Chapter 11:
"Get to it," the man said and gestured to his men. He brushed some imaginary dust from his uniform. Two Peacekeepers came towards Katniss, one of them carrying handcuffs. She did not resist as they put them on, but kept her head high as she was led past the Peacekeeper and out the door.
Once outside, the Peacekeeper let go of her and allowed her to walk alone. They gave her a little room, but stayed a few feet away, one on each side. They walked on.
Katniss glanced over her shoulder. Peeta was there, twenty feet behind her, but she could not see Ann anywhere. Katniss frowned, maybe they had let her go? That did not seem likely. Ann had offered them shelter and allowed them to broadcast on her network. Maybe the Capitol did not know about the radio broadcast yet? Katniss furrowed her brow.
They walked north, Peeta and her in the middle, surrounded by Peacekeepers. The one without the mask had overtaken them and now walked in front; a further twenty feet ahead of Katniss.
They reached a junction and took to the left. Loud noise assaulted her ears. There was a crowd somewhere ahead of them, cheering.
They walked at a brisk pace.
The Hunger Games were over.
A group of three people, one woman and two men stood on a plateau surrounded by cheering spectators. Katniss looked away and kept her gaze forwards and downcast, ignoring the crowd.
Katniss opened her eyes. It was the dawn of a new day, and the sun had just started its journey over the horizon. She assumed. There were no windows in her cell, so there was no real way for her to know.
Katniss sat up and leaned against the wall. How long had she been here? Two weeks? Maybe three? She could not be sure.
In those two to three weeks she had not seen anyone and what little interaction she had consisted of her yelling to whoever brought her food.
The food was usually bread and water, healthy grain bread and fresh lukewarm water. For Katniss this was fine, though she did miss meat. The food was slipped in through a small hatch in the door, on a large grey plate.
At first, whoever came with the food had tried to do so when Katniss slept. But Katniss was a light sleeper and always woke up when someone neared her cell. She had shouted at the person about Peeta, the uprising, the date and whatever else was on her mind, but received no response. The second day she tried to yell obscenities instead, but not even that got a response.
That was when she realized who it was that brought her food: Avox. Even if they wanted to, they could never tell her anything. But it gave her hope, a tiny, glimmer of hope. Johanna was out there, and maybe she would help.
That was unlikely; Katniss had seen a lot of guards on her way to the cell. To break in here Johanna would need a small army; or a very skilled, heavily armed group. She would have to put her neck out, and that did not seem like her thing. Katniss and Peeta had served their purpose, so now they were discarded and forgotten.
Katniss closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. She gave up after a few minutes, and stood. There was not much to do in the cell but think, think of Prim, and of her mother and of Peeta.
A jingling sound came from the door. Katniss walked over to it, and stood with her back against the wall and her gaze directed at the hatch.
The door opened.
Katniss's eyes narrowed and she moved further away from the door. A large man appeared in the doorway. He took a step into the room, his eyes focused on Katniss.
"Hello," he said.
"Hi," Katniss said.
"I'm afraid you have to come with me." He turned around.
Katniss blinked. She followed him out the door, keeping a few steps behind him.
"Don't worry," he said as they passed a guard.
"About what?" Katniss asked.
He glanced over his shoulder at her and arched an eyebrow. "The boy…He is fine, and you're not going to die…" he trailed of.
"Yet," Katniss finished for him.
The man chuckled. "Yes."
They turned left. It was the two of them and one guard. He had not bothered with handcuffing her, so if she ever got the chance, she would make him regret it. Her eyes kept moving, trying to find a way out.
The man in front of her placed his hands behind his back, like an old man out for a Sunday walk. Katniss narrowed her eyes at him. Was she that underestimated? Had she not shown her skill in the arena?
They started up a spiral staircase. It went up and through the ceiling, and then through the next ceiling. Glass surrounded the staircase, allowing her to see but giving no opportunity to run. With one man in front and one behind she would have to run through them to get anywhere. And then were would she go?
For now, it was better to follow and listen. They would slip up eventually.
The staircase went all the way to the roof, and there were no doors or other ways of entry between that and the cellar they had started in. The man opened the door, and cold, fresh air hit her face. She took a deep breath.
