us."
"Hey, I'm trying. Believe me, I am."
"You better be. Did Terrin tell you everything?"
"If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, which you are, then yes. I know."
"Are you involved in it?"
"Of course I am, boy. Everyone is." The response is rather cryptic, a little too much for my tastes.
"What do you mean everyone?"
"All the victors. Well, all but the ones from 1 and 2. You didn't hear this from me, okay kid?"
"Okay. Bye."
I hang up the phone. The Peacekeepers are waiting for me at the door, waiting to escort me out like I'm some sort of criminal. I'm competent enough to leave by myself, thank you very much. These people really get on my nerves. All they are is a bunch of little Capitol drones who are too low on the food chain to get any district besides 12.
"May I leave now?" I ask, trying to sound less annoyed than I am. They nod. I push my way through the door and go straight home, ignoring the apothecary completely. I'll just get it later. Right now, I have more urgent matters to attend to. I need to get home and tell Katniss about this. It was her idea to begin with. I just repeated it. If anyone was actually listening to my conversation, Katniss and I are in major trouble.
"Where's the package?" Mother asks me as I walk in.
"I got caught up in something else. I'll get it tomorrow," I promise. She doesn't ask why I was held up, thankfully. I think she's learned to stop questioning my decisions. Prim comes skipping into the room from the backyard, seeming to be in a good mood. She was probably milking Lady.
"It's the last day of the games! We won't have to watch them anymore until next year!" she exclaims. Prim loves helping people and hates to see them get hurt. These past few weeks have been so hard for her to get through. It's hard for me to watch and not be able to do anything about her sorrow. We're all hurting right now, for different reasons. If only Mother and Prim knew why Katniss and I have woken up screaming almost all the nights this week. They'll know soon enough when they realize the extent of our involvement in the rebellion.
"Yes it is, little duck. Isn't that great?" She nods happily, blissfully ignorant to the fact that this will be the last games she ever sees. I kiss her forehead and sit on the couch with Katniss. She turns over to me in surprise.
"You're hiding something." Gale isn't the only one who reads me like a book. Katniss can see right through any façade I put on, no matter how thickly I lay it on. It's frustrating at times when I really don't want people to know what I'm feeling.
"What happened to us after the end of the first day of the games?" She thinks for a while before her eyes go wide.
"What did they want?" she asks, trying to mask her concern. I put my hand on her shoulder and lean in closely to whisper in her ear.
"I had a call from Abernathy for some advice to give Terrin," I tell her calmly.
"What did you tell them?" I look around to see if Mother and Prim are listening. Prim isn't in the house, which means that she's in the backyard, and Mother is busy patching up some worn out clothes.
"Remember what you told me could get them both out?" Her expression changes from one of pure shock to one of pure happiness.
"Bravo, Peeta. It looks like we'll be bringing another person along for the ride," she says deviously. I smile with her.
I know that without Kyli, Terrin is nothing. When the person you're in love with dies, you end up like Mother. Some are strong like Hazelle Hawthorne, but others aren't. Even if you are strong, it must be a hard thing to live with. Even Hazelle has her moments when she cries for her dead husband. Mother may be 'back' per-say, but she's still very frail and she rarely smiles. When someone you love dies, you never 'get over it'. You just learn to live with it.
"Looks like it's time to go and see Cato die," Katniss says bluntly.
"Well put," I joke darkly. She laughs loudly and clearly at my rather sick response. It's music to my ears, especially with everything that's going on now. It's nice to know that we can laugh at something, anything. I know we're working towards something great, but it can take its toll mentally. Sometimes I wonder if I'm actually truly happy in my life.
"I'll grab Prim before we leave," Katniss says. She leaves for the backyard to get her while I approach Mother.
"It's time to leave, Mother," I tell her while she sews. She looks up like she forgot I was home. She does that sometimes. She has a lot of times when she zones out
"Okay, I'll just put this down." She stops sewing up a worn out shirt just as Katniss comes in with Prim.
"Let's get out of here. The sooner we do it, the sooner it's over," Katniss says. I have a feeling that this day will be the longest ever. We head out to see the last day of the games in the square, hoping for the best.
The screen turns on in the square. The first thing that comes into focus is Terrin and Kyli leaving the cave where they have spent most of the games. They're finally leaving their safe haven.
"Are you sure we're making the best move, Terrin?" Kyli asks.
"Yes, we are. These games have gone on long enough. We have to stop them one way or another. It's time to face Cato." I don't think the time will ever be right to face Cato, the ruthless killing machine. But it has to be done some time. Kyli and Terrin make their way closer to the cornucopia, Cato's undeniable hiding place unless he's on the hunt for Terrin and Kyli. They stop to rest on a rock near the cornucopia.
"I'm so nervous," Kyli whispers. Terrin puts his hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
"So am I, Kyli. In fact, I'm terrified. I thought we could just ignore this moment, but it's here." Kyli nods nervously. They get closer together on the rock. I feel like it's too calm to last for as long as I want it to.
Suddenly, the mockingjays all fly out of trees and give a warning cry. Kyli and Terrin are up in seconds, weapons in hand. They look around the arena suspiciously, trying to find what created a disturbance. The cause of it comes out when Cato leaps from the bushes, running like a mad man towards them. I brace myself for the finale Terrin is quick in throwing a knife at him. Instead of killing him, it bounces off. Something in my stomach sinks when I see that.
"He's got body armour!" Terrin screams. Cato's face is purple, meaning he must have been running the whole way. But, there's no reason to run that far and hard. Terrin and Kyli aren't exactly trying hard to evade him. When he zooms right past them, not even trying to kill them, I know that there's another reason for him running. Kyli starts following him with just as much desperation. Terrin's eyes go wide when he sees whatever isn't on the screen and he starts stumbling after both of them blindly. The screen turns, and I gasp in unison with Katniss.
Mutts.
A/N: Oooohhh, mutts! I hope you liked the chapter, please review! I love you guys!
New A/N: No, I hate all of you!... Sorry, Allegiant still has me in a bad state. I apologize for any insults I may hand out while I am this devastated.