It seemed as if the air in the sleeping bag had left. How could Peeta do this? I had thought we were friends, but I guess my illusions have been shattered now. I was expecting to be hurt in the arena; maybe even by Peeta, but what I didn't expect was to be betrayed by what I had thought was my best friend. If I look at it logically, we haven't been real friends since our names were called out. I guess I was holding on to a friendship that wasn't really there.

I couldn't see it, but I could bet this entire game that my face had gone blank. My muscles just wouldn't move out of the blank expression that had formed. The only thing that moved was my eyes as I watched the group with a growing anger.

"Go on then, Lover boy," The boy from District 12, who had run after me so fearlessly before sneered at Peet-Mellark. "See for yourself." The boy tells him. I watch as one of the shadows runs off, back to where the embers of the fire are still going. Looking to the group I purse my lips. The anger that's growing deep in my belly couldn't be quite explained by words alone. The best I could explain is the burning desire to just say 'fuck it' and kill them all now with just the hunting knife, if you'll excuse my language please. I won't though. I want the knowledge that he's betrayed me to burn Peeta's insides out.

I would have understood if he had just gone for the resources before, but to do this is just something I don't think I could forgive. I'd been so worried about taking him out, and if he was in pain, and if he was dead. It hadn't mattered all along because Peeta was just comfortable cruising with the big guys. It's practically blasphemy. No one from District 12 has ever been in the Career pack, from lack of wanting is why. No District 12 member can, with a good conscience join the pack of Careers; it's something that would only get you killed by people at home for trying. If you even made it back. The Careers are hated by all other districts, and it's shown through the years of Hunger Games.

I will eagerly watch the night skies for signs of his death, if I don't kill him first myself. If.

When Peeta is out of earshot the Careers start talking. They are always so quick to talk behind each others backs that it disgusts me to even hear their words.

"Why don't we just kill him now and get it over with?"

"Let him tag along. What's the harm? And he's handy with that knife." Oh, is he? That's just splendid information. I don't know why I'm surprised, I mean Peeta cooks for a living I'm sure he'd have to be handy with a knife but still…

"Besides, he's our best chance of finding her." Great. Fantastic. Good luck with that. I'll be damned if I even look at Peeta before I kick his ass into the land of the dead.

"Why? You think she bought into that sappy romance stuff about her sister?" I couldn't tell who was talking but it didn't matter to me. They were all a bunch of targets now. With this burning anger in me I feared for their lives should my anger win over my conscience. It's the only thing holding me back right now, in the form of the belt which tied me to this forsaken tree.

"She might have. Seemed pretty simpleminded, and lovey dovey to me. With her own little exclamation I'd think she'd be pretty stupid. Just thinking about her makes me want to puke." I can guarantee that you made me feel about the same way. Expect more like I wish I could just rip you in half.

"I wish we knew how she got that 12…" Someone I didn't recognize said in a tight male voice. I looked down, squinting but I couldn't see more than the outlines.

"Bet you lover-boy knows." I frowned. Wait, did they not know? Peeta knew what my strong point is and he couldn't have forgotten it already. What could he possibly have in not telling them? I could hear the footsteps of Peeta returning now from making sure the girl was no more.

"Was she dead?" The boy that I didn't recognize spoke again.

"No," Peeta replied. "But she is now. Ready to move on?" I heard the cannon fires shot off for the girl now. The career pack says no more as the sun begins to break over the horizon, unnaturally fast. It takes me a few seconds to pull myself back onto my branch, from the shudders of rage, confusion, and anxiety. I had come so close to getting caught that it was unexplainable how my insides felt. But it was worth it. I'd gained a lot of information, and I'd defiantly put it to good use later.

For now I wrapped my arms around myself and sat there, staring out into the forest as day broke. I didn't want to give the watchers any clue to how much Peeta's betrayal affected me. I need to move, to get away from this spot now, but I can't do it. My limbs wouldn't unlock from around me so I stayed still, the bag where I left it, hanging over the small branch above me.

I can't believe that Peeta is helping them find me. I can't believe Peeta, sweet little Peeta who stood up for me all those years ago, and the Peeta that loves my sister, is a traitor. Actually, how can I be sure that he loves my sister? What's to say that he didn't do that to gain my trust, just so he could betray me to the careers? I should have jumped down and slaughtered them. I heard the birds begin to break out in song and I pushed myself out of my bag, being sure the other people were now gone.