The man stopped, blocking the door, and turned towards her. That was when she noticed.
He had a Mockingjay pin; the same as the woman in the hall. Katniss stared at it in distaste; maybe she should throw hers away? The distaste must have shown on her face because the next thing the man said was: "You don't like it?"
"I don't," Katniss said, honestly.
He raised an eyebrow. "You should remember why you first used it." He paused. "I'm not like everyone else..."
Katniss stared at him, and then looked down at the pin again. It looked the same to her.
The man hummed. "This is where I leave you. Good luck out there."
"Thank you," Katniss said, sarcastically.
The man moved out of the way and allowed her to move through. They were fairly high up, and the wind was strong, taking hold of her clothes and hair. She allowed the flutter. There was a small aircraft on the middle of the roof. Two peacekeepers stood guard beside the entrance to the aircraft.
The man waved her on. The only other door was behind her, and it was too far down for her to jump which left her only one way out. She entered the aircraft and the door raised shut behind her.
"Katniss! You're here."
"Peeta!"
He fumbled with the harness as he tried to get free. But he was not fast enough, and was still seated as Katniss closed the distance between them in an instant. She hugged him close to her. "We're okay," she murmured.
After some time, which may have been thirty seconds, but could also have been significantly longer, the aircraft started moving and Katniss was forced to take a seat and buckle up. She sat beside Peeta and leaned her body against his. He was skinnier then when she saw him last, and his face was more drawn.
"What happened to you?" Peeta asked.
"They locked me in a cell, and then they lost the key," Katniss said.
Peeta nodded slowly. "Same here... Why do you think that is?"
"I don't know." She shrugged. "Maybe they lost interest? Snow did say that people would forget us." Katniss frowned. Her words seemed strange even to her.
"Not Snow. I don't think he ever forgets."
She grimaced. That was what worried her. "Then it has to be because they don't need to…"
Peeta's eyes widened. "Haymitch?"
"Or Paylor. Or any of the others. We are not exactly informed here." She collected her hair and pulled it over her right shoulder. She did not have anything to make a braid with, so she kept it collected and hanging to one side.
"Then…where are we going now?" he asked.
"No clue," she said. "But it's nowhere good."
The trip lasted several hours. Katniss spent most of the time leaning against Peeta, revelling in his warmth, and thinking about the revolution. What had happened during the two or three weeks they had been kept prisoners? If only she could be out in the districts. She could help, and be a part of it all and make a difference.
Finally, the aircraft started its descent. The blinds had been closed a full hour before, and nothing Katniss did had made them budge. The aircraft hit the ground softly and the doors sprang open. After unbuckling her harness she walked out of the aircraft.
As soon as she and Peeta walked down the staircase it closed behind them, and the aircraft took off right afterwards.
They had arrived in a small, grass-free, clearing. A forest of tall oak trees surrounded them.
Katniss glanced at Peeta. He shrugged, and they took off towards the east.
Katniss stopped in front of one of the first trees. It was one of the tallest ones, and big thick branches spurted out from it all the way to the top. "I'll go up and scout," she said.
"Okay. Be careful."
With Peeta's help she reached the first branch, and from there it was easy getting to the top. She stood on the third highest branch and with one hand around the trunk she scouted the area around her.
A mountain could be seen further to the east. To the north and south there appeared to be only more trees, and the forest lasted for as long as her eyes could see. The west was the most interesting as there was nothing there; even the ground disappeared some distance out.
She started her descent, and that was when she saw it. A camera hung down from a branch to her left, and it was directed towards her. The round elongation protruding from its front spun as the zoom adjusted. Katniss looked down to Peeta just as Claudius's voice boomed over the earth.
"Welcome back! To the Hunger Games!"
Katniss closed her eyes and her stomach churned painfully.
She finished her trek down to the ground and found Peeta waiting for her.
"Which way?" he asked, tiredly.
She pointed east. "There is a mountain over there, so there should be some berries, and maybe even a free flowing stream where we can collect water. I think it's the best place to start."
"Okay. Sounds good," he said. "What's in the other directions?"
