The Other Slip

Chapter 32

I stay in the middle of the group, my loaded bow in hand, as we walk through the sewers. A distant splashing startles me. We all seem to notice it, but we all dismiss it as a peacekeeper or an avox. More splashing. Closer and closer. No one addresses it. We all start walking faster. I tighten my grip on my bow. A hissing. This time, we all stop.

-"What was that?" Finnick whispers.

-"I'm not sure," I respond, "But I don't want to stick around to find out."

We all sprint, but the creatures are still faster. I hear a scream, but I don't stop. I can't stop. I don't bother identifying the scream either. I feel something scratch my ankle, and accelerate by reflex. I take a moment to look back and fire an explosive arrow, while still running. Another scream. Can't stop. We reach a large pool where the tunnels intersect. I pick arrows at random, shooting wherever I see the grotesque white creatures. Their rosy smell is even worse than the sewer water.

-"Ladder!" Gale calls out, beginning his climb.

Peacekeepers will most definitely catch us if we go above ground. But what other choice do we have now? Peeta hoists me onto the ladder, and I climb quickly. I pull him up with me, and lean down to shoot some more mutts. But they start trying to climb the metal bars, and Peeta pulls me back.

-"Peeta there are still people there!" I yell.

-"Katniss, we can either all die, or do what they would want us to and continue the mission."

Guilt flows through me. There is no mission. All of these people died because of me, because of a fake mission. We should have just gone back to District 13. Now everyone thinks we're dead, and some of us really are. I don't want to know who was killed. I'm going to have to find out though.

Peeta shakes his head at my silence, and proceeds to drag me along with him. Bullets ricochet along the walls, and I load my bow in preparation for the Peacekeepers ahead. My arrow blows up a group of them, while the rest of the group takes care of the rest of them. We reach another ladder, which opens to someone's house. I sharp squeal pierces through my ear, but the arrow I shoot interrupts it.

Looks like I'm killing civilians now as well. I don't care enough to dwell on it. I pant, and look around the room. Peeta. Gale. Pollux. That's it. All of the other members of my squad had been victims of the lizard mutts.

-"What do we do now?" I ask, "It's not safe here."

-"I don't think it's going to be safe anywhere else," Peeta responds, still catching his breath, "We could just stay here for now and come up with a plan."

I notice something on his artificial leg's ankle. It probably got damaged in the sewers.

I run my fingers through a very soft fur blanket that was elegantly tossed on the couch. We should be brainstorming, but with the uncomfortable situation between Peeta, Gale and I, and Pollux who can't speak, there is no way to ease the silence. Peeta had asked Castor to teach him basic sign language, so we can communicate with him a bit. I don't think Peeta planned this, he honestly just wanted to make it easier for Pollux. A small black disk on the table I hadn't noticed projects a screen with the Capitol symbol.

-"Greetings, citizens," President Snow stares intensely at the camera, disturbing me. "As you all now, the rebels have been attacking frequently, and aggressively. So I ask from all of the citizens residing outside of the City Circle to come here. You will be fed and given a place to stay for the time being. Residents of the City Circle, we will be asking you to open your doors to some of our refugees. Everyone must take in at least one person, depending on the size of your living situation. Thank you."

The projection retracts back into the disk and we all look at each other.

-"We need to go." Gale states.

-"Where can we go? We can't just be out in the open, that's insane." I try not to sound angry, but fail.

-"Both of you are right, no need to get upset," Peeta says. "They won't start bringing people in yet. Tonight let's just look for food in the kitchen and eat. We can take care of all of this tomorrow."

We eat cheese with soft bread, along with some chocolate cake for dessert. I slide myself into my sleeping bag and find Peeta's hand. There doesn't seem to be a solution to our problem. Every outcome ends in us getting captured by the Capitol. What are we going to do?