It's almost four o'clock when Finnick and Katniss go to get water. So what is the trap here? A scream from a young girl gives me my answer.
"Is that her sister?" Clara asks.
"Prim!"
Katniss runs madly after her sister with Finnick in hot pursuit. Then we all see the source of the scream in the mouth of a little bird.
"Jabberjay," says Jace, a worker about my father's age. "Haven't seen those in a long time."
Pips turns to me, "Didn't they use jabberjays in Mother's games?"
"Yea, made her allies think the tracker jackers found her," I reply.
"Not just her allies," says Jace. "They made the whole district think they got her. Let me tell you, it scared the circuits out of everyone until we saw her safe."
The speakers are overtaken by screams and everyone seems frozen to the spot while they watch Katniss and Finnick huddled in pain. An invisible wall prevents anyone from getting to them and Peeta obviously
"Get up," I hiss. "Get up or they know they own you."
I don't know any of the voices, but they're obviously people they care about. The most sickening scream is that of a child no older than six. When the hour ends, the whistle blows and the screaming stops. The jabberjays are gone and our shift is over.
"Why? The girl is going to die anyway. Why put her through that?"
"That little girl was just a baby."
"Does the Capitol cruelty know no bounds?"
These whispers, and more follow me all the way out of the plant. Quickly I hurry home where I know my family will be upset. As I walk in Evy has all of our children huddled close to her. The look in her eyes tells me that anything that tries to harm her babies will be grounded into dust.
I sit down and hold them. "Just a little while longer."
Childhood fears come back to life as the beast that killed Irma stalks into view. Wayne, weaponless and defenseless, doesn't stand a chance. One hour, that's how long the beast has to rip him apart. It takes the hovercraft five drops of the claw to bring his body up.
"Hey Rotor," I say. "Anything happen last night?"
"No deaths, but Katniss and Peeta had a little heart to heart about who should live. The argument didn't last long and ended up being a mouth to mouth. I don't care what anyone else says, that girl cares about him and will be messed up if something happens to him."
He's fidgeting like he does when something is wrong.
"What's bothering you?"
Rotor looks around to make sure no one is in ear shot. "You said Rook wants us to wait until after the games are over. Thora and Kolb are coming home today, so why wait for this to draw out?"
"I don't know," I admit.
My brother stares at me, "Thirteen is going to pull the lovebirds and any victor they can get out of the arena. Do you think the Capitol will just sit and watch? Someone is going to pay."
Rotor's words stick with me throughout the day. Volts is announcing his plan to the other victors and I know tonight is the night to escape. They're all going along with it.
"Get the delivery team killed for sure," says Jace going back to his work.
Marcus Pathra walks in the room, "All right, you have my attention. What's the problem? Something wrong in Beetee's calculations?"
Jace stiffens up when he realizes who spoke to him. Marcus is not someone well liked in the district and for good reason. "Sir, the theory is sound, it's the execution that'll get someone killed. Someone is going to have to run the wire down to the beach. Most likely a guard will go down with them.
"The plan relies on a thin wire making it down a few miles of jungle and beach. If District Two isn't lying in wait for the opportunity when the alliance splits than I'm a mutt. They'll cut the wire and then attack those that separated from them."
"But if they all went together?" asks Marcus.
"Then they just cut the wire and the big plan is done," Jace replies. "But I doubt they would go together. Beetee will stay up at that tree and he'll probably keep a guard or two with him.
As he speaks I know he's right. Jace is always right. He's one of the few people in the history of the district who outscored my mother in school. Marcus believes him too and looks worried, but only for a second and mutters, "Interesting," before leaving.
"FINALE!"
A few have taken to the streets to announce the end of the games. Johanna has knocked Katniss out and left her in a scary pool of blood. District Two chases Johanna and Finnick and Peeta frantically search for Johanna and Katniss.
Peeta cries out for Katniss stopping the Careers in their pursuit of Johanna. Johanna has gotten far enough away from them, but Peeta is close. Finnick stops running as well as if torn between going to Peeta's defense or searching for the girls. He makes his decision and continues running after Johanna and the Careers shouting their names.
"I've got Pretty Boy," Enobaria shouts. Brutus nods and runs towards Peeta.
Chaff has come out of nowhere just as Brutus gets close to Peeta. The two fight for only minutes before Brutus stabs him through the chest.
"Get out of here boy!" Chaff shouts with his remaining breath, but Peeta doesn't budge.
"Looking for your wife?" taunts Brutus. "Your ally turned on her back there. She's as good as dead, boy."
A battle cry emanates from Peeta's mouth as he charges Brutus with a knife catching the Career off guard. Peeta's hands are covered in blood and he backs away slowly horrified with what he's done.
"Katniss!"
"Peeta! Peeta! I'm here! Peeta!"
"What is she doing?" Falon asks. "She's bringing them straight to her!"
"That's what she wants," I manage to get out. Katniss isn't hoping to come out alive, she wants to die and Peeta to live.
My kids rush outside to the larger screens and Evy and I soon follow. Everyone is outside now watching in horror as Enobaria and Finnick charge to Katniss. It's madness, pure madness.
Katniss takes aim to Enobaria, but then changes her target to the force field. A series of explosions take down the prison walls of the arena as Katniss is hurled backwards. A hovercraft appears above Katniss and picks her up. That's when the screens go black.
"What just happened?"
"Did she win?"
"But Peeta was still alive!"
There's mass confusion as all of us try to make sense of what just happened. How many minutes pass? Ten? Fifteen? We don't know when the TVs come back to life.
"That's District Twelve. That's District Twelve!"
Screams erupt both on and off the screen as firebombs light to coal district on fire. All we can do is stare in horror as the people in District Twelve burn alive.
