~Splish. Splish. Splash. Splish. Trickle. Splish.~

Light. Brilliant light. Dappled against the cool gray world. Earthy. Rough. Uneven. Segmented and separate from everything.

Wet. Cool. Weak. Struggling to keep up with his uneven breaths. Struggling to understand. Connect. Analyze.

~Splash. Trickle. Splish. Splish. Trickle. Splish.~

His thick, lethal fingers twitched. They curled slowly onto the rugged, damp ground. No earth; the ground underneath was hard. Stony. He could hear water turning and splashing all around him. He didn't understand.

...

Katniss awoke spewing up a slimy mixture of water, blood, and mucus. Propped up on her small hands, she wretched onto the hard, cold floor. When her stomach was fully empty she sat shaking, and dry heaving; trying to gain back control of her body. She felt wet, weak: empty. Her eyes edged around her slowly; taking in her unknown surroundings. She mustered the strength to sit up and felt the jagged earth beneath her. She noticed that her left arm felt stiff; unmoving. She tried to stretch it out but a sharp pain in her elbow stopped her. Katniss ran her opposite hand gently along her hurt arm. She deduced that at the very least it was sprained. She kept it curled into her chest.

...Where am I...? The light level was low, but not so low as to inhibit her sight. She could make out grooves, and protrusions, and rocks? She heard and felt water. It's gentle hum vibrated off of the walls. She crawled forward a few feet and saw the black, pool surrounding her on 3 sides. It was about 10 feet wide and encircled by more rock.

Katniss put a cupped, quivering hand into the black water and drank. It tasted sweet and crisp. She knelt over the pool and brought some water to her face. Blood and dirt flowed off of it. She still didn't quite understand where exactly she was. She remembered the Hunger Games. She remembered Cinna dressing her for the final time. She remembered standing in the small, claustrophobic, glass tube that brought her up to the arena. She didn't remember...winning? No...she was sure that she didn't remember winning the Hunger Games which meant that she must still be playing...

She racked her brain trying to understand. The last thing she remembered was water. Lots and lots of dangerous, rapid water. A lake...? A river...The gorge...Katniss' eyes widened as it came back to her. I fell off of the gorge when Cato -Cato? Katniss whipped around and surely enough, saw his massive body lifeless a few feet behind her. Wide-eyed she stumbled farther away from him. No!...No...It can't be... Her eyes began to water then tears began to drip from her eyes. Murderer...I'm trapped in a cave with a murderer...

Katniss quickly got to her feet. She couldn't just sit around and wait for him to get up. She had to do...something. She had to get out of there. She jogged quickly around each wall of the large cave. There weren't any openings, or holes, or anything! How did I get in here?

She stopped moving and fingered her wet clothes thoughtfully. The water... Katniss ran back to the black, flowing pool. She knelt and studied it, trying to look through it to find any tunnels, or openings. But the water looked black. It seemed fully opaque in the low light. She submerged her right arm into it; testing how deep it was. Her arm went all the way in, to her shoulder, and she still felt no bottom. Katniss wasn't a particularly skilled swimmer and she didn't dare test her luck.

... If I cannot escape...than there is only one thing I can do... Katniss searched around her for any sizable rocks. She found a particularly sharp, weighty one a couple feet away. She palmed it, gently. Thinking about what she was going to attempt.

Katniss was a hunter. She knew her way around killing and skinning animals. She knew how to do it humanely, respectfully. She didn't fear the animals she took. And she did it to feed herself and her district. She felt that there was a purpose in that kind of slaughter. A slaughter for the sake of people. It was calming to her. It was nature. It gave her a sense of purpose. But people...people were worlds different. For one, she feared people. She ran from them her whole life. She sought solace from them. Avoided them, specifically. In her mind, the only thing that people brought were pain. Suffering. And this person she was about to kill: he was accustomed to the ways of murder and pain. He was the boogeyman underneath her bed. He was the monster hiding in her closet. He was her greatest fears and weaknesses all wrapped in a facade of muscle and power.

Katniss took a deep, steadying breath. She promised herself it would be quick. Painless for him.

Yes, he murdered Peeta. Viciously. Without remorse. And yes, she thought he deserved to die a painful, horrendous death because of that. But Katniss was not the grim reaper: she didn't deem herself worthy of choosing who deserves to die and who doesn't. She just recognized that it was either him, or her. And she had Prim waiting for her back home... And Gale...

That was a painful thought to swallow. She missed her sister so much. She prayed that she was doing okay, back home in District 12. Knowing Prim, she probably convinced their mother to let the Billy Goat into the house to sleep with her at night. Katniss chuckled a bit at the thought of that and wiped a couple of tears from her eyes. Katniss and Prim slept together almost every night. Katniss would tuck Prim into her own bed next to Katniss' but at some point during the night Prim would wander into Katniss bed. She would awake with Prim curled into her. Her blonde hair gently sprawled onto their pillow.

