When I was home, I had the opportunity to read some books. There one used to be many. But most of them were burnt or ripped apart long time ago deemed inappropriate for the Capitol agenda, so only few of those less threatening ones were left. They were stories for kids mostly. Like Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty and such.

The one thing I remembered from them was the bad guy.

There was always someone bad out there, that was a danger to you, your loved ones. That wanted to destroy your happiness or even only your bare chance at it.

But they were always destroyed. By the unwavering bravery, loyalty and never ending love that beat all the evil in the world. And then they lived happily ever after.

My bad guy was killed. I saw it, I heard it. I was right there.

So why didn't I feel any better? Relieved and ready to live my fairytale life?

Because the only thing that was killed was a small bug.

And the evil queen still lived.

If I could, I would have turned to my faithful stash of chocolate but since the boxes that I hid offered only the basics, I was left empty handed.

Before we returned to the camp, Cato stopped at the lake to clean up. The water that dripped from out hands and faces was dirty red and that made me want to puke. Maybe I would have been better if that blood would have been mine, but it wasn't. When I saw my reflection in the water, all I could see were the hand prints on my neck. They weren't very visible, but they were there and I could feel them when my hands were washing the blood away. I zipped up my jacket to cover them up as much as I could, stood up and hand in hand went to the camp with Cato.

Clove was back and Marvel was awake, looking alert and fresh. It was nice change from the sluggish movements and squinty eyes.

As we were coming closer, I could see that they seemed a bit uptight and ready to attack anything that seemed out of ordinary.

When we got there finally, I went to the very back of our poor excuse for a camp and lied down on the ground, pulling the hood of the jacket over my head.

"What happened?" Clove asked.

"That creep is dead." Cato answered and let the sword fall on the ground. I could feel his eyes on me as I lay there. I wasn't in the mood for any talking or funny remarks. Not now.

I felt someone coming closer, so I opened my eyes. I saw Marvel crawling to me. He really did look a lot better.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his eyes shining with concern.

"Yeah. I am." I answered to him, trying to make my voice seem as normal as I could. "I just think I will rest for a while and then I'll be as good as new." I said, hoping that he would leave me alone. I appreciated that he was being nice and bothered to ask me about how I am, but right now, no matter how much I wanted to let him now that I was glad he asked that, I just couldn't bring myself to do that. I needed to be alone for a while and calm down my mind.

It was i a chaos. I didn't see thousands upon thousands of images flying through my head at once or broken and scattered sentences playing like a broken record. The problem was that I couldn't see or hear anything clearly. It was all a haze. Like when you have a tv playing on mute and you're not paying attention to it. That's what my mind felt like.

And I knew that the only thing that would help me is to forget. To push that memory as far into the back of my mind as I could and to never bring in into the forefront of my mind again.

Marvel nodded and started crawling back. I closed my eyes and hoped that I would be granted at least a few minutes of sleep.

An announcement had been made. A feast, that's what they called it I think, will be held in the meadow near the Cornucopia. It was planned for the next day. We were all happy at hearing this news. But then I realized they are only doing it to get all the remaining tributes together for them to only kill each other.

I felt better when I woke up and already said one lame joke. It was a bit forced, but I had a feeling that only by trying to act like I did before will make me forget about it. And they all laughed. I think it's because they don't want to see me moping all day around and help me to get better.

But it made me happy. And as always Marvel laughed the most.

The night came too quickly for my liking and passed even faster. We had a bit of time before the feast would start. We had a plan. Though I should say that they do, because the plan for me is to climb a tree and stay there until someone from them won't come to collect me. Of course that I protested, but Cato almost ripped my head of when I suggested that I wanted to go as well.

I saw that the forest around us where we relocated was becoming lighter and lighter and I knew that in few minutes they would go to the meadow.

We were huddled in one place under a natural canopy that a willow tree provided us.

"What's going to happen after that?" I asked them. Cato turned and looked at me at my question. He shrugged his shoulders and said: "We'll see." And turned back to watch the forest. They were anxious and weren't in the mood to talk. But I was nervous and felt that I would burst if I wouldn't say anything.

I knew that he didn't want to answer me. There was no we'll see. If their plan will go as they wish, only we will be left and guess where that leaves us.

"Hey Clove." I said.

"What?" She said sharply. She was fiddling with a knife in her hand. It was a tiny blade. Looked like the one she gave me few days back. I kept it in my belt.

"Make sure that Cato won't eat all the chocolate that will be there for me." I said jokingly, punching him gently in the shoulder.

She snorted but didn't say anything. Thankfully Cato smiled at my words.

"Cory?" Marvel started. I looked at him, happy that at least someone was talking to me. "Wanna tell me a joke before we go? For luck." He said, twirling the spear in his hand.

I looked at him gratefully. "I'm sure I can come up with something." I said and scrunched up my forehead thinking hard about.

"A blind man walks into a bar. And a table. And a chair." I said, giggling to myself. Marvel cracked a grin.

"I got one too. What do you call a big pile of kittens?" He asked. "A meowtain." I burst out laughing. I knew it wasn't really funny, but that made it even more funny.

Cato's put his hand on my mouth to silence me. "Could you two be quiet?" He hissed at us. But it only made me laugh harder. Well at least he is paying attention to me now.

"Do you want the whole arena to know where we are?" He asked angrily keeping his hand in place. Marvel quieted himself and tried to look serious, but when he glanced at me he couldn't help himself but to crack a grin.

As my laughter was slowly subsiding, Cato still didn't move his hand. My mind flashed back to the memories from the training center to when I licked his hand. And I did it again.

He put his hand away immediately, frowning at me. "Not funny." He grumbled.

"Oh come on, you spoil sport." I complained, throwing one arm around him.

