23- The Plan

2 hours, thats how long we have been walking through the woods. Finnick says it should have taken less than one hour if we had walked through the 12 o clock sector from the beach but we didnt, we where on the other side of the beach so we walked into the woods and all the way round to keep out of the way, it gives the rest of the tributes time to get to the beach so that we can set it up. Back on the beach, I didnt get long to sit and be by myself because Johanna came over saying that we are carrying out Beetee's plan. I still dont know what it is but Peeta and Rye do and I trust them so thats good enough for me. Talking about Peeta, I havent talked to him since I walked away. To be honest I havent really had the chance to. He is walking upfront with Finnick keeping watch and I'm right in the middle with Rye, my guard apparently. I know I'm gonna have to talk to him soon though because this plan will be dangerous, I know that for a fact, Beetee told me. So dangerous infact that if any other tribute found out what we where up to they would hunt us down. If anything happens to either of us, we wouldnt want it to end on an argument.

I can feel myself becoming weary, again. Last time I was okay to carry on, this time not so much. I know we need to carry on though. "Can we stop for a second?" Rye says and when someone agrees I collapse on a rock. I was so tired but I didnt want to say anything because Beetee says we have to be at the Lightening Tree by atleast 11 and its now around 9. "Katniss needs a rest." Suddenly, I feel sick and lean down to put my head between my knees. Coming into the arena heavily pregnant wasnt a very good thing. Well its not good anyway but still, The sickness and everything is 10 times harder to deal with when you're fighting for your life.

Someones hand is on my back but I cant tell who it is until they speak. "I suppose it would be fine for a couple of minutes." Peeta. "You alright?" He squeezes onto the rock beside me and I budge over to let him on, leaning my head on his shoulder. "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. We wont bring it up again if it bothers you that much."

Why is he apologising? I'm the one that over-reacted. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldnt have said what I did. I love you thats all you need to know."

"I love you too." He brings my lips to his and as soon as they touch, I feel the sick rising. Its not him, its his lips. He has recently eaten raw fish, I can tell and for some reason Hope has not allowed me to eat fish at all whilst I've been pregnant even though it used to be my favourite thing to eat.

Peeta is rubbing my back the entire time I am throwing up, whilst everyone else jumps away in surprise. Everyone but Rye and Finnick. Rye gets some water from the nearest tree and Finnick is holding back my hair. Why are they all like this around me? As if any of them actually care enough to help me get out alive? It doesnt make sense. "You got it all out yet?" Uncle Haymitch asks. He never was good with sick. Not whilst I've been alive anway. Mother once said that she would often find him asleep in his own sick after he won his games. I guess thats why he cant stand it though.

"Yeh its gone." Peeta says as I hold a thumbs up, downing the water that Rye hands to me. "I think we should carry on." When the water is gone, I attach the Spile back to my belt and we proceed through the forest.

2 hours later we have everything set up at the lightening tree and the real plan takes place. Beetee is just making the final touches to his wire. Its tied all the way around the tree. His plan is, or what I've picked up is, that he plans on the lightening hitting and someone is to take the coil down to the beach which will be soaked from the 10 o clock wave and whoever is on the beach or in the water, will be killed. We will scatter and meet again in the 5 o clock sector at 1 in the morning. "You alright?" Delly asks, sitting next to me. In her hand is a spear. I cant get used to her using one of them, she looks strange just holding it. I nod, watching Peeta, Rye and Rowan scout the area. Its dark so they need everyone that they can get. Delly was supposed to help but it turns out not. "You know Gale would be very proud of you. He always talked so highly of you. Made me jealous sometimes. And why shouldnt I be? He was so lucky to have a best friend like you." I smile at her, not sure why she said this but I have a feeling it just kind of slipped out.

Now I feel obligated to say something to her. But what do I say? She laughs slightly at my concentrated face. "Peeta was exactly the same." I expected them words to come out of my mouth but instead they came out of hers. "Whatever you may think, he always thouht more highly of you than he did me. When you spent all that time with Gale, we became closer but he always loved you more and I'm okay with that. We both used to sit there and watch you and Gale walk out of the school yard. He had the love of his life and I had mine. I'm glad I got to be with mine and I'm glad he got to be with you eventually." I can feel tears in my eyes now. "I'm sure I'll see him again, wether it be very soon or not for a lot of years."

