Chapter 12:
"Clove!" Katniss ran to the wounded career and cradled her head in her lap. With tears streaming down her face Katniss looked at Clove, bewildered and visibly hurt.
The knife was buried deep in her abdomen and she was bleeding profusely. She didn't have long and Katniss' mind reeled for a possible solution. But she couldn't find any, she held the wound, hoping to slow the blood loss and buy her more time.
This can't be the end, there has to be something. Anything!
Clove looked at Katniss steadily. "Now you win Katniss. Go home to your sister and live a good life." Clove spoke weakly, obviously drained of all energy.
"No! Clove! Please don't leave me!" Katniss sobbed uncontrollably. "I love you."
Clove brushed Katniss' cheek lovingly with a surprising calmness, wiping away the tears. "It's okay. I had nothing to live for, until I met you. That's why I'm doing this, you gave me hope of a new life, let me do the same for you." Katniss knew Clove believed this firmly as her lover looked so determined and not the least bit regretful.
Katniss opened her mouth to speak and to say her last words to Clove, but none came. What could she say? There would always be one question left unanswered or one statement left unsaid.
Clove smiled warmly and placed a kiss on Katniss' lips. "I'm sorry it has to end like this."
Katniss closed her eyes, trying to make sense of the gaping void in her chest that seemed to tighten at the thought of losing another she cared for. "But you know..."
Katniss opened her eyes and saw Clove smile sheepishly. "If I had the choice of either not dying and never meeting you or ending up in the exact same place, I would choose you every time."
A lone tear ran down Clove's face and her lower lip trembled. "Clove." Katniss whispered. "Please don't go."
Clove's eyelids started to grow heavy and her hand slowly dropped from Katniss' face to her hand and squeezed it gently. "I'll tell Rue you said hi." She said quietly.
Katniss bit her lip to muffle her cries of utter distraught. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you Clove." She whimpered.
"Don't worry Fire Girl..." Clove said, barely audible, her eyes fluttered shut. "I know you'll be great." Clove's hand grew limp in Katniss' and Clove lay still.
Katniss placed Clove's hand on the ground and tried to control her breathing, she was starting to hyperventilate. She tried to reason with herself. They haven't declared a winner yet, there's still something I can do.
The huntress looked around and found one of Clove's knives discarded on the ground, she went to it and picked it up. It was light in her hand and cold to the touch, the sharp silver blade was well maintained and cleaned.
Katniss fumbled with the blade and looked at the clear sky, knowing all cameras were on her at this moment. She had Panem's attention. "I will not be one of your pawns Snow! These games are sick, you take one of us to be your champion to spread fear of the power you have over us."
"You will not have me as one of your trophies Snow, not while I'm still breathing." The dead make bad puppets. Katniss thought.
Katniss eyed the knife in her hand. A voice suddenly came over the arena, sounding very rushed. "Now hold on a minute-" Claudius Templesmith said with an edge of desperation to his voice. "I'm sure we can work something out."
Katniss looked one last time at Clove's corpse on the ground and she knew what she had to do. "Fuck you Snow." With that, she plunged the knife into her stomach. Red liquid stained her clothes and she fell to the ground. At least I'll be with Clove, Dad and Rue. Katniss coughed and spluttered blood on the floor. "Fuck you."
Katniss found herself looking at the sky as she heard the sound of a hovercraft approaching and her vision faded to black.
Katniss' eyes shot open and she quickly closed them again. The room was a blinding white and it took a while for her to adjust. Information flooded back to her. I'm Katniss Everdeen, I have my mother and sister Prim to look after, my best friend is Gale. I participated in the 74th annual Hunger Games...
Katniss panicked. Clove! I stabbed myself, what happened? Katniss' hands glided down her body, there was no fresh wound in her chest, just smooth skin.
She sat up and saw she was in a white gown. She lay on a bed in the centre of a room with a collection of devices like heart monitors switched off and placed in the corners of the room. Where am I?
Katniss stood up but grabbed the frame of her bed to quickly steady herself, as her knees were weak. As she walked barefoot to the door, she saw a mirror that showed her form. All bruises were healed, the scar that Clove had patched up was a thin white line that she had to squint to see.
Gently, Katniss pushed the door and it swung open soundlessly. There was one corridor that seemed identical whatever way you looked down it.
Great. Katniss leaned against the wall and thought. "Hey Sweetheart." Katniss was surprised at the clearness that she heard this. Her ears must've been healed. Katniss looked to her right and saw her drunken mentor.
"Haymitch!" Katniss wrapped her arms around him. Haymitch patted her back. "It's good to see you too Katniss." He said softly.
Katniss pulled away. "Where is Clove?"
Haymitch sighed and shuffled down the corridor to the left. Katniss had nothing else to do but follow him. Haymitch stopped before a similar door to hers and inclined his head. He then took a long drink from a flask he pulled out of nowhere and continued walking down without her, tutting to himself.
Katniss thought nothing of it and paused just before her fingers touched the door. I hope she's okay. With Katniss' blood rushing in her body, she opened the door.
