In the previous chapters, Katniss had felt she was being watched. Just when she thought it was a trick of her overactive imagination she saw the imprint of footsteps by her door. So the question remains, who is watching Katniss?
I do not own the Hunger Game, and special thanks to Norbertsmom for being my beta and to safeinpeetasarms for coming up with this delicious prompt!
December 80th Year AFR
District 12:
The soft knock on her door roused Katniss from a light sleep. After her encounter the evening before, she hadn't been able to sleep. Katniss looked at her alarm clock; it wasn't even four in the morning.
Buttercup growled when she sat up. When she left the bed, Buttercup grumbled, poking his head out from under the sheets.
"Look I let you stay with me in my bed, but it doesn't mean I like you."
Buttercup twitched his tail showing his displeasure, he grumbled even as he stretched. He sat on the bed glaring at her.
"Do you expect me-" Katniss stood arms akimbo.
Buttercup stared at her imperiously.
"How does Prim even deal with you?" Katniss muttered, picking up the cat from her bed and settling him on the floor. "I should give you a bath and drown you."
The knock came again.
"I'm coming," she muttered as she opened the door. She didn't care that her hair was standing on end or that she still was crusty-eyed.
Buttercup walked behind her, muttering some version of her speech in feline.
When she walked down the stairs, Buttercup stood on the second floor's landing expecting her to carry him down the steps.
"Come on, you mangy cat?" Katniss bellowed.
"Harrumph," Buttercup said.
"Oh confound it," Katniss said, walking back up the flight of stairs. "How the hell did you make it all the way here from the Apothecary?" she asked, coming down the flight of stairs with Buttercup in her arms, then setting him on the floor. "No wonder you're fat; you refuse to go up or downstairs, and I know you can. You did it last night."
"Mrrooowww," Buttercup answered. Katniss had to do a double-take, she could have sworn Buttercup rolled his eyes at her.
Katniss shook her head as the light knock came again. Turning on the lights, she saw a familiar bulky frame. She opened the door to find Peeta standing outside.
"Peet-" She didn't get to finish because Buttercup came to stand before her at the door frame. Buttercup proceeded to hiss and puff out his tail. He growled indignantly at Peeta.
"Woah," Peeta said goodnaturedly. "What is your sister's cat doing here?"
"Don't ask," Katniss said, brushing Buttercup aside with her foot, before letting Peeta into her home.
"I came by to see if you were okay." He removed his orange gloves.
"I'm fine," Katniss said, brushing her hair away from her face, suddenly wishing she hadn't come downstairs looking bedraggled.
"You look like you haven't slept?"
It was a question, but also a statement.
"Did you sleep?" Katniss asked.
"Nope, I was worried."
"Would you like some tea?"
"I would, thanks," he said.
Katniss led him to the kitchen, Buttercup followed making grumbling sounds.
"Is he grumbling?" Peeta asked.
"Yup," Katniss said as she poured water into the kettle.
Buttercup grouchily gave Peeta the stink eye, as he woefully bemoaned having been woken up from bed.
"He's protesting having been woken up so early. His ugly majesty believes that he is the center of everyone's universe and that we, his pets, bow to his every need."
"Are you saying that cat is spoiled?"
"That is exactly what I'm telling you," Katniss said, looking over her shoulder at the monstrous feline her sister treated like an infant child.
"Would you like some breakfast?" She smiled at him, "It's early, and knowing you, you left the bakery without eating."
"Charged as guilty."
"Guilty as charged, silly," Katniss said.
"Isn't that what I said?"
Katniss rolled her eyes playfully and turned to gather her ingredients. She took out from her icebox some of her precious bacon. Bacon was expensive and Katniss only allowed herself one strip sparingly. But because it was Peeta, she sliced four pieces and began to make him breakfast. "How do you like your eggs?"
"I like them with the center runny," he said.
"Sunnyside up," Katniss said to herself as she cracked three eggs into the skillet.