Katniss had some regrets in her life, but volunteering for the Hunger Games in place of her sister was not one of them. Even if I die, she thought, at least Primrose is back home with mother. She would be making little flower crowns for Buttercup. Damn mangey cat. She would plant flowers all around the house in memoriam for Katniss. She'd pick up hunting, with Gale. She would be everything I was, except so much more. Katniss felt absolute peace in these thoughts. She liked knowing that whether or not she made it, that Prim was safe. Her thoughts drifted to Gale...

That was another painful area of her life. Katniss had always looked up to Gale. He'd become kind of a brother to her, especially after her father passed. She remembered him coming to her house, nearly every day after it happened. He'd pick her up out of bed when she couldn't muster the strength to get up. He'd help her dress. Make sure she was fed. He'd take her with him to the forest outside of their district and just sit as she curled into his chest and cried. She had always had feelings for him that she never wanted to admit to herself. The way his soft, brown hair sometimes fell in front of his steel, gray eyes. If you looked into them, some would think them to be cold and unkind. But Katniss knew better than that. She knew the pain and fears that lay underneath them. She knew the drive he had; to be fearless for his brothers. To be strong for his family.

She thought about one night in particular: It was a warm, summer night the year prior. Gale and Katniss had been out hunting, later than usual. They dropped off their fresh kill at the Hob and Katniss had wanted to get home because she knew her mother would have been worried about her.

"I'm sure she's fine Catnip. She probably already tucked Prim in and went to sleep...Besides...I wanted to show you something..."

"Alright... But let's not stay out too much longer."

Gale nodded in response and his strong, smooth hand found its way to Katniss' and he led her along an old dirt path against the electric fence that encapsulated their hometown. They walked, hand-in-hand quietly. She recognized the path they were walking on...It led to the old, abandoned barn on the East side of the district. She suddenly felt nervous...That was where the other girls in the district went with their boyfriends...when they were ready to be with each other...intimately. She swallowed quietly but let Gale lead her.

The barn had been long abandoned. There were families of squirrels, and owls that populated the old walls. There was even a small group of wild horses that sometimes visited the old building for some hay and possibly to reminisce. Gale took Katniss through the main archway which no longer had a door attached to it. She followed him up a creaky, probably unsafe, ladder to the small, open crawlspace above the old horse stalls. There was Gale's red, flannel blanket laid out with a pile of soft hay underneath it. Next to it was a glass kerosene lantern. Katniss crawled onto the old blanket while Gale pulled out a match and lit the lamp. She steadied her breathing as much as she could but she was nervous. Gale took a seat besides her and chewed his lower lip a bit.

"Katniss?..." Gale's eyes found hers in the dimly lit barn. They were different than normal. His gaze was wavering; wanting.

Katniss didn't answer but just stared back. Gale gently grabbed her hands again; softly running his fingers over them. Her whole body tingled. It was so intimate. She had never felt such intimacy. She swallowed nervously.

"Do you love me, Catnip?"

Katniss gasped quietly. She nodded slightly,

"Yes...I do, Gale."

Gale used his hand to bring Katniss' face to his. He pulled her into him as his lips found hers in the dark. His strong, tanned arms were wrapped around her protectively. She felt his warmth and his soft, supple lips danced with hers. They had kissed once before, but not like this.

Gale laid Katniss down on the hay between kisses. His breathing had picked up and he was lightly panting. He laid himself on top of her gently, bringing his hands to her hips. A hunger in Katniss' belly that she had never before known awakened. Her mouth welcomed his tongue. She felt a wetness between her legs for him. She felt scared...but needed him in ways that she couldn't deny. Gale parted her legs and positioned himself between them. Katniss felt his stiffness pressing against her most intimate place. She let out a small gasp through their kisses.

"Katniss..." Gale moaned softly. He unbuckled her jeans and pulled them down to her calves exposing her white, cotton underwear. Katniss tried to protest but stopped when Gale's determined fingers pulled aside her underwear and one slipped inside of her. She moaned and buried her face into his chest, embarrassed of her arousal. He was gentle as he fingered her. He suckled on a sensitive part of her neck as he went in and out. She was so wet.

"Gale" She whined softly into the crook of his neck. He pulled away slightly and began to undo his belt and pants, slipping them down his legs. Gale took Katniss' hand and made her feel him through his underwear. He made her wrap her hand around his manhood and stroke up and down through the cotton barrier. It was so big and long she didn't think it could ever fit inside of her. Gale pulled his underwear down and readied himself in his hand. He began to position himself but Katniss lurched backwards, breathing heavily.

"What's wrong? Are you okay, Katniss?" He'd asked worriedly.

Katniss began to pull up her jeans, quietly. Embarrassedly. Gale crawled closer to her. He put his hand gently to her face. "What's wrong Katniss?..." He almost whispered.

"I can't." Was all she could get out before the tears came. Gale's expression dropped. He just put him arm around her and rubbed her gently.

"It's okay."

He had been so gentle and understanding with her. That was one of her most painful regrets; she wished she had made love to him that night in the barn. He was warm, and gentle, and loving. And now she may never get the chance to express her love to him.

Katniss studied the rock in her hand. She took a deep couple of breaths. She was probably as ready as she would ever be.

