Baby in the Quell

Chapter 12

I lift my heavy eyes slowly, and try and work out where I am. I see Peeta's face leaning over me.

"Hey, are you okay?!" He asks as he wraps his arms around me tight. I try and sit up but I feel a sharp pain in my stomach. I let out a small moan and lay back down.

"What's the matter?" Peeta asks very concerned.

"I don't know, something hurts in my stomach." I reply. "Probably just because I did a lot of fast running."

I look over and see Finnick still lying on the floor.

"How long was I passed out?" I ask.

"Im not really sure." He says. I only just dragged myself to you now because I called your name and you didn't answer. We fell about 5 minutes ago if that helps.

I look behind me and see a puddle of water. I put my finger in it and let out a scream of pain.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh" although it hurts, I can see the water turn into a grey colour. I take my finger out and see that the blisters have completely disappeared.

"The water...the water helps." I choke out. I start to crawl into the water, putting my whole body in. I let out howls of pain and Peeta does the same.

Then we stand up and heave Finnick into the water. He tried to struggle away but he finally calms.

A few hours later and we have just been sitting in the same spot. We are all tired and I think Finnick needs some time to grieve about Mags.

I then see some movement in the tree, but I cannot tell what it is. I stand up to get a closer inspection.

"Peeta?" I usher him over to look at the trees. I have a bad feeling. Something isnt right.

Suddenly a monkey mutt pounces itself down, with many more of its friends and attacks us! We all aim our weapons and the mutts, I use many of my arrows piercing them in the heart.

Finnick and Peeta swing their swords and trident at them.

"We gotta get to the beach!" Peeta shouts. I try to make our way towards the beach while fighting. I turn around to fight off a mutt but suddenly another one launches itself at me, pushing me underwater.

I see it's huge fangs try to sink into my flesh, but I manage to hold him back with my bow. Then I see a sword poke through his body. I am pulled out of the water by Peeta's strong arms.

"Come on let's go!" We start to make our way to the beach but me and Peeta are knocked down by one of the monkeys. Peeta is cornered by the money but I cannot help him because I have no arrows left in my sheath. Finnick is also occupied with killing all the other monkeys.

Suddenly, someone appears from inside a tree, and throws herself at the mutt. This gives Peeta a chance to stab it. We instantly run out to see who this person is.

"Who is it?" I shout.

"A Morphiling" he replies. "Help me get her!"

We both grab and arm and drag her to the beach. Finnick trail behind us as he is doing all the killing by himself.

When we get to the beach, we run straight to the water with her. I take a good look at her wound, but anyone can tell this is not treatable in the arena. She's a goner.

Now I have to sit through another death. I hate this. But at least with Rue I knew what to say because I knew her for a while, but with the Morphiling I don't even know her name. Luckily Peeta knows exactly what to say.

"Shhhhh it's okay it's okay." He says. I see him look up at the sky and smile slightly.

"You see that, look up! Look up and look at all them colours."

I see the Morphilings eyes slowly look towards the sky, her breathing starts to calm down.

"Look at all them colours." Peeta continues. "It's beautiful isn't it, just don't think about anything else, except them colours."

Now I start to cry. There is something about Peeta's voice. He is capable of making anything beautiful, even the death of a stranger.

We hear her unsteady breathing slowly fade away. She takes her last breath. As we place her down in the water the cannon booms, signifying the end of her life.

Peeta and I walk back to the beach so the hovercraft can collect the body.

"Thats so strange, she sacrificed herself for me and I didn't even know her name." Peeta says mellowly.

I consider for a minuet that she could have felt sorry for us, but I quickly brush that idea away. This is the hunger games, people don't sacrifice themselves for other people.

"I don't know" I reply. That just doesn't seem right.