Chapter 5
Peeta
I look down at Cato hunched over Marvel's body. For this one second I feel more powerful than him. Maybe because my shadow is being cast on him, for once it's towering over him. Maybe because I've left him speechless. Does he know something about my amnesia? In this one second he looks like he knows something. Then the second is over, his face changes and he swiftly stands up.
"Go and help Three over there," he says indicating the boy from three digging holes next to the pedestals. Looking at Cato's stern look I know there's no use in probing any further. He's not going to cave in, especially after losing an ally.
I walk across the stretch of field, past the cornucopia, to the pedestals. I see Three digging a hole next to the pedestal furthest away from the other Careers. What is he doing? Why did Cato let him become a Career?
"Cato said I needed to help you," I say, seeing wires in the hole Three had dug. "What do you need me to do?"
"Um, well, I'm digging up the mines and reactivating them, to protect our supplies," he says, showing me a hunk of metal he'd pulled from beneath the pedestal. Wow, booby trapping the supplies, that's genius. It had never been done before. It definitely won't be expected. I see why Cato didn't kill him.
"Okay, well tell me what to do, and I'll do it," I say, feeling unexpected enthusiasm.
For the next half hour I'm taught how to dig up the mines without blowing myself up. My upper body strength allowing me to dig up the mines in half the time it takes Three to. I successfully manage to dig up twelve before I take a break. It must be noon because the sun is directly above and the heat is overwhelming. I've already taken my jacket off and the pits of my shirt are beginning to accumulate sweat patches.
I look around and see Three at the pile of twelve mines, rewiring each one. Wondering what the Careers are doing, I look for them. They're lounging in a marquee they've constructed. In two hours that's all they've done. It's plain to see what Three and I are to them.
In an attempt to cool off, both physically and mentally, I walk to the supplies pile looking for water. The huge stack of boxes and bags looks higher the closer you are. After searching through five boxes and not finding any water I sit down, collapsing against a box, in the little shade I can find. After a few minutes of silence I realize there's a certain tranquillity to the arena. Watching birds fly over the horizon, watching the calm lake water rippling in the light breeze, watching the tall, snowy mountain in the far distance. It feels so odd that I'm most likely going to die here.
Somebody is shaking me. My eyes open and I see it's the girl from district one. She's smiling at me.
"We're about to eat and thought you'd like to join," she says, looking across the lake at the sun that's just about to dip behind the mountain. "Besides, it's getting dark and we don't want you freezing out here."
I was asleep? They're going to think I'm a slacker.
"Okay, thanks," I say, then she turns and walks back to the marquee.
After I've stood up, stretched and estimated that I'd been asleep for a few hours, I walk to the pedestals. I'm shocked to see a pile of dirt next to each one, then a pile of twenty-four mines. Did Three know I was asleep or did he think I just didn't want to do the work? I hope he didn't think I was deliberately not working. He should have just woken me up. Did he not feel comfortable waking me up?
No, he's in the tent with the others right now. And probably has been since he finished digging the mines up. It would have slipped into the conversation at some point. If he told them I was asleep they would have woken me. I wouldn't have just been woken because they were making food. Three probably saw me walk away and presumed I had finished and was taking a nap.
I can't go back in right now, they all think I'm lazy. I walk back to the pile of supplies and look for water. I still can't find any. Dammit. I don't want to go ask the others, so I walk to the lake. I haven't realized how much my throat burns. I haven't had a drink since this morning. I crouch at the water's edge and drink cool water from my cupped hands. It's so crisp and refreshing I forget that I probably need to sterilize the water, but after the fifth handful I doubt it'll do any more harm to continue.
By the time I've walked along the lake edge it's twilight and the air is beginning to nip at my skin. I wonder where my jacket is and remember I left it at the pedestals. I rub my arms, hoping to keep myself warm. Once I reach my jacket I hastily put it on, but I know that I have to get the tent if I want to be warm.
With a sigh I walk to the tent that has a yellow glow coming from it. As I get closer I see silhouettes on the wall material. When I get even closer I can hear joyful chatter and laughter. Inches from the tent door. I gulp and take deep breaths.
"Guys, can I come in?" I ask.
"Where have you been? Get in, it's cold outside." I hear the girl from one say, sounding exasperated.
I unzip the tent door, it's just a bit taller than me. I walk inside and my skin is kissed by the warmth. The tent is basically a long rectangle with metal framework keeping it up. In the far corner there's a space heater keeping the inside warm, but not hot. There's a light hanging from one of the metal poles on the ceiling. Next to the space heater are two large, grey crates, just shorter than me. The group are sitting in a circle around a small portable stove with a simmering saucepan on top. It smells of meat and vegetables, god I'm hungry.
The girl from one is sitting next to Cato, who's sitting next to the girl from two, who's sitting next to Three. One beckons me with a welcoming smile, while the others look confused. I hoped to sit between her and Cato, so I could question him about earlier, but she budges closer to him, making me sit between her and Three.
