Real or Not Real?- A Hunger Games FanFiction

Chapter 18- Tracker Jack-Attack

Chapter 18- Tracker Jack-Attack

Before I know it, Katniss is shaking me and I'm mumbling to her to let me sleep. She shushes me and points up.

"Tracker jackers." I whisper to her. She squints at it and looks back to me. I look back up, hearing the hum of them and shiver. I know I'm going to get stung and I know it's going to hurt. Bad. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Of using the tracker jackers to get the Careers to go away?" 

"Yup."

She nods at me and starts to make her way up the tree. I gulp as I get up to follow her.

"Dot, you don't need to go up there with me. You probably can't even make it. Just find the farthest branch from the tracker jackers and go." For once, I actually listen to her advice. I know I'm not going to be any help, sitting up there while she cuts. Besides, it'll be better if I don't get stung that way I can help Katniss. Who am I fooling? I'm a big wimp.

So I make my way over as far as I can from the tracker jackers. It isn't far and I hope to only get stung once. I hear the anthem behind me and try to make myself blend in. Show time. I squint my eyes and pray I won't get stung. Five minutes goes by before I feel something touch me and I almost scream bloody murder. But I can't because a hand is slapped over my mouth. I struggle for a minute before I see its Katniss. My cheeks turn pink and I'm glad for the darkness.

"What happened? I thought you were supposed to tracker jack-attack the Careers?" I whisper.

"Change of plans. We need to wait until dawn to do it. Hopefully they'll all be asleep by then." I nod as we carefully make our way back to our sleeping bags. Jay won't be. If I was him, I'd probably be sneaking off now. When we get back to our bags, I'm smiling like a kid on Christmas morning. This is actually better than Christmas because it's the burn ointment that Katniss was sent. She puts some on her burns before handing it to me carefully. I handle it carefully too, because if I drop it, it's gone. My hands are shaking but I can't let my clumsiness win. I spread it over my arm first before coating the burns on my leg and hand. I can touch things a little now with the sweet ointment. I hand it back to Katniss as we settle back down, now soothed by it. So soothed that I fall asleep almost instantly.

I wake up before Katniss and look down to see the Careers snoozing. All but one. Jay. I catch his eyes staring at me in the morning light. Katniss should be awake soon so I hurry to warn Jay before she can see. She probably wouldn't approve of me warning him. I make a shooing motion with my hand, trying to tell him to go. I don't want him to get hurt. He nods, understanding at what's about to happen. I watch as he gathers his things quickly (even daring to take what looks like a pack of food out of Cato's bag). I shake my head quickly as he shakes Peeta. You idiot! I thought you said we can't change anything!

And here he is, taking Peeta with him. Peeta quickly nods his head and gets his things before they run off. Now Peeta won't get that cut from Cato. Which means he won't get sick and Katniss won't have to take care of him. So she won't run off to the feast and almost get killed by Clove. And Clove (maybe) won't get killed by Thresh. I can go on and on with this.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Katniss whispers to me. I nod, deciding not to tell her. "Here. Put another coat of ointment on your burns." She hands me the ointment and I inspect my burns. My arm is noticeably better but my leg and hand still hurt like crazy. I put some more on them and force myself eat a little bit of fruit. I'm not that hungry but I know I need to keep up my strength. I'm about to start packing my things when Katniss talks.

"Where did Peeta and Jay go?" Crap... I'm caught. 

I sigh. "I warned Jay about what was about to happen and he took Peeta with him."

"Why did you warn them? Did you ever think he could have told the Careers."

I shake my head. "I knew he wasn't with them. He was just following Peeta."

Her eyes project annoyance and I don't know if it's Peeta or me she's annoyed at. Hopefully Peeta. I would not want to be on her bad side when she's about to have a tracker jacker nest. Her eyes shift to a nearby tree as she squints at it. I realize Rue must be there as she calls out her name. Wide eyes appear as she points out the location of the tracker jacker nest above us. Katniss holds up her knives, making a sawing motion. She disappears and I can hear her jumping from tree to tree.

"So I wasn't allowed to tell Jay but you could tell Rue?" I say.

"Rue isn't working with the Careers." She says, starting to climb. I grab my bag and start to head over to my spot from last night.

"Mhhm." Is all I say. I get into position and hope Peeta and Jay made it far enough.I know everyone else's fate but Jay and I. Now not even Peeta's because Jay changed it so drastically. Everything's changed now. Everything.

I finally hear a growing buzzing noise. Katniss better drop it fast or else the Careers will hear. And I'm going to have a panic attack. I hear crashing as the buzzing grows louder. I know it's almost done. I'm preparing to hear the screaming as pain shoots through neck. A tracker jacker has stung me right on my collarbone. I gasp as my hand covers the growing welt. I stumble to try to get away from it as the screaming starts. I can barely pay attention to it, though, as I scramble on the branch, trying to get back to Katniss. I'm almost there when I feel another get my hand. I scream as I start to get dizzy and almost fall out of the tree. I hold onto the branch as I pull the stingers out of me and pus oozes out. I almost throw up and I know I need to get on the ground. The Careers have scrambled away while poor Glimmer lays on the ground, not fighting or moving. I see Katniss scampering down the tree as I shakily follow her. When I'm almost to the ground, my hand gets so swollen that I cant hold on and I fall to the ground. I sit there, examining my swirling surroundings. Katniss is gone but when I blink, she's back.

While Katniss goes for the bow and arrows, I go for the nearest backpack and grab it. I'll be thankful for it later. I trip as I try to get over to Katniss. I need to be worried, but why? I can't remember as I vomit from the smell of the pus oozing out of Glimmer. She completely turns into a green slimy mess as I shake my head. I need to be worried. Remember! Try to remember, Dot! Cato... That's it!

I see Katniss just staring at her bow and arrow and push her. She hardly moves so I grab her hand to drag her away.

"Run Katniss!" I scream. "Please!" She finally starts to run after me. I trip as I hear a buzzing and cover my ears. On the ground I think I see my iPhone and I make a grab for it as it grows legs and runs away. I run after it as the buzzing and a whining grow louder. I run into something and fall again. I look up to see Alex growling at me. I scream and stumble up to run. I keep running as I pass by my parents, walking away from me. I beg them to help me as I stumble and Alex's arms wrap around my neck. I strain to breathe as they grow tighter and I see something in front of me. Cato about to stab Jay. God no! Please, I try to scream. Please no!

As the knife comes down, I'm actually glad Alex is killing me. I'm almost thankful that I don't have to live in this awful world as I give in to the sweet silent darkness, leaving behind the blood and hate.