Peeta's Story- The Hunger Games

Chapter 29

guys... my internet died on me yesterday... also, i didn't have time to proofread, so i'm so sorry in advance! i sorta had writers block... so let me know what you think please :P

notre dame won yesterday :D!

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We burst out of the trees, still unnoticed by the sleeping tribute. My knees are shaking and I feel weak and useless as Cato leaps on top of her. She screams and claws at him, trying to bite his arm, but he holds her in a death grip. She is hysterical now, shrieking and begging for mercy, but the look Cato gives us is clear- kill her now. In one fell swoop, Raine lifts her spear and whacks the tribute with the wooden shaft. A loud sound echoes throughout the clearing and the tribute shakes, then slumps down on the ground.

Raine backs up, as if scared at what she has done, but within a matter of seconds, whatever sympathy she has for the dead tribute is washed away and she whoops, giving Cato a high five and a peck on the cheek. As he blushes, Clove glares at Raine dangerously and hugs Cato tightly, screaming "Good job!" We are making too much noise for my liking and my head is pounding dangerously. I feel like I'm about to faint.

Cato swipes the burnt meat off of the fire and smiles at everyone. "Come on, everyone, breakfast!" he yells, waving the meat in the air. Everyone claps and follows him back into the dense part of the forest. Suddenly he stops and cocks his head. "Are you sure she's dead?"

Raine puffs out her chest. "Of course she is, I killed her."

"But the gong hasn't sounded yet."

Raine crosses her arms across her chest. "But..." she begins to bicker with Cato loudly.

The sound of their voices is too much. I am still in shock from the ambush of that other tribute and all they succeed in doing is making my head spin in confusion. "Shut up," I find myself saying. Surprised, everyone looks at me and I turn red. "I'll go back and make sure she's dead or kill her. Just... Be quiet!"

"Go on, then, Lover Boy," Raine sneers, and I feel the urge to slap her across the cheek. Lover Boy, I hate that nickname they made up for me. I back into the forest, seething. I can still feel her hateful glare upon my back. It is not until I reach the clearing that I realize what I just volunteered myself for.

The tribute we attacked is sprawled on the ground, whimpering in fear. Her blonde hair is tangled and her face is smudged with dirt. A lump is rapidly forming on her head, and my breath catches in my throat as I realize that she is still alive and I'll have to kill her. Leaning over her gently, I contemplate my actions. If I leave her as is, the Career Tributes will surely find out and kill me. I'd also be dooming her to a slow, painful death. I shake her shoulder timidly and her head lolls from side to side. She moans, but refuses to open her eyes.

"Are you okay?" I whisper.

She doesn't respond and I pick up my knife, holding it in the air and closing my eyes. I do not want to see what I'm about to do. She startles me when she croaks, "Just do it quickly." Her voice is deflated; she has already given up. Surprised, I open my eyes again and look down at her.

"I'm sorry," I whisper and then cry out in surprise. She is staring at me intently and I realize that her eyes are a beautifully transparent gray color that seems to swirl with mysteriousness. They remind me so much of Katniss's eyes and I hold her gaze as I quickly slit her throat, then back up, revolted.

Her eyes are now glazed over, though the blood is flowing thickly from the wound I made on her neck. I try to tell myself that I did her a favor; in killing her, I saved her a few extra hours of torture, but I know that her face will haunt me forever. Just another person to add to my collection of nightmares. And her eyes, those eyes that are the same exact color as Katniss's. I will never forget the expression in them as she begged me to kill her.