A/N: Guys, I'm so sorry this took so long. I've just had Work Experience and I've also been suffering with writer's block for this story. However, I am really pleased how this has come out. Please, please send some reviews. Thanks for waiting!

~Soundhawk


Hard Rain

Greer Barlow, District 6

The three girls had reached the windmill and they huddled together inside, watching the wheat crops sway violently from side to side. The wind sliced through the air and hit against Greer's skin despite the fact that she was wearing a jumper and the fact that they were inside the windmill. However, with the windmill not having any door to close, the gale easily swept through and got to them all. "A storms coming soon, I can sense it," Katrina said in an oddly high pitch voice.

Greer turned to her and saw where a thick bandage covered where her nose would be. Cut off, Greer thought with disgust as she shivered from the cold. Her hazel eyes looked over to where Alexandria stood her eyes. For Alexandria the need to find Fane had become an obsession. And it seemed that Katrina stoic, her gaze drifting over the fields. "He's out there," she muttered and Greer repressed the urge to roll was starting to have a similar urge towards Darius.

The wind was getting even stronger now and Greer looked up at the stones that made up the windmill, they looked a little unbalanced. Ruefully, Greer shook her head; the three of them would need to get out of here quick. "We need to go," she voiced after a little longer.

Katrina gave out a noise of shock but Alexandria slowly nodded her head, "Yes, the longer we stay here, the easier someone will find us, or that a mutt will get us."

As the girls retrieved their stuff (Greer already having her belongings with her), the three of them got ready. Greer stood near the doorway, feeling a few drops touch her head. She gazed upwards, seeing the darkened clouds covering every inch of the arena. They didn't look unnatural though, like a lot of things in the arena often did; they just like they were about to let rip a mass of rain. It wouldn't surprise her.

Finally, the three girls set off at a steady pace, cutting the wheat down with blades and axes. "The Careers we're going to find, yes?" Alexandria asked, swinging the axes around. She looked determined and not in the least bit frightened.

Before Greer could respond, Katrina nodded vigorously. However Greer wasn't happy. She may have been the ones to set up the Anti-Careers but now that they were actually here, she regretted it oh so much. The sky's opened up and vast amounts of water crashed down on them, the rain coming down in big blobs. Greer put her hand out carefully, testing to see if the water had any poisons, toxins or other things hidden in it. But no, it was just normal rain. She carried on walking, only to stumble into Alexandria's back. Shaking her head, she asked irritably, "What's wrong?"

Alexandria said something and Greer asked her to repeat as it was getting hard to hear over the thudding of the rain. "I saw something," she said, clutching the axes. The rain was getting even harder, soaking into Greer's jumper. Something passed by her, a flash of green and gray. Katrina jumped slightly and called out, trying to be heard over the continuous thudding. The wheat was leaning at different angles, being torn out by the storm. The wind sliced into Greer's skin, making her moan in pain. Something flashed past them again at some unrecognizable speed, a blur only visible.

Greer was propelled into the air and she hit the floor unceremoniously, feeling the soil enter her nostrils. She pushed herself weakly up, drawing in some air and squeezed her eyes. Truing her head slightly, she saw her backpack ripped in two, the contents scattered somewhere among the ground. Pushing herself to her feet, she saw where she had been thrown into the air. "Katrina!" she called out, "Alexandria!"

If they could hear her, they did not reply. Or if they did, Greer certainly didn't hear them. She cursed the storm under her breath but stopped as a blur whizzed past her. Greer was alone and defenceless. Without a second thought, she ran through the tundra of wheat, following the path that she had come from. The rain was making it hard to concentrate and listen. She saw muddy footprints from where the three of them had walked and but they were quickly being washed away. More shapes and colours flashed passed her but she did not stop, she hastened. The last of the footprints spilt off, two pairs of feet heading in different directions.

