The mutt behind us howels loudly. I risk a look behind being guided through the trees by Cato. It has its front paw in the air like it's beckoning others to join it. Two more fill in by its side coming forward it's gaining quickly.
I raise my speed not letting go of Cato but he's already falling a bit behind not being able to keep my pace. Suddenly he trips and the creature stands on its hindlegs clearing 8 feet tall. In a matter of seconds its jaw is clamped onto Cato's arm but it makes a clinking sound and the mutt immediately pulls back. I drag Cato up and begin running again. I finally understand the amour was never for katniss arrows but for the final battle. We both run Back to the only place We can think of. The cornucopia.
I unzip my jacket with my free hand gaining access to my vest of knives. Cato has no chance with his sword. It beats against his legs. Useless only good for close combat. I look at my own knifes I pull one out and whip my head round whilst Cato guides us through the forest. I aim at the head of a mutt even running I won't miss. It lodges itself into the creatures head and it falls back. There's no time for victory as the other two mutts are still quickly gaining on us.
The adrenaline had stopped my body from rejecting all this movement so far. But I can feel my body start to regain sense. Each step feels like a knife through my legs and a punch in the head. However I persist I grab another knife from my vest aiming it at the second creature. I throw it. The mutt dodges to the left. It yelps as it lands into its eye. I pull another knife aiming it again. But my body betrays me the knife lands metres away and I lurch towards the floor.
Catos dragging me along the floor. I can feel my knees scraping but I can't regain my feet.he jerks his arm up pulling me onto his back. I can feel his heart beat through his spine
I'm going to get us both killed
It's too much effort he can't save us both
"Put me down!" I yell "one of us needs to live!"
My voice is raspy from the effort of running, I can tell Cato is even to exhausted to reply yet he doesn't put me down. I can't let him die. I jolt up and down on his back unable to do anything but hold on weakly.
We've reached the clearing. I can see the cornucopia! I turn back to look at the mutts. Surprised when I find myself stareing into eyes I know to well. Angry brown eyes of the boy who tried to kill me. I Yelp. The mutt is defined and muscular and has short black hair, just like Thresh. Beside him I look at another Mutt one that's pulled the knife out of its eye leaving a bloody socket, yet the one eye that looks at me is completely familiar. It's glimmers Emerald eyes. The mutt is smaller than Threshes and has golden soft fur.
I barely have time to process this discovery when the wind is knocked from me. Being thrown on top of the cornucopia. But it's a weak throw and I slide back down. I can already hear Cato starting to clamour up the side. Glimmer
No not Glimmer a mutt just a mutt
Latches on to my leg. I can feel a hard pinch through the amour. But it's nothing compared to what I would feel if they attacked without it. I pull myself up with my arms, but I can feel the grip not glimmer had on me getting tighter . I reach up and instantly feel Cato pulling me from the mutts grasp. He leans down reaching a hand into my vest pulling the closest knife and throwing it at its head. It instantly releases my leg falling backward. Threshes mutt had just got here lurching out to bite. But it's head barrels into the golden cornucopia. Catos pulled me up just in time.
We both clamour to the highest point of the corincoupia. More mutts are converging. Jumping onto their hind legs and clawing at the Metal. The gold is hot and scalds our hands but it's the Least of our worries. The cornucopia is moulded to represent a harvest basket so there's lots of ridges to grab onto making it an easy climb. If I get out of here I'm going to learn to climb like katniss did. She would've scaled this is seconds. We must be at least 20 feet of the ground when we stop.
We lay gasping for air unable to do anything else. We must've been sprinting full speed for about 15 mins. And Cato had the exta weight of me on his back.
"It's... them" Cato gasps
I know his realised too. All the mutts are the dead tributes.
"Can... they... climb... it?" Cato asks still gasping for air
I crawl over to the edge to see if the mutts are climbing. The idea they might be able to hadn't even crossed my mind and it terrifies me. The stand easily on their hind legs. Pawing and sniffing the metal of the cornucopia. There claws scratch against it leaving marks. The claws are at least 4 inches long, clearly sharper then any blade.
They Yelp to each other like they're having Conversation amongst each other. I can now see the amount of detail put into each mutt. They each have different hair and the eyes of the dead tributes. I can feel the eyes of the dead tributes staring at me accusingly. Knowing they want nothing more than to spill my blood. I wonder if some of them know, if they have the memories. If the recognise my face as the girl who let them die. No not let them die. I murdered them. I want to look away but I can't tear my eyes off. There so detailed they even have Collars embellished with the number of the district on. I spot marvels mutt it has a gemstone collar with the number one engraved on it. It's haunting. It's a message from the capitol. Clearly showing us they own us, every single one of us. And we won't forget it.
The mutts start to come together, A mutt which has a slight limp moves backward then throws its self up on to the horn of the cornucopia. It lands 10 feet below us but it feels so close. I flinch backwards. But so does the mutt. It can't seem to grip. I sigh relief
"It can't get up here!" I turn to look at Cato, but somthing obstructs my vision. Finch stands behind me. I wonder how long she's been there. We stare at each other. I instinctively reach for a knife. but we are quickly distracted by the mutts new technique they seem to have split into two groups, launching themselves up at us. I watch I'm in disbelief at there intelligence. There mere inches away. I throw myself backwards landing at Finch's feet.
I hear a yell behind me. A creature has reached Cato where he was laying. He holds onto the side of the cornucopia. Before I can register what's happening finch is running over. I pull out a knife thinking she's going to finish him. Push him off the cornucopia, stamp on his hands to force him to let go. But then she starts pulling him up. I can't believe this. Instead of throwing the knife at Finch I throw it into the head of the attacking mutt. He lands with a heavy thud on top of the group that launched him up here. Finch pulls Cato onto the flat surface and Cato immediately gets up.
