Fire and smoke engulfs everything, the fire would sometimes open, we regain our bearings quickly, we expect there would be a game maker event, we had even discussed what it might be. But now it's here , it's not the opportunity to show I'm noble that I thought it would be. I thought it would be something like warding off capitol mutts, fighting our way out. But you can't fight a fire. We shove everything back into the bags and run, I hear a blood curtling screen behind me, The flames has closed in around Marina. She had no choice but to run through and now her clothes were burning. She collapses to the the floor screeching, which insidntely puts the fire out.
Marvel looks at me and if I'm silent agreement we run back to Marina lifting and wrapping her arm around my shoulder. The heat is unbearable and the smoke clogs my lungs. I try to bear her weight completely. But I'm practically dragging her. Marvel has reached us as well now, he slings the still screaming Marina over his shoulder and runs. His strength impress' me I follow easily over taking him , but still stumbling the smoke is making me dizzy.
I bet the people are watching right now knowing what the flames are pushing us twords the flames gain on us quickly. Peeta is slow behind us but nobody's really worrying about him. We keep running and running at some point Marina has started running herself again supported by marvels arm around her. Glimmer screams continuously. It's annoying. I'm at the front being the fastest. I keep checking back though to make sure Catos still going. We run for around 10 minutes at full speed it leaves us panting. We reach the end of the tree line and the fire stops there too. There nobody else here. What was that fire even for, why did we have to come out of the woods, maybe it's still pushing the others towards the clearing and we have to wait.
We fall on to the floor. Glimmers stopped screaming and is gasping for air. We all are like a fish out of water
Yes water
"Wa-ter" I look around to see if they've heard me.
Marnia is lying on the floor and Peeta has burns up his hand. Marvels arm also look pretty bad. Cato, glimmer and I only have a few surface burns. It feels like a thousand tiny needles poking me all at once. I can't imagine how Marina and Marvel feel.
There burns really look serious.
I say it again louder
"Water"
They seem to notice this time and seem to regain themselves. We walk back to the cornucopia, chase raises from his position seeing the state were in. We all walk into the cornucopia and collapsed on to our mats. Chase runs in a second later armfuls of flasks. He hands one to each of us and we gulp them down. He pours some of the water onto the Marinas burns, she screams as he does this. Then he moves over to Peeta and Marvel doing the same. I drink thirstily. I feel helpless I hate it.
I watch as Chase helps The more burnt 3 for about an hour. Rubbing some cream he found onto them before making the rest of us put it onto our surface burns. It's instant relief. I fall asleep. I don't know when but by the time I time I wake it coming up to evening. Glimmers awake sitting inside her sleeping bag not really doing a whole lot. Spinning an arrow in her hand.
"Chase went to get more water from the river" she states simply
I nod. Her voice is still raspy and she has black smears on her face and clothes from the smoke. I wonder if I look the same. I go to look down at my clothes but before I can chase comes in dropping the meteal flasks onto the floor, abruptly awaking everyone, from the clatter of it all hitting the floor.
"It's katniss, shes asleep ! she's in the lake!" His obviously out of breath from the run back.
We all spring into action even Marnia with all her burns is ready for the hunt agin. it's the quickest I think I've ever see lover boy as ever move ,in a second we're running. No sprinting, laughing with complete malice and when we reach the lake there she is just as burnt as the rest of us. She immediately gets up and starts running for the underbrush. On a normal day I could catch up easy, but the day has slowed everyone down. We call out to each other shouting with glee. But our voices are still raspy and hard to understand. We're closing in.
Then she starts skimming a tree like a squirrel. When we get to the base she's at least 6 metres up in the air. We stop looking up at her. And she just looks back. She looks just as beat up as us. The fire must've been everywhere. We all grin up at her. She's a sure kill. I expect her to be scared but she to all of our surprise she smiles back.
"How's everything with you" she asks cheerfully
We're all taken aback for a second Cato decides to reply
"Well enough, yourself?"
"It's been a bit warm for my taste... the airs a bit better up here. Why don't you come on up?"
"I think I will"
The whole dialogue between her and Cato is weird.
Glimmer pushes her bow twords Cato "here take this"
He pushes it away saying he'll do better with his sword. His sword is in his belt. I know as soon as he goes on the branches they'll snap. I've never climbed a tree before, only nets on agility courses, I stand more a chance than him but I don't try to stop him. As soon as he grabs on to the branch katniss climbs up another nine metres. I branch snaps under his foot and he comes crashing to the floor with a thud. He recovers quickly. Swearing like a fiend, I can't help but think of Brutus, the night we ran to the city.
Glimmer tries next but it's useless. Katniss is at least 25 metres high and the branches crack under Glimmers weight. So she tries to shot her with her arrows. And misses. Katniss waves the bow above our heads mocking us.
"Throw a knife" Cato growls at me
"I can't it wouldn't hit"
"But I thought you never miss" mocked Cato
"I don't miss ,look up you idiot, she's at least 25 metres in the air, there are branches everywhere, there's not a clear shot, whatever comes up must come down. Hopefully on your head may I add. and even if I did hit I don't have enough power going upwards, it would just wound."
"Alright, alright" Marvel holds his hands in surrender.
Cato throws his sword on the floor in anger.this is the most frustrating thing. Every time I come close to this girl she just slips away.
"Oh, let her stay up there. It's not like she's going any where .we'll deal with her in the morning" this comes from Peeta again. He never stopped staring at her.
We agree there's nothing else we can do. All our stuff is protected by the mines and chase and it's now dark. We go for our normal rota so each of us can sleep. We light a fire and share the last of the food in our packs sitting around it. The nights cold I can see glimmer curling up to Cato. He's snoring happily. Marvel sits on guard spinning the spear in his hand. I hate to see it. But I know glimmers only playing the role she's been given. the captiol people probably wish they were Cato right now. With Glimmers body wrapped around them. I shudder at the thought. I want to pull her off him and shout at her his mine but I rember Enobaria telling me not to let them see it.
I'm snapped out of my thoughts by Marvel
"Hey" he puts his hand over mine and I only just realised I've been pushing a knife so hard in the ground even the handle starting to get buried. I loosen my grip
"What" I growl
He just shrugs his shoulders and turns.
"I'm so cold" I whisper to him. It's true my whole body's shaking from the open air.
"Yeah, what do you want me to do about it"
"I don't know. Just thought you might wanna know"
"I bet they're not cold" he gestures to Glimmer and Cato
This reminds me that I'm not glimmer and brings a fresh wave
"You jealous" it comes out more aggressive then intended
He leans close to my ear "I'm not jealous but I think you are"
"What!? I'd never be ...Cato..,I couldn't careless if he died" that's a lie
"Oh year that's why there's a massive whole in the ground. I think it's because of them two"
"Marvel your seeing things, there's nothing but allyship between us"
"Okay. But what do you think of the star crossed lovers of district 12"
"I think it's bullshit"
I look at Cato and In the dim moon light make out him noding, his thinking the same thing.
"Good night Clove Kentwell "
"Goodnight Marvel... oh I don't know"
"It doesn't matter. One of us is dead anyway " he whispers the last part but I hear anyway. Maybe there more to marvel than this eccentric boy I've made him in my head.
I fall asleep shaking from the cold.