This is a fanfic. The original work belongs to the marvelous Suzanne Collins and any other co-owner. You want to read a good story? Start with the original. This is merely my bad take of the story I've fallen in love with.
I make no profit...
Chapter 26
It takes the better part of the night to get to the meadow since I had gotten lost. Now night had given way to early dawn and I might have two, maybe three, hours before the sun rises over the valley.
Pushed to my very limit I finally see the Cornucopias tail sticking up between the trees. Soon I'm close to the forest edge. Since I haven't heard or seen any of the other tributes I take my sweet time to look around. When I spot the state of the camp it becomes clear whose life was forfeited earlier this night. Poor Noah. The pyramid is still unharmed, but everything else of value is gone or broken. A tribute most have caught on that the career's had left the camp and attacked their weakest link. Most likely Thresh, Foxgirl wasn't one for open attack.
Movements over at the Cornucopias entrance prevents me from scavenging the camp. It's Marvel stretching his muscles and jawing. I retreat a few steps to get better cover. I look around for Cato and the others; either they're inside or prowling the edges. After a few minutes Glimmer and Clove joins him at the opening, both looking as dirty and tired as him. They can't have been here long, something that becomes obvious when Peeta and Cato breaks the foliage close to the camp and stop dead in their tracks.
Cato throws his sword and let up a storm of curses heard across the field. He's soon in the middle of a rampage, throwing aside torn tents and broken items. The others stay away and let him vent. Peeta joins them.
Eventually Cato calms down and the group goes through the wreckage. Seeing that they have no energy to search the forest I head over to a raised rock. It gives a good vantage point and I can bask in their misery. This seatback will force the group to stay together, meaning I have time to rest: Peeta's not in an immediate danger anymore. Closing my eyes I lay down behind the rock, letting sleep claim me.
***.
I come awake to blinding light and silence. My instincts screaming danger and death. Sitting up so fast that several muscle crack I try to find the danger through tearful eyes. Only, there's nothing to there; the forest is calm. I must have been sleeping less than three hours since its late dawn. The soft touches of light shines down on me and everything looks fine. There's a dwindling fire outside of the Cornucopian. The tributes lying in a circle around it, sleeping while Marvel guards, half-asleep.
But the feeling won't leave me. So I turn suspicious eyes to the forest behind me, looking at the shadows and searching for life. Only, nothing is moving. There should be something, even if it's just a bird or bugs flying around.
I slowly stand on my tired legs and stretch out. I can't hear a thing. It can only mean something deadly is in the forest and I can venture a guess as to what. I turn towards a sleeping Peeta, weighing my options and feeling conflicted. In order to secure my own life I should find a tall tree to hide in. But that means leaving him and he doesn't have that much time.
Then the feeling of being watched comes and it has me panting in fear. My pulse speeds up until it sounds like a drum. I grab hold on one of the knives and slowly pull it free, tightening the grip when my hand trembles. I hear a twig snap in the distant and the urge to run is overpowering, but still I hesitate. It wins when another snap is heard, this time much closer. Exploding into action I throw myself away from the rock and take off in a mad dash; straight towards the meadow. It's the only safe place to go.
Marvel gives of startled shout as I break the forest line. I don't acknowledge it, but the others are awake in seconds. Cato rushes up with a war cry. I pass them and round the Cornucopia before Marvel can swing at me. Seconds later an arrow sails past, gracing over my shoulder. I push the sting away and keep running. I round to the tail and start searching for a spot to climb. I hear the careers' behind me, but then Peeta shouts a warning. Glancing back I can see several mutts appear. Sprinting towards us with drool hanging from their mouths. A whimper passes my lips.
The sight of them has all of us pausing. Then the panic comes. Glimmer screams in fear and fires of an arrow, she trips in her haste. Ignoring her plight I try to climb, but without Peeta's help I can't get a hold. Wildly looking for another way I see that we're cornered. The mutts has surrounded the Cornucopia.
For a breath nothings happen, then someone blinks and the mutts are on us. Another bloodbath breaks out. Careers' and Wolfmutts are fighting all around me, jaws open and weapons swinging. One of them jumps me when I try to break away. I throw myself to the side and manage to avoid being crushed under its weight. It does manage to claw me over the back and I grunt in pain.
Rolling until I'm standing I face the threat, my back screaming in pain. A smaller Wolfmutt has chosen me as its target. I stare into its eyes and see Rue's looking back with killer intent. My heart constricts for a second before I growl at the thing. Anger taking over. It runs at me, but this time I'm prepared and walk straight at it, shouting in defiance while swinging the knife in my hand. Surprised the creature jumps to the side before circling me, seeing if there's danger or not. It gives me the opportunity to see how the others are doing.
