Katniss Pov
I fly out, hitting the water with a crash. The solid waves felt like cement, making the pain worse. The cold is numbing all my senses, I couldn't tell right from left if I was given the chance as I tumbled through the waves. So this is it, I thought, after taking her in, this is how she repays me. I suppose I should have seen it coming, you can never trust the pretty ones…
And suddenly, I could breathe again. A faint voice was calling my name; trying to keep me conscious as I fight the hypothermia that was setting in. this is just great, the island that once saved me will now be my death bed. I could still remember my first days on the island, the panic that was constantly there, and the fear of the wild animals keeping me up at night…
*Flash Back*
Opening my eyes was the hardest thing I had done in ages. They seemed to weigh a thousand pounds each, whenever they would lift an inch they would fall back down, refusing to move. But that's when I felt the sand underneath me, and the panic set in. my eyes flew open, cooperating because of the new motivation, the motivation of survival. The small grains below my burned my skin, feeling like hot coals. The sun was bright; it's reflection off the water blinding me. Based on the heat, I could only guess that it was early afternoon. Looking around, I could only see trees, but not the kind that were in district twelve. No, these were tropical, with their funny looking fruits and strange looking bark. Further down the beach, there was a pile of wood. The remains of the boat.
Hauling myself to my feet, I made my way over to the pile of wood. Maybe I could use the wood to build shelter, and I'm sure anything else could be helpful. Rummaging around, I find sturdy boards that could be used for a house, and splintered wood for a fire to keep me warm at night. I also found my trunk, the one thing that wasn't wood. Setting it aside, I decide to look through it later. Salvaging some rope from further down the shore, I start moving my things into the forest just before night fall.
Just a few hours later, it hit me. My father was dead. He died while I lived. Tears started rushing down my face, but I made no move to wipe them, letting them drip into the sizzling fire. No, stop, I told myself, look at you. You're crying over the unavoidable. Keep moving. Just remember what father said, to survive, all you need is love. This is what I will go by, and this is how I will survive.
Days passed and I made my way deeper into the forest, keeping a stony expression on all the time. I found three large trees that when I climbed them, there was an area that I could put my stuff down, roam around. Heck, I could do cartwheels across it and still have plenty of room to spare. So I got to work, bringing the wood up from the ground using a pulley system, placing them across the tree and securing them with wooden pegs that I hammered in using a rock. The shelter was harder to make, but I used vines that I weaved into rope to secure the walls and roof, layering the boards so no water would seep through the cracks during a rain storm. Then I realized that I would have to climb down the tree branches everyday to get food and water, and getting up was hard enough. So I built myself a ladder, keeping the end of it a in a tree so that if there were other people on the island, they wouldn't come waltzing up into my home.
I then made a sturdy bridge from sticks, vines, wooden planks and pegs to each of the trees, connecting them. The one nearest to the waterfall I made into a bathroom, using the single branch that was hanging off side as a toilet, making pipes out of bamboo and creating a shower type thing and a sink beside it. In the final tree, I made a storage place, where I could put water in some of the wooden buckets I created; I could put berries there for winter. And finally, I was finished. I hadn't realized, but a lot of time had passed. My hair that used to be just brushing my shoulders was all the way down to the small of my back. My skin had gone from pasty white to a nice tan. My eyes that used to always be full of life and happiness became hard, sharp and a little bit cruel. My voice was scratchy from lack of use and I had grown taller. The shelves I had created in the beginning that had seemed big then, were only a medium size now. Everything had changed, but I hadn't even noticed. I was just focused on surviving. The dress I was wearing that day was torn and dirty, and more than a little small, its light lavender colour had turned a muddy shade of brown. So finally, I sat down; grabbing the trunk I still had yet to open. Just sitting there was hard, my diet of only berries and roots made me very snappy and impatient. It was hard, but I made it.
Clicking the lock open, I looked inside. First, there were two blankets, made of rough material that was comforting; it made me think of home. Then there were a few spare pairs of clothes, some pants and shirts, along with some clothes of my father. Since they were small, I could cut the pant legs off to make shorts and I could do the same with the shirt sleeves to make a tank top. Next there were some sheets that I was supposed to put on my bed, but never got around to. A few needles and some thread came out next, along with a picture of my mother, father and baby sister, Primrose. Some knives came next; making my happy I didn't have to rip anymore clothes or vines. And finally, there were two bows and matching quivers of arrows. Not the small ones my father gave me to use all those years ago, no these were full sized weapons, carefully crafted by my father's steady hands. Looking over my stash of things, I put my clothes back in the trunk, and carried the rest of the items to the storage room. I was set, and now, I could survive.
*Flash Back Over*
I could hear voices now, even though my vision was dark. They were calling my name. Hands were shaking me, some gentler then others. It's so cold, I thought, struggling to function. I open m eyes just enough to see a pair of blue orbs starring down at me before I fall into a merciful sleep.
*Flash Back*
I don't know how long I've been on this island, but I feel lonely. Every day is the same. Hunt, eat, sleep and prepare for winter. Every day I take half of my kill and dry the meat out, making it tough and tasteless, but it lasts for months. Today was a good day though; I found an old pot on the west beach. I decided that I would make jam from some of the black berries I found. I was walking slowly through the forest, bow raised and ready to shoot, just in case I see a predator. There! In the bushes! I shoot an arrow, but there was nothing there. Turning back around after picking up my arrow, I'm startled to see a large mountain lion starring curiously at me. "I won't hurt you if you don't hurt me." I said, but I immediately do a double take. I'm talking to a cat, I thought, I am definitely going insane. But the strangest part, it listened. It put its head on his front paws, lying down and rolling over to reveal its stomach. It knows it's at my mercy, but he's willing to stick around.
"I'm going to call you buttercup." I said, looking at his yellow fur. Yeah, the colours are close enough. I take out a squirrel and toss it to him before walking back to camp.
The next morning I am shocked to find buttercup sitting beside me, eyes watching our surroundings intently. I smile lightly; maybe this is the start to a beautiful friendship
*Flash Back Over*
Cato Pov
I dive forward as I see her small body submerge into the waves. Pushing straight past Glimmer, I jump into the water. Opening my eyes, I try to function through the cold. Pushing off the rocky bottom, I come up for air before diving down again in an attempt to find Katniss. I find her body at the bottom, her lips turning slightly blue and her entire body red from the freezing bite of the water. Grabbing her hand, I pull her to the surface. After adjusting my grip, I bring her to the edge of the river, trying to give her CPR, but it was failing. Finally, I managed to get a stronger response form her, a movement. I could already feel the pulse in her hand so I rush straight through the forest and up the ladder, holding her carefully against me. "Guys, we have a problem!" I call up. Thresh appears over the ledge, taking Katniss from my arms so I could pull myself up.
"What happened?" Prim asks, coming over to inspect the unconscious girl. Everyone gathers round, poking and prodding her. Her eyes only flutter, but I swear I see her looking at me through those dark lashes before closing again. "She has hypothermia." Prim announces, standing up and running into the storage shed. She comes back moments later with big furs. Dropping to her knees, she looks at us.
"I need all men to wait somewhere else, preferably in the forest. Girls, strip." I look at her, what? "She needs body heat dumb dumbs." She explains, already pulling off her shirt to reveal a pink and white floral bra. "Ladies, this is no time to be modest." She barks, looking at Clove and the others. Thresh ushers me to the ladder, and the last thing I see before disappearing into the woods below is Clove helping Prim strip off Katniss' soaking wet clothes.