Chapter 8: The Calm before the Storm
I watched as Johanna's axe implanted itself into the male tribute from District 11 and cannon fire echoed out across the plains. By the time the other tribute fell to the mud-covered floor, I had reached Cato's side. The blow from the arrow was enough to knock him to the ground, and he now lie contorted with his bloody hands gripping the projectile woven through his ribcage. The grass was covered with blood that had splayed out from his side during the initial infliction. I noticed that Cato had removed his goggles, which currently rested in the small pool of scarlet blood to his side, and his eyes were scoured with pain.
My mind races back to the moment when the arrow first struck him, as I watched the pain set into his eyes and the muscles in his legs give out. From somewhere deep down in my lungs, a scream erupted as I shouted his name, fearing I would lose the only boy I had cared for. His whole mass fell to the ground in a simple stagger as he attempted to withstand the knockback. I reached his side almost instantaneously and strung my fingers through his own. I could see the loss of blood taking its toll on the blonde, as I now rest at his side.
"Cato, it's going to be okay, just look at me," I managed, my voice breaking under the strain of tears that threatened to explode within me at any moment. His head turned to mine as I took in the sight of his gorgeous blue eyes, only inches from my goggles. I had not seen much color in the arena thus far and was relieved to see the cobalt blue irises that were largely covered by enlarged black pupils. His eyes brought back sweet memories of our time on the rooftop as I woke to see them looking down at me under the rising sun. Cato's face, along with his impressive jawline, also brought back memories of our first proper introduction in the elevator after our morning training session. I recalled our first kiss, which had been short but sweet. I remember the butterflies that fluttered in my stomach when our lips touched for the first time. Unfortunately my reflections were cut short, before my mind could explore any further, when Cato's low whimper began and his face wrinkled in agony.
"I-I'm fine" Cato muttered as he managed to conceal the pain as best he could. "Get off of me," he commanded angrily before capturing the harshness in his tone. I wasn't the best at hiding my emotions, and he could tell that he had hurt my feelings by the bleakness of his pitch. My heart sank at the comment, as I weaved my fingers out from under his hard fists. He immediately grabbed my hand back in his before I could pull myself away from him, to give him the space he had so clearly wished for. "I didn't mean it like that," he called out, but his voice was hardly audible through the pain that now governed his speech. "I'm sorry…I know I screwed up. Please don't be mad," he whispered, as his eyes met mine with an all-too-familiar sense of grief.
"I could never be mad at you," I whispered, still feeling the damage from his cold-shoulder.
"You're a terrible liar," Cato said next, before a yowl of pain surged its way up from his lungs. It was unbearable seeing him in so much pain, as Johanna and Gloss looked on beside me, and Katniss searched around for any more tributes that may be in the area. I knew that he wasn't going to get any better with the arrow still protruding from his side as it did, so I motioned Johanna over to the silver shaft, before a hard hand gripped onto my shoulder from below me. "Make it quick, okay?" Cato said, as I reassured him with a quick smile. It wasn't long before Johanna had made her way to rest beside Cato's body now as she began inspecting the wound with a tilt of her head. She looked up at me with a stark expression, shaking her head slowly as if she was trying to relay that Cato's wound was anything but minimal.
"This isn't going to be pretty, Cato," Johanna said, clenching her teeth as she spoke somberly. I watched as he turned his head to Johanna and acknowledged the pain that was about to come to him. "I could've lied, but you deserve better," Johanna said, as she smiled over to me. It was a very real moment for Johanna, I realized, as she understood that she was no longer trying to save another tribute, but a common friend.
His head turned back to face me when Johanna clenched both her hands around the silver shaft of the arrow, hoping to find any ounce of forgiveness before the shutter of pain would take over his body.
I thought back to my younger years when I first met Katniss on one of her hunting expeditions, on the outskirts of District 12, on illegal soil. The Capitol had never expended its valuable fortune on powering the electrical fences that surrounded my district, so it was an easy way to catch game to provide for starving families. Between my time at the bakery and school, I would run off to think by myself in the meadows behind the old mill. I remember the flowers that swayed in the wind under the open valley, which would smell of sweet lavender and fresh heather. On one occasion, I noticed Katniss patrolling the fence before ducking under a gap and running down into the woodlands. I followed her out of curiosity, and concern, and had almost been struck by an arrow before I found my answer as to what she had been doing outside the districts boundaries. I reminded myself that I had thought to be the only one who broke the rules that the Capitol had instituted, but was proved wrong when Katniss explained that she would hunt for food to provide for her impoverished family. She had used a bow and arrows for as long as I could remember, explaining that they were strategically molded to cause more pain when removed than from the actual strike itself.
