Chapter 10
Whoever did this knows what they're doing. They must have been watching us because they decided to wait until we left before they blew our supplies up. They'll be long gone by now.
When day turns to night I notice my appetite disappearing. Any time soon the dead will be projected across the sky. I keep expecting to hear the cannon, then see Cato's face seconds later. At least then I'd know for sure that he's dead. If I hear the cannon tomorrow I'll kid myself into thinking he's alive.
I'm not sure whether time passes quicker than it usually does or if I actually manage to get some sleep, but outside the cornucopia I see the sky brighten. I didn't see Cato's face in the sky last night, and I haven't heard the cannon since. I chew on a packet of crackers, knowing I need energy.
Maybe I should look for him. He's not coming back until somebody is dead and I'm going to go insane if I have to wait any longer. At the back of the cornucopia I find the den I made a few days ago when I separated from the group. I find a spare shirt and put it on, then my jacket, put on the bag, grab my weapons and head into the woods.
I don't know why I expect I'll be able to find Cato. He left last night so he'll be miles ahead of me. Still, I aimlessly trek through the trees. I come across the rock face where the district ten boy attacked me yesterday. His body's gone, the area's clear. I see the crevice he came out of, had he been living in there? I squeeze through the diagonal gap and see there's a chamber inside. It's dry and the floor is flat, about the size of my room at the training centre. The opening is almost invisible. There's no way you can see it from the outside. I take a mental note should we need to hide here.
I step out and look at the opening from a distance and sure enough it's almost undetectable. I climb to the top of the rock and look into the distance. It's idiotic to think I'll see Cato. But there is something in the far distance. A shift in the trees. Is it a branch swaying in the wind or a tribute? I crouch down, squinting my eyes. There's definitely somebody there, running. It's a girl. She's got her hair in a braid. The weapon she's holding, I'll bet it's a bow and arrow.
I climb down the back of the rock. Luckily, I doubt she saw me, if she did it'll take her at least five minutes to run here, anyway. I have a head start. I run as fast as I can for a few minutes, weaving effortlessly through the trees, then stop to see if she's behind me. I can't see anything but I decide to jog forward just in case.
I take a small break, sitting in an area of birch trees, as long as I keep an eye out, I'll see anybody who's coming. I see one solitary oak tree and throw my spear at it, testing my aim. I impress myself each time, not missing the tree. I begin to challenge myself at hitting just the centre of the tree.
"Katniss!" I hear a faint voice in the distance. I dismiss it, not sure whether I'm hearing anything or not.
"Katniss!" I hear again, but louder. It's a girl's voice. That girl from district eleven. I guess her and Katniss formed an alliance. She reminded me of Katniss' sister, Primrose.
She must be caught in one of our nets. It won't be long until Cato and Katniss hear her, if they haven't already. If Katniss sees us we won't last two seconds against her deadly aim. I run to the tree and pry my spear from the bark.
Every few seconds I hear a weak voice shouting 'Katniss!' or 'help!'. I follow the noise until I'm only a few minutes away from it. I don't go as close as to see her, just in case she sees me. I walk in a big circle around her until I see either Cato or Katniss. It won't be long until either one shows up.
I edge closer to the source of the frantic calling. I hide from tree to tree until I can see her, suspended above the forest floor. The net has her incapacitated. She'd be an easy kill if it wasn't for Katniss being in close range to us.
I climb a tree, unnoticed by her, and have a decent view of the area. If Cato comes I'll be able to see him and be able to stop him before he kills her. Maybe I should let him kill her. I don't want to be the one to do it. But if he does kill her Katniss will know we're here. As long as she doesn't see us we'll be fine.
Rue seems to be taking longer gaps between crying out. Maybe she'll shut up. Instead she starts whistling a peculiar tune consisting of four notes. Maybe it's just her way of staying calm. Only when a mockingjay above me copies her tune do I realize what she's really doing. It's a signal.
I see Katniss in the distance running this way. I turn, so I can jump down, but I see Cato coming from the opposite direction. I misplace my foot and end up falling to the floor, twisting my ankle. I glue my mouth shut, suppressing the curses I'd usually be shouting as sharp stabs of pain run along my ankle. I limp around the trees and manage to intercept Cato before he gets us killed.
"Peeta, what are you doing?" he asks, trying to get past me, spear ready in his hand.
"Shhh! Katniss is coming, we need to get out of here," I whisper.
"Good, we'll take her down too," he says, walking past me, almost letting Rue see him before I grab his shirt, "what the hell, Peeta?"
"Cato, Katniss is on her way and somehow she has the bow and arrows," I plead, he rolls his eyes, "please..."
He gives me an apologetic look, then turns and begins to walk.
"Tributes," A voice booms from every angle, "there has been a slight rule change."
I exchange a curious look with Cato. A rule change, this has never happened before.