Peeta is standing with his back to the Cornucopia and stabbing a spear at the mutts, his strength and skill making them cautious. Marvel and Cato are swinging their swords with deadly accuracy, but still unable to kill the creatures. Their reflexes too quick for the muscular teens. Clove has better luck with her knives, she manage to wound them, but not mortally so. Their soft areas are too well protected. Glimmer's doing better there, her arrows drills into the mutts and she has managed to kill two.
Refocusing on the predator in front of me I try to find a weakness. It's growing more confident and it's a matter of seconds before it kills me. I try to collect my scrambled thoughts and appear threatening. Something that's hard because of our sizes. Its teeth's are bigger then my hands. As we prepare to attack one another a shout echoes over the meadow. It sound like Peeta and I turn to look, forgetting the mutt for a second. He's still holding strong, even if I can spot dark red blood on his right arm.
The shout came from Marvel; who is running in panic - right towards the mines. Time slows down. I can almost see the moment he steps on one. Light. Fire. The pressure-wave hits me like a concrete wall, sending me flying away from the Cornucopia. I don't even get the chance to scream. Then the blasts comes as I'm pressed into the ground. Dirt fills my mouth as the noise deafens. I can't hear a thing, I can't move. My head's ringing from the explosions. All around me fire billows outwards, the heat so hot that the metal starts bending on the Cornucopia. I close my eyes and try to become as small as possible. Then a body flattens me to the ground. Protecting me from the other bombs going off.
For a long time all I smell is sweat, fire and dirt. All I hear is his breathe and my own heartbeats as the fire roars its anger. I claw my hands into his arms and hold on until there's only silence and cold winds. Then a Cannon going off, followed by another and then another. Three tributes has fallen. I try to push my savior to the side, but the body is too heavy.
"Peeta, please move." I gasp.
A groan of pain is all I am met with before the body rolls to the side with a grunt. I gasp for air and gage as the taste of burnt flesh hits my tongue. I look at the devastation before me. The ground is black and burning. Thick smoke hides the sun and it's almost pitch black. Coughing I turn to Peeta. He's lying on his back and are holding his injured arm. Bitter tears creating streaks on his grey face. I get up on my knees and crawl to him, forcing his hand away. Four deep gashes leaps from his shoulder down to his elbow. His bleeding heavily. I use a knife to rip apart his shirt to create a bandage and a compress.
"That… That hurts Kat..." He manage to get out between shallow gasps before I hush him. We don't know if any mutts survived.
"Are you hurt anywhere else?" I whisper at him while tying a knot around the compress, then I start on the bandage. I give him a trembling kiss on the forehead when he whimpers.
"Can you stand?" I ask when I'm done. I will have to take a better look later, but now we need to get out of here.
"I think so." He whispers before taking hold of my offered hand, forcing himself to stand. "What's the plan?"
"Get out of here, that for certain. Then figure out who's dead." I tell him while checking him over real quick. No other bleeding wounds to be seen. "Lastly is to find a good shelter and some food. I'm starving."
Peeta gives me a nod before making his way towards the trees, in opposite direction of the wind. He's in a lot of pain, but I squash the sympathy and walk behind him. He still has the spear while I only the knives; so he has point. It's only when we are a good distance away from the fires that I come to a stop.
"Time for you to rest while I getter Intel. I will be back in 30 minutes." I whisper to him when he turns around to look at me. "In the meantime can you see if the bleeding's stopped or if there's any long leaves we can use later?"
Peeta's looks at me, but his eyes are unfocused. It takes him a moment before he understands the question, but instead of speaking he simply nods. I stay long enough for him to sit down, before jogging back to the meadow. I'm taking a stupid chance, but I'm tired of feeling vulnerable; I want that bow.
I come to a stop just at the beginning of the meadow. Most of the smoke has cleared and I can see several burned carcasses. Since no mutt attacks me I'm guessing that the Gamemakers has called the surviving back. Leaving only tributes as the remaining threat. With a knife in each hand I brave the battlefield. The smell is awful.
Cautiously moving towards the Cornucopia, I look for blond hair. It's the last place I saw Glimmer before the explosions. It's not her I find. It's Clove. She's lying in an awkward position at the opening of the Cornucopia. Alive, but unconscious. I stand over her, wondering if I should kill her. It would be so easy, but then I think about Peeta and Prim: How they would cringe away from the mere thought. So instead of killing her I drag her free and place her amongst some wet grass. Leaving her I circle the Cornucopia. I don't find anyone the first time; only burned mutts. Unwilling to give up I make another pass. I spot a tuft of blond hair in one of the dirt pits and cautiously approach. Cursing when it's not Glimmer, but Cato. His lying underneath a dead mutt and can't get free.