"If you are finished wasting time and uncovering our position, we should head out." Said Clove scowling slightly. "It's almost dawn." She pointed to the forest that was covered in soft glow. The willow canopy kept us in semi dark, so it was easy to miss that the morning was almost here.

"We have to go." Said Cato and stood up, tugging me along with him.

"Cory." He said, capturing my attention. He put his hand on my face and looked me in the eyes. "You stay here. No running or sneaking away. Do you understand?" He asked.

"Yes I do." I sighed.

"Do you promise?" He asked.

"Yes, yes I do promise. I'm not a kid you know?" I said a tiny but agitated. I was capable of listening. If I wanted to listen.

"Be safe." He whispered and pressed a small kiss on my forehead. I blushed, an instant reaction.

When they were a few feet away from the tree, he looked back and pointed at the tree crown, signalling me to start climbing. I rolled my eyes at him, but nodded anyway.

Not more than five minutes could have even though I would swear that at least half day flew by. I was nervous, my knees shaking, hands unable to hold on properly.

I was scared for them all. I didn't want anyone to die. I knew it was a silly wish, but I couldn't make myself to wish for anything else. I tried to see something from the branch I was nestled on, but all I saw were leaves and more leaves.

A bad feeling was spreading in my stomach, making my limbs itch with the need to go down and try to get closer to see what was happening there. I tried to fight ti. Every time I went somewhere alone or was left alone, something happened. I didn't think anything would happen to me now. I was pretty sure that everyone must have gone to the feast.

The thing I was scared of was the fact, that something bad would happen if I won't get there.

Damn Cato and the promise. I cursed in my mind. The promise I had to make was the only thing that was keeping me here.

But it wasn't enough since I found myself walking hopefully in the right direction to the meadow.

I must have made just a few steps when an explosion was heard though the arena.

I froze in my movements.

"No".. I whispered.

This wasn't supposed to happen. There shouldn't have been any more mines there. The falling apples that started the detonation of one, should have started a chain reaction and none of them should have been intact.

Without giving it a second thought, I ran towards to sound. The promise that I gave to Cato vanished from my mind. The meadow wasn't far from our hideout. I could soon see light breaking through the wall of trees not far ahead from me. I pushed my legs harder and suddenly I was at the clearing.

The smoke from the mine was rising high in the air. It was strangely quiet. My eyes scanned the place for any flash of blonde hair. In that moment I realized that I could be very well even looking for Peeta. My heart clenched at that though, but after finding no trace of it, I let out a sigh of relief.

But then my eyes fell on something maybe even worse. The spot where the mine was detonated had a strange red hue. As if there has...

No.

No no no.

This couldn't be happening. I inched closer to the place though I couldn't go any closer. When I approached the red mist around the spot, I crouched and touched the grass blades with my fingers. They slid down their length as if they were drenched in water.

Except water isn't red.

There was blood all over.

I put a hand on my mouth, hiding a sob that was threatening to escape from my chest, when I saw a tiny blade shining in the grass, a foot or two from me.

It too was covered in red.

I lifted my eyes. I saw a scorched ground, black from the explosion. Pieces of soil littered around. Two bodies on the ground laying face down, smoke curling from their unmoving bodies.. One was small with a ponytail, the other huge and black, few feet further..

I didn't have to look any closer. From the moment I saw the blade, I knew what I would find. Clove was dead along with the tribute from the district Rue came from.

In my vision as I faced them, I saw another shape a bit further from them. It was slowly rising from the ground, trying to not to fall down again.

I stood up, watching the tribute. I made a few steps closer, when the said tribute raised their head.

Katniss was lying on the ground, blood dripping from her cut on her forehead. Her eyes locked with mine and I saw her freeze. She was struggling to keep herself propped up by her arms.

I came closer to her, not caring about the fear in her eyes. I knew what I was going to do. I didn't even consider any other option.

"Clove!" A voice hollered from the forest.

Cato.

Shit. I said to myself and jogged to Katniss. I stood in front of her, giving her a glance. Apart from the cut on her forehead close to her hairline, she cat a deep cut on her arm. Blood was flowing from the cut freely. No wonder she had trouble with trying to keep herself from the ground.

I would have tended to her, but I had to prepare for him.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do. This was everything unlike what I thought I will have to deal with. Cato won't see it the way I do, that I was sure of. To him, it would look like choosing sides. Maybe he will think that I betrayed him, planned this from the beginning. There was no way anyone sane would think this could be planned, but I have a feeling that he won't think straight in his anger. Clove must have called for his help. I don't know what kept him in the forest that he wasn't near the Cornucopia.

My mind went to Marvel. Where was he, that Clove called for Cato and not him?

All thoughts of mulling over what happened and what could happen stopped the second I saw Cato running into the clearing. His jacket was open, sword ready in his hand.

His head turned around looking for Clove, not even registering me at first. But I didn't have to wait long. He saw me and I could swear I saw his eyes flashing with anger at me even from that far away. But then they wandered to what was around and behind me.

I waited with a bated breath to wait for a reaction from him.

I could almost see as he tried putting pieces of what he was seeing together in his head. I hoped that he would see what I saw. I wanted to send him my recollection of what happened but there wasn't such possibility.

But it all took him just as second to grab the sword with both of his hands and charge in our direction.

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Hi!

I guess that I updated.

I can not express enough how happy I am that some people read my fanfic. My eternal gratitude goes to you. I am sorry for the horribly long wait. I would love to offer you loads and loads of excuses, but I don't want to do that. All I can say is that I am sorry and a bit ashamed.

Thank YOU for any review, click on the story, favourite or follow or anything. If you want, I would love to read anything you have to offer.

Thanks for reading.

Klaudia