I hit the ground running. I'm heading straight for the Cornucopia. Those weapons piled up inside it belong to us- The Careers. Our plan is to reach the mouth first, then guard the entrance from the other tributes. Anyone who is stupid enough to challenge this, dies. I reach the Cornucopia first, with Marvel close behind. We're quickly joined by Cato and then Glimmer. I grab my throwing knives and begin to take charge of the bloodbath.#
I see Peeta, the boy from District 12, who confessed his love to Katniss in the interviews, heading in the opposite direction, and automatically raise my knife. This will be a direct hit. Just as I'm about to release the blade, Cato stops me. "No!" He shouts. "I want him in!" Cato wants Lover Boy in the alliance? What the hell? Then I get it. He'll be able to help us find Katniss later on, given that I don't kill her sooner of course.
I let Glimmer bring Peeta over to us and persuade him to join the alliance while I look for a new target. Aha, District 9, wrestling Katniss for a backpack. i toss my knife expertly and it lodges straight in his back. He falls to the ground dead. But not before coughing blood into Katniss' face. Ha, that should slow her down for a moment. I don't celebrate yet though. I aim the next knife at Katniss' head. Unfortunately, I'm not quick enough and she deflects the blade with her backpack. Damn! I just armed her as well! cursing myself, i run back to the other. Cato is just wiping his sword on the grass to clean the blood of the girl who is now lying dead at his feet, from the silver surface.
The initial bloodbath is practically over. Between the four of us- and Peeta- we have made a total of nine kills. Twelve tributes are dead. Already, we Careers are dominating the games. At this point, we are free to take our fill of supplies from the Cornucopia. The remaining tributes have all cleared out, so what's left is ours. We all have our best weapons and enough food to last us for weeks. "lets take it all to the lake." suggests Cato. " Then we'll be near water too." We all nod in agreement and race, cheering and laughing, towards the water.
Glimmer offers to carry Cato's sword for him. Cato brushes the offer away and comes to stand beside me. "We wait until nightfall. Then we're going hunting." Cato announces
We arrange our food in a large pyramid near the lake and then prepare our sleeping bags around a campfire. fire is risky, but no one will come looking for us. We outnumberthem all anyway.
I settle down in front of the fire and feel a stab of jealousy as Glimmer lies beside Cato. Peeta sits to the side, slightly away from us. "Here. No point us hunting on empty stomachs." Marvel says, offering the packet of crackers to me. He gives me a reassuring smile. Why? I hope he doesn't know about me and Cato. Glimmer certainly doesn't, flirting and laughing with Cato, flicking her stupud golden hair around.
"Right." I declare loudly, cutting Glimmer off. "It's starting to get dark and some stupid kid has lit a fire. I can see the smoke. Fatal mistake."
"First one there makes the kill!" Whoops Marvel. Cato flies to his feet and lunges through the bushes. Naturally he gets there first. This one's his. The terrified District 8 girl sees Cato's sword and begins to plead him as if that will help her. "Please no! Please don't kill me! I'm begging you!" Glimmer and I laugh as Cato raises his sword but I stop sniggering as I catch sight of his eyes. Dark and filled with a sadistic glee. Not his usual blue and sparkling.
This Cato, he isn't my Cato. Not when he's like this. My Cato is funny and fiercely protective of me. But deep down he's and insecure teenager- with raging hormones and a very shoort temper yes- but he despratly seeks love and stability. There's a fire in him that burns for me.
The screams of the girl from 8 break me from my thoughts and i shout "Twelve down, eleven to go!" The others holler and yell appreciatively, and we head back to camp.
"Shouldn't we have heard a cannon by now?" Peeta questions on the way back.
"She's dead, I got her straight through the chest." Cato replies, aggravated.
"Someone should go back to check," says Marvel.
"I said she's dead!" bellows Cato
"I'll go and finish her. We're wasting time." Peeta finishes calmly, as he turns to go. Cato glares after him, furious. Glimmer starts massaging his shoulders.
"Come on you. You're so tense! You should sleep." She makes me want to gag. Cato smiles at her but then squeezes my hand to show he's still by my side.
Just then we hear a cannon go off. "Thats her gone." I mutter as Peeta rejions us and we prepare to sleep at camp with Marvel on first watch. I curl in towards Cato's body and fall asleep quikly, utterly exhausted.