"Twelve." He growls as I walk over, crouching a good distance away.
"Two...How's your day going so far?" He stare at me before spitting in my direction.
"I will kill you."
I snort in dark amusement, seeing how hard it is for him to breathe. He tries swinging a sword at me, but the angle is all wrong. Cursing he throws it away in anger. I wait for a few seconds, but he doesn't move. It dawns on me that he might very well be dying under the weight, which would solve a major problem for me. I decide to leave him. With Clove there hadn't been a danger in helping; here it was so I had no calms with walking away.
Only!
As I rise I get an idea. If Cato dies our numbers would be down to four. Not much incentive for the Capitol to change the rules, but… if I let him live they might feel forced into doing something odd; even unheard of. It might be the thing Peeta and I need to make it out alive. Something I had stopped hoping for. The question now being; how to help him without getting killed? Looking around I search for inspiration. Not far from us there lies a piece of broken spears, with a rock I could try to lift the mutts body; allowing Cato to crawl out.
Or if I'm smarter, lift the body enough for Cato to breathe and then allow Clove to get him out later. It would be another incentive for the Gamemakers to change the rules. Hiding a smirk I set to work. The spears is hot to the touch, but still sturdy enough to work. The rock I find right next to Cato, on the other side of the pit. I roll it down to him which has him shouting in anger.
"Stop being an idiot and place it next to you; I'm not crawling in." I snap to him. He stares at me with hate, but after a few seconds do as he's told. "Good, now since I don't want to get killed how about you place your hand on top of the mutt and keep them there. I warn you, one wrong move and I leave you to die."
For a long time he just stares at me, unmoving.
"Grab hold you idiot. I will only offer it once." I don't get a verbal reply, he just places his hands on the burned fur above him.
I stand by Cato's head and keep a watchful eye on his hands. Carefully I place the spear under the mutt and angle it so the stone lies beneath. Then I press down with my weight. I can hear when it starts working. Cato takes in lungful of breathes and tries to wiggle out. When he's gotten far enough that his upper chest is free I let the beast fall again.
"What the fu..." He shout at me and move his hands. I pull back the spear and jump away. He misses me with inches.
"It will be enough. Clove will wake in a while and then she can help you." I snap back.
He tries to get free, but without the sword or the spear he's still stuck. I walk away from him without a word. I find Glimmer soon after. Her dead body lies among rubble and the dirt. The face has been blown off, all you can see is some blond hair and blood amongst the body parts. I turn away from her in disgust. If I had any food in my stomach I would have thrown up, instead I just gage. The bow is stuck underneath her and I have to drag it free. It's covered in blood, but I wipe it off, using the grass around me.
"Rest well." I whisper before leaving. Feeling it's appropriate even if she did help kill Rue.
I hurry back to Peeta. He's where I left him, half-asleep. I shake him awake.
"...The others?" he ask me, when he sees the bow.
"Clove and Cato is alive, the others didn't make it." I tell him. He only nods and climb to his feet.
"Can we get out of here now?"
"If you're up for it." I answer.
"... Just find me somewhere safe so I can sleep… " He mumbles.
"There is many holes and digs along the river." I tell him as we start walking
"Cato will search there."
"And that's why he won't go there. He will overestimate me from now on, so we should be safe." Peeta gives off a strangled noise at my words before limping towards the river. I quietly take my place by his side.
While walking I search for signs of food. I desperately need to eat something. My sight is getting blurry because of dehydration and hunger. Peeta is managing better, having eaten some before the attack. But he's stumbling and breaking sticks; he's too loud for any prey to stay put.
Dead on our feet we finally find a hollowed cave along the river. It small and low, but we manage to fit. I dig a deep hole in the dirt before making a spartan fire. I find some fresh leaves, and pieces of bark to hold water, so I can start nursing our injuries. First Peeta's wounds; the blood has stopped, but the area is red, swollen and smells wrong. I t reminds me to much of his leg. I take a long while to clean it out properly before placing the leaves over it. Then I use the last of his shirt to make a proper bandage.
"You sure there isn't any other injuries?" I search his eyes just in case he's trying to lie.
"The stab form my initiation, but Haymitch helped me fix it; it was a good cream."
I nod and leave it. I turn around and present him my back.
"You're turn. I need help with my back." He makes big eyes at this and it dawns on me that he hasn't seen any of my injuries yet. As I pull off the shirt I can hear his intake of breath. Glancing over my shoulder I see sorrow in his eyes.
"You shouldn't have gotten hurt." He whispers.