Katniss was surprised at how early he came and even though she was initially upset at being woken up, she liked having him in her home. The diva, Buttercup, did not. His meows were loud and he hissed at Peeta. Katniss chuckled. Peeta was the reason Buttercup had been displaced from her bed so early. Apparently, the muddy-eyed prince wasn't ready to get up or to entertain guests at an indecent hour.
Katniss served Peeta breakfast, before making them both some toast. Quietly, she served the toast before making Peeta his unsweetened cup of tea. Finally, Katniss sat down with her hot cup of tea ladened with sugar, her one sliver of bacon, and two slices of toast.
Peeta stopped eating. He watched Katniss break her bacon in half and slide it between her two slices of buttered toast. Katniss gave him a cheeky grin before biting into her salty piece of heaven.
"Please tell me, that isn't the only thing you are going to eat?"
"Yup!" She then took a sip of her piping hot sugary tea.
Peeta chuckled.
They ate while listening to Buttercup's caterwauling. It stopped temporarily when Peeta fed Buttercup bits of bacon. However, as soon as Peeta stopped feeding Buttercup, he ran back to Katniss and growled over at Peeta.
"Shameless hussy," Katniss said.
Buttercup had the audacity to hiss at her.
When they finished eating, Peeta got up and took a step toward her and Buttercup growled.
Peeta took a step back. "I shan't harm her."
"Buttercup!"
Buttercup stood before her but stopped growling, not letting Peeta get any closer to her.
"Will you be going hunting?"
Katniss sighed, "No, I'm still tired."
"I wouldn't be surprised if Rye didn't show up at your doorstep demanding his ration of game meat."
Katniss chuckled. She went to her icebox and withdrew rabbit and squirrel meat. "Give that to Rye."
Buttercup hissed.
"Oh stop it," Katniss muttered.
Peeta laughed. "He's just protecting you; it's rather sweet."
Katniss walked to the door. Glancing through the window, she noted it was still dark outside. Looking at the clock, she noted it was a little past five; the blue hour was upon them. She yawned suddenly as she began to feel sleepy.
"Go get some rest." Peeta rubbed the back of his neck, his face becoming splotchy. "Will it be alright if I come by after work?"
Katniss nodded.
"I can stay over if you'd like. I'll sleep on the sofa?"
The idea sounded wonderful to Katniss, however, she had to be a grown-up. He needed to be in the bakery. As it was, he was going to be late. Katniss reminded herself she could take care of herself, even though she didn't want to be alone. She wrapped her arms around her middle, feeling a sort of vulnerability at the thought of being lonely. She had chosen to be alone, to live by herself. And yet, here she was contemplating the idea of sharing her personal space with someone, with a friend in a platonic, yet intimate way.
"As long as your father doesn't need you at the bakery.''
"Katniss, you do realize this is my father we're talking about. If I mentioned to him that I'm staying over here, he would push me out the door and lock it behind me."
"True."
"So?"
"Don't forget the cheese buns," Katniss said.
"Deal."
Katniss let Peeta out and went back to bed. She was finally able to sleep and woke up five hours later. She felt refreshed, then realized she needed to tend to the goats and other animals.
"Land sakes!" She exclaimed, looking at the time.
As soon as she and Buttercup went outside, he hissed and growled as if a dog was near.
Katniss looked around her backyard. Once more she had a feeling that she was being watched. Her eyes searched the woods just beyond her fence. Because of the snow, most of the tree foliage was gone. There were a few evergreens like the hawthorn and pine trees that had underbrush that surrounded her property. Someone could hide there in the shadows. Katniss hadn't told Peeta about her experience last night.
Buttercup growled once more.
"There's nothing out there," she said, as much for herself as for the cat.
Normally Katniss was the hunter, and it was feeling more and more as if she was the prey. It didn't sit well with her. The fright she had last night had been all too real. She hadn't slept half the night.
"Stop it, Katniss," she muttered to herself, not wanting to spiral down that slippery slope of feeling scared. She'd learned that lesson when she'd watched the war coverage on the television behind her mother's back. She'd also learned how to stand up for herself and others when they were purposefully being scared. She swore to herself she would never again allow herself to be scared.