She walked up to Cato and knelt beside him. His breathing was shallow. His lips were slightly purple. He had swallowed too much water and unless Katniss induced vomiting he would probably die. She looked at his damp blonde hair and his lifeless, helpless face. He looked so much different when he wasn't trying to kill her. He almost looked...peaceful. She swallowed hard trying to muster up the courage to bash his head in with the rock in her hands. He's dying anyways...this is a mercy killing. Im putting him out of his misery. His body can finally settle and he can die peacefully.

Katniss held the rock up in the air hesitantly. Her hands were shaking badly and the rock was right above Cato's head. She sat there, unmoving. Trying to bring herself to it. He's a murderer. Just do it. He killed Peeta...He's a murderer. Kill him.

Katniss let the rock down gently next to his body. Tears streamed down her face; she couldn't bring herself to it. He was helpless at her grasp and she just couldn't do it. Yes, he was awful, and sadistic and...evil. But Katniss couldn't do it. She felt panicky and sick. She felt like letting him die would drive her crazy, especially with them both confined to that small area. She knew what she had to do.

Katniss pinched Cato's nose and opened his mouth. She had to induce vomiting. He had swallowed too much water and needed to get it out of his stomach. Using her pointer finger, she went to the back of his throat and stroked his uvula. Almost immediately Cato's eyes sprung open and he came forward and started throwing up the contents of his stomach. He turned over, coughing and wrenching, and Katniss held his chest as he did so. He spilled everything out until his stomach was empty.

Cato felt nauseated and sick. Kneeling on the ground, he tried to regain control of his breathing. His lungs felt heavy and every breath stung. He noticed someone behind him trying to turn him over and his brain went into attack-mode. He flipped around tackling the other person to the ground. He had pinned Katniss to the ground, one of his hands holding her hands above her head, and the other hand was at her throat. His eyes widened. He wasn't expecting to see her under him. He still hadn't put all the pieces together about where he was or how he got here.

Cato pressed on her throat slightly, threatening.

"Where are we?" He demanded. His voice was ragged and deep. He looked unhinged.

Katniss glared up at him. She almost regretted saving him.

"We're in a cave. Probably underground. We feel into a gorge and-"

"-We didn't fall into that gorge. You pulled me in. You fucking bitch." Cato growled squeezing her neck tighter; The memories flooding back to him. Katniss shifted under him struggling in his grasp.

"...I...saved...you..." She barely uttered. Her face was red and hot and her breathing, labored. Cato was so impossibly strong. Her vision was getting blurred and fuzzy. Cato let up ever-so-slightly, but Katniss still struggled to breathe.

"What do you mean you saved me?" Cato's face was drenched in anger. He was struggling to control himself.

"You swallowed... too much...water...I...I" Katniss sputtered and coughed.

"You what?" He slammed her onto the ground angrily, his hands were getting hot.

"I...I.. got the water out..." Katniss was beginning to lose consciousness until the thick, tight hands at her neck finally let go. She rolled onto her knees violently coughing and wheezing. The color was starting to return back to her face and her lungs no longer felt like they were on fire.

When Katniss finally looked up Cato was looming over her, his eyes were narrowed suspiciously; He was scrutinizing her and the implications of her actions. He looked deeply into her glassy, bloodshot eyes and she felt her body go numb in fear. She prayed that he wouldn't attack her again; She wouldn't be able to fight him off if he did.

"I saved you... I stuck my fingers in your throat... and you threw up." She said still panting slightly and avoiding his gaze. She was too scared to look him in the eyes: it was a pliant gesture. Cato remained unmoving, yet his huge hands were vibrating ever-so-slightly from the assault. He felt his blood rushing through his body at a million miles an hour and he willed his heart rate to slow down. His breathing slowed, his heart rate fell to a slow, rhythmic rate, and his lips parted every so slightly. One word fell from his mouth:

"Why?"

Katniss shivered, she feared his impending anger. However, when she dared look up at his face he looked more confused than he did angry. Oddly enough she found it more unsettling than the emotion she was expecting. She gently moved into a seated position, cautiously facing him. Her eyes unconsciously traveled to the rock that she had almost used to bash his brains in. His eyes followed and his face contracted, not understanding.

"I...I don't know...I was going to take that rock", she uttered slowly pointing at it, "And I was going to smash your head in..."

If possible, Cato somehow looked even more confused. He shifted slightly, crossing his arms and causing his huge biceps to shift as well. Katniss watched him carefully, still unsure what was going on between them; Their last interaction on the gorge being a stark contrast to whatever was happening.

"...But...", she said breaking the silence, "I...I didn't..."

His silvery gaze returned to hers in a strange moment that felt like an almost-understanding. His brow creased slightly.

"I would have killed you...Had the situation been reversed.."Cato trailed off.

"I know." Katniss replied timidly.

Cato blinked rapidly a few times, then he returned to his stoic self. His posture straightened, his eyes narrowed dangerously and his jaw tightened.

"I will kill you. As soon as I find the way out of here. And a camera to do it in front of."