This room was identical to hers. Flawless white marble floor and walls, a matching bed in the centre. The only difference was that Clove was connected to the various machinery and turned away from the door. There was a low beeping in the room that signified her heartbeat.
Katniss stepped closer to the bed. "Clove?" She whispered. Her voice echoed throughout the room. Clove was as still as a statue. Katniss' heart stopped as dread filled her senses.
Clove twitched and slowly rolled over, now facing Katniss. The young career's eyes trained on Katniss then widened. The beeping from the heart monitor increased rapidly.
"Katniss!" She beamed. "You're here!" She frowned suddenly. "Are we dead?" Clove looked around the room as if seeing it in a new light.
Katniss shook her head. "No Clove. We won." Katniss couldn't help but grin back at the adorable career as her face flooded with obvious joy and relief.
Clove jumped out of the bed, then swooned forward. Katniss dashed forward, caught her and helped Clove sit on the edge of the bed.
"Careful, you've been through a lot." Katniss said softly.
Clove was still determined to get as close as she could to Katniss and held her tightly in her arms. This gesture made all of the things they had done seem distant, like a faded memory.
"What did you do?" Clove asked perplexed, but evidently still stricken with the thought of being together again.
Katniss shuffled in contemplation. "Well..."
Clove interrupted Katniss by holding up her index finger. "Actually, I don't care. Tell me later." Clove pulled Katniss into a deep and longing kiss, one that needed no explanation.
The huntress eventually pulled away disappointedly, annoyed at the need for air. "I love you Katniss." Clove said dreamily.
Katniss hit Clove on the shoulder. "Ow! Katniss, what-" Clove spluttered, confused and hurt.
"Don't ever do that again you idiot!" Katniss pulled Clove into a hug and buried her face in Clove's hair. "I couldn't live without you."
After being escorted away from Clove (the Peacekeepers had to threaten them both with guns to get them apart) Katniss' head was spinning, she couldn't believe it. They had won, they could go home.
Katniss has grinning from ear to ear and when she saw Haymitch, Effie and Cinna waiting for her, she thought she couldn't possibly get any happier. With little regard to the Peacekeeper training a gun on her, she bounded towards her team.
"Katniss!" Effie beamed and gave the victor a hug. "Well done, well done, well done!" She said excitedly, she smiled and squeezed Katniss.
"Effie, try not to suffocate the girl with your perfume. She's been though enough." Haymitch said dryly.
Effie glared at Haymitch then turned to Katniss and grinned again. "You must go with Cinna, we'll have to catch up later, it's all go today!"
"Wait, what? Don't I get a break?" Katniss said tiredly.
"Afraid not. Tonight you and Clove have an interview with Caesar Flickerman, since you're both now awake and healed." Haymitch responded evenly.
Katniss sighed. "I don't have a choice do I?"
Haymitch shook his head. "We'll talk after you're ready Sweetheart."
Cinna led the way to wherever his team was. Katniss was amazed at everyone knowing where to go, to her it seemed like the same corridor just went on forever with identical doors on either side. Katniss was pretty sure if she was on her own, she'd go insane and probably wander the halls for the rest of her life.
Katniss was very surprised when Cinna led her to a very familiar lift. The same one from the training centre. He pressed a button for a higher floor and Katniss realised that the hospital was the lowest floor in the training centre.
The doors opened quietly and Katniss staggered back as Cinna's team engulfed her. They talked so excitedly and quickly, Katniss was so out of it she couldn't fully understand what they were saying. She knew however that they were truly happy to see her again.
Katniss sat with Cinna and his team while they ate a lengthy meal. They were happy enough not to comment on Katniss devouring her food like a pack of wild dogs and talked about more daintier habits instead, like the latest fashion.
Katniss zoned out while they were talking so the conversation was like background noise. She worried about Clove and their interview tonight.
"Katniss?" Katniss blinked and looked up.
Octavia smiled innocently. "If you don't mind, we have to get you ready for Cinna." It wasn't a choice on her part, but Katniss appreciated the way it didn't sound forced. She made her way with Cinna's team into her room.
"Wow, a full body polish, not a flaw left on your skin." Flavius said enviously.
Katniss looked in the mirror and saw her skinny, frail naked body. She could count her ribs and see her hipbones. She was sure she looked worse before the games, but it was still a harrowing sight that made her shudder.
In that instant, Katniss felt a pang of anger towards the Capitol's citizens who were often fattened up like pigs awaiting the slaughterhouse while thousands of others starved.
Katniss stopped her vehement train of thought and calmed herself down while Cinna's team washed her hair and worked on her make-up and nails after. The team chattered so continuously that Katniss barely had to speak, which was good as she wasn't feeling very talkative.
Cinna came through with what looked like a plain looking yellow dress across his arms. "Have you given up the 'girl on fire' thing?"
"You tell me." He slipped it over Katniss' head. Katniss noticed almost instantly that this dress had padding over her breasts and seemed to give her healthy curves that she didn't have before due to lack of food.