Ready to fight the girl who just saved him, even my instincts make me grab a knife she's easy to kill right now. but none of us make a move.
"You two have to win" Finch says
Her voice is more harsh and demanding than I expected I realise this is the first time I've heard her speak.
"I thought it would be the two from 12" she countinues whilst we stare in disbelief. " but don't you see... It has to be You two. Anybody who's looking can see that the other two weren't in love! Katniss just left for days when the games started. She only loved him when the could both go home" there's some sort of unsettling madness in her eyes but Cato and I are speechless "I could tell from the start, I watched your group. I saw you two. You two can end this, the capitol ,the games. Everything." She looks downwards almost in a whisper "you have to kill me"
Her words hang heavy in the air. I knew this girl was smart. Maybe one of the smartest people to ever enter the arena. But her words make no sense to me right now I can't process them over the sound of claws scratching at the cornucopia. We all stare at each other, wanting the other to make the first move.
Finch's eyes dart from side to side. She relaxes her shoulders and looks me in they eye. She just nods and smiles. The message couldn't be clearer. I raise my knife aiming for her head. She acts like she's lunging at me but the knife burrows into her forehead she collapses over the side. Landing on the floor
Boom
Suddenly the arena goes silent. I look over the edge falling to my knees. Her body lies on the floor her face devoid of colour she looks compleatly emancipated and her amber eyes stay wide open. Looking back at me. Cato puts his hand on my shoulder.
"Look" he says I turn to look at his palm. There's a bronze chain with a fox face engraved on a circle. It must've been her token. Engraved on the back is the words, no weapon can ever beat a brain. It's what she said at the interview the words I thought were stupid. I understand now. She was never playing their game. She had her own rules. She saved us because she saw something undeniable between us. And I don't want her death to go unnoticed. I take the chain out of Catos palm and clip it behind my neck before bringing the fox to my lips and whispering a
"Thank you"
The mutts converge silently around the body. Sniffing it but ultimately not bothering with the dead girl on the grass. The ground opens up and they leap down holes in the ground. The disappear from the arena and the ground closes behind them. The areas so silent I can't even hear the song of the birds anymore.
We sit in silence. We should probably celebrate the victory. Maybe it something that should be done. I remember back to the past years. None of the other victors celebrated. Well some did. Most of them just looked shocked. I thought it was just because they were tired or being humble. The most you'd get out of a victor is a smile and I understand why now. I'm starting to understand so much but I feel there's so much more I don't know. That I want to. No need to know.
We wait for about five minutes then look at each other in confusion. The hovercraft doesn't seem to be coming to take us home.
"We don't need to get away from her body do we?" I ask
"No. You never normally have to walk away from the last kill." He replies
"Let's go anyway, the lakes a bit away and I need water" I say
We slide down the corincoupia. The sun has started to fall and I can see her body less easily. I walk over to it, pulling the knife out of her head and pulling her ginger fringe over the wound. I don't know how I'll ever repay her. I take the ring off my finger and place it on hers. I don't want the dagger or the sword anymore. I don't need the ring to know Catos love for me. He has saved me over and over. It's like a trade a token for a token. I understand why hers was a fox face now. She had all the characteristics of the sly creature, even down to her appearance. In the end she was the winner untill she chose not to be.
Cato stood behind me and made no protest as I slipped her the ring. He must understand as well. That she could've won. She could've poisoned us, or pushed us off the edge into the mutts. Or Silently pick us off one by one. Using the stuff she could steal from us.
We walk over to the river and cup our hands to drink from it having left all our supplies at the start of the mutt Chase. The days starting to get dark but the heat doesn't go this time. I throw off my jacket and my knife vest. Part of me longs to pick up my knives again. They were my safety. I wouldn't be surprised if I could never give up on throwing them things. Cato does the same throwing off his coat and pulling his sword from his belt. His arms are small and he looks a ghost of the boy he used to be. Black bags are prominent under his eyes, his blonde hair is greasy and wounds litter his body covered in a layer of grime.
The hover craft eventually appears. It picks up Finch's body ready to take it home. I expect it to come over to us next but it doesn't. It just promptly leaves the arena. Maybe there sending another one for us. But it's harder and harder to come up with excuses and the sun is beating down on us even as it disappears over the horizon. We're exhausted just from the walk to the lake. I can see Cato slideing into the water so I do the same and it's instant relief as the coolness hits my body.
I open my mouth to ask Cato what he thinks the hold up is ,but Claudius Templesmiths voice boom across the arena
"Greetings, to the final contestants of the 74th hunger games! The earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rulebook has disclosed that only one winner may be aloud" he says. "good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour"
Cato and I stare at each other. Netheir of us go to make a move like we had at any sound earlier. Cato mouths sorry. I ready myself for death. But then he starts sinking his body down into the pool. "We did it together" he says before his head dips below the surface. I immediately start thrashing trying to pull his head above the water. But his determined. I can't pull him up. I can't let him die. We were pushed together so many times and I refused to acknowledge it. Untill one of us had to die. I would die 1000 times if it ment it he could live one more day.
"Cato!please!" I yell but I know he can't hear me. I reach over to his hand grabbing it tightly before pulling myself under as well. Together. We win together we loose together. The game makers never planned on letting us both live. we had been completely naive to think we could both surrive. Catos eyes widen under the water and he tries to push me back up but his movements soon become jerky and lazy. He eyes glass over. I push him up. Praying there's still life left inside him. And soon my world tilts into a darkness. I can faintly hear trumpets playing in the distance. Game over.