The Hunger Games (Peeta's Point of View)

Chapter Fifteen

I am engulfed in the shadowy claws of nightmares as soon as I lose consciousness. Each one is more catastrophic than the last, and I try to hold on to my awareness each time I wake, however briefly. But the venom takes over and no matter how hard I try to stay awake I find myself slipping back into the void of night terrors. Succumbing to the agonising visions is all I can do- attempting to fight the effects of the tracker jacker venom just elongates the pain.

       Nightmarish visions swim through my mind: visions I fear the most. Of my father dying. My brothers- Rory and Brecken- suffering fatal injuries. A disaster so calamitous it wipes out Katniss- and the rest of her family. Each time I awake I hope I have reached the end of my suffering. This is it, I think, the cataclysm has stopped. But, if anything, it is the complete opposite- the visions multiply.

       One of the visions is more vivid than the rest:

       "Are you sure? The venom's pretty powerful; we all know that. Heck, we have a first-hand experience of it. It wouldn't surprise me if you were hallucinating, Cato." Even though sounds are muffled, I recognise Clove's voice. Why do the Careers haunt me, even in my dreams?

       "Don't be ridiculous!" Cato's harsh tone hurts my ears. "I know what I saw, and I saw treachery! And speaking of things that aren't surprisng: this is one of them. From day one it was obvious he wasn't fully content with joining us." Even in the venom-induced haze I know they are discussing my betrayal: of saving Katniss' life. But don't be fooled, I try to assure myself. It's not real. It's not real...

       "He is in love with her." That's Marvel. "He said so in the interview," he muses.

       "Exactly!" Cato spits it in triumph, even though he'd probably never admit to using Marvel's logic in real life. "Lover Boy was always going to betray us. It was obvious from the start. You just missed all the signs."

       Gradually, I feel the throb in my head subside, and the exhaustion in my limbs trickle away. Slowly, in case this is just another ailment from the venom and I'm not recovered, I sit up with the help of my hands. My wrists shake with the exertion of it. The voices fade which lead me to believe the hallucination is subsiding.

       "I suppose all evidence points to it." Then Clove's voice takes on a bitter streak. "And with another one gone, there's less to deal with back at the Cornucopia."

       "We're united, then," Cato says proudly.

       Then it's silent. At least the venom's wearing off now, I think as I turn my head, partially to clear the stiffness, partially to see the others. But they're not there.

       With my energy returning I get to my feet, joints clicking from the lack of use. Hunger and thirst shoot through me; a double-pronged attack. My vision reels so, after a bit of swaying and unsteadiness on my feet, I lean on the edges of the cave, by the mouth. I have a direct view of the outside. There are the others. And that conversation was no illusion. For there they are, sitting around a campfire, weapons lying next to them. Sharpened.

       "When d'you think he'll emerge?" Says Marvel in an undertone.

       "I dunn- hello, Peeta. You finally awaken," Cato drawls. He pats the ground next to him; a signal for me to sit there. "Join us."

       I obey. As I make my way from the cave to the Careers I try to walk as steadily as possible, not wanting to show any signs of weakness, no matter how obscure. Ideally, I'd have had time to rest and eavesdrop a bit more before making my escape, but that hasn't worked out. I'll just have to play it by ear now. Not that my situation seems to be one I can just stroll out of. Odds are I'll be hacking and slashing my way out of this one.