Chapter 25

Training Center Tower, Level 10

Katniss Everdeen could not stop crying.

She cried for the dead.
Rue.
Thresh.
Foxface.
Marvel.
Glimmer.
Clove.
Cato.
Gloss.
Cashmere.
Brutus.
Wiress.
Mags.
Blight.
Cecelia.
Woof.
Chaff.
Seeder.
Finnick.
Amadeus.
Augusta.
Lystria.
Callia.
Claudia.

She cried for the living.
Artemis.
Caius.
Petronius.
Iris.
Romulus.
Cornelius.
Julius.
Cynthia.
Lucius.
Marius.

They had no idea what was coming.

They never did.

All of them had been, or were now, tributes.

"We have to help her," said Peeta into the phone. "She won't talk to me, or anybody else. Don't you know anything we can do to help her?"

"Why is she crying?" asked Mrs. Everdeen worriedly. "Does she miss… her sister?"

"No," replied Peeta. "That's not it. I got that much out of her. She said something about tributes… and then broke down again." He looked anxiously over to the huddled, shaking form curled up on the couch in front of the television. "I feel so… helpless. I can't do anything for her."

"Ask her again," advised Katniss's mother. "And try being more gentle. Wait until it seems like there is a lull in her crying."

"Okay," said Peeta doubtfully. "Thank you, Mrs. Everdeen."

He hung up and tiptoed over to the couch, where Katniss was staring at the television screen with those wide, wet gray eyes. A blanket was draped around her shoulders, and her thin fingers clenched the folds so tightly that her knuckles were white. Nothing bad or suspenseful was being shown on the screen; only Artemis walking alone through the dark woods with a metal container clutched in her hands. But Katniss might as well have been watching the death of Cato, her body language was so tight and guarded.

"They have no idea what is coming," said Katniss unexpectedly. Her voice was soft and mournful, yet surprisingly strong. "Many of them will die tomorrow."

Peeta could do nothing but nod grimly.

"What have I done?" asked Katniss, to no one in particular as she kept her eyes on the television screen. "I've killed fourteen more."

"What do you mean?" asked Peeta.

"I killed them," said Katniss, not taking her eyes off the shadowy figure of Artemis. "All fourteen of them. Livius. Aelia. Tertius. Sabina. Valerius. Iovitan. Horatia. Flavia. Titania. Callia. Augusta. Amadeus. Claudia. Lystria. I killed them."

Peeta was quite surprised to learn that Katniss remembered each of their names, even more surprised that he hadn't, and mostly surprised because of her last three words. "What are you talking about? You didn't –– "

"No. I did. I voted to end their lives. I voted to have the Seventy-Sixth Hunger Games. And because I did, they were put in there and now they're dead. I killed them!"

Peeta was silent. He couldn't have spoken even if he knew what to say.

"It's too late now," sobbed Katniss, the tears rolling down her cheeks, "but I just wish I could stop it. Just. Stop. It. I can't kill any more of them. I can't just sit here and watch them all die. I want to stop it."

These words stirred something in the back of Peeta's mind. "Maybe we can," he whispered as that something swelled and grew into a full idea. His eyes widened, and he let out a gasp. His hands scrambled for his cell phone, and even before the person on the other end even had a chance to say hello, Peeta was already shouting into the receiver.

"Beetee!" he yelled. "What did you do with Artemis's control disk?"

Pfft...this is what happens when I try to write the HG canon characters. OOC? What do you think?