Knowing that it in no way would make up for his pain, I brought myself down before crashing my lips onto his. They were slightly rougher now that he had suffered from dehydration, I thought, but they also held something to be desired. His lips were strong but soft to the touch of my own, as I pushed myself into him to deepen it. As our lips began to tingle and a low moan escaped from his lips, I heard the loud rip of flesh and experienced as his body contorted into itself. His lips never left mine, I recalled, but I felt the surge of pain make its way down his spine, as he recoiled in agony. I started to pull myself from him, sure that both my allies and the Capitol had received an eyeful, but a strong hand made its way to the back of my head, as Cato whispered to me.
"Don't," he began, "I just got you back." But instead of closing the distance between our lips again, he wrapped his other arm around me and pulled me to his chest in a warm embrace. "You don't know how much I've missed you, Mellark," he sighed, squeezing me hard once or twice before I gave in. He had always surprised me with how emotional he could get, despite his vicious tongue and violent actions toward others.
Johanna was the first to break up our special moment when she began clearing her throat ever so slightly before a louder rumble managed to escape. Cato was the first to apologize, before I pulled myself from his arms and flushed red with embarrassment. I had never been one for public display of affection but it was hard to resist Cato's pout and the innate whimpering that followed thereafter.
"Are you two lovers almost done? The arrow has been out of his side for about 5 minutes now," Johanna said. It had been a long day so far and her characteristic gruff demeanor was a nice addition to the moment, so before long I had pulled her into a large embrace, thanking her for helping Cato. She was not one for any displays of affection either and before long she was motioning for me to let her go. To add to her fire, I kept my grasp a little while longer before she issued to decapitate me with her axe.
I grinned at her and sent her a flirtatious wink, before I walked back toward Cato, who was being helped to his feet by Gloss. I watched as he shifted in pain, staggering back before collecting himself. Oh, Haymitch, we need you, I mouthed as I faced the sky, hoping that he was somewhere watching over us. I almost plowed into Katniss as I made my way toward Cato, tears streaming down our faces. We had both made it this far into the games and were finally reunited with one another. I couldn't have asked for a better ally and friend to be in this moment with.
"If I was paranoid, I'd think you were cheating on me," Cato said, winking as he stumbled into Gloss' arms. I beckoned over to him with a wink before stating that we had not yet defined our 'relationship.' Had we? I thought. He titled his head, as he thought back to our time spent together, before he shrugged and the conversation moved on.
Katniss motioned for me to join her over by the hedges, as Johanna picked up Cato's goggles and rested them on his face. She had a look of concern on her face, and I knew what she must have been thinking before she began to speak. "Cato's in pretty rough shape. If we don't get him medicine soon, I don't know how far we're going to make it. Who knows how well he can fight – and I'd rather not find out any time soon," she said slowly. I understood what she was trying to convey before the sound of Johanna's voice cut off my reply.
"We've been stumbling around in the jungle for days," Johanna started, "and we've noticed that the deeper you get into each sector the more traps there are. We'd be best to keep to the tree line if we want to avoid any more tricks that the gamemakers have left under their sleeves." She watched as each of us registered her words, and I began thinking about our best plan of action before I was interrupted by a familiar voice: Claudius Templesmith.
"Attention tributes, attention. There are 14 of you who remain, and each of you – or your allies – are in dire need of something…desperately. Whether that's a bottle water, a weapon to protect yourself, or medicine, we plan to be exceptionally well-prepared hosts. Now, before any of you disregard this opportunity, know that it could be your final chance. The feast will begin in a couple of hours. We hope to see all of you there. That is all for now, and may the odds be ever in your favor."
The announcement was quick and some of the other tributes were looking around at each other in confusion, but I understood exactly what Claudius meant. This was a second chance for Cato. He needed medicine and this would be the only chance to get it. I caught sights with Cato, whose eyes were both conflicted and understanding. I didn't have time to come up with a game plan before Cato was at my side in protest.
"No. You're not going, I won't let you leave me," he said as another shudder of pain passed through his body. He tried to steady himself against Gloss, who nodded at me in agreement.
"It's too dangerous, Peeta. You know that. They just want to drag you all in for another bloodbath. You have to think clearly," Gloss said sternly, before I cut him off.
"I am thinking clearly, Gloss. This is Cato we're talking about. I'm going and there's nothing you can say or do that will stop me," I replied in agony as my defiance sent a cold wave to Cato that struck as hard as the arrow did. He has to understand that I'm going to have to make decisions that affect the both of us sometimes, whether he likes it or not, I thought. I was surprised when Gloss backed down, and left the fight to Cato and myself. Fortunately for me, Katniss and Johanna were by my side to back me up, before things could get worse.
