Peeta's Story- The Hunger Games

Chapter 43

The first thing I register when I come to my senses is the warm feel of the sun beating down upon my face. Right now, with my eyes closed, I almost feel as if I am a little child again, playing in the streets in the summertime. I haven't felt this warm and fuzzy in awhile, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I wonder why it's so cozy here in the cave, where everything has always been stone cold. Then I realize that it's so much more silent than I'm accustomed to. The silence seems almost eerie and a foreboding feeling washes through me, and although I try to push it away, a queasy feeling lingers in my stomach. I clamp my eyes shut, squeezing them tighter than I normally would, because I'm not ready to open my eyes and return to the real world yet. In fact, I'm quite content living in this comfortable haze. It is then that I realize why it's so quiet. I hear the rustling of leaves nearby and realize with a shock that the rain has finally cleared after beating down relentlessly upon us for days. What do the Gamemakers mean by this? They probably want us to move out of here, to start tracking the others. If Thresh had died early yesterday, then it will have been almost one day since the last bit of entertainment, and the audience is probably getting restless and bored. This weather is just here to speed up some of the action and make it easier for us to kill each other.

Something touches my shoulder lightly and I instinctively draw away from it, until I hear a familiar, musical voice call "Peeta," very softly, like a whisper in a wind. She touches my shoulder again and shakes it gently, trying to wake me up, but I refuse to open my eyes and return to the harsh reality of the real world. Finally, it's her alluring voice that draws me out of my sleepiness and I open my eyes blearily as she calls my name once again, leaning over me, her hair falling into her face.

She looks so beautiful right there and then that I pull her into me, crashing my lips against hers, feeling a rush of euphoria surge through me. I don't know what it is about today that makes me so happy, but I allow myself to bask in the euphoria until I finally pull away, grinning ear to ear. She is smiling too, her lips full and plump and her cheeks flushed, so I pull her into a giant hug before releasing her.

"We're wasting hunting time," she says, but not even the fact that she thinks kissing me is a waste of time succeeds in breaking my good mood.

I still feel triumphant, as if I've won a war, when I stretch out my cramped muscles and inconspicuously move closer to her. "I wouldn't call it a waste of time," I grin suggestively. I'm not sure if I'm imagining it or not, but she seems to have blushed at my words. "So what's the plan? Do we hunt on an empty stomach to give us an edge?"

"Not us," she replies. "We stuff ourselves to give us staying power."

I grin enthusiastically. "Count me in." I'm starving.

She lifts the cloth from the food and examines it before rationing it out. I'm surprised to see all that she has set before me. If we both eat this much, there won't be much food, if any, left. "All this?" I frown.

"We'll earn it all back today," she shrugs, attacking her food ferociously with her fork. After a few futile attempts at scooping up the last few drops of stew, she abandons her fork and wipes the bowl clean with her fingers, licking her fingers clean and smacking appreciatively. She catches me staring and grins sheepishly. "I can feel Effie Trinket shuddering at my manners."

I laugh, imagining the look of revulsion on Effie's face right now. "Hey Effie, watch this!" I almost shout. I throw my fork aside and lick the sides of my bowl clean, getting gravy all over the tip of my nose. Blowing a kiss at the opening of the cave, where I assume the cameras are, I yell "We miss you, Effie!" before breaking down into a fit of laughter. I haven't felt so carefree in awhile.

Katniss laughs too, her eyes glistening as she cups her hand over my mouth. "Shh," she cautions me. "Cato could be right outside our cave." However, she can hardly contain her laughter and we burst once again into an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

"What do I care?" I say carelessly, pulling a giggling Katniss into my lap. "I've got you to protect me now," I murmur while nuzzling her neck.

"Come on!" she whines, struggling to stand up. I pull her back down and kiss her, my wide-awake senses all too aware of the feel of her lips on mine.

When she finally pulls away, she walks over silently to the backpack and begins to pile everything in slowly. After a few moments, she turns back to me and snaps, "Are you going to help or just sit there looking pretty?"

"I probably don't look pretty, but I wouldn't mind sitting here," I respond cockily, and the corner of her mouth twitches. Sighing melodramatically, I pull myself off the ground and put out the fire, scattering the charred sticks and stones around the cave so it wouldn't look like anyone had been here.

When I straighten up, Katniss is watching me like a hawk and we make eye contact. Suddenly, the atmosphere seems cold and serious and the carefree mood of before has completely vanished. Cato and Foxface could be anywhere out there, just waiting for us to let down our guard before killing us. I walk in silence to the entrance of the cave, my footsteps thudding against the packed dirt. Katniss is so quiet that I have to turn around to make sure she's there. She glides along the floor lithely, like a fox stalking its prey. There's a fierce glint in her eyes that I've never seen before, so I turn away, trying not to break the silence. She wordlessly hands me a knife, which I slip into my belt, and then she fumbles around for her quiver, her forehead creasing into a million lines.

She sighs as she counts her arrows, then turns to me, her face stony and resolute. "Are you ready?" she asks. I nod wordlessly and she smiles. "Let's hunt."

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hmmm... :/

REALLY BUSY :P. thanks for reading x