CHAPTER 2.7
'It makes me that much stronger.
Makes me work a little bit harder.
It makes me that much wiser.
So thanks for making me a fighter.'
Giving Indiana a reprieve from carrying Peeta, Cato threw the younger boys arm around his shoulders and helped him hobble along. Before the exhausted and dehydrated group could settle down and make camp, the sound of a sponsor package rang throughout their small clearing and a metal container landed in a tree. Due to her being the smallest and nimblest, Indiana scaled the rough bark and dropped the small package into Katniss' awaiting hands below.
"What is it?" Finnick asked when Katniss pulled out an oddly shaped metal object.
"It's from Haymitch."
"It's called a spiel. You put it in a tree and it gives you water." Cato explained, picking Indiana up out of the three and placing her safely back on the ground.
"Let's give it a shot then," said Finnick, turning around and stabbing it into the nearest tree.
Feeling refreshed and hydrated, the group moved on to a safer clearing, somewhere where tributes wouldn't have seen a parachute land. Finnick decided that setting up camp now would be imperative before the arena became too dark. Aware of the quick setting sun, the Allies agreed, setting down their supplies.
"We should take turns to sleep. I can take the first watch." Indiana stated, causing everyone to look at her.
She had no intention of murdering them in their sleep, her mind had quickly fallen into ally mode and she was more than willing to defend them as they slept. Instead, she had offered to take first watch because she knew her mind wouldn't allow her a moment of solitude and that sleep would allude her more in the arena than it did in death.
"Not a chance. You'll kill us the first chance you get." Katniss protested, looking to the others in the hopes that they'd agree with her.
"Look, honey, that thing I did back there was called saving Peeta's life. Yeah, that's right, I saved the guy who murdered me. If I wanted either of you dead by now, you'd be lying face down by the Cornucopia." Indiana hissed at the ungrateful girl. "If it makes you feel any better, you're more than welcome to join me on first watch."
Feeling slightly ashamed but not willing to give in, Katniss agreed and then tried to convince Peeta he needed some rest. Rolling her eyes at the petty antics, Indiana reassured Cato that she wouldn't be slitting Katniss' throat before informing him to get some rest. He knew that she was still mad at him when he only received a peck on the cheek as a goodnight before she turned away from him.
"I'm proud of you. For saving his life instead of making sarcastic comments from the sidelines," he teased, grabbing her arm and pulling her back to capture her lips with his own. "Why did you save his life though? You could've just pretended that you tried but I saw the panic on your face when you thought you wouldn't be able to bring him back."
"The look on Katniss' face." Indiana replied simply, before deciding to expand. "God, Cato, If I ever lost you then I don't know what I'd do. I wasn't about to let that happen to them. Now, get some sleep."
She placed her hand on the side of his cheek and gave him a small smile before walking over to the dimming fire. Once the snores of their companions joined the nightlife sounds of the arena, Indiana sat staring into the embers of the fire, ignoring Katniss and vice versa. Booming resounded throughout the arena; a sound that differed to the usual Fallen Tribute cannons.
"I counted twelve." Katniss broke the silence.
"Midnight?" Indiana suggested, looking around at the darkness surrounding them.
"Or the number of Districts, but why?"
"No idea."
After that, the pair fell back into silence, just staring into the fire again and looking around when they heard a sound. The sound of a cannon caused Katniss to jump and Finnick to wake but none of them said anything to the other. Despite being exhausted, Indiana knew Katniss needed to rest more and had almost convinced the girl when an abnormal fog rolled in out of nowhere, heading straight for the resting group.
Tentatively holding her hand out towards it, Katniss screamed in anguish when it burned her skin.
"Run!" The two girls screamed at the now-alert members of their group.
Unfortunately, the fog was getting too close, too quick.
"It's poisonous." Katniss warned, trying to pull Peeta to his feet.
Nudging her fiancé, Indiana pointed at Peeta, gesturing that he should help carry the blond boy to safety. Katniss and the blond men took the front whilst Indiana, Finnick and Mags brought up the rear. As the six of them began running, the fog seemed to chase them, closing in on them from all sides other than in front of them. Finnick with Mags on his back and Indiana, behind Finnick and Mags to protect them, suffered the most. The thin fabric of their suits offered little-to-no protection as blisters began forming on Indiana's back and neck. Limbs began stiffening and failing, which is when Finnick began struggling to walk.
"Mags, please, come on. Come on." Finnick pleaded, begging Mags to jump on his back again.
Indiana stopped next to Finnick, watching in frozen horror at the events that unfolded before her.
The kind, old woman placed a kiss on his tanned cheek before rushing into the fog; sacrificing herself to save the other five. Finnick wasn't even able to call after her, he just turned away from the horrific sight and continued on, pulling Indiana along with him.
As they stumbled through the trees, Indiana collapsed onto the soft sand, Finnick landing on top of her. Someone gripped the woozy woman under the arms and dragged her along the beach. A burning sensation washed over once the salt water touched her blisters and she screamed, violently thrashing in an attempt to escape.
"I got you, baby. I got you." Cato soothed, holding her afloat until the pain receded and a soothing sensation replaced it.
Finnick dove under the water as Katniss and Peeta wandered off in search for fresh water.
Holding her close, Cato was worried that if he let go of Indiana then she would disappear. He'd come close to losing her already in that fog. When he turned around and was unable to see her through it, his heart clenched and his anxiety levels spiked, ready to charge into the fog regardless of the consequences. That was his constant worry in this arena where there was something to worry about at every corner.
Wadding out of the water, the other three joined Katniss and Peeta in the forest but were greeted with a group of mutant monkeys. Peeta was too busy tapping into the tree that he didn't notice the mutts watching him, or notice the group around him slowly adjusting their weapons.
"Peeta." Katniss said slowly. "I need you to come over here and take a look at something for me."
"Hang on a minute. I've almost got it."
"Move towards us quietly so you don't startle them." Katniss continued with her calm voice.
Walking casually towards the group, not understanding the air of danger around him, Peeta was not very quiet or gentle due to his big build. Luckily, the monkeys continued to just watch from their position in the trees. Glancing up for a split second, Peeta's eyes widened and that seemed to be the trigger for the mutts to charge. Despite having never seen monkeys before, the group knew their behaviour was far too aggressive to be natural.
"Mutts!" Katniss yelled.
Notching arrows, Indiana let them fly with accurate precision taking satisfaction in the numerous orange bodies that fell to the floor around her. Cato was fighting by her side and his muscles tensed deliciously as he swung his sword. Turning to check on her companions, Indiana noticed everyone was holding their own.
Apart from Peeta, who had a mutt preparing to lunge at his chest. Knowing she wouldn't have enough time to shoot an arrow, Indiana charged at Peeta causing the others to look at her in alarm. Knocking him to the floor, Indiana expected to feel the searing agony of monkey claws in her back. However, the pain never came. Picking herself up from the ground, Indiana watched as a monkey mutt sunk its fangs into the morphling from District Six.
The monkeys disappeared when the weird cannon from last night boomed and the morphling sunk to the ground.
'Made me learn a little bit faster.
Made my skin a little bit thicker.
Makes me that much smarter.
So thanks for making me a fighter.'