"Please…" Cato trailed off. His pain no longer seemed to come from his side, but from the aching in his heart, as he came to realize my unwavering decision. I pulled myself to him slowly, as I reached around his waist to give him one last embrace before I would leave his side again. "I just got you back babe…" Cato said, which caused a tear to fall from my eye and roll down my cheek, falling onto the nape of his neck. He had called me 'babe' and I was leaving him. The realization was too much for me to handle. In a perfect world, I could take him with me, that the tribute from District 11 would not have had the chance to take away the moment I have been searching for, for the last couple of days. But nothing was ever easy in the games, and sometimes sacrifices had to be made. I didn't know what this meant for Cato and me, but I would get that medicine for him, if I had to take my last dying breath to do so.
"I'm so sorry, Cato. I can't lose you. I wouldn't be able to bear it," I stammered as I clung to him, not wanting to let go of his waist. His abdomen was extremely well toned, and my hormones threatened to lift his jacket to steal a glance at his body. But instead, I rubbed the small of his back before slowly pulling away, managing to pass my hands slowly over his hips. "I'll be back before you know it. I promise." I watched as he tried to hold back the surge of emotions that rummaged through his face all at once, and deciding that he'd be unable to change my mind, he gave in to my choice.
"You better be, Peeta. Be careful," he whispered, turning his head away from me. I had hurt him by rejecting his reasoning. I knew the danger, but he was worth it. So instead of calling after him and Gloss, I turned to Johanna and Katniss, and motioned for us to start moving. Katniss had strung the arrows from the District 11 tribute into her quiver, and Johanna had spent the last few minutes cleaning off her axe. We were prepared to fight, and fight we would.
The Cornucopia was reflective in the darkness of the arena, and we marched toward it with a single task: to retrieve our gift from the gamemakers. Katniss was used to the woodland and therefore she walked in front of our pack, as she cut away at the leaves that hung in our path. I had settled the knives that Gloss had given to me into my jacket pocket, which were easily accessible if the time came. Gloss had thought it would be best to have me armed, and Cato wouldn't have allowed me to leave him without a weapon in the first place. Gloss reasoned that he would use Cato's sword if they ran into any tributes while they wait for the others to return.
We walked at a steady pace as we eagerly broke the tree line. We were vulnerable now that we had no cover from the trees that could shelter us from potential run-ins with other tributes. Fortunately we didn't see any other tributes as we strode onward, enthusiastically approaching the Cornucopia in the distance. It was a lot further than it looked through the goggles, as everything around us was a dark blur. The darkness made me lose my footing every so often, though thankfully Johanna was there to safeguard me from any potential damage by catching onto my jacket. Katniss' laughter would clear the silence, as she would mumble comments about my incapacity to walk on my own two-feet. It wasn't my fault I was clumsy, considering how dark it was in the arena, I thought, though I remained quiet, as I was sure I would get a nasty comeback if I did not.
The ground here was a lot more secure than that in the forest itself, and thankfully there were no traps employed by the gamemakers. This was probably due to the very likely possibility of tributes being spotted from the tree line because they were not sheltered. I trudged on, tossing a few glances behind me to make sure there were no pursuers on our tails. When I found none, my mind began to fill with images of Cato being struck with the arrow countless times before I could shake myself from my tremors.
"Are you alright?" Katniss called back. She must have caught the flicker of terror that crossed my face just moments beforehand. "You've been awfully quiet since we left the others…" she said questioningly, as she continued steadily before me.
"I'm fine," I lied.
"You heard Cato…you're a terrible liar. What's going on?" Katniss said, and Johanna flashed me a smirk as she shook her head at my inability to pull off a simple lie.
"Apparently I'm an open-book," I began before my tone became more serious than I had intended it to. I had to open up to someone eventually, I considered. Exerting a large sigh, I began my story from the beginning.
"Do you remember when we were young Katniss, and you knew something was off with me. I mean you always sort of knew that I wasn't interested in girls. Well, I just never considered the possibility of falling head-over-heels for someone, more or less being a competitor in the Hunger Games alongside them. I'm not saying I'm in love. But I am saying that I've never felt this way about someone before, and I'm not ready to lose him. This whole situation sucks, because no matter how much I try to help Cato, he won't open up to me. I'm going to make some mistakes, that's for sure, but I also don't want to lose him because of it. He makes me happy. I can't lose that." I breathed a sigh of relief as I confessed how I was feeling to both girls, who instinctively doubled-back and took me in their arms.
"You won't lose him. The way he looks at you, it's inspiring. It makes me wish I had what you two have," Katniss said, her eyes gleaming.
"I'll even admit that you two make a great couple," Johanna said, before realizing that her compliment was actually a positive statement, and she pulled herself back.
"Thanks. I'm so glad I have you both here with me," I began, before being silenced by Johanna.
"And we're done! Everything's so sappy when we're together. It's almost nauseating," she stated, but a smile that made its way into the corners of her lips signaled that she secretly admired their time together.
