Waking up in Panem

Chapter 16

I climb out of the sleeping bag and quickly pack up our things. There's some rustling outside and I start to shake.

" Do you know who it is? " I whisper to Peeta.

He shakes his head, " No, but I think there's only one. So it's probably Thresh. "

We hear footsteps, they start fading and I tiptoe towards the entrance. I peek my head out of the cave and see Thresh wandering around the river bank, his head turns towards the cave and I quickly duck back inside.

" Who is it? " Peeta whispers.

" Thresh, we need to get out of here. I don't think even the two of us would stand a chance against him. " I say while grabbing my bow.

I slowly walk towards the entrance again, I look around and don't see him. I wave Peeta towards me letting him know that it's safe. I set one foot out of the cave when I see something move from the corner of my eye, I look over and Thresh swings his blade towards me. I duck and the blade lodges itself in the wall of the cave, I grab Peeta's arm and start running. I turn around and see Thresh struggling to pull the blade out.

" Hurry up! " I scream to Peeta.

I look down and remember his leg's still injured and it's just starting to heal. I grab his hand and push him in front of me.

" Go! " I yell, " I'll distract Thresh, you go find a hiding place and I'll find you later. "

" But- "

" Do it! " I yell to him, I push him forward and start running in the opposite direction.

Thresh finally gets his blade out and comes running towards me.  I stop and duck underneath it, he runs straight into the river and trips on a rock. His arms start waving around and he falls to the ground wearing, I smirk at him. He gets back up and I run into the forest again.

" Come on, why are you so slow! " I yell to him.

I turn around and see him charging towards me, I pick up my speed and run farther away from where Peeta went. It feels like hours when I hear someone coming out of the trees, a knife slices through Thresh and he falls to the ground.

" Boom! " his cannon goes off.

I turn my head back to the front of me and run head on into a tree.

" She's waking up, " I hear Clove whisper.

I open my eyes and see her and Cato standing over top of me. I panic and try to move but I'm pinned down by some of Clove's knives.

She smiles, " Look who finally woke up. "

I try to break free from the knives but my jacket is pinned. Clove walks around me in circles while Cato just stands there and does nothing.

" Hmm, what can we do that will draw your little boyfriend over here? " Clover sneers, " Oh, I know. "

She grabs one of the knives and cuts open my arm, I scream but stop and bite my tongue. I'm not going to draw Peeta into their trap.

" Clove, is this really necessary? " Cato asks.

" You want to win Cato, don't you? " Clove answers.

" Well yeah, but- "

" No buts, " she spits out at him.

He stops talking and just stares at her, he looks down at me sympathetically. I loose my temper and start kicking around trying to get out of being pinned by the knives. I get one arm free and Clove tries to come and stop me but I punch her in the face, Cato comes and I kick him away from me. I free my other arm and take off into the trees, I grab a knife before I run. I hear Clove yell in anger and another knife comes towards me, I dodge it and keep running until I'm sure they won't find me.

" Peeta! " I yell out.

I walk around in circles, I look at my arm and see that it's still bleeding.

" Peeta? " I whisper.

I walk back to the cave to see if he's there, he's not. I get frustrated and walk around the forest, I begin to give up hope and I throw a rock into a bush.

" Oww! " someone screams.

I walk towards the bush and Peeta comes limping out, he sees me and smiles.

" Hey, what's up? " he asks.

I glare at him, " We were almost killed and you ask me what's up? "

He smiles and nods his head, I roll my eyes and start walking away from him.

" Hey! " he yells.

" Shut up! " I whisper, " They could be near us you dumb ass. "

He glares at me and I smirk, I look around to see if there's a place that we can camp out in for the night.

" So where exactly are we going? " Peeta whines.

" Shut up, your such a girl, " I answer back.

He grumble and stomps around complaining and asking for a break every ten seconds, I loose my patience.

" Would you stop being such a child, " I growl, " Your worse than a three year old. "

" But where are we going, my leg's killing me, " he whines again.

" I don't know, we're just trying to get as far away from Cato and Clove. Unless you want to go back towards them, then I wouldn't have to put up with your whining. "

He stares at me and I smirk at him.

" Go on, go get killed, be a good little boy and leave me alone. " I say to him.

His mouth falls open and he just stares at me, I begin to laugh. I laugh so hard I fall to the ground and roll around clenching my stomach.

" It isn't funny, " he growls.

I just keep laughing and by the time I finish my stomach is aching, " Yes it is, " I say in between fits of laughter, " That was the only way to shut you up and stop you from whining. "

He looks at me and a smile forms on his lips, he starts laughing too, " Well it was mean. " he says after he stops laughing.

He helps me get up off the ground and we keep walking farther away from the area I last saw Cato and Clove.

" You do realize the gamemakers are going to make us fight each other in about a day right? " Peeta says.

I nod my head, " I know, and they're going down. "

Peeta laughs, " You'd better be right otherwise me and you are going to be looked back on as fools. "

I shove him lightly and he frowns at me, I giggle and scrunch up my face. His eyes widen and I stick out my tongue. I slap his arm.

" Tag, your it! " I call laughing as I run away.

" Oh your gonna get it! " he yells to me as he starts chasing me.

I squeal and start running full speed forward, I break through the trees and come into a clearing. I keep running and laugh when he trips and falls on his face, I turn forward and come to a stop, the ground ends right in front of me.

" Your it! " he yells hugging me from behind when he catches up to me.

I just stare down at the pit, it seems to be endless and pitch black.

" Katniss? " he asks when I don't answer him, he lets me go and looks down with me.

" Is that? "

I nod my head, " Where the arena ends. "