Sixteen

Authors' Note: Hey, guys! There's just a short chapter this time, but there'll be a longer one tomorrow. And sorry for the lateness – Wjiaei has been having some family trouble, so the chapter was delayed. But now – Onward!

The rain was coming down hard as Katniss and Peeta huddled in their tiny cave. Katniss thought she saw a flash of lighting in the inky clouds.

"Ugh. We really need to get out of here," Katniss complained.

"How about if I just run around in circles with this metal rod? Will that help?" Peeta asked excitedly, picking up a random metal rod he'd found sitting next to him.

"Yes, Peeta. So much," Katniss snapped sarcastically, irritated. She should have known that Peeta Mellark did not, under any circumstances, mix with sarcasm. It was hard to even put the two in a sentence together. It was simple math, really. If only Katniss had paid attention in school… Instead, she'd been making googly eyes at Harry Potter. Oh, he had the most gorgeous green eyes…

"Okay!" Peeta exclaimed before jumping up, grabbing the random metal rod, and running in erratic circles out in the rain. Katniss slapped her forehead and rolled her eyes.

She stood up to follow him out, and that's when the lightning really started. Apparently it was waiting for me to come out. Ugh! My hair… Katniss thought, irritated.

He was electrocuted almost comically. His skeleton flashed from inside him just like in the old cartoons and he made the funniest sound Katniss had ever heard! Katniss would've laughed if she wasn't trying not to get electrocuted herself.

After the storm, Katniss walked up to Peeta's charred skeleton. She gave it a kick and sent ash flying. Finally! Some cooked dinner! She thought as she pulled out a random fork she found lying next to Peeta.

Seventeen

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiity! I'm thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirsty!" Peeta whined, dragging his feet through the forest.

"My name is Katniss," Katniss snapped back.

"I'm thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirsty, Kitty!" Peeta moaned.

Before Katniss could reply, the two came across a dry riverbed. Peeta screamed, causing Katniss to jump. She whirled around and pulled her bow out, notching an arrow. "What? What do you see?"

Peeta was pointing a shaky finger at the riverbed. "W-w-w-w-w-waaaaaaaaaaaaaat-t-t-t-ter!" he cried.

Katniss rolled her eyes and, deciding to ignore him, walked across the three foot wide stretch of sand.

"Are—are you s-sure, K-Kitty?" Peeta sniveled.

Katniss continued to deny his presence.

"AHHHHHH! KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITY! I'M DROWNING! HEEEEEEEEEEEELP!" And then; silence, the sounds of the forest came alive gain. As Katniss started to sigh and turn around – and then a cannon went off. She jumped, pulling out her bow again. Who had died? Were they near? Where was the killer?

And then she saw Peeta.

Peeta lay on his back on the dry riverbed. His limbs were swollen, and his chest wasn't moving.

"Peeta! What the doodle-snoof are you doing?" Katniss snapped, stalking up to him.

He just lay there. Katniss poked him warily with her toe. "Peeta, if this is a joke, I swear I'll ooma-looma your face!" Peeta still didn't move so Katniss bent down and checked his pulse. Silence. She pushed down on his chest and water bubbled out of his mouth. Katniss rolled her eyes. Of course Peeta found a way to drown in a water-less river!