"Where were you?" She asked.
"I just wanted a walk, you know, clear my head," I say, she nods with understanding, so do Three and the other girl.
"Aren't you guys annoyed that I fell asleep?" I ask, looking around hesitantly, hoping Cato will answer.
"No." Both her and Three say simultaneously.
"You could have woken me up, you know," I say directly to Three.
"Well you'd already done half so you kind of deserved a break." He replies with a shrug.
"Thanks, but still..." I say, "I thought you thought I was a slacking," I say with a laugh, everybody joins in, besides Cato, of course. The girl from one laughing quite enthusiastically, however.
"Glimmer, quick flirting, okay? The broth's done." Cato bursts out. Silence falls, and her smile dies. She was flirting with me? Her name's Glimmer?
The silence is unbearable. Usually I'm the one to break it, but Cato stands up and goes to the crates while Glimmer starts a conversation with the girl from two. As the tension wears off I ask Three where the water is, he points to the crates where Cato is. That's where it's been this whole time.
I walk to the end of the tent, closer to the heater, the air getting warmer. Cato turns to me as I stand next to him, I see dried packs of food filling the container. I try to ignore his glare as I rummage through for water, but I can still feel his stare. I finally give in, looking him in the eye.
"Where's the water?" I ask, slightly annoyed at how confused he's making me.
"In the other crate," he says after a few seconds, looking conflicted. Probably used to being the strong one, he goes to pick up the crate on top, but I know I can do it. Piece of cake.
"It's okay, I got it," I say, placing my hands on each side of the crate, next to his.
"I got to it first," he says, picking it up, pulling my arms in his direction. I resist and pull the crate towards me, pulling us closer. I turn to him, giving him a mean glare, but he's already giving me a smouldering look. God he's hot, I think. Oh shit, did I just think that? I notice how much I'm sweating. We glare at each other for another tense second, then he bursts out laughing.
"Why don't we both do it?" He suggests.
"Fine," I say, flushing red, taking one side of the box, while he takes the other.
"One, two-" he begins.
"Is that really necessary? It's not heavy." I say, losing my patience.
"Fine, go," He says, suddenly jerking the box towards the floor, on its side, contents spilled, laughing. Everybody turns to look at me, suddenly it kicks in that millions of people are watching me now. I look weak.
"I didn't mean yank it from my grip," I say, returning the ration packs to the now upright crate, "prick." I mutter.
I avoid his eyes as I get a bottle of water and walk to the other side of the tent, out the door. I think I hear him say sorry but I'm too frustrated to notice. I've taken my jacket off and the cold wind cools and calms me down.
I sit down, looking at the stars, enjoying the peace, reminding myself not to fall asleep. When there's a sudden chill. I think it's just a passing breeze, but then it get colder and colder. I can see my breath like smoke in the air. Then I realise. They're doing this. The Gamemakers. I try resist returning to the tent, but after ten minutes I'm so cold that I have to. I'm also starving.
Again I return, feeling the warm bliss of the heater against my chilled skin. Glimmer, Three and One are still in their original seats, eating their broth. I sit down next to them, in my original seat, pouring myself some. I notice Cato's at the other end of the tent, by himself, eating his broth, leaning against the crates. Perhaps I should talk to him, or perhaps I should leave him. For once, not talk, he probably needs alone time.
I drink the last of the broth from the bowl, as the others put their bowls in a pile in the centre. Not wondering what to do, whether to start a conversation, I ask:
"So what's our plan for tomorrow?"
"I don't know, that's up to Cato, really," Glimmer says.
"Is he okay?" I ask, with a hushed tone.
"I don't know, I was going to ask you," she says, checking he can't hear what she says, "after you stormed out, he hasn't moved."
I look at him, he doesn't look sad, just... in thought. He stands up, yawns and stretches, then walks to us with sleeping bags he got from the box.
"Okay, I think it's time we get some sleep. We haven't done well today in the way of winning." He says, throwing us each a sleeping bag, "early start tomorrow."
With that he walks to the heater, turns it off, and waits for us to get in our sleeping bags, then turns the light off. It's dark outside, then I see faint glows outside as the national anthem begins. I realize they're showing the dead tributes. Once it finishes there's a few dead minutes silence.
I see the glint of sharp objects as well. One clutching her knives, Three clutching the spear, Glimmer clutching the bow and arrow. Each of them asleep.
I turn and see that Cato isn't clutching his sword. In the dim light I can see him breathing. That can't be his sleeping bag rise and fall. That can't be him breathing. His lungs aren't in the centre of his body. Also if he's breathing that fast he's probably hyperventilating. Then I realize it. Oh my god.
Cato isn't clutching his sword because he's... well, clutching his sword.
A/N: Oh my goood I'm sorry this took so long. I don't know what happened I just had a block for ages. I hope by making this a longer chapter it sorta makes up? Anyways, thank you very much for reading, I hope you enjoy and, like usual, leaving a review would make my day! Thanks :)