She pointed south and then north. "Trees, and more trees." Then she turned west and hesitated. "I don't know what's over there… The ground just disappears…"
Peeta raised his eyebrows.
"We shouldn't go there," Katniss said with an air of finality to it.
"East it is." They started into the forest and soon left the clearing behind. It was much darker inside the forest than it had been in the clearing. The trees were tall and stood close together, hiding the ground from the sun. But slivers of sunlight still found their way through and warmed Katniss whenever one of them hit her.
"Who do you think is in here?" Peeta asked.
There had been no word or sign from anyone beyond the initial announcement of the Games. Katniss furrowed her brow. "Probably people like us. People the Capitol wants to get rid of."
"I'm not so sure…" Peeta said. "How much do you think they know? The People in Capitol, about the riots."
Katniss thought about it. Would Snow tell them or would he keep it to himself? She shrugged. There was no way to know; why bother with it?
"Maybe it's only us…" she said.
Peeta laughed. "How long will she last before she throttles him?" he said imitating Claudius voice.
"More like." She changed her voice. "Will their primal murdering instincts win out or will love prevail once more?" her imitation of Claudius was even more convincing than Peeta's and they shared a grin.
They walked on for a few more hours. Then, when the forest grew even darker, they settled in for the night.
Katniss walked around their chosen camp spot and set some traps. A couple of branches in the right spots could make a lot of noise, enough for her to wake. Peeta traced their steps for a bit, and removed broken twigs and other signs of their boots.
He returned back before Katniss and stood leaning against a large rock. There was a small flat space behind it, big enough for two people. Perfect for them.
When he saw her he smiled and settled down on the ground. She always had the first shift. She sat with her back against his, facing away from the rock. If this was it, and she made a bow, they could survive for a long time.
She strained her mind to avoid thinking about the alternatives.
The night proved warmer than expected, and she slept well.
The next day started much as the last one ended. With them walking east, marching through thick forest.
Katniss spent the morning hours trying to teach Peeta how to walk like she did. He tried and did improve somewhat. He no longer hit every twig, but only once in a while. It was a start.
The night came and they slept.
Two squirrels fell for her traps during the night. Katniss and Peeta spent the morning hours grilling and eating them. The meat was dry and only served to make their thirst more apparent.
Later that day they reached the foot of the mountain, or, it was not a really a mountain. It had seemed like a mountain from far away, but as they got closer, hill seemed a more appropriate name for it.
Deciding to go to the top, they started the long ascent. With the wind at their backs, and the sun midway over the sky, it did not take them long to reach the top.
From there they had a clear view many miles around them.
The south and north remained the same, and even from up here, the forest did not seem to have an end.
"Is that it?" Peeta asked.
Katniss turned towards the west and gaped.
"It-it's following us…" she said.
Peeta's shoulders slumped. The forest had disappeared behind them, just beyond the foot of the hill.
Katniss turned towards the east. There were no trees for as long as she could see, only desert.
"There's a stream over there." She pointed. "Let's go over there first. We can decide what to do after we get something to drink."
"Sure," Peeta agreed.
After an hour beside the stream, Katniss and Peeta had slowly regained some strength.
"South?" Peeta suggested.
"Or north," Katniss agreed.
They shared a look. Neither of them wanted anything to do with the desert; water was sparse as it was.
She considered their two choices again. There did not seem to be anything significantly different between them and at most it was a coin flip.
"Let's go south," she said.
"A feeling?"
"Not really—trying your luck." She smiled.
"Doesn't seem smart," he mumbled.
"Well, can't be worse than when I lead. Something bad always seems to happen. "
He arched an eyebrow. "We did survive the Hunger Games…"
"Only to be put into another…"she argued.
He went silent.
She went silent too. If this was a Hunger Games then why had nothing happened? Where was everyone else? There had been no cannon shots, nor any images in the sky. The only thing that seemed to suggest that this was an actual Hunger Games was all the cameras which were everywhere.
"Nothing we can do about it." She got to her feet. "Let's go south." Katniss drank as much water as her stomach could hold, and then they walked south.
