this is the last chapter! i have some if cf too if u want me to load tht after this is over!
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"they must have drained it last night while we where asleep." katniss says staring at the dirt as we walk. "the lake. thats where we must go." i say. "maybe the ponds have some." i doubt it but i say. "we can check." anyway.
after a few seconds she says. "your right theyre driving us to the lake. do you want to go straight away or do you want to wait." she asks. "lets go now while we have water and energy, lets et this thing over with." i say. we stan there a minute taking in our thoughts and feelings. i wrap my arms around her. "two against one, this should be a piece of cake." he hugs me back and we stand there embraced for a few moments. "the next time we eat, it will be in the capitol." she says, we begin walking. "you bet it will." i say nervously. after a while we reach the tree where katniss dropped the tracker jacker nest on us. we sit there and rest a while and i am glad when she says. "lets move on." and we start toward the lake again. after a few
more hours we reach the lake, and fill our canteens. theres no sign of Cato, just the coracopia and the black soot of katniss's blown up supplies. the soot reminds me of district twelve, my room and the bakery, and also the burnt bread i gave katniss that one rainy day.
we sit there at the lake just waiting. it begins getting dark. "we don't want to fight him in the dark." she says. "maybe thats what he's waiting for" i say. she sits there computing tht for a while, but i can tell her minds in a different place then here. a few minutes later she whistles a tune. all the birds go silent, and then begin to sing the tune back. "just like your father." i say smiling. "thats rues song, i think they recognize it." the birds are going wild with the tune now it echoes throughout the forest. but they stop and their song has turned into a shrill cry of warning. katniss are now on our feet ready for him. thats when Cato comes ripping from the forest. katniss lets her first arrow fly and it bounces off of him he keeps running. "he has some type of body armor on!" katniss yells. thats when i realize he's running from something not towards something. and thats when i see the first monster come out of the foliage chasing and biting coming straight towards me. katniss takes off running i do too but all i can think of is my leg, its holding me back, i cant run fast, I'm going to die.
they look like wolves but also are nothing like them, they are mutations, mutts for short. the capitol genetically alters animals or sometimes even people. i keep hobbling but my leg cant hold up i begin hobbling the mutts are closing in on me, katniss reaches the cornucopia and turns around. "go, katniss, go!" i yell. she begins to climb and makes it to the top. i turn around and a mutt jumps for me and its teeth miss my face by inches. i reach the cornucopia and katniss is screaming now. "climb!" i begin digging my fingers into the metal going as fast as i can. katniss shoots down a mutt behind me. i reach her feet and she helps me up onto my feet. cato is doubled over coughing up some kind of liquid he shouts weakly. "can they climb it?!" and looks at us. "what? " katniss says. "he asked if they could climb it." i answer. the mutts ensemble a position in which they are going to climb up the cornucopia. then katniss shrieks. "peeta." she grabs my arm tightly. "its her." the mutts are snarling and growling by now. "who!?" i ask. her eyes grow huge and it looks like she might pass out. "what is it katniss!" i demand. "its them all of them... rue,
foxface, all the other tributes." i look at them closely one has red hair amber eyes, foxface! suddenly i feel like I'm going to pass out. this is far more than what i expected. i have never been so terrified in my life.
before i know it the tribute mutts have gotten up on their hind legs and are pouncing on the cornucopia. one makes it and is headed right for me i start slashing my knife. its a marvel mutt i stab it in the chest it is weakened but not dead. before i know it its retaliated and taken a huge gash out of my leg. katniss is yelling "kill it peeta kill it!" i keep stabbing until it falls off the cornucopia. i turn around to join katniss we begin to make our way toward the top of the cornucopia. i feel a jerk and suddenly im far away from katniss in a headlock cato has me. i can barley breathe i keep gasping for air but with no luck. his arms are weak but still stronger than mine. i try to break free but its no use. the pain im my leg is way worse then the lack of oxygen in my lungs.
katniss has her bow pointed in catos direction. Cato just laughs "shoot and he goes down with me." i can feel the vibrations in his throat as he chokes me harder. my lungs go tight and i can see my fingers turning purple. i reach up with my shaking hands and create an X with my fingers preying katniss catches on.
she does, and lets her arrow fly it pierces catos hand and he lets go we both begin falling of the cornucopia until katniss grabs me at the last minute. Cato goes plummeting to the ground where the mutts attack him.
we sit there holding each other waiting for a cannon, but it doesnt come. minute after minute i can still hear screams from cato. soon its been an hour and hes finally about to give it up. my leg is bleeding out of control. katniss takes her shirt and ties it tight around my leg to stop the bleeding. soon its night and the anthem plays catos face isn't in the sky. he still isn't dead. i also begin shaking its freezing we zip up together and share our body heat.
by morning I'm feeling as worse as ever. "i think hes closer now can you shoot him?" i ask. "my last arrows in your tourniquet." she answers. i unzips us and pull the arrow
out. "make it count." i say. she loads her bow and lets the last arrow fly.