"There's more of that. I've gotten bitten by leeches-mutts and thrown against rocks; not to mention almost burnt alive and cut into a million little pieces." I grumble and stare at the walls. "I hurt all over, but the most immediate threat is the claw marks, so I need you to clean them."
At my words Peeta caress my shoulders and back, feeling the injuries covering my body. His breath stutters at every bump, bite or bruise he finds. By the time he's done I have goose bumps.
"Pass me the water." he asks and I do. He works with care and doesn't leave a speck of dirt behind. He places the leaves over the wounds and helps me get the shirt back on. "They will fall off."
"Yeah! But it will give me time to find something better and hunt for some food. I'm starving." At my words both our stomachs make loud noises, making us laugh in surprise. "How about some fish?"
At his nod I tell him to watch the fire while I head for the river outside. I find a good place with a lot of shadows and calm water. Standing on two small rocks poking out of the river I wash the bow. When it's clean I stop moving, just waiting for a fish to appear. The blood helps shorten the wait, within minutes I've shot three small fishes.
Drying of the bow and the arrows I gut the fish before making my way back to Peeta. Hiding our trail while doing so. Just because I think Cato will stay away doesn't mean he will, but for now there is just one thing on my mind - food. I come to a stop when trumpets rings over the arena: an announcement is to be made. I silently wonder if my ploy paid off.
I look to the sky. Seneca Crane appears in a hologram together with Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith. I stare in surprise. He has never appeared live before during the Game, only as a recorded voice mail. Hope blossoms within me.
"My dear tributes, we hear in the Capitol greet you. Marvelous work my little starlings." Caesar tells us as a greeting. "Something extraordinary is about to unfold. Something to spice things up. But I will allow our very own Seneca Crane deliver the news. You will be shocked… You will be thrilled and dare I say it? Joyful!"
The sky above me are filled with a close-up of Seneca's painted face. He looks excited and there's an odd glint in his eyes.
"Thank you Caesar. Yes. I have a most unusual announcement to give our fighting heroes." Here he pauses for dramatic effect and I can imagine us being shown on the holoscreen behind him; tired and dirty. "You have been so extraordinary that we have decided to make things a bit more interesting. Wouldn't you say?"
Seneca seems to be talking to the people and by the responding noise they are overjoyed by what will happen next. The cautious side of me comes awake and I draw an arrow while he speaks. If it's not what I hope I want to be ready for whatever surprised the Gamers' has come up with.
"Well... In celebration for the up and coming Quarter-quell, (and won't that be existing.)" Again a sea of screams and applauds rings over us. "We, your beloved Capitol, have decided to change the rules a bit. A change never before done..." Here he pauses for the shouts to settle. "Hurm, hurm. From this day -onwards- if two tributes from the same district find themselves being the last survivors they will share the victor. That's right everyone, instead of just one victor we will have two."
Joyful cheers explode across the sky, but the words spoken has me dumfounded. I close my eyes. *It worked.* I don't know how or why, but Peeta and I will be given another chance. I don't have to die.
I quickly run back to Peeta. Gliding on my side into the cave and fall into his open arms. We hug each other desperately. I hide my emotions in his neck, refusing to let the others see how conflicted I feel. I want to live, but at the same time I feel guilty for playing the others. For placing them in position where they died and I lived.
"It's okay. It's okay." Peeta whispers to me, like he now the joy and guilt I feel at the same time. I draw back and look at him. Silently asking him if it really is. If it's really okay to let children die because I want my sister to live; because I want us to live. "It's you and I remember."
I don't stop the kiss that followed, but I don't deepen it. Too many question weigh me down and I can't draw any pleasure from it. Separating slowly I hold up the fish for him to see. He cooks them while I sit outside, looking at the sky trying to find my answers.
What happened to my resolve? To my plan? To my calm? When had I lost all semblance of control? All of these questions comes down to Rue. It was her death; both of them, which made me lose control over my emotions. That allowed the anger, doubt and fear to swallow me hold. Even now it was weighing me down. My therapist would say I had survivals guilt, which made me struggle with the happiness, when so many others was left grieving. A common factor amongst victims and soldiers. I didn't believed him then because I'm not that good of a person, but now I wonder if you just had to be -not bad- to suffer from it. After all I'm taking on all these death that I can't stop as if it's my fault they're happening.
So what I need is to allow myself to pause. To not feel everything as I have and focus on the now. Too much have been about the future - the one I came from and the one ahead. So I pause Rue, I pause the Capitol and I pause the Game: instead I join Peeta by the dying fire and eat some fish- pretending that we're two teenagers having a date. I might even go bathing later.