Blood Lust - Cato (Completed)

Chapter Sixteen

I cringe as Peeta steps on another pile of crunching leaves. Tilting my head around, I silently glare at him. He freezes like a deer caught in headlights. He had insisted that since his leg was "better" he comes with me hunting and that we move camp. 

"Am I too loud?" He asks. It takes every bone in my body not to tackle him to the ground. Instead, I grit my teeth.

"Not. At. All." With that I take a sharp curve to my left, hiking farther into the trees. As soon as I reach a good spot, I take a deep breath. I survey the area, my eyes narrowing in on a bundle of leaves and twigs up in one of the towering trees. Smirking, I quickly scale the tree. I'm on the squirrel before it can even run. As I carefully make my way back down the tree, I hear a cannon go off. My body freezes and I call out Peeta's name. No answer comes and I shoot off in a sprint. 

I charge through the clearing to see Peeta standing, holding Night Lock berries. Flashing forward, I slap them out of his hand.

"You Idiot! Those could kill you!" I screech. My body recoils when I notice something behind him.

"What is it?" He asks, when he turns around, he does the same.

"Is she?" He starts, cutting off mid-sentence. I pull on the hand that peaks out from the bushes. Fox face's body comes out, her eyes open, the purple juice from the Night Lock still around her mouth. Bile rises in my throat and I nod.

"Yes. She is."

"We need to go, Cato may be here!" He rushes and reaches for my hand.

"Peeta, Cato didn't kill her," I say softly. He turns to me.

"Thresh?" I shake my head no.

"You did. She's your kill Peeta." He looks stricken with fear.

"How?" He breathes. I nod to the remaining berries he had wrapped in my plastic. 

"She must have thought they were safe."

"Oh." 

"Come on, we have to leave so they can retrieve her," I say and grab the plastic-wrapped berries, shoving them in my pocket. Just in case.

We continue on our way. Suddenly, my trained senses heighten. My body freezes and I hold up a hand to stop Peeta. Another Cannon goes off and the bile reclaims its position in my throat. I pull out an ax and turn towards the forest. I circle Peeta, my keen eyes on the forest.

"What is it?" He asks. 

"It's too quiet," I whisper.

"It's always quiet," Peeta responds.

"Not like this." I hesitantly place my ax back in my belt. I see a flash of gray out of the corner of my eye and in a flash the axis back in my hand and pinning a parachute to a tree. Peeta and I cut our eyes to each other. Tentatively,  Peeta steps forward and opens the package. He grins and shoots his head up to me. 

"Food!" He exclaims. I peer into the basket, and my mouth waters.

"Mm, plum stew," I whisper. We sit down on the forest floor and dig in.

"Wait, what if Cato finds us?" Peeta asks.

"Trust me, he won't," I say and continue to stuff my face.

"Manners Ashlynn." My father scolds. I quietly apologize. As I eat, my eyes trail around our new home.

"Mama?" I ask. My mother's brightening eyes raise to me.

"I like it here," I say and she smiles.

"I do too." I smile and turn to Carpenter. I stick my tongue out at my older brother and continue to scoop squirrel stew in my mouth. He laughs.

"Grow up A." I roll my small green eyes.

"Whatever Carpet." At this, he rolls his eyes. A knock on our door interrupts our meal. Dad, Mama, and Carpenter glance at each other. They quickly stand, Carpenter, grabbing me and carrying me to our rooms. He closes the door and holds his finger to his mouth. I nod my head and do the same. We hear screaming and shouting. I turn to the bed and notice something under it. I pull it out and hold the familiar tool in my hand. It had a metal curve, a large blade, and a wood handle. Carpenter' s eyes widen. He flashes forward and grabs it as the door slams open. When the PeaceKeeper sees his hand, he grabs Carpenter and drags him out of the house, a hysterical mom on his heels. Ever since that night, he got sicker and sicker. Till he was gone. 

"That was good!" I moan and Peeta laughs.

"I haven't had a good meal since the Capital." He replies. All I can do is nod. The eerie feeling returns and I stand. 

"Ashlynn." I notice movement out of the corner of my eye, and suddenly Cato races past us. He freezes when he notices our presence. He quickly glances behind us and throws a fighting Peeta over his shoulder. 

"Come on!" He yells and sprints off with Peeta. I stand in his wake, turning back to where he came from. Narrowing my eyes, I take a closer step to the overgrowth. In a flash, the creature is on me, and I am screaming for my life.