Greer quickly swerved around, scanning the area for the windmill. A hand grabbed the side of her head, pulling her forward. She tried to resist, ending up being hunched over, not quite able to pull herself up to stand. The hand was bony and gray, long fingernails puncturing her flesh. The world around her blurred in and out, colours darting around her vision, bright and vibrant, playful. Over all of this was a girlish, high pitch laughter that echoed around her brain. She pushed her head up, the hand coming off with a pop. Greer gazed at it, bones splintering out of it and random angles. The long nails had mounds of dirt under them and Greer's eyes went up the arm to the body it was connected to.

There was a woman before her, a young woman of startling beauty. She had long flowing blonde hair that framed her heart shaped face. Her bright blue eyes that were filled with passion watched Greer as her full lips stretched into a smile. Greer blinked once, then twice, and her eyes darted back to the gray arm. No longer was it there, a flawless hand with painted nails was in its place.

Lightning flashed overhead and for a second the body changed, becoming withered and gaunt. Stringy hair hung from the unnaturally lumpy face. The lightning stopped and the beautiful woman stood before her again. Greer blinked, her vision swaying and blurring. The wheat went from a golden colour to a blue then a pink. She put her hand to the side of her head and felt dripping. Removing it, she stared at her hand, dripping in a bright blue liquid. Was it poison, she didn't know. Looking back at the woman, Greer saw that she was joined by another equally dazzling woman.

Greer stumbled back, the world oddly coloured and without thinking, she ran blindly but stumbled and hit the floor again. The two women surrounded her, followed by more and more of them. One of them giggled and the others joined in, a delightful giggle that was like a happy song. Greer weakly joined in, a sense of joy taking over her. When lightning flashed, the women were yet again shown as hags and their laugh was more jeering, high pitched and cruel. Feebly, Greer tried to get up and this time, one of them pushed her down gently.

Then for the first time, one spoke, "We shall feast tonight." The lightning flash behind them was bigger, bolder and in its glare, they were revealed to be monsters, clad in robes unfit for peasants. Long nails, like talons, reached down towards Greer but she saw no harm in them, her mind addled, and then they cleaning ripped her face off.

Right off her head.


Katrina Pearson, District 12

The torrent of water poured on Katrina as she ran blindly. She was now alone, separated when an invisible force had thrown the three of her allies in different directions. She clutched her bow desperately, knowing it would be useless in weather like this. Still, it gave her a measure of comfort. More shapes blurred and zoomed around her. Cackling hit her ears, a surprising sound that echoed over the rain. Katrina tried to swat whatever was around her and she felt the invisible force kick her hard in the side. Or what seemed like a kick, it had that sort of force. She flew through the air, coming down hard on the sodden ground. Howling wind cut into her flesh, for the first time drawing blood. Katrina didn't even acknowledge it. Something made a grab for her leg, a hand covered in a deep blue liquid. Katrina pulled her leg away and stomped hard on it.

Looking down, Katrina saw a whole arm but nothing else. She had snapped an arm off someone, no consideration for whose it was. Picking it up gingerly, she waved the arm around, grimacing as she saw bones, an unnatural shade of gray covered in blue liquid blood. Whosever this arm belonged to, it wasn't human.

Suddenly, the arm jumped out of her hands and onto her chest. Screaming, Katrina tried to swat it away. The hand stabbed its fingernails deep into her flesh. Shrieking, the world distorted and moved, many things twisting and changing. Katrina tried to get the hand off and she pulled, ripping it off along with a layer of her flesh. Throwing it, the arm dropped to the ground and started to scuttle towards her using its fingers.

More hands shot out the ground, the dirt falling off them as they rose up. They attached around her ankles, dragging her into the ground. She felt like she was in quicksand, not able to move her legs and slowly being taken under. She scrabbled on the dirt and the world flashed around her. Her neck had gone under so she was fixed in one position. All of a sudden the storm stopped, the clouds clearing rapidly. Feet cloaked in high heels trotted towards her, making a nice clomping sound as they moved. Her eyes darted upwards and she could only make out a sharp jawline on the persons face. But they were female, Katrina could tell that much. The woman, if that was what she was, wore the finest dress that money could buy, and she held an air of proudness, stretching to maybe haughtiness.