Haymitch
Standing outside the gamemaker's main control room, Haymitch waits for the head gamemaker, Seneca, to walk down the corridor. He taps his foot impatiently. There's a screen in the corner, it shows Peeta running towards the sound of Rue's screams. It won't be long before Katniss hears too.
Seneca strides down the shiny corridor, peacekeepers flanking him. He opens the door to the control station before the drunk from district twelve taps his shoulder.
"What? I'm busy," he asks impatiently.
"Have you thought about what I asked you earlier?" Haymitch asks hopefully.
"I told you. There's no way of bringing Peeta and Katniss together. It just won't work. Our priority right now is Peeta and Cato, that's what the Capitol wants," Seneca explains, probably for the third time today.
"I know, I know. I have an idea I think you'd like, shall we?" Haymitch begins, hinting they continue in the control room. With an exasperated sigh Seneca leads Haymitch in.
Haymitch looks at the central table where a scale hologram of the arena sits. Numbers stand where each tribute is. A wide screen divided into eight, watching each tribute, is the opposite wall. Seneca clears his throat, getting Haymitch's attention.
"Yes, my plan," he begins, fidgeting his fingers, "like you said, the Capitol loves Peeta and Cato, so why don't you give them what they want?"
"What exactly are you proposing?" Seneca asks, crossing his arms, trying to figure out the real intent of Haymitch's plan.
"We say that if the winners are an alliance of two, then they can both win, the Capitol will go crazy,"
"But not all of them are in alliances of two," Seneca says, intrigued by the idea of two people winning.
"It's only the girl from five and the boy from eleven who aren't, we bring them together then we announce the rule change and they'll be allies," Haymitch says with an excited grin.
"Yes, but what if the alliances break-" Seneca begins, his face turning into a sly smile, "You're still trying to make Peeta and Katniss win. You think they'll get together if Cato and Rue die,"
Haymitch wipes sweat from his forehead, needing a drink badly.
"Okay, I'll do it," Seneca says.
"You'll what?" Haymitch asks, a shocked smile on his face.
He grabs a tablet and stylus from the person passing him and starts writing a draft of the rule change. After a few minutes of tweaking he presents it to the rest of the gamemakers. He reads it aloud and explains what changes need to be made to the games, awaiting criticism. The group give a round of applause as Seneca beams with delight. He's going to go down in history.
"Fetch Claudius," Seneca orders one of the workers, who immediately repeats the order down her earpiece.
Haymitch looks up at the screen. He'd better hurry. Peeta has just spotted Katniss and Cato, both on their way to Rue. In minutes it'll kick off. On the next screen the boy from eleven is chasing the girl from five, it won't be long before he catches her. No doubt that the gamemakers brought them together. Claudius had better hurry up. Cato walks away from Peeta while Eleven has Five cornered against a tree, seconds from ending her life.
The doors burst open and Claudius struts into the room. An attendant attaches a microphone to his jacket while a gamemaker projects words onto the wall, ready for Claudius to repeat. He clears his throat, preparing his nasal voice.
"Tributes, there has been a slight rule change." He begins, reading the auto queue, "The games are being briefly paused, allowing us to explain the implications of the rule change. Until the games are resumed tributes, allies or not, are prohibited to communicate. Any deaths to occur during this intermission will make the new rule redundant and the games will continue as usual. Each of you is in an alliance of two or is in the position to form an alliance of two. As a one-time treat, with the third Quarter Quell being next year, if the last two tributes are allied, they both become victors. You have five seconds to confirm your alliance by shaking hands with your partner. From then on alliances cannot be changed, if they're broken then they remain broken. Any alliances formed after will not be considered legitimate and the punishment for forming one will be execution. When you hear the cannon the rule will be taking effect and will have five seconds to confirm your alliance, as prior mentioned by shaking hands. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour."
He drags the last word as the gamemakers prepare the cannon. It blasts and on the screen Clove and Three, Thresh and Five, Katniss and Rue, Peeta and Cato are all shaking hands. They each wait a few moments. Clove and Three continue sitting in silence. Thresh and Five both stand awkwardly. Katniss and Rue hug in a tight embrace. All while Peeta and Cato share a long kiss, the eyes of the Capitol on them.
Haymitch exits the room feeling like he has failed. Though the odds are one of the victors will be from his district, something that hasn't happened in twenty-four years. It's an inevitability that one of them will die, though. Once in his room he pours the liquor, not wasting time on ice cubes, telling himself, like he usually does, it'll be his first and last glass.
A/N: I tried making the rule change as believable as possible. I guess that's why I added the Haymitch part. Enjoy and pleeeeeease review. Thanks!
RueRajaram:
Thanks, there'll be more on the venom later...
Blah-Blah-Amazing:
Here it is, hope you enjoy. It was Katniss if you haven't figured out yet ;)