You can't catch me (Peeta Mellark x Reader)

Chapter 11: The 75th annual Hunger Games Part 1

Word Count: 2975

I entered a room with my stylist. It was a little different to the one in the 72nd but still had no windows, one door and a large transparent tube. We said our goodbyes and as I entered the tube. I was terrified, but I remembered what Peeta told me the night before. Avoid careers and bodies of water. I think he was joking but it might actually help. The tube started going up and so did my heartrate but I took some deep breaths and calmed myself down. My eyes took a second to adjust to the light but once I saw clearly where I was, I was anything but calm. I was on a pedestal just like in 72nd, but it was surrounded by water, and on the pedestal next to me was one of the female careers. Perfect, the two things I was avoiding. The arena was thick jungle, except for the lake, in which the cornucopia was.

"Welcome to the 75th annual Hunger Games." A voice spoke through the speaker. "And may the odds be ever in your favour." I looked around for Katniss and Peeta, though I could only see Katniss in the distance, about five pedestals down.

"10." The voice counted down.

"9." I noticed the blonde female career tribute eyeing me down.

"8." She wasn't just eyeing me down, she was getting ready to hunt me down.

"7." I can swim well, though I only swim when I'm alone.

"6." I just can't go into deep water, knowing someone else is there too.

"5." She was getting ready to jump into the water.

"4." I was not prepared to jump in at all, my current plan was to stay put and hope that no one notices that I wasn't going to move.

"3." But that career women wanted blood, my blood.

"2." She was staring at me, and I stared back at her.

"1."

She jumped in as soon as the countdown finished, not wasting a second. I was going to jump in, but I couldn't bring myself too it. She grabbed my ankle and yanked me down, pulling me into the water. I punched her in the face and pushed her away with my feet while my back was against the pedestal. She was dazed and I took that as an opportunity to swim to the stone ledge that led to the cornucopia. I climbed onto it and looked behind me to see the blonde woman climbing on as well. I began to run, I was fast, but she was faster. I was almost to the cornucopia but she yanked my hair and pulled me back. "This is going to be slow and painful." She said as she pushed my head into the water.

They were trying to do it again. They were trying to kill me the way they tried to before. I struggled and but this time it was no use. I was on the verge of inhaling until I realised I could get my foot against the wall and push myself away. So, I did exactly that. Her grip loosened and I managed to slip out. I got to the nearest pedestal and propped myself up. I began to cough aggressively holding my throat. I saw the woman come back towards me again. "No-." I said in a quiet tone, more in a way of telling myself I wasn't going to let her get to me.

With a sudden surge of adrenaline I pushed myself to stand on the pedestal and turned to the nearest stone ledge. I jumped as quickly and as hard as I could to get there. I landed on the side, my arms holding onto the other edge. I pulled myself up and bolted to the cornucopia. This time I made it, and was met with all the careers. Surely, Katniss and Peeta wouldn't have left without me. I ran off around the other side while they chased me. I saw Peeta, Katniss, Mags and Finnick on the beach. Finnick pointed me out and they shouted for me to get over there. I ran down the stone ledge and towards them.

"Duck!" Katniss yelled to me. I ducked and just dodged an arrow to the head. A couple seconds later I made it to the beach and into Peeta's arms. He held the back of my head with one hand and my lower back with the other. He pulled back to check if I had any injuries. He saw my bruised neck and rubbed it softly and quickly as we needed to back it back into the thick forest, away from the careers. We kept running until Finnick stopped us to rest.