UPHILL BATTLE (Cato)

Seven: Finally! I thought you'd been eaten by a tree!

It took me a while to sneak away.

I knew I had to check my side, and I couldn't take Cato and Glimmer any more. We had just killed Eight, and set up camp a short while ago. Marvel was chilling, Clove threw knives at stuff, Cato and Glimmer giggled, and Lover Boy kept watch, although none of us really trusted him - especially after the way he had burst out with his 'Fire Girl betrayal' ideas.

I had made up an excuse, by kind of just hinting at needing to relive myself, but not actually saying it. As soon as I got away, I pulled the smuggled bandages out of my pocket, and then took off my jacket. I then proceeded to check my shirt.

There was a huge rip in the fabric, which was heavily blood stained. I peeled it from my skin, revealing a deep cut on the side of my stomach. It was dark crimson, and still bleeding slightly, even though it had been hours. No wonder I've been feeling light-headed.

I inspected it a little more, before pulling out my canteen. I unscrewed the lid, and carefully trickled water into the injury. As it washed away the blood, I hissed with pain, and bit my lip to try and stop myself from screaming. I finished when it was clean, grimacing. I put away my water, and gently wrapped up my wound in the bandages, before pulling my jacket back on, and making my way to the camp.

Lover Boy looked up when I arrived, "Finally! I thought you'd been eaten by a tree!" But the other Careers didn't even blink. A hollow feeling entered my chest. I felt like I didn't belong here, with them.

Maybe I could run away later.

Several days passed, and I was still there. I didn't want to leave them. I didn't want to leave Cato. But every day, the hollowness in my chest increased, and every day my wound caused more pain. So far, though, I had managed to hide both.

I couldn't hide it forever. I knew that much. Pushing down something wouldn't make it to away, it would just bubble and bubble until it popped. And I didn't want that to happen.

I made the decision one night, when I was on watch. It was almost morning, nearing the time I had to wake everyone else up. The perfect time. I approached the pile of supplies, picking out packs and gathering them up in my arms. As I moved to go, Cato let out a tiny snore. He was wrapped in Glimmer's arms, but he wasn't hugging back. I froze, staring at his beautiful face. How I'd managed to fall for him so soon, I had no idea. But I couldn't leave. Even if he didn't feel the same way back, I just couldn't leave.

So I put away the packs again, and sat back down, ready to wake up my allies at sunrise.

Fire.

It began a little before sunrise, spreading through the trees with ease and felling the forest as it made its way to our camp, in a clearing where we had settled after hunting some tributes late last night. I still had about half an hour before sunrise, but I was notified of the flames by the smell of burning.

The horrible scent invaded my nostrils, prompting me to scan the area. Fire. I screamed as it got closer, kneeling beside Cato and shaking him. He jolted out of sleep, eyes wide, reaching for his sword.

I moved away from him, waking Glimmer, Clove, Marvel and Lover Boy. He stared at me for a moment, taking in my panicked expression and the smoke beginning to obscure the sky, before jumping to his feet, with a shout of, "Fire!"

Glimmer screamed, and promptly ran in the other direction. Cato looked away from me, an followed her, accompanied by Marvel and Clove. I jumped to follow them, but stopped as sharp pain stabbed at my side. Thick blood started to soak through my coat again.

Lover Boy was moving to go after them, but paused when he saw me. His eyes widened at the blood, and he rushed to help me, throwing my arm over his shoulder and helping me run as the heat inched closer. I looked at him in gratitude, and allowed him to half-carry me away. We made our way from the fire, it kicked at our heels and I screamed.

The Careers were way ahead of us. I could faintly see Marvel's tall figure far ahead through the smoke. Lover Boy gave up, and sprinted, carrying me bridal style.

As the smoke cleared, and we moved away from the fire, he put me down. I smiled at him, rasping "Thank you."

He shrugged, "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Private reasons. What's your actual name, anyway?"

"Peeta." I nodded in approval, and we finally caught up with the Careers. They didn't notice us at first, but Clove turned around when Peeta patted my shoulder.

"That was some crazy fire!" She said, raising her eyebrows. I nodded, biting my lip to hold off the pain from my side. Peeta opened his mouth to say about my wound, but I quickly gave him a 'look' and he shut up, sending me a concerned glance.

"I'm gonna..." I signaled to the bushes. Clove nodded. I walked off, but a moment after, Peeta joined me.

"I'll help you." He said, holding out some bandages. I nodded to him, and removed my jacket. I then lifted my top, revealing blood soaked wrappings from earlier. Peeta winced when he saw them.

"When did this happen?" He asked, as he began to carefully remove the old ones. I gritted my teeth to hold back a yell of pain.

"Bloodbath. Boy from Five." He grimaced.

"You hid it that long? How?"

"Practice." I replied ominously, and then we stayed in silence as he cleaned the wound and re-wrapped it. He then helped me up, and together we went back to the others.

But they weren't there. I spotted them a moment later, walking through the forest together. Pain ate at the hollowness in my chest. I felt sick. We caught up, and this time they didn't notice. Then Cato, who was at the front, stopped.

"Shhh." He hissed, pointing ahead. I watched at his handsome face crinkled, he was smirking. We all peered forward, until we could see what he was looking at. Katniss was in a pond. Right near us.

The others cheered victoriously, but I felt Peeta flinch beside me. I looked at him sympathetically, he glanced at me with sadness in his eyes. The Careers began to run to her, yelling and calling out. Peeta and I followed, slower and sadder. He had helped me, and now his lover would die.

She didn't love him, but he clearly loved her. The 'betrayal plans' clearly weren't real. I felt awful for the boy who was my friend. Peeta clutched my hand, and we supported each other after our 'allies'. Katniss was running, they chased her. We followed.

The next morning, I woke early to the sound of sawing. I looked up at the tree where Katniss was hiding, scanning the leaves for the girl from Twelve. I spotted her, and my heart stopped. She was dragging her knife over a branch holding a tracker jacker nest. I jumped up, wincing at the sting of my wound. No one was on watch. The Careers were asleep. There was a sharp crack.

I scrambled aside, and the nest exploded in the centre of the camp. Immediately, angry buzzing started up, as well as Glimmer screaming. The Careers jolted to life, shouting and yelling as thick, horrible swarms of the mutant wasps sprung up.

Oh god.

That was the fire, and the first part of the tracker jackers. Dun dun dunnnn! Rhea is jealous, in pain and feeling neglected.

Kind of sad, honestly.