"Delly, its okay, you dont have to." I say, truthfully I'm just scared that she is gonna start crying.

She shakes her head and smiles at me. "No, I look forward to it. I know he would want me to do what I can to help everyone so thats what I'm gonna do. Even if it means my death."

"Why are you telling me all this?" I ask, tears falling from my eyes.

"I'm telling you this Katniss because I dont want any of you to feel bad if I die in this arena and you live. I will be with Gale and you will be with this beautiful baby who needs you so much." I smile and she squeezes my hand before walking off, spinning the spear that she was holing in her hands.

I sit there for a while, wondering why she would tell me all that but I didnt get a chance to ask her. Everyone has kind of come back together near the tree so I pull myself up and walk over. I wipe the stray tears from my eyes after I get a concerned look from Peeta. "Right. Its almost midnight. Here is what we are going to do." Beetee says, getting all of our attention. "Johanna, Katniss and Delly, you will be going to the beach. Take this coil." He hands it to Johanna. "And dump it in the water, make sure you do it and get very far into the 10 sector before midnight. We cant have any of you dying."

"I'm going with them." Peeta says and everyone looks at him. "I can be there guard."

"Peeta, I'm pretty sure Johanna and Delly can keep Katniss safe just fine. I need you here at the tree." Beetee says. Everyone has fallen silent now.

"Katniss is heavily pregnant I'm going with her." Peeta argues. "Haymitch? Do you think this is a good idea?"

We look to Uncle Haymitch and he just shrugs his shoulders. "She can look after herself."

"Its settled then. Peeta, Finnick, Rowan, Kai you will be standing here at the tree with me. When Midnight hits we will be going for the 10 sector to meet up with the girls. Annie, Penny, Wiress you set off for the 10 sector now and the rest of you will be scouting the area, making sure no-one is around. Is that okay?" He's once again looking at Peeta.

Peeta finally nods, looking at me so as everyone walks off in their directions, I kiss him quickly. "See you at midnight." We both smile at eachother and I walk after Delly. I turn back to see him watching me go. It feels strange. I dont want to leave him. Something is telling me that I cant leave him but before I can say anything about it, Delly is pulling me along telling me that she is 100% sure that he is going to be fine.

And once again we are walking through the forest to the beach. Everything is fine except from one time when I have to sit down which Johanna doesnt like much and soon I am walking again. Delly and Johanna are walking ahead of me taking in hushed whispers and something seems off so I keep my distance. Delly finds me watching so she leaves Johanna and comes to my side, making small talk.

Suddenly something hits me hard in the back of the head and my face hits the floor. Everything goes black but only for a second and my eyes open again to see Johanna standing over me. "We have to do this Delly, dont back out."

"Sorry. I'll do it." Somethig sharp cuts my arm and I feel my blood flowing out at a fast pace. The everything stops. "Lets go."

I try to pull myself up but I cant. The pain is getting to me. Instead I open my eyes and see where they are going. The coil has been abandoned on the floor and Johanna and Delly are making their way back to the tree. Then as I'm about to close my eyes, Delly falls to the floor as Brutus' sword falls from her stomach. I try to scream but nothing comes out. Brutus runs off followed by Johanna. I know I have to follow them but I have to find a way to move first.

"Johanna!" I hear someone shout in the distance. Its Finnick. I know he is Peeta's friend and also my friend but something is telling me to stay put and out the way so he cant see me. I hold my breathe hoping that he wont hear it but then he sees Delly. "Oh god. Delly! No!" He falls by her side and thats when I feel the tears. At first it was like it was just in my imagination but now that someone else is here, I know its not. Delly is really gone. What am I going to tell Peeta. "Katniss!" He then shouts, I hear his footsteps getting closer and closer. "Katniss, are you okay? Where has Johanna gone?" I use all my remaining strength to point the way she followed Brutus and he follows my finger. "What happened to Delly?" He has tears in his eyes too.

"Brutus." I mumble. "Johanna went after him. She attacked me. We cant trust her."