Katniss forced herself to stop staring into the woods.
Buttercup followed her into the goat pens. She mucked out the stall, put down fresh hay, and tore open the package of fresh greens for the goats. She sometimes led her two goats to the meadow in the summertime and let them eat fresh grass. Lady was docile, but Haymitch was like his namesake, cantankerous. Today they were both bleating more than usual and Lady's tail was down as if something was off.
"It's okay, Lady," Katniss soothed the goat. Lady shook, but slowly she calmed the goat down enough to coax her to eat.
When she went to let the chickens out of the pen to wander around the backyard for a bit she noted the carabiner she used to latch the pen was on backwards. The chickens began making a racket as if a fox got into the pen. She backed away from the coop.
Was her mind playing games on her? She always put the carabiner with the thinnest part facing down. It was the opposite.
"Think Katniss," she whispered to herself.
Yesterday, Gale was rushing her to finish so that they could get to the meeting on time. He and Delly had come over for dinner. His mother and sister had stayed with the kids.
"That must have been it," Katniss muttered. "I must have put it on backwards while rushing to finish my nightly chores."
Buttercup began growling outside the hen house.
Her breath came out in a whoosh as all of the animals became tense. They stopped squawking and bleating. The only sound that could be heard was Buttercup's loud growl and hissing.
Katniss ran out to find Buttercup's back was arched and his fur stood on end.
Katniss could see the imprint of steps in the snow leading to the woods.
Someone had been in her backyard, and had it not been for Buttercup, she wouldn't have known. She heard the crack of a tree and she could see movement as if someone was running away.
Katniss was tired of feeling scared, tired of being hunted down. It was time for her to become the hunter. She quickly put down her bucket and picked up her pitchfork. Her hands shook. The trees were moving and there was no wind indicating that her intruder was moving quickly away. Katniss ran for the fence and used the bottom of the pitchfork to vault over it.
She landed in the small incline.
Her pitchfork landed a few feet away on her right. She heard the bushes move a few feet from her left. Quickly grabbing her pitchfork, she followed the rustling, trying not to get detected. They were moving at a brisk pace.
If it were not for the snow she would have had to rely on her hunting prowess to track the person who had been in her backyard. However, the depth of the snow slowed her down because of her height.
It was cold and her breaths came out in puffs as she got tired. She wouldn't be deterred as she followed behind. She could tell they were tall because the holes were deep. The snow, in some spots, came to her waist.
Her heart rate increased as she realized she was nearing him. She saw a flash of brown streak as it traveled away from her.
It was on the tip of her tongue to yell stop, but she stopped herself. It would be ridiculous to yell stop, instead, she ran after her voyeur. Katniss ambled as quickly as her legs could carry her over the snow-covered terrain.
As she ran, though, she began to hear low growls in the woods. She nearly tripped at the sound of the all too familiar animalistic snarl. It couldn't be a Hybrid, could it?
There were no Hybrids in the district. Katniss was certain.
Katniss heard the crunching of snow behind her. Disoriented, she looked back, but there was nothing there. When she turned back around, she saw a man with white hair come into view. He took a turn and headed toward town.
She ran after him, as the snow leveled out and it was easier for her to make headway. As she followed him, Katniss was thinking of a way to trap him. They came to a clearing and she saw her chance.
She stood and threw her pitchfork at him. The handle landed square on his back, knocking him down. Katniss ran and saw an opportunity to get the man responsible for making her feel unsafe.
"You bastard," Katniss said standing over him. She leaned over and flipped him onto his back. She frowned, trying to place his heavily bearded face.
Katniss had no time to react as he grabbed onto her legs, causing her to fall backwards. She tried to get away, but his grip was firm. She kicked him in the face.
"You little bitch," he ground out.
Katniss managed to stand, but he tackled her.
They fell onto the ground in a heap. The man slipped his hands around her throat and began to squeeze.
Katniss tried to fight him off, but she was losing strength. She tried to pry his hands from her throat, but couldn't. Her limbs became heavy. Her vision began tunneling when she heard a beastly roar, followed by a flash of fur before everything went black.