Katniss frowned. "I know." Cinna said. "But the Gamemakers wanted to alter you surgically, this was our compromise." Katniss put on the flat leather sandals Cinna gave her and once again looked at her reflection.
She was still the 'girl on fire' the dress itself seemed to glow. However, with minimal make-up applied, Katniss looked innocent and so very... Normal. In comparison to her chariot costume that demanded that all eyes be on her, she now looked harmless. Before she was a roaring flame, now she was just a flickering candle.
Cinna stood back and looked at Katniss appraisingly. "What do you think?"
Katniss tears her eyes away from her reflection. "I think it's the best yet." Katniss saw that her hair was down and held back by a simple headband and her nails were coated in a clear polish. Katniss looked young, fourteen at most, naïve and pure. Nothing at all like a victor.
"I thought this might be more... Sophisticated looking." She said, although Katniss knew Cinna wanted Katniss to look this way for a reason.
"I thought Clove would like it better." He answered carefully. Katniss didn't understand. This isn't so much about Clove but the Capitol and the audience... I guess this means I'm not out of the woods yet.
Cinna seemed to be giving Katniss a warning, something he couldn't even say in front of his own team. This made Katniss feel uneasy, even though she was out of the arena, she still wasn't in control.
They soon took the elevator to where the tributes trained. It's customary for the victor and his or her support team to rise from beneath the stage. First the prep team, then the escort, the stylist, the mentor and finally the victor. (Or in this case, victors.)
There had never been two victors before, especially from completely different districts. But as Katniss and Clove had different mentors and escorts, it made things a lot more simple.
Katniss found herself in a poorly lit area below the stage. A large metal plate had been installed to transport the victor and her team onto the stage.
Cinna and the prep team went off to change into their costumes, leaving her alone. A short distance away, maybe 10 meters was a makeshift wall that Katniss guessed Clove was behind.
The rumbling and chatter of the crowd a short distance away unsettled Katniss. She was too distracted to feel a hand grip her shoulder. Katniss jumped and whipped around, still in arena mode.
She thought it was strange to see the old mentor in a suit and bow tie and she laughed at the thought of Cinna wrestling him into it. "Easy Sweetheart. Let me have a look at you." Haymitch said. Katniss turned once. He folded his arms and nodded briefly.
"Hmm, good enough." He seemed to be thinking something over. "How about a hug for luck?"
This was a strange request from Haymitch, but as they were both victors and Katniss had done the impossible, why not? It couldn't hurt.
Katniss put her arms around him and found herself trapped in Haymitch's embrace. "Listen up." He whispered, Haymich's face was hidden by Katniss' hair so he could potentially say anything without arousing suspicion.
"You're in trouble, word is the Capitol's furious about you showing them up in the arena. The one thing they can't stand is being laughed at, and they're the joke of Panem."
Dread coursed through Katniss, but she laughed as though Haymitch said something funny as nothing was covering her mouth. "So what?"
"Your only defense is that you were so madly in love that you weren't responsible for your actions."
"Do you think Brutus and Enobaria are telling Clove to do the same?" Katniss asked.
"Yeah, us victors like to stick together. The three of us discussed this during your recovery. But to be honest, I don't think either of you will have to put on an act." He said with a smirk that made Katniss blush slightly.
"Anyways, we better take our places. This is your night Katniss, enjoy it." Haymitch led Katniss onto the metal circle, kissed her on the forehead and disappeared into the gloom.
Katniss tugged on her skirt, willing it to be longer. She soon realised that there was no point, she shook like a leaf. She thought that hopefully people would think it's due to excitement because as Haymitch said, it's her night.
Katniss grimanced as the damp, moldy smell of the stage threatened to choke her. She suddenly found it hard to breathe. This is so much worse than the Games. If I mess up now, my family will pay for it. In the arena I died, end of story. But now, so much rides on me showing my love for Clove. My friends, family even the whole district. Everything I care about.
Katniss knew she loved Clove with all her heart, but showing that to the many many people of Panem made her uncomfortable, especially with all this at stake. Knowing Snow's attitude, he will pretend he planned the whole thing, down to the double suicide. That will only work if Clove and I play along.
The worst fear of all to Katniss was the thought of Clove suffering. Katniss knew she would jump through as many hoops as needed for the Capitol to leave Clove alone.
Katniss then thought of her future with Clove and she calmed down a little momentarily. Katniss wondered how Clove would take life in District 12 or even more so, how the people of District 12 would take Clove. District 12 hated the careers with a passion, and rightly so. It was only until Katniss met Clove that she felt differently. But these were questions to be answered later, after the interview. Katniss pushed them to the back of her mind.
Katniss jumped as the Capitol anthem boomed in her ears and Caesar Flickerman addressed the audience. Katniss knew that he knew it was crucial to get every word right from now on, he would help them.
The crowd broke into applause when the Prep teams were introduced. Katniss shuddered. The worst part of the Hunger Games was about to begin.
Author's Note:
Long time no see guys. Sorry I took so long to update, a lot of stuff is happening for me right now. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and enjoy the next one. If things go to plan, the next one should be the last one and I hope to add that soon.
That's said, see you soon for the last push.