Our Love Could Be Lethal

Act II: Be Very Quiet, We're Hunting for Tributes

If anyone gets this title reference, you had a lit selection of childhood television.

Also, my family and I re-watched Hunger Games and Catching Fire this weekend, so it was good to watch it all through again! I cannot wait to get to Catching Fire. I've basically been writing to get to that point since the beginning.

I get a decent night's sleep knowing that the Career pack is safe. Apparently, they moved their belongings, and by belongings, I mean slowly moving everything from the Cornucopia to a nearby camp at a lake. Smart, I think. They'll have plenty of access to clean and fresh water. At least now I don't have to worry about Cato de-hydrating to death. As Atla always says, twenty percent of tributes die from dehydration.

I'm glad he doesn't have to fight for water. In the abandoned ruins arena, water was a hot commodity. One could find some taps in between houses with only three walls and piles of rubble. Luckily for me, by living in District 2, I was able to learn from the Masons what looked like a stable building and what looked like it might collapse. Some of the other Tributes weren't so lucky.

I wake up right at five, knowing the Tributes would go hunting before dawn. I don't want to miss anything big. If they run into someone like Thresh, he could cause some major damage to the Career pack, and knowing Cato, he's the one who would likely try and lead that attack. I flick on the television to see that the majority of the tributes are still asleep which is good news for me. I run around my room, throwing things on, and put a little bit of the rouge Fallon gave me to make me look more alive than I currently am because I hardly got any sleep. With ten tributes down, only thirteen more have to go until my brother can come home.

When I get to my station downstairs, Cashmere, Brutus, Gloss, and Cecelia. I'm not exactly sure why she's down here so early. That is, not until the broadcast turns its attention to the girl from 8. Apparently, in between my room and here, the girl has lit a fire, and the Careers plus Peeta are on their way to investigate. At her station, Cecelia is cursing under her breath. If there was a way to communicate with the Tributes, I'm sure Cecelia would be yelling.

Cashmere is the first to greet me. She looks as tired as I am, perhaps even more so. "They're closing in on the girl on fire," she tells me with an attempt at excitement in her voice.

I look to my own station, only a few down from hers and click on the screen to change it, tapping on the 12F  icon. Sure enough, Katniss is in a tree only a few meters away from the girl from 8's fire. "Let's just hope they look up far enough."

The Career pack is soon upon the girl from 8, and Cato takes her out with one fell swoop of his sword. Cecelia knows it's over as soon as it happens and walks out the door with a sad look on her face. I try to give her a reassuring smile, but she won't even meet my eyes. I don't blame her, considering my brother just killed her Tribute. But in a few days, just like every other year, the Mentors will let go of any grudges, and everyone will return to being friendly.

But something is wrong because the cannon doesn't sound. Cato didn't complete the kill. She's as good as dead and will die within the next few minutes, if not seconds, but Peeta volunteers and goes back to finish her off. Darn, I think to myself. It would have been helpful for Cato to add another kill to his count. Although, this year, Seneca has introduced the idea of kill assists, meaning that each kill is worth two points now while an assist is one. Only tributes who have a direct contribution to the kill within a ten-minute timeframe will receive the points. So at the very least, Cato will be getting one extra point for this. But he's already behind both Glimmer and Marvel for points, which makes it harder for me to sell to the sponsors.

While Peeta is off mercy killing the girl from 8, Cato mentions that they should just take out Peeta now, which I find a bit strange considering he was one of the ones who wanted him so bad in the first place. What's changed? I wonder to myself.