Carefully I packed up and began to climb down my tree, still thinking. I was probably just a girl that they have to take seriously now because she got a twelve. The only reason they even cared about me – or Peeta – was because of the opening ceremony. If it weren't for that we wouldn't have even be noticed until we were given our numbers. Something tells me that without that I probably wouldn't have gotten a twelve anyways. I'd probably have actually been unnoticed. I don't know it that's good, or bad. I could have taken them all out, them being completely unaware, but Peeta would know.

Yet, he hasn't told them. What could be going on in his head? Before this all started, I probably could have told you. Now, I don't know. It could be anything in that blond head of his. Suddenly the birds of before fell silent with the sun just arriving fully over the horizon. I held my breath. It was just like when they took Hade away.

The birds had stopped singing then to. Now I watched as high in the sky a hovercraft, not unlike the one before when they carried us to the arena appeared. A crane like thing falls from the hovercraft, with a large wire tying it to the hovercraft itself. I watched in morbid fascination as the crane picks up the dead girl and carefully bring her into the hovercraft and just like that the hovercraft leaves, faster then my eyes can watch. The birds resumed their songs as if nothing of interest had happened, as if a girl hadn't just died for the sick amusement of others.

I know the cameras must be following me now. With the darkness the branches of the trees, and the sleeping bag concealing me it must have been hard to get to me, though I'm sure they managed. I smirked, just to give them something to think about. Let's see what they think that means. I'm hesitant to check my traps when I know that the careers are so close. But I know I might need the meat later, and by then the gamekeepers will just be waiting for a reason to push us together to fight. I'm rewarded with a rabbit. I skin it again, but I take out the squirrel from earlier and stare at it. It would be better to eat it now, raw. The blood as sick as it is, is a kind of liquid and would help with my parched lips and aching throat.

I swallowed my spit and grimaced before I hesitate, then force my body to take a bit. Disgusting, nasty, and squishy is all that I could think about. My throat closed up for a second and I grimaced, gagging. Somehow I managed to swallow the disgusting tasting squirrel. I stared down at the meat. I knew that I needed to take another bite. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't think of anything to say against t other then the taste. Being who I am, I won't get any disease from eating it raw but that didn't make it any better.

Then I think of something, and my whole demeanor brightens. I carefully made my way to the dead tributes fire, and I'm in luck. The coals of the fire were still burning. I fashioned a spit out of a branch and I set the rest of the squirrel, and the small rabbit, onto it to cook it. I'm glad for the cameras now. They can tell that I'm a good hunter and I won't be lured into traps like the other tributes, which would be hungry. Looking at the fire, I cautiously took out one of the branches that were no longer burning.

I pulled the backpack off of my back and set to putting the black part of the burnt tree over the bright orange, that I'm glad had not given me away before. It works reasonably well, though mud might have done better, but for mud I'd need water. And now that I was cooking the food I wouldn't even have the disgusting taste of blood to hydrate me. I know I don't necessarily have to have it, but it would be nice.

There isn't any time to waste though. I hurried to replace the backpack, with the rabbit inside so I could eat the squirrel while I'm walking, to save me time that I'd sorely need. I chose to take the logical path, away from the Careers direction.

The meat of the squirrel isn't very filling but it stops the noise that was coming from my stomach and I'll be a little while on getting hungry again. I still need to find water though. If I live through weeks without water people will notice. I know that most of these people aren't paying that much attention to me and the Capital isn't renowned for having the most observant people. That doesn't mean that some people aren't capable of noticing that I was supposed to be on the verge of death and all I was doing was losing weight that I don't have enough of to lose.

Haymitch would notice. Haymitch notices everything. I can almost never put anything over on him. He's smart, cunning, and honestly I could say a lot of things about Haymitch that would explain it, but I can't think of Haymitch, it'll only make me sad or angry and neither of those would be good.

I'm already angry, just from hearing the news that my best friend hates me, I don't need to add being angry over being forced to fight to the death just to see Haymitch again. The Capital could do something stupid though…If I don't watch it.

As I hike and think I'm constantly aware of the presence of camera's looking at my face. I have that strange feeling that I'm being watched, but when I glance around I can't see a soul. I can't decide if that's a good thing, or a bad thing. It doesn't matter that I've been careful with my emotions, Claudius Templesmith will have had a field day with the way I reacted to Peeta's betrayal, and they probably have a million theories about Peeta to.

