Maze Games

Chapter Twenty-Six

Katniss's POV

(Songs for this chapter:
Monster: by Rhianna & Eminem)

Everyone piles into the Homestead. I'm on the first floor with Alby, Thomas, Peeta, Gale, Newt, and Minho. We all huddle in the corner of the room, (besides Thomas and Alby whom are both still unconscious), farthest away from the border up window. We sit in silence for hours listening to the grievers out in the maze. I don't get that tired because I am used to staying up and taking shifts throughout the night when I was in the games. The room is filled with an unpleasant, tense feeling. It makes me want to scream. It reminded me to much of the reaping, everyone sitting there knowing that they might be the one to go to their doom. And even if they do survive, it means that someone else would have died before them. I shiver at the thought and try to leave my mind blank. I begin to drift off, but I'm interrupted by the sound of grinding wood. The tense feeling in the room melts as everyone holds their breath in fear. As if they've called the first tribute's name...

I shiver at the thought and try to clear my mind. All of a sudden a loud sound of snapping wood fills the air. I hear the sickening sound of the wet Grievers retracting and rolling towards the Homestead. We sit in silence as the moaning of the creatures come closer. The dark figure of a Griever shades the window. The moaning and retracting stops and time seems to stand still. No one dares to even breathe. Everyone looks at the window waiting for something to set the monster off.

Don't... make... a... sound. I think to myself.

Of course, I didn't. But Thomas let's out a moan from across the room. Newt throws his hand over his mouth but it's to late. The creature smashes through the glass and begins to saw at the wood. Screams fill the air and everyone heads for the stairs... except for me. I rush over towards Thomas. His eyes are wide open and filled with fear.

"What the-" he starts.

"Save your questions for later. If you wanna live, follow me." I say.

He seems confused but understands. He sits up and winces in pain. I grab his arm and yank him towards the stair case where everyone else is at. There are to many people, we aren't gonna make it. Me and Thomas are at the back, we'll be an easy target. The wood on the window snaps. I jerk my head back just in time to see the moist Griever leaking into the room we were just in. More screams fill the air. Instinct takes over and I throw myself into the crowd, making me and Thomas less reachable. Thomas moans. I scramble to my feet and help him up. We ride with the mob down the stairs. A scream tops all of the others. I turn around and see Gale in one of the metal claws of the Griever.

"GALE!!!" I scream as I fight the crowd.

"GALE!!!" I scream again.

But I'm to late. The Griever pulls Gale out of the window. As the crowd starts to weaken I'm able to climb back up the stairs. I look out the window and see the Grievers spell out a threatening message in the sand of the Glade.

One by one. It read.

The Grievers file out of the Glade, making their horrible moaning sounds.

They're going to kill us off one by one. I think to myself. And because of me, Gale was the first person to go.