They kept close to the desert and walked on the very edge of the forest. It was easier that way as they did not have to crawl through thick bushes or jump over bog holes. They did not speak much as they walked, and when they did it was often about something inconsequential or vague. Partly because they did not want to give away what little they knew, and partly because they knew so little.
So Peeta spent his time telling Katniss stories from school and from the bakery. Some of which she knew already. Peeta made sure to always change the names of the people involved, not because of any crime, but to be extra careful.
But the longer the day went on the more trouble she had with following the stories. They had prompted her to think about home, and once she started she found that she could not stop. What was going on at home? Where was Prim? How was the uprising going?
"…and he got caught. We couldn't believe it," Peeta said. "Katniss?"
She turned to meet his gaze. "Hmm?"
"Why are we walking?" he asked. "Where are we going?"
She halted. The question had not occurred to her. Why were they walking? To keep their enemies guessing and always behind them. That was what hit her first. But who was that exactly? They had yet to meet anyone and could they not be walking towards them instead? Logically, the longer they stayed out of whatever was going on, the better for them.
"I don't know," she answered honestly.
"Do you want to stop?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Not really."
"Me neither." They kept on walking. There was something right about moving, and never keeping still for too long.
"Welcome!" Claudius voice broke the silence. "To this special Hunger Games. I want to wish all the thirty-five tributes good luck and thank them for volunteering. This will be spectacular! Now, let's get down to it…" He drew an audible breath. "May the odds be ever in your favour!" he shouted.
Silence.
Thirty-five?
"Thirty-five?" she said incredulous.
Peeta gazed at her with wide eyes, he opened his mouth to speak, but then thought better of it and closed it again with an audible sound as teeth met teeth.
"Volunteering?" she said, her voice rising in volume. Her eyes found a camera on a low branch just within reach from the ground. She approached it, stopped before it, and peered into it.
"Screw you," she said, and pulled it off the branch. She threw it to the ground, breaking the lens, and split the back part in two.
"Screw you…" she whispered. She wobbled on her feet, and used the branch for support. Her eyes found Peeta, standing right in front of her. His eyes were clouded with worry. He took a step towards her, and his arm twitched. She pushed away from the branch, and smashed the camera in the process.
Nothing had changed, not really, they still had to defeat everyone, and then figure out a way to get out together. But, they had been lured into a false sense of security by the days of solitude and had allowed themselves to believe in something better.
Peeta sighed. He started walking again, took two steps, and then glanced back at her. Why she grinned she would never know, but she did, and with confident steps she crossed the distance between them.
She kissed him, and using her hands brought his head closer to hers, deepening the kiss. "We will survive," she said, and rested her forehead against his.
"Always," he whispered.
They broke apart. Her jacked had tightened around her chest, she pulled at the edge, better.
"We should stop for the day," Peeta said.
Katniss glanced about, another small clearing was just ahead, and it was perfect for them. "Mm, I'm going up to scout first, to be sure."
"Good idea."
"Wait with setting the fire until I get back down." Thirty-five tributes. There could be massive groups out hunting; they had to be more careful from now on. And she did not want smoke in her eyes when she descended.
"Okay. I'll set some snares."
Katniss climbed the thickest tree she could find. It was not the tallest, but the branches were thick and spread out, making it easier to climb. She had to strain her neck to see over the nearby tree-tops. The sudden nothingness was still there, and she could not look beyond it. North was still all trees, and east, desert for as long as she could see.
She turned on the branch and rested her back against the trunk to look south. Her eyes widened, and she reached back to the trunk with her left hand to steady herself. A camp with several tents was visible, barely a mile away, and tiny figures moved about the camp.
One large tent had been erected in the middle, and two smaller tents at either side.
Katniss rushed down the tree, whispering loudly to Peeta the entire time. "Peeta, come here, you have to see this!"
Somehow he heard and stood waiting for her as she jumped of the third lowest branch, and landed deftly in a crouch. She straightened up, and took his hand, pulling him along towards the camp.
"There is someone here. A camp," she said in a rushed whisper.
He halted, causing her to stop as well, her hand around his wrist. He frowned. "Is that smart?" he asked.