"did you get him?" i ask. BOOM the cannon fires. "we won katniss!" i say. "hurray for us." she says hollowly with not a hint of excitement. we wait for the hover craft. finally katniss shouts. "hey! whats going on!?" she asks. "maybe we have to keep distance from the body." i suggest. "do you think you can make it to the lake?" she asks. "its worth a try." we slide down the cornucopia. i limp to the lake and collapse on the ground with dizziness. the hover craft finally appears to take catos body and just like that he's gone forever. "what are they waiting for?" i ask weakly. "i don't know." she says. we sit there growing impatient for a few minutes until a voice comes booming through the arena. "greetings to the final contestants of the 74th hunger games. the earlier revision will be revoked. closer examination of the rule book has concluded that there may only be one winner. good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor."
i look at the ground in disbelief. then pull my knife from my belt and toss it into the lake. i turn around to see katniss pointing her bow at me. "go ahead and do it." i say sadly. she drops her bow. "no do it!" i say throwing her bow back into her hands. "i cant, i wont." she says. "no just do it before they send some of those mutts back." i say. "then you shoot me." she says giving me the bow. "you shoot me, then go home and live with it!" she shouts. "ill die first anyway. i say ripping off my bandage letting blood gush down my leg and off my body. "you cant kill yourself." she says. "katniss its what i want." i demand. "your not leaving me here alone." she says. "we both know they have to have their victor." i say. she reaches down to the nightlock pouch on her belt. "no! i wont let you!" i shout. "trust me." she says handing me a handful of berries. "on the count of three?" she says. i lean down and kiss her very gently for the last time. "on the count of three." i reply. "hold them out, i want everyone to see." we hold our berries out. i touch her braid gently fixing it for death. she gives my hand one last squeeze. "one..." i say. "two...three." theres no turning back now i shove the berries in my mouth open my
jaw and chomp halfway down and before first berry bursts. "stop!
stop!" i hear claudius templesmith say frantically. "ladies and gentlemen, i give you the victors of the 74th annual hunger games! peeta mellark and katniss everdeen!"
we both spit the berries out as fast as we can. i drag her to the lake where we wash out our mouths. "you didn't swallow any did you?" she asks. i shake my head. "you?" i ask. "i guess if i did id be dead by now." she says. a hovercraft appears and two ladders drop, katniss and i grab hold of each other and the ladder and were frozen until we reach the top. as soon as the current cuts off i fall onto the ground and my world goes black. i lie there feeling my body being picked up and hoping I'm not dead.
when i wake up again I'm in a room thats small boxy and all white. I'm in a hospital bed, and I'm all alone. i ache for katniss and wonder where she is, then suddenly i realize, I'm not in pain i lift up my covers and see that I'm in restraints. i cant see much of my leg its all wrapped up i try to wiggle it and i dont feel anything at all, my leg is gone. theres a fake one on a nub. a shock of emotion runs through my body. home. it seems like a place so far away. but i will soon be there with my family. dad! mom !rolland! wheatem! iceand! ill get to see my family soon and be home. an avox walks in and cuts of my thoughts. she takes of my restraints, gives me some water, and walks out. i slide out of bed, readying my
arms to catch me as i fall, but i don't. my leg is surprisingly strong and stable. then portia walks in.
"we'll it looks like your doing much better!" she says excitedly. "yeah wheres katniss?" i ask immediately. "you'll see her soon, at the interview." i sigh, wishing to see her sooner. "come with me and we'll get you ready."
after im washed down, plucked of all my hair, and covered in scar creme. portia shows me my outfit. nothing special really, just a yellow suit. she brushes a little makeup on my face.
then she leads me into a room wjere a small plate of food is waiting for me. i eat it fast and then portia leads me to the hovercraft station. i remember being here before the games, scared out of my mind. i grab onto the rungs of the ladder and freeze up. when the hovercraft reaches backstage i get off and wait to go on. I'm eager to see katniss, but I'm not looking forward to the interview part. i stand there under the stage listening to the crowd rumble. then trumpets start to play and i hear ceaser flickermans voice booming across the stadium.
i begin to rise on the metal platform i see the huge crowd as the platform comes to a stop. i can see the happiness on katniss's face, as she comes running toward me and flinging herself on me. i stand up and kiss her and kiss her and kiss her, after a while ceaser comes over and taps me on the shoulder i instantly push him away, still kissing katniss. sadly, haymitch shoves us to the victors chairs. we sit down and katniss sits close to me, then a few seconds later she kicks her sandals off and tucks her legs under me, laying her head on my shoulder, i put my arm around her.
