Always: A Hunger Games Fanfiction

Chapter 36

Katniss

Everything happens in a blur. I'm giving my speech. I think it's actually going well. I see faces in the crowd, nodding along with my words. And then, the gun goes off. I instantly drop to my knees and covered my head, the only place without armor. The bullet doesn't hit me.

I look over. Peeta is standing, looking out at the crowd, in shock. I don't realize that anything happened until he drops to his knees. "Peeta!" I scream. I crawl over to him. From what it looks like, the bullet hit his side. Probably not all the way through due to the armor. Thank god for that. I owe Marlena a thank you.

"Katniss," he whispers. I see his eyes are intently focused on something. I trail his gaze. There is a masked soldier, about to take off, a gun still in hand. I can just barely see him over the roaring crowd. I look back at Peeta. I don't want to leave him. I know there is a very, very small chance that he really would die, but last time I left him. . .My mind begins to trail of. am wasting time.

I give Peeta one last kiss before I go hunt that man down. He could have been the same one who shot Ruth. I see a stray gun lying in the corner of the stage. I run to it and pick it up. It's heavier than what I'm was used to, but I'll manage.

I can just barely run in this heavy armor. I am debating whether or not I should take it off, but I could get shot, so I decide to leave it on. I push and shove my way through the citizens, none of which I recognize. I am focused on killing this soldier. The word killing doesn't even have an effect on me any more.

I see him, running down an empty alleyway. I pick up my pace and begin to get closer to him. He does the same though. A bullet whizzes past my ear, barely touching it. I wince and put my hand to the tip. Blood covers my fingertips. Still, I run, ignoring the pain. I hold up my gun and aim at the man's chest. No. I lower my gun, and pull the trigger. The bullet grazes the soldier's thigh. I need to see this person's face.

The man falls to the ground with a loud thud. I jog over to his body, attempting to catch my breath. His mask is lopsided. I kick away his gun, out of his reach. He is holding his leg tightly. My gun is still raised, prepared for another bullet to fire. I ease my way towards him, and pull off his mask.

"Hello, girl on fire," the person says. But it isn't a man. A woman, actually. I don't recognize her at first. But then I do. I see it. Her teeth. She keeps flashing them at me. The sharp razor teeth that she used to cut people's throats out in the games. Enobaria. I am shocked at first. I figured she would be back in 2 by now. The last time I saw her was at the Victor's meeting to decide if we should go through with the 76th games. The Capitol Games.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. My face is scrunched up, trying to process the situation. Another victor, trying to win the Hunger Games back. This makes no sense.

She winces at her leg wound. "I'm fighting. We never got out of that arena, Katniss. We are still fighting against eachother. I'm still a career," she hisses. Then, she pulls my ankle. I fall on my back, and wince.

Enobaria flips me over and pins me to the ground, inching her mouth closer to my neck. My gun. I reach for it and before Enobaria could react, I shoot the bullet through her heart.

I watch, panicking as the light leaves her eyes, just a few inches away from my face. She collapses on top of me and I screech and pushing her away. My metal armor is stained with Enobaria's blood. She lies lifeless beside me.

I begin shaking and breathing heavily. A girl, another tribute died right in front of my face. I tell myself it was self defense. I know if I hadn't killed her, she would have killed me but I know that she will be haunting me in my dreams tonight. Feeling Enobaria's weight fall on me, the stench of her sweat and blood, the coppery smell of her breath, about to take a bite of my flesh. The faceless people, her victims. I wonder who her last victim was.

I push myself up and sit against the wall, attempting to steady my breathing. "Katniss!" I hear shouts from the start of the alley. I ignore them and pull my legs up to my chest. I don't know why I'm so terrified. I have killed so many people before. But I hadn't been touching them when I murdered them. "Katniss!" Heavy footsteps come quickly towards me. Haymitch. "God, you are so stupid! You can't run off to try and kill someone armed. Not one of Snow's soldiers. That could change your whole image," he lectures me but I just stare at Enobaria's body. Haymitch starts putting two and two together.

"I'm sorry," I whisper shakily. Haymitch sighs.

"Come on. Lets get you back," he says, holding out his hand. I nod and stand up, trembling uncontrollably. I hold onto Haymitch's arm to steady myself. "You were just doing it for self defense. Calm down," I stare straight ahead, trying to convince myself that his words are true.

***

I'm waiting in front of Peeta's room in an uncomfortable chair. My knees are pulled up to my chest. I am staring across the hall at a blank wall. Marlena took off my armor and dressed me in a light gray t-shirt and black stretchy pants. She undid my hair and let it fall to my shoulders.

The door opens behind me. I jump slightly and turn. A doctor taking off red stained gloves. Blood stained. Peeta's blood. "He's okay," the doctor says. Relief floods over me. I nod, not feeling like speaking. "Would you like to see him?"

I ponder over his question. I don't want to speak. Not even to Peeta. He would ask me what happened, and I don't want to tell him. I don't want to relive it. Ever again. I nod though, letting my legs fall over the side of the chair. I stand up, using almost all of my strength.

The doctor steps to the side and lets me in. I turn into Peeta's room. He's lying on the bed. A bandage is tied around his middle.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi," I croak. I see in his face, he knows something is wrong.

"Are you ok?" he asks. I try holding back tears, like I have this whole time. I shake my head though, and an unwanted tear slips out of my eye. He lifts his arm pulling me towards him. I kneel beside him and he puts his hand on my cheek. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asks. I shake my head no. I can't. I come back to myself and wipe away the tears.

"How are you?" I ask, changing the subject. Peeta frown, and sigh.

"Fine. It's not a big deal. I had that armor on. The bullet that hit my side just barely brushed it," he says. I nod, my eyes drifting to his side wound. A pinkish color can be seen underneath layers of bandages.

"We're going back to 13," I say quietly. He nod and look up.

"Do you think it worked? Our speeches?" he asks. I shrug. I hadn't thought of that. Maybe it did. The soldier- Enobaria. I cringe slightly. She did shoot Peeta. Maybe that would show the citizens that Snow's army is the enemy.

"I don't know," I whisper. That's not the truth. I don't know. And not knowing is one of the worst things I could possibly think of.