"Of course, we have to know who we're dealing with…"
He shook his head. "A camp. There is no one we know that would get a camp in the Hunger Games."
"Maybe. But, in a camp there is bound to be weapons. Weapons we need…"
She pulled on his wrist, and he relented, allowing her to drag him along. Not long thereafter, they stood at the edge of the clearing and peered at the tents before them. Peacekeepers. There were Peacekeepers in the Hunger Games, patrolling around the largest tent. It was tall and wide, larger than her house in Twelve. Two guards stood at the entrance, hands on their weapons, long white rifles.
Katniss scowled. "What are they doing here?" she asked. He never responded. Because at that moment the canvas of the tent entrance was pushed aside. Katniss did not have to see his face to know who it was. A short man with white paper-thin hair. He appeared older, much older, than the last time she saw him.
President Snow said a few words to one of the guards who pointed directly towards where Katniss and Peeta hid.
Snow's head turned and his eyes flew over the area they hid, his eyes did not rest on them, but hit too close to be a coincidence. A cruel smirk fitted his face. Putting one foot ahead of the other, he strode in their direction with his smirk ever present and the two guards following behind him.
Katniss and Peeta was already moving, running for all they were worth, manoeuvring through the thick forest.
They ran, and ran, and still they ran. For thirty minutes they kept it up, never stopping. The image of Snow, smirking, was burned into her mind, urging her on.
She halted, and after a quick scan of her surroundings for cameras, she fell down in a heap on the ground. Her breathing, rapid and shallow, hurt inside her chest. Her feet were thick, heavy logs, and it took great effort to move them
Snow would find them if he wanted to, but they had made sure the journey there would be hard.
So thirsty. Her throat was raw, and saliva sticky against her tongue.
"There you are."
Katniss sprang to her feet, muscles aching and she almost twisted her neck looking for the source of the voice.
"You hid well. It took me a while to find you," the voice of President Snow said. It came from around them, the origin changed after every other word.
"But I did, and we need to talk."
Once more, they ran. Through bushes, over branches and across potholes, but Snow's voice followed them, right behind them.
"Silly children—I control everything; there is no point in running," he said it so slowly, condescendingly. Katniss imagined him shaking his head.
"Ooof," Peeta said. He stumbled over a branch and got caught in another. He crashed to the ground and stayed there. Katniss stopped, and then wobbled back to Peeta. Blood seeped from a small gash in his left arm.
"Good," Snow said. "Now we can talk."
"Why are you here?" Katniss asked.
"Because, this is the best place for me to be. No one will look for me here…"
"The cameras," Peeta wheezed out.
"Silly boy…I told you, everything is under my control, and nothing is shown without my consent. It has always been that way, didn't you know?" he asked, tauntingly. "So much happened that we simply could not show, so many tears, so much blood, so much…truth."
"Get on with it," Katniss said.
"I need you to do your best and put on a good show. The entire world is watching. I need you to stop talking about a supposed uprising. It's a figment of your imagination, and people don't want or need to hear it."
"No deal," Peeta said.
"Be smart," Snow snapped. "You have brothers, a family. And you Katniss, a little sister. Think of them, think of your friends, and don't do anything stupid."
"Why do you care? You control the cameras," Katniss said.
"That's up to me."
"Then we won't," Katniss said. She tired of the manipulations and scheming of the people in charge. She did not know why, but she needed to be resistant to the end. She held no facts, and no one was willing to provide any proof, so she would trust her guts and nothing else. Except Peeta.
"Do you hear that?" she shouted. "President Snow is scared of the revolution. He abandoned the Capitol and its inhabitants to hide!"
"Silence," Snow shouted.
Katniss stood up. "Come and make me."
Absolute silence. Not even the sound of wind, or trees, or birds.
"He is gone," Peeta said.
Katniss sat beside him again. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just a scratch."
"Good." She sighed. "We have to move soon and find water."
"Ahh." President Snow was back. "I almost forgot, there is one more thing..." Silence for three heartbeats, loud and hard against her chest. "Haymitch," he drawled. "…sends his regards."
Katniss clenched her jaw and closed her eyes.