I hope this doesn't lose me any sponsors, if I have any. I'm sure that I do. With my fiery entry and with the twelve I earned they have to know I'm good at keeping alive. The back flip kick I did at the start might earn me some points; it shows I can be flexible if I need to be. True, I'm not some kind of gymnast but that doesn't mean that I can't hurt somebody if I need to. Sure, it's been a long time since I've needed to hurt anyone but I've got a lot of muscle from throwing around those axes, and it's paid off in lean muscle that can be deadly in a fight.

Maybe someone will notice. Someone with enough money to make a difference in this game when it matters if I'm lucky will notice. If I'm really lucky someone will think this is some kind of plot that Peeta and I cooked up, and that was why I smirked when I came down. They'll get a rude awakening later, but by then they would have already put their money on me and once you give money you can't take it back.

Things only get more expensive down the line to.

I try all I can to help me while I'm hiking. At one point I used the tried smearing the grease from the rabbit onto my lips, to try and help the cracking but it doesn't help anything, instead making my lips feel even more horrible. It's only been a short amount of time but I'm dehydrating fast even under the cover of the tree tops. I'm trying with all of my might to find some way to get to water but I can't think of anything for the life of me. At least I know now that going into this valley wasn't a bad idea, because water runs downhill in streams.

I've looked for game trails while I hiked, or even a particularly green patch of vegetation but nothing is giving away to the presence of water. It's all the same, never really changing. The trees are the same, and the only thing that's keeping me sane is the swift tweeting of the birds above my head. They remind me of my district token, the mockingjay. It reminds me of my family, my mom, Katniss, and Prim. They are all waiting at home, watching and waiting for the inevitable death that will surely come.

I know I'm getting worse, with my head starting to ache, and my tongue rapidly drying out. I tried on the sunglasses, not suspecting them to work, and they don't. They only make my headache worse, and for me to stumble, almost losing my balance. I stuffed them back in my bag, trying to think of a better plan.

At one point I almost grabbed onto some berries, ready to take what fluid they could give me eagerly, but I don't know them. I've never seen them around District 12 and I can't tell what they are, even with my extensive knowledge I can't remember. It's probably some sick twist my mind has come up with to screw with me but I flung them away, almost certain that if I ate them I would fall dead.

I could be paranoid, but since this dehydration was really only a discomfort for me, sure a big one, I kept on walking. I knew that I wouldn't die from it, but that didn't mean that my body knew it.

Fatigue starts to nag at me but there isn't any good in resting. What I need requires only more searching, and so I try a new tactic. I tried climbing a tree, to see if I could find any water that way but in my shaky state I could only manage a little bit up the tree, and no water was insight so I'm forced back to plan A. I'm so determined to find water that I keep going until night has suddenly fallen on me.

I finally stop then, to tug myself as far as I can make it in my exhaustion up a tree. My stomach can't hold any kind of food but I sucked on a rabbit bone, just so my mouth would have something to do. When the anthem begins to play I passively watch it.

Turns out that the tribute that Peeta went back to kill is from District 8. I felt no sympathy for the girl past the instinctive sympathy that comes with being in the same situation with someone. It was the girl's fault for not being able to stand a cold night. I couldn't have helped her, and I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered if I had because it would have only made it worse if I had to kill her later on.

I'm not as scared of the Career pack now, but that could be because I'm more concerned with the burning in my throat that won't go away. They will have had to stop by now to. I don't know anything about where they are set up, past what I saw at the Cornucopia. I pray that returning back to the lake, where I'm sure all of the Careers are is not my only chose, because I'm beginning to believe that in this state I'd be hopeless against any kind of attack, even with my knife.

I fall asleep thinking about what I could do.

It doesn't help. In the morning I become worse off. Directly after waking up I knew something was wrong. My senses weren't fast enough and every time I moved my entire body ached, including a pounding in my head fierce enough to make a grown man beg for mercy.

I don't have a choice though. There is nothing I can do but search for water because I can only hope that it is somewhere nearby. Going back isn't an option, and my brain is hurting so much, and my thought process has been so stunted that I couldn't make it think up another plan. Instead I stumble on taking longer than usual to assemble and continue.