"Stop," the woman said, her appearance flicking for a moment, before returning to a magnificent woman. Katrina could feel herself not being dragged anymore. But still, she was stuck nearly under the ground.

The woman giggled as Katrina tried to wriggle herself out of her position. The women then bent down next to her and changed at once into a ragged monster, eyes black and watching. Without a second hesitation, she put her long nails to the bottom of Katrina's head. A pointed nail dug deep into her flesh as Katrina gasped. She sucked in air, trying to regain herself. As the creature came forward again, she tried to feebly butt her away with her head. The mutt let out a girlish giggle. Then with one notion, she grabbed hold of Katrina's brown hair and pulled.

Immense pressure was applied to Katrina and she shrieked as a rainbow shone overhead. It seemed to mock her, laughing into her face. Shrieking even more than before, she heard her flesh tear and her vision blurred horrendously. She felt oddly weightless as she was lifted into the air, not completely sure what was going on. Her head swung slightly and she caught sight off her body below. But that couldn't be right. Then her brain couldn't compute anymore as she saw her body without her head below. The world got dark, black. And then she was dead.

The mutt harked laughter and lifted the girls head in the air, victorious. The other mutts gathered around, gazing in wonder as the crimson droplets fell to the ground and onto the girl's lifeless body. She muttered an order and the body was hauled under the ground. The mutt looked to the head in her hands, a head with long locks and empty eyes that once belonged to a tribute. To the girl from District 12.


Farris Hallen, District 10

Cannon fire awoke him and he shot up, his fingers curling around a sword. "The rain has stopped," Juniper commented, keeping watch like she had been doing for the last couple of nights. He groaned, dropping the sword and ruffling his hair. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he narrowed his eyes at Juniper. He wondered how long the two of them could keep this up, relying on each other.

"How many cannons?" he asked and she gave him a look. He briefly remembered running away from the fighting when the Careers were after the other tributes. So much blood, so much anguish. He couldn't kill, not like they did, not for fun.

"Two," she answered simply, throwing him an apple. Catching it, he bit gladly into it and savoured the taste. He thought about who the cannons were for, anyone as far as he was concerned.

The two of them were back in the Cornucopia, just managing to get there as the rain started. Juniper had told him to get some sleep, and at last he had. Looking out, the world seemed unlike it was when the storm had started up. The sky was a pleasant blue and a rainbow shone, glittering. "Nice," he said, only slight sarcasm in his voice.

For the first time, Farris could see how tired Juniper was. She said that she was sleeping but looking at her, Farris doubted this. Pity swelled his heart and he tried to push it down; this was Juniper, captain of ship annoyance. Still, he gently got up and sat down next to her. "You should get some sleep," he said simply.

She gave him this look of amusement and he tried to unsuccessfully supress a sigh. "Aw, that's the first time I've ever heard you say something so caring. Tin man getting a heart," she asked, her voice light but full of laughter.

He scowled, his eyes narrowing. "Look, I just think that you should-," he cut himself off as Juniper laughed. Rolling his eyes, he wondered what had got into her.

"Cute, you're blushing again," she said, leaning against him. Nostrils flaring, he looked away, feeling his face burn with embarrassment. Giving out a small giggle, she then rested her head on his shoulders. His eyes widened as he watched her, not quite sure what to do. Confusion went through his brain. What was with Juniper?

She gave out a small chuckle and then nudged her head into the curve in his neck. Instincts took over as he slipped an arm around her waist. Inside of him, his brain was screaming at him. Why was he doing this? He hated her, why was he acting like this?

"I think this lack of sleep is actually getting to me," she said, slumping and chuckling weakly. Gently and without thinking, he placed his head on top of hers. He grabbed the sword he'd put near himself and clutched it, always weary.

He knew why he trusted this girl; it was because she had shown him what the Games were really about. She had shown him some compassion, even if she was cocky and she did tease. He heard her gently snoring a few minutes later and he smiled, a blush spreading out around his face. He would never mention this again as long as he lived, he thought, as he watched her sleeping. Hoping that she wouldn't ever remember this, he smiled and watched the blue sky, content for the first time in his life.