Fire is Catching

Chapter 18: Today is the Day

CHAPTER 18: TODAY IS THE DAY

Beetee is still too weak to hike up the slope on his own, so Finnick and Peeta take turns carrying him. Johanna's leading, and Everdeen brings up the rear. I am behind the boys, not wanting to be near Johanna. I am still mad at her for killing Cashmere.

Once we near the tree, Finnick suggests Everdeen leads the pack, because she can 'hear' the forcefield.

I'm tired of walking, when we reach the tree, towering above everything else in sight. But there is no time to rest. We must work.

Everdeen decides she's the leader, so she tells us all to stay below the lightning tree as she hunts. The rest of us decide to divide up duties. Finnick guards Beetee while he examines the tree, Johanna gets water, Peeta gathers nuts, and I guard Johanna as she gets water. What I wouldn't give to switch with Finnick.

Johanna and I are right next to the others tapping water, which I am grateful for. When we're done, we help Peeta gather. When we see the ten o'clock wave, Peeta begins to worry about Everdeen.

"She's fine," I say with a tone of bitterness. Everdeen and Peeta are in this together. Chase and I are not. I have no way to know if he is okay. "We haven't heard screaming or a canon."

Sure enough, in a good five minutes, Everdeen is back, dangling three dead tree rats by her belt. She greets Peeta and sits down to clean her kills. I offer to cook the nuts, because it's kind of a fun job. No one objects, and I end up making a game out of it. I throw the nut at the forcefield and try to catch it. It's mildly entertaining. Once the nuts are cooked, I sit down by Everdeen and Peeta and try to strike up a conversation.

"On my last trip to the Capitol, I saw children wearing their hair like yours." I tell Everdeen honestly.

She wants to roll her eyes, I can tell. But instead she replies, "It's good to know I'm a positive role model for them."

"Haymitch told me you guys watched the tapes of previous Victors. Did you see mine?" I ask.

Peeta nods. "You were the first one we watched."

I look down, a little embarrassed. I don't know where I would've gone with that.

"You stayed yourself." Peeta blurts out. "In the Games!"

I raise my head, confused.

"You weren't anyone else's monster. You were yourself."

I shake my head. "Peeta, I killed six people. Only four were in self defense."

He nods. "But you killed with remorse. I watched you. Before every kill, you hesitated."

As I think about my Games, it doesn't seem to happen like that. I just killed to stay alive. But somehow, I know Peeta is right.

I nod, to tell him I understand. And I do. In the Games, you add a survival mindset to your thinking. Everyone's is different. For Peeta, it was to save Everdeen. For Everdeen, it was to avoid people of possible until the end. For me, well, I did what she did in the beginning, but when we got down to the final eight I began hunting people. And us victors never really lose our survival mindset. Haymitch sleeps with a knife!

That's when the clicks in the next sector reach our ears. Eleven o'clock.

"It's not mechanical." Beetee declares.

"I'd guess insects." Everdeen says. "Maybe beetles?"

"Something with pincers." Finnick deduces.

Johanna picks up her axe. "We should get out of here anyway. We've less than an hour until the lightning hits."

We unanimously agree and set off. The blood rain section is nearby, and we stop by the large tree there.