We were close now as we neared the pedestals of the tributes that began on the northern side of the Cornucopia. The luxury goods still gleamed in place, as we took in the table that held four small packs; each marked with a distinct number: 1, 2, 4, and 12. Katniss broke their silence first, as she listed their plan. There could be any number of tributes at this feast, so we had to be prepared, I thought.
"One of us will need to stay back in case we run into a full-scale ambush. Since I have a bow, I think I'll stay back and pick off any unsuspecting tributes. Johanna, you and Peeta can go for the supply bag, and make it back here in a couple of minutes. If you run into any problems, you know what to do," she said, as she gestured to both tributes. She closed the distance between us and gave Johanna a small reassuring hug, before planting a kiss on my cheek. "Good luck."
"And may the odds be ever in our favor," I finished, before we all broke into laughter.
This would be their only chance to save Cato, and they were going to exhaust any resources they needed to do so.
As I gestured to Johanna to start on-foot toward the Cornucopia, we gave a final glance back at Katniss who was readying her bow in preparation. It was about 100 feet or so before we reached the Cornucopia. The ground here was secured with steel plating, and the table rested just inside the mouth of the Cornucopia, lined with various goodies. As we approached, and I rounded the corner, the sound of a whizzing arrow passed us, sinking into an unknown tribute from District 1. And so it began.
Johanna cried out for me to grab the supply bag, as I rushed toward the table. A slender female whose razor teeth gleamed under the reflection of my goggles stopped me before I could manage a couple of feet. Enobaria, I recalled. She was unarmed as she barreled into me, sending both of us crashing into the ground. The shock of the impact took the air from my lungs as I tried to avoid the lunging teeth toward my throat. I managed to throw her off of me and instinctively jumped onto her, sending her back toward the ground with a thud. She raised her fist and before I could dodge she struck the side of my face with a large blow. I skimmed the side of my mouth with my tongue to make sure that the blow did not damage any teeth, when the next blow knocked me square in the shoulder, sending me staggering back.
She was on her feet in seconds as she pulled the nearest sword up from under her and began swinging it in my direction. I dodged the first couple of swings before the sword sliced a small gouge into my back as I dove into her. She lost her grip on the sword, as I grabbed for the nearest weapon. A small axe with a sturdy black handle rested in a pile by some crates, so I managed to grip it before slamming it down toward Enobaria. The steel made a loud clang as it met with her steel club that she had fetched during our tumble.
I turned to see Johanna running toward my direction, as I raised myself from Enobaria, who quickly rose to her feet behind me. As I dodged her next swing, I watched as Johanna's axe flung itself into Enobaria's chest and a cannon blasted overhead.
One down, three to go, I thought. Johanna was panting as she lifted her axe from Enobaria's lifeless body and shook the splattered blood off of its surface. We had barely any time before the next attack began, when Finnick and Glimmer showed up on the scene. They looked well prepared to fight, and Johanna and I had only to hope that Katniss was readying herself to launch her arrows.
I ducked as Glimmer sent an arrow my way, taking note that she was not the sharpest tool in the drawer when it came to managing weapons. Johanna lunged at her as Finnick dove into me. Both parties hit the ground of the Cornucopia before the fighting began.
I tried to avoid Finnick's assault as I could hear Johanna grunting in the distance. I was growing endlessly tired of these Careers, who managed to spoil every poignant moment in these games. I remembered a trick that Katniss had taught me during our training, as I pulled my knees in and buckled as I sent Finnick flying behind me.
I ran toward Johanna, who was currently struggling with Glimmer. Glimmer had successfully pinned both her arms to the ground, as Johanna screamed for my help. Before I could bring myself over to her, a towering force broke into my back as I was sent forward. Finnick had regained his footing and was standing over me, his orange goggles peering down into mine as he savored the moment. His trident gleamed in his hands as he rotated it, probably deciding where he would begin his attacks.
It all happened so quickly as Katniss' arrow flew into Glimmer's temple beside me as another cannon roared in the distance. Johanna had regained her balance in no time at all, before Finnick could do me any harm.
"Do you really think you've won, twelve?" Finnick chuckled, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth as he looked to Johanna and myself intently. "We knew you'd bring your little 'girl on fire' with you, so I sent Marvel to take care of her. It's too bad you won't be able to save her." Finnick's laughter rose out from the coughs of blood that filled his mouth, as he gave the two tributes a final glare and proceeded to run back toward the woods.
I tried to warn Katniss, eagerly screaming out her name, but receiving no response. My only answer being the distinct sound of cannon fire in the distance.
Author's Note: Happy New Year's everyone! I want to thank everybody who has favorited, followed, reviewed, or even read the story! I'm almost at 1000 views and this is my first time writing fanfiction. It's definitely time-consuming but I love it, and hearing from you all makes it an even better experience. Also, I'm considering the possibility of a sequel which would drastically change the outcome of the story, so inbox me or leave a comment in your review if you would be interested in that. Thanks again!