Doe In The Meadow | Peeta Mellark

thirteen

"There's beauty in even the smallest of things." I smiled to Jack as we walked down the sidewalk, passing the cemetary of fallen tributes and victors. Everyone who died was burried here. The headstones were large and expensive. White marble with golden engraving. Flowers were scattered throughout the graveyard, placed on each grave. Even when they didn't have family left or friends, someone always came by to place flowers on each grave. "I hope one day someone does that for me." I sighed to him.

"You've got a long life ahead of you, you shouldn't be worried of dying just yet, kid." I looked to him, as he smiled over at me.

"Ari, breath." Peeta's voice begged. I couldn't let go of his arms. His hands held onto me as he lifted me to my feet, and Katniss walked back over to the two of us.

"She's gone mad." She informed him.

"She hasn't. She's just scared." I could hear the frustration in his voice towards her. His defending of me, was sweet, innocent. I was the opposite of that.

"Well, we need to get to the center." She said to him. I wasn't sure what her motives were. Only one of us could make it out alive, and there were still a few more tributes left. "Let's go." She demanded of us. Peeta, reluctantly agreed, holding on to me as we began our descent through the woods. She held up her arrow as we listened for noises or people.

After about an hour of hiking through the arena, we heard what sounded like a low growl coming from nearby to our left.

"Stay here." Peeta whispered to me, stepping forward. Within seconds, a large beast came jumping out of the bushes and tackling him to his back, but Katniss shot an arrow into it, as it rolled over, and off of him.

Peeta then grabbed onto my hand and we ran for our lives through those trees. I glanced behind us to see three of those beasts were just on our tail.

When we looked forward again, we had noticed the giant structure the capitol had planted in the grassy field. Katniss climbed up and then Peeta lifted me onto it, where Katniss and I grabbed his hands, pulling him up. I turned and felt a blow to my head as I stumbled backwards, noticing Cato, who had already hit Katniss and was now fighting Peeta.
Without a second of hesitation, I pulled out my katana but before Katniss or I could step any closer, Cato held Peeta up with both hands around his neck, ready to snap it at any given moment. Katniss held her arrow to him, as I with my blade, shaking.

"Shoot. Go on! I'm dead anyway." Cato told us. "I could still do this." Cato sounded like he was convincing himself, more than us. "One more kill." He tightened his grip as Peeta looked to me.

Katniss then, without warning, fired the arrow into Cato's hand and Peeta pushed him to the beasts below. They began tearing him apart, but Katniss fired an arrow into his chest, ending the suffering for him. I looked to Peeta, and without thinking, rushed forward, jumping into his arms and pressing my lips against his. For a few moments we stay lip locked with one another and I had almost forgotten where we were. But as we pulled apart, I noticed Katniss had a final arrow pointed at my head.

Peeta stepped in front of me, protecting my life.

"What are you doing?" He asked her, coldly.

"Only one can win. And it wont be her." Katniss replied, with ice in her tone.

"Katniss, think about what you're doing." Peeta begged her, trying to persuade her otherwise, but a part of me knew she wouldn't give in to his demand.

"She's right." I said, stepping back into her view. "But if you kill me, you let him live." I sacrificed myself, for the greater of both me and her. Peeta deserved this. She didn't respond. Her eyes averted back and forth between the two of us. "I mean, what do I need the money for right?" I let out a short laugh. "I'm rich. I'm from the Capitol. All I've done here is play into their little game. I've got nothing left. No dignity, no restraint, no happiness. So end it for me."

"No! Katniss, you're better than this, than the games. Think about what you're doing right now." Peeta begged, pulling me back behind him. I watched her think for a little bit and then she, finally, dropped the bow to the metal floor below us.

"So, what exactly do we do then?" She asked.

"I think you know that answer." I implied, remembering I had seen her slip some nightlock berries into her coat pocket when Peeta was holding me. Peeta looked confused as she pulled them out. I walked forward grabbed a couple, and stared at the perfectly blue berries staining my skin. Peeta caught onto our plan and he grabbed a few as well. We all looked up from our hands and stared back at each other. "It was uh, nice knowing you guys." I managed to cough out, as our eyes exchanged saddened glances.

"One," Peeta began the counting, with a weak and tired voice.

"Two," Katniss continued as Peeta grabbed onto my empty hand holding it gently within his.

"Three." I ended it, as we lifted the berries to our mouths.

"Stop!" The voice shrieked over the loud speaker. "Stop!" We halted our suicides and glanced around. "Ladies and gentlemen," it continued, hesitantly. I tightened my grasp on Peeta's hand, squeezing it hard, nervously. "May I present the winners of the 74th annual Hunger Games, Peeta Mellark, Katniss Everdeen," it paused for a moment. "and Arizona Stark."