A Dangerous Game (A Hunger Games Fan Fiction)

14. Catching Up

14.  Catching Up

       “Guys, we have to—” I started to say, but searing pain cut me off. I screamed as I crumpled to the ground. I wheezed as I looked up nervously.

            “Katrina!” both the boys yelled.

            “Stay there! Go, run, do something other than stand there like idiots!” I roared.

The tree branches quivered as did the leaves, my hair rippled slightly. I craned my neck up to see the reason behind the sudden chaos. This was definitely a bad case of déjà vu all over again.

            I looked down to find the source of my agony. I looked away as soon as I saw it. The hovercraft above speared my left leg; I could see some of the blood already. Thank God I wasn’t queasy around blood. The spear penetrated me, and I swore it went dangerously deep into my leg. I cried out in pain as I clutched it. Fresh blood already covered my palm.

I looked frantically up above. A quick whoosh happened, and a net captured me. I squeaked in fright, trying to rip it off me, but what good would that do? I had a spear in my leg, and even if I got out of the net, I was crippled. I was worse off than Katniss had been; at least she hadn’t been injured.

            “Don’t go after her!” Peeta called. He was trying to hold Gale back from tearing across the gap between us to try and free me.

            I felt myself being lifted upwards by the net. I tried to grab for an arrow to cut myself free but I was just out of reach. I was lifted dangerously high up to the menacing hovercraft. I had no choice but to stay still and be taken upwards. It was either I stayed alive or risked falling to my death.

I didn’t look down; I had a horrible fear of heights. The feeling of being high up in the air didn’t settle with me well at all.

            I was lifted up into the hovercraft, metal doors closed shut below me. The net gently lowered me down onto the cold floor. Peacekeepers, dressed in white, surrounded me. They ripped the net off me. I slapped them away. My eyes scanned nervously around so fast that all I could see were occasional blurs of white (the Peacekeepers) and the metal inside of the hovercraft.

            “Get off me!” I screeched as I fought them. I hissed in pain as the spear hurt my leg even further.

            Well, I got my wish. I was taking on Peacekeepers. But I always imagined myself in top shape, not injured, equipped with a bow and arrow when I’d take them on. This was not how I pictured my first encounter with them.

            “Get her sedated,” said one of the Peacekeepers, “before she hurts herself even more.” I’d probably hurt one of you. I snarled in fury as I continued to fight against them.

            I gave a yowl of pain as I felt a sharp pinch in my arm. Already everything started to blend into one. The hum of the hovercraft was fading.

            I slumped to the ground. I could still feel my leg throbbing painfully. My eyelids were halfway closed. I could hear the Peacekeepers talking.

            “You’re sure that’s her?”

            “They said there was another, she’s the one.”

            “It’s Katniss Everdeen, it has to be.”

            What? They thought I was Katniss? They were in for a rude surprise. That was the second—no, third time—people had mistaken me for her. I was sure it was the third time, I didn’t really pay attention.