I know that there has to be a reason that I haven't been sent water. There has to be a reason that Haymitch hasn't sent me water. As my mentor, and love of my life, I know that he doesn't hate me, at least now I do, so what could be his reasoning? I can't bother with even a tear of frustration though I'm nearly dying from it. My brain feels as if a fog has worked its way in my ears and into every part of my brain.

Wait. Despite my frustration and knowing voice in the back of my head whispers an answer that I would have already puzzled out had I been hydrated. He's sending you a message. As I said before, Haymitch is smart, and so am I. There is only one good reason that I could think of as to why Haymitch wouldn't send me water now. He knows I've almost found it.

I continue on, safe in this understanding. I don't question it, as some people want to do. I don't think I'm crazy with little voices in my head. What I'm focused on now is finding water, before I start to lose all thought and do go insane. It won't be a pretty picture and with my feelings towards this universe, I'd likely just slaughter everyone in it. I know if I sit down, or stop to rest that I won't get back up again, and everything will stop for me. So I don't. I feel so alone here in these woods.

It's impossible though. I don't have to question that the cameras are on me now. Unless there's a really good fight somewhere else, I'm being featured, because this is a good suspenseful moment for the audience.

My thoughts turn to all kinds of things. Like my sisters. Prim will not be watching live, but they'll show updates during lunch. If I die, they'll bring her out of school and tell her. Katniss…well she's probably watching. We have an old beat up T.V. seat that every house is required to have, to watch the Hunger Games when it's broadcasted. I think of Haymitch, and can almost feel his silent urging on. Thinking of them I try to look as in control as I can but I know I'm fighting a losing battle.

I'm barely even sweating any more, and my heart is beating too quickly. My footing has gotten so bad that I'm stumbling over every leave, twig or root I come across until finally I fall and don't get back up. I'm so tired. What was wrong with sleeping? The air is sweet and it reminds me of lilies, my name sake. Katfir lilies. My face is pressed against the ground and the mud tickles my face, wetting it.

My eyes snap open. MUD. I hoist myself up, a painful task that I can barely feel as I stumble up, pushing through the brush that had before obscured the view of a pond, with sweet pond lilies, and Katfir lilies, on the edge of the pond. I nearly cry with delight, if I had not been so dehydrated I have no doubt that tears would have come from my eyes.

Instead, I drop to my knees before the pond. I want to drown myself in this pond water, just so that I could be wet again, but I restrain myself with the last of myself control and instead tug out the iodine, and the flask to hold water. I made sure to fill the flask to the top; the half of hour it takes for the iodine to work nearly kills me. I can't help but stare at the water, so happy to see it.

When I've stood it all I could I brought the water to my lips and slowly, another test of myself restraint, beginning to swallow down the water, so as not to sicken myself. I drink the entire half gallon, then another. Filling up another one I found a tree that could hold me and climbed up it, already beginning to feel rejuvenated. I ate rabbit, a few of my precious crackers, and relaxed for lack of real energy to do anything else.

When the anthem plays I feel better. There weren't any deaths today, which can only mean horrors in the near future. Tonight, and tomorrow if I can manage it I'll stay here though. I'll catch some of the fish, and dig the roots up of the lilies for food. With plans looking up I snuggle down in my sleeping bag and keep my water bottle close, full just in case, and fall into an unrestrained slumber.

A few hours later, the stampede of feet shakes me from slumber and my eyes snap open. It wasn't hard to figure out, even through the blur of sleep, I could see what the problem was. With it not yet dawn I can see the large wall of fire descending rapidly upon me.

Okay, I know you guys must be mad. I would be to in your situation. Honestly I've had no spark for this story for a while, or my other story. I can't promise anything to you. I only wrote today because I've had a lot of people recently begging for it. As good as that makes me feel I've kind of fallen out of love with this story. Meh. I'll finish it but also, some things have come up in my family.

Recently my Grandmother died of cancer, and I've been having a lot of trouble getting over it. I don't want to use that as an excuse for the whole time that I haven't updated, because I've been writing like mad on my Iron man story. I'm not anywhere near done with it either, because I plan to make it as long as it takes to get really into Anna. I'm not sure if it's any good though.

I love you guys, and thank you so much for reading and reviewing my story. I put a lot of effort into it so hopefully you really enjoyed it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!