The Hunger Games: Cato Stone

Chapter Twelve

That night, I hug my knees in a ball, hot tears dripping down my cheeks. I'm weak from hunger, and overwhelmed by the days events— of Thresh's golden brown eyes, and the blood on my sword. I peek over my knees to stare at the shiny blade. It's a murder weapon. The word pulls me up short. Murder!

I drag my thoughts away and try to think of home. Conor and Jeek are friendly with Clove's brother, Flyter. What would they be doing now? I think again. It's obvious. Sleeping. Oblivious to the true harshness of the Capitol.

To put twenty-four of us in arenas every year to fight to the death until one lone victory remains? It is crazy.

I manage to fall into an uncomfortable, uneasy sleep. Dreams of Clove and Thresh converge and mix until dawn, where I wake to heat and shaking limbs. The storm has finally stopped, which means I can get food. I try to hide my real feelings, breathing slowly. I stand up carefully, after yesterday with Thresh, my legs are aching.

I take my spear, my sword in the scabbard, and a few knives aswell. I stuff everything else into the backpack, and only leave behind the dead torch, the parachute base and a few spearheads. I shift the crates around, and they resemble as if it was the first day of the games again.

I walk across the sixty metre stretch to the trees and dash into it, forgetting about any of the others. In fact, it is only me, the girl from five, Katniss and Peeta. I wonder how they are coping, after the storm. They're probably out hunting aswell today. The girl from five seemed she knew what she was doing, being from a less wealthy district that dealt witb scientific research. I would guess she had to find out what she was doing from the training and the actual games.

I hear a snap of a twig and stop dead, but I've only startled a squirrel— who runs up a tree. I move more carefully, until I reach the clump of willows we passed on the first night. I scout round in circles, funally finding a few snares that Katniss could've set up. I spot a rabbit, and walk over to it.

I test it, and it is still warm. Caught only this morning then. I take it and wander slowly back, passing streams and a burnt out charcoal-like bit of ground. I stop and stare at it, and then I remember that it was where Glimmer had kissed me before killing the girl from six with the sword at my side. I bite my lip and carry on.

I walk some more, skinning the rabbit with a knife I took. The boom of a cannon jolts me back to the Games. About five hundred metres away, I see a glint of red hair being lifted into the air by a hovercraft. The girl from five. I sigh and keep on walking. I finally reach the plain and the Cornocopia.

I find a stick and skewer buts of the rabbit, roasting over a carefully built fire. I eat the rabbit meat, my mouth watering. I decide to make my way back to tbe camo Clove and I made, after stamping out the fire.

I know I can't avoid Katniss and Peeta forever. They will have sponsors, and they know how to get food. Is Peeta still playing at that Lover Boy angle? Is it even an angle?

After the last rabbit leg and one of my last crackers, I can't afford to eat anything else.

~~~

My sleep is restless and plagued with nightmares of red-headed rabbits with green eyes and savage teeth. I wake shaking and covered in a cold sweat. Hot sunlight streams through the leaves, and the heat and height of it tells me it's midday.

I get up and grab my sword, before venturing into the pines. It is about early afternoon when I see that the pools and streams are gone. I sit and touch the pebbles that line a pool; bone dry. I take out my water... and that's when I hear the growls.

I'm up on my feet in an instant, running hard and fast in the other direction. I trip and cut my lip on a root. The sun glares down on me, and even though it is not yet late afternoon, the sky's getting dark. The snarls and growls are going nowhere, and I don't dare stop. Sweat is running down my face, and my feet feel like they are on fire.