Catching Fire (Katniss loves Peeta)

Chapter 19

"You know mom was looking for our baby crib, but she couldn't find it. Do you know what happened to it?" Prim asks me sounding happier. "When Dad died I broke it up and used it as firewood.." I spurt out.

"Katinss! That was passed down forever on in mom's family, she loves that thing!" Prim sounds sad again.

"I was twelve, and we were freezing to death. Tell mom I'm sorry for it." Peeta has been sitting up in the bed quietly trying to eavesdrop, now gives me a glance. With his ears he probably can't hear a single thing Prim is saying.

"What did you use as firewood?"

"A wooden baby crib, it was passed down my mom's side of the family. She valued it greatly." He gives me a 'really' glance.

"I was freezing to death. Would you rather have me die to spare my mom's feeling?"

"Nope using it as firewood sounds like a good idea." Peeta says sounding like he is serious for once.

"Katniss before you two launch into a conversation, hand the phone to Peeta." Prim says over the phone.

"Alright. Peeta here is the phone." What is she going to talk with Peeta about?

"I understand. Prim, I can not guarantee that, but I will try my best." My winning that is what they are talking about. "Yes, I am excited Prim. Have fun at school. Send my family my regards, bye." Peeta then hands the phone back to me.

"Katniss I am going to be late to school in the next few minutes, so we need to hurry up." Already?

"Tell mom I'm sorry about the crib. I love you Prim. And I do not regret volunteering for you." Are these what last words are like? Rushed and the most urgent thoughts that the person has.

"I will. I love you Katniss. Be careful with that baby, understand me?" Prim says all motherly.

"I understand. Bye Prim." I say emptily. Then she hangs up the phone.

"Do you think we have time to go back to sleep?" I ask Peeta hopefully.

"I don't think so, by all means let us try though."

"Come here then." I command. We don't go back to sleep, sadly.

Cinna and Portia arrive with the dawn, and I know Peeta will have to go. Tributes enter the arena alone. He gives me a light kiss.

"See you soon. I love you," he says.
"See you soon. I love you too," I answer. Seeing him walk away isn't fun since I know exactly where he's about to go.

Cinna, who will help dress me for the Games, accompanies me to the roof. I'm about to mount the ladder to the hovercraft when I remember. "I didn't say good-bye to Portia."
"I'll tell her," says Cinna.

The electric current freezes me in place on the ladder until the doctor injects the tracker into my left forearm. Now they will always be able to locate me in the arena. Suddenly I'm aware of who is i front of me, no one other than Peeta Mellark.

"Hey Mellark!" I call out to him. The seats are in alphabetical order going from side to side. Glancing around the hovercraft I note that Johanna is next to Peeta and a few people down from me is Finnick. Peeta looks really confused for a second then his blue eyes meet my grey.

"Fancy meeting you here." Peeta says sarcastically.

"Yes who would have thought." I say equally as sarcastic. Thank whatever is out there, I need him now to keep my sanity.

The hovercraft takes off, and I look out the windows until they black out. For most of ride we just sit on the plane and make bad jokes that make everyone around us groan. At some point the Avox's go around handing out bottled water, and I grab some to drink. I manage to keep sipping water, thinking of the days of come. Then Peeta makes a silly face at me and I try splashing water on him. However it ends up soaking Johanna.

She was talking to Finnick and she now turns to me with an angry look plastered on her face. "I'm sorry I was trying to splash Peeta. I did not mean to get it on you!" "Watch it Mellark." Johanna says angered. Out of reflex I drop my arm down to cover my stomach, hoping she doesn't mean physical harm.

For the rest of the ride, Peeta and I exchange sarcastic conversation until the hovercraft lands somewhere. What is out there? A desert? A wasteland? A ruined city? Please just be like the last arena. Before they rush us off the hovercraft, I run over to Peeta. "I love you," I say before I kiss him. "I love you too," Peeta says before they usher me out the door.

"What do you think?" I ask, holding the fabric out for Cinna to examine.
He frowns as he rubs the thin stuff between his fingers. "I don't know. It will offer little in the way of protection from cold or water."

"Sun?" I ask, picturing a burning sun over a barren desert.

"Possibly. If it's been treated," he says.

"Oh, I almost forgot this." He takes my gold Mockingjay pin from his pocket and fixes it to the jumpsuit.

"My dress was fantastic last night," I say. Fantastic and reckless. But Cinna must know that.

"I thought you might like it," he says with a tight smile.

We sit, as we did last year, holding hands until the voice tells me to prepare for the launch. "Katniss, when you survive, hide that baby. Especially from Snow." Cinna instructs me with all seriousness. I almost start crying, remembering if I survive it will be even worse than last time. He walks me over to the circular metal plate and zips up the neck of my jumpsuit securely. 

"Remember, girl on fire," he says, "I'm still betting on you." He kisses my forehead and steps back as the glass cylinder slides down around me.

"Thank you," I say, although he probably can't hear me. I lift my chin, holding my head high the way he always tells me to, and wait for the plate to rise. But it doesn't. And it still doesn't.

I look at Cinna, raising my eyebrows for an explanation. He just gives his head a slight shake, as perplexed as I am. Why are they delaying this?
Suddenly the door behind him bursts open and three Peacekeepers spring into the room.

Two pin Cinna's arms behind him and cuff him while the third hits him in the temple with such force he's knocked to his knees. But they keep hitting him with metal-studded gloves, opening gashes on his face and body. I'm screaming my head off, banging on the unyielding glass, trying to reach him.

The Peacekeepers ignore me completely as they drag Cinna's limp body from the room. All that's left are the smears of blood on the floor.
Sickened and terrified, I feel the plate begin to rise. I'm still leaning against the glass when the breeze catches my hair and I force myself to straighten up. Just in time, too, because the glass is retreating and I'm standing free in the arena.

Something seems to be wrong with my vision. The ground is too bright and shiny and keeps undulating. I squint down at my feet and see that my metal plate is surrounded by blue waves that lap up over my boots. Slowly I raise my eyes and take in the water spreading out in every direction.

I can only form one clear thought.

This is no place for a girl on fire.

Hi! I am really sorry for not having updated lately, but it's here now! Please correct me on grammar and spelling mistakes (I know they are there somewhere PaperRater could not find). Thanks for reading, it means the world!

~XOXO KD Howell