the interview starts with a recap of all the tributes dying not a good beginning to the interview if you ask me, but i don't watch much of it anyway. after 3 hours of torture me and katniss are ripped apart yet again. i get thrown into my room and try to open the door but its locked i bang in the door, yelling her name until i fall asleep on the floor. I'm awoken by the door slamming into me by an avox. as soon as shes seen that I'm awake, she walks out. i lie there, exhausted for a few minutes and then drag myself onto my feet. my prep team comes barging threw the door and gets me ready for the real interview. when I'm ready we walk right down the hall and into the sitting room, where katniss and ceaser sit. "come on! sit down." boasts ceaser. i quietly walk over and bring katniss to the side ignoring ceasers words. "I've barely gotten to see you, haymitch is set on keeping is apart." i say. "yeah hes gotten very responsible lately." she says. "well theres just this and then we an go home were no one can watch us. " i grab her hand and we walk over and sit down in the victors seat. and then after a count down from 10 to 0 were on air.
the interview starts out great ceaser and i joking around and having fun. then he asks a question. "so peeta we know from our days back at the cave you said it was love at first sight from what, age five?" ceaser asks. "ever since i laid eyes on her." i assure him. "and katniss what a ride!? when did you realize you where in love with him?" he asks. "oh thats a hard one." she says thoughtfully. "i know for me it was when you yelled his name after they said there could be two victors." ceaser explains. "yes, that was it! in the tree everything changed." she says. "and how is that?" caesar questions. "maybe, because for the first time i knew i had a chance to keep him." she answers. i lean over and press my forehead to her temple lightly. "now that you've got me, what do you plan to do with me?" i ask sweetly and quietly. "put you somewhere where you cant be hurt." she says
before she kisses me.
Ceaser asks me about my new leg and katniss perks up. "new leg?" she reaches down and pulls up
my pant leg showing the metal fake leg below. "you didn't know?" ceaser asks gently. "no" she says. "i didn't get a chance to tell you." i shrug. "if it wasn't for me you'd have a leg." she says looking down. "if it wasn't for you i wouldn't be alive." i say rubbing her back. "he's right, he would have bled to death without that tourniquet." ceaser nods. katniss buries her head in my shirt until shes recovered. she calms down until
ceaser asks about the berries. "katniss, i must ask what was going on in your mind when you pulled out those berries?" she thinks for a moment and then says. "i don't know... i just couldn't bear the thought of living without him." ceaser nods. "peeta? do you have anything to add?" he asks me. "i think that goes for the both of us." i answer squeezing her hand. and just like that the interview is over, at last, its all over.
we ate put into a car wick takes us to a train where everyone says their goodbyes. i thank portia for everything and my prep team. we board the train and begin moving. we eat a huge dinner and then the train stops for fuel. katniss and i walk hand and hand down the track in silence. i stop to pick her some wild flowers. "whats wrong" i ask frowning. "nothing." she says flatly. then haymitch comes. "great job you two just keep it up int he district until the cameras are gone." he says and then walks away. "whats he talking about?" i ask. "its the capitol, they didn't like our stunt with the berries." she says. now I'm very confused. "it seemed too rebellious, so haymitch has been coaching me for the last few days, so that i wont mess up." she says. "coaching you? and not me?" i ask. "he knew you would get it right." she says. "i didn't know there was anything to get right, so what your telling me is that in the arena it was some plan you guys worked out?" i ask. "no i couldn't even talk to him in the arena could i?" she asks. "but you knew what he wanted you to do didnt you?" no answer. "katniss?" i drop her hand. "it was all for the games." same fills my body. "the way you acted." she looks down "not all of it." she answers blankly. "then how much? no i guess what i should really be asking is whats going to be left when we get home." i say my voice filling with anger. "i don't know the closer i get to district 12 the more confused i get." she says. nothing can explain the pain I'm feeling right now its worse than the any pain i faced in the arena, its a pain deep in my chest. "well, let me know when you work it out." i say as i turn around and walk away.
as the train comes to a stop in district twelve and i spot a few faces i recognize along with about fifty cameras. i look over at katniss and hold out my hand
"one more time? for the audience?" i ask still feeling the pain in my chest. she grabs my hand and we walk off of the train the crowd roaring, yelling and screaming our names. it could almost be normal, us holding hands, the crowd roaring but i tell myself its not, because everything i just went through, every thing that happened over the last few weeks was, an act, a lie, just for the games.
all. for the games.
Hope you liked it, if you guys want catching fire i might continue it if u want!