Behind Those Violet Eyes ▸ Hunger Games

Chapter Twenty-Five: Cato

** Okay, I thought I needed to just say this… Well, the hallucination from the Tracker Jacker venom is on the disturbing side… Can’t say I didn’t warn you… ;)

-SlytherinChick (SC) **

Chapter Twenty-Five:

Cato’s POV

It was as if the whole world was spinning around me.

My vision was fading in and out, the dizziness only making it harder for me to run.

When I came across a nearby river, I stumbled right over and splashed the cold water on my face, hoping that it would help.

However, when I opened my eyes, I noticed that river wasn’t made of water… it ran red with blood.

I immediately began to rub the bloody water off my face. I looked down at my hands, which were now covered in blood. I wiped my hands off on the grass, not that it really helped, as the blood wouldn’t come off no matter how hard I tried.

I tried to stand back up, but only found myself falling down on the wet grass.

“WHAT’S HAPPENING?!?!?!” I screamed at the top of my lungs and banged my fists on the ground.

At that moment, Alexis appeared before me, smirking at my confusion.

“Enjoying the arena, Cato?” she asked.

“It’s better than putting up with you everyday,” I snapped.

“You know, Cato, I’m only trying to help you,” Alexis said flatly.

I snorted. “Help me?!?! Ever since you met me all you’ve done is criticize everything I do or say! I don’t call that help, Alexis.”

“Well, I’m trying to help you now.”

I knit my eyebrows together; I had no clue as to what she was talking about.

“I’ve noticed that you and Alia have it cut out for Cyra Merison. Not that I particularly blame you… I mean, she did do this to you…”

“Do what to me, Alexis?!”

She chuckled darkly. “Oh, I forgot, this is all real to you, isn’t it?”

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?!?!” I spat.

She made a gesture with her hands, pointing to the surrounding scenery. “All of this, Cato. I mean, c’mon, use your brain. You’re in the arena and you’re talking to me, when we both know that no outsiders can enter the arena. And last time I checked, there are no rivers of blood.”

I gave her a confused look, still not making the connection.

She huffed in irritation. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Well, I remember finding Fish Girl in the woods and that she and her dumb coal mining friend ran up in the trees. Me and Alia remained on the ground to wait them out. I remember the look of fear deep in Alia’s eyes as she told me that she was scared… I stroked her hair and promised her that we would make it out of the arena… and there was kissing, too. We fell asleep shortly after… and then there was that weird sound coming from the trees. I thought Fish Girl was just moving around in the trees, so I rolled back over to go to sleep. And out of nowhere, a Tracker Jacker nest landed on to us, swarming and stinging. I was stung twice, both places on my eyelids. We were running away from the swarm, and I blacked out… Tracker Jackers? Ohhh, Fish Girl must’ve dropped the nest on us. So that’s what that noise was… she was cutting the nest off so they would attack while we were sleeping… and Tracker Jacker venom caused hallucinations…