PEETA POV

I'm watching the wire, keeping it in my hand incase something happens. If something happens along the line we will be able to feel it. Every now and then I get small vibrations but that just means that they are one step closer to the beach. But this time its different. It starts shaking violently. Something is wrong. I'm about to set off to find out when I'm knocked backwards by a large man. Once I hit the floor, I open my eyes to see Gloss flying past me, his knife going straight through Wiress who was originally supposed to set off for the tree but decided to stay behind because she didnt want to leave Beetee who currently has horror all over his face as he sees his fellow tribute drop to the floor, lifeless.

Everyone springs into action, trying to get him down. I however find Finnick. The only person here that I trust at the moment. "Finn! Something happened with the girls, I need you to go and check on them. I've got this." He nods and sets off running as me, Kai and Rowan deal with Gloss.

"I heard something-" Someone shouts behind me.

I dont have much time to see who it is before Kai screams. "Penny no!" Which gets him a hit in the gut with the other side of Gloss' spear. He then gets past us easy enough and descends on Penny, clearly thinking she is the easiest prey. "No!" Kai screams again as he crumples to the floor in pain. And just like that we lose another person in 5 minutes. Penny's body falls and hit the ground hard, blood gushing out at an alarming pace.

Kai looses himself and sprints to Gloss who knocks him back easily enough. "Peeta! Help!" Someone shouts behind me and I turn to find Finnick helping Katniss over to a rock. Blood is coming from her arm and she looks as if she is about to pass out. I drop my sword and fly over to her. She looks so bad.

"What happened to you?" I ask her. Finnick runs off to help his brother get Gloss down. "Where's Delly and Johanna."

I notice the tears falling from her eyes. What the hell happened to her. Rye appears at my side with Haymitch, both equally worried about Katniss. "We cant stay here. We have to go. Johanna attacked me and Delly... she... she..." Her voice breaks. "She's dead. Brutus killed her." Then she starts crying.

I share a look with Rye and Haymitch. Rye looks terrified but Haymitch doesnt look fased by the idea that everyone we have trusted in the arena so far could actually be our enemy. I however feel so much hatred towards Brutus for killing my best friend that I feel the need to hunt him down right now and remove his head from his body. "Look after her." I tell them both and pull myself up.

"Where are you going?" Rye asks, putting his hand up to stop me before I walk away.

I push his hand away. He has no experience in this. In the arena when someone kills someone you care about, you kill them, thats the way it works. "Brutus did this and because of that he's going to pay and Johanna better hope I dont find her."

KATNISS POV

Everyone seems to have scattered to find the remaining people from our team. Gloss has been taken down. Finnick pinned him to the ground and Kai stuck his trident straight through Gloss' chest to repay him for what he did to Penelope. Peeta has gone to find Brutus for what he did to Delly. Johanna never got back here and everyone else is gone but me and Beetee. I seem to be getting more and more tired the longer I sit here, the loss of blood is not doing any good at all.

I wonder if she did any harm to the baby? Why would she do this? I thought she was on our side and now I've just let Peeta go off into the woods when Brutus and Johanna are out there somewhere and one of them just attacked me and the other killed Delly. I think Delly knew she was going to die. I mean she did tell me that if she dies then I shouldnt feel bad because she would be with Gale. I guess they are happy now.

Suddenly a sound startles me, someone or something hitting thr forcefield on the other side of the tree. I pull myself up leaving my bow where it is and drag myself round the tree to find Beetee in a heep on the floor. In his hand is a spear attacked to the wire. What was he trying to do?

The sky turns darker than it was. Its time, I have to get out of here. But wait. Beetee hadnt told me to move so clearly he had a different plan and I find it hard to believe that someone as nice as him would want me dead. If he was trying to put the spear in the forcefield then clearly he wanted the lightening from the sky to go into the forcefield but why?

What if a strong force could take down the arena? Like lightening. He's a genius. The lightening would destroy the arena. He must have been doing it for a reason. Now is my chance to find out why.

I run back over to my bow and grab it notching an arrow in it and wrapping the end of the coil around the tip of my arrow. The lightening is almost here now.

The sky lights up with lightening and I let my arrow go as it hits the tree. I watch as the beautiful blue light follows my arrow up into the sky and then the whole arena explodes, knocking me through the air, then everything goes black.

I'm gonna get the next chapter up and running as soon as I can because I have had this chapter planned for about a year now so I am excited to write it and let you guys read it. You are honestly going to be so surprised and I cant wait. Thank you all for reading. Please review and let me know what you think :)