UPHILL BATTLE (Cato)

Eight: Psycho wasps

Glimmer's screams echoed. Marvel and Clove sprinted away, completely ignoring the girl's calls for help. Even Cato ran. It seemed, maybe he didn't care for the blonde as much as I thought.

The wasps surrounded Glimmer in a swarming, buzzing cloud. She staggered, falling, and I couldn't bear to look, fending off bugs of my own. Peeta grabbed my arm, frantically hauling me away. I let out a hair-raising shriek of pain and fear. I felt my wound rip. Blood poured like a waterfall. I couldn't stop screaming, accompanied by Glimmer's dying calls.

Peeta dragged me away, dropping me on the ground and murmuring, "Stay here." Before he ran back to the tree. I tried to warn him to stay away, but I couldn't stop screaming. Glimmer had stopped. All was silent aside from me, and distant yelling. The tracker jackers had dispersed.

I lay, tears wetting my cheeks, in a pool of my own blood. Crimson was surrounding my body, leaking through my clothes with ease, soaking into the dirt. My brain was hazy from the agony.

I had stopped screaming now, and lay, whimpering on the ground. As my consciousness ebbed, my vision blurred and swayed.

Then, the world went dark.

I blinked. My vision cleared, I looked around. I was lying in a clearing. Trees towered above me, bushes ringed the edge of the space. I felt weak, and as I lifted my head slightly, I could see dried blood spattered all around me. My side burned, but it wasn't bleeding.

I slowly sat up, wincing and almost lying back down again from the pain. I managed to get myself into a sitting position, and grabbed my bag, which lay, tattered and blood stained, next to me. I cleaned and re bandaged my side quickly.

Memories flooded back. I estimated being unconscious for a couple of hours, as now the sun was in the middle of the sky. Midday. I remembered the fire, Peeta, Katniss, the tracker jackers, Glimmer's death and being abandoned by my new friend. I honed in on little details, like Cato's tiny snore from yesterday morning, how he left Glimmer to the psycho wasps.

My mind darkened. He left me, too. In the fire, and with the 'psycho wasps'. My chest ached. I wondered if he and the other Careers even noticed I hadn't regrouped with them after the attack. I also wondered what had happened to Peeta. I hoped he was okay. I would find out who died later, anyway, when they showed the dead in the sky.

I managed to get up, which was progress, although it felt like Five was tearing into my side all over again. I leant heavily against a tree. I won't make it two meters like this. My thought track was interrupted by a rustle of movement, an unnatural sound, and a silver parachute landing beside me.

I jumped, and winced, and crouched down as best I could next to it. I fumbled, but pulled the gift loose. A tub filled with silvery cream. I stared at it, realising what it was. Medicine! Then I noticed a slip of paper that had come with it.

This will numb the pain until you can get proper medicine. Smear it on.

- J.M

I gasped, and quickly unscrewed the lid. Lifting my shirt, I dabbed my wound with the cream. Instantly, the pain began to fade, replaced with a dull throbbing. The cut looked a bit better. I let out a sigh of relief, before closing the tub and putting it in my pack. I got to my feet again, this time far more easily.

I began to walk, in particular direction. I knew I had to get moving, find my allies, or just stay by myself, it didn't matter. I just had to move, otherwise a tribute who was not my friend could find me. And that wouldn't end well.

I checked myself over as I limped through the forest. I still had all of my clothing items, like my jacket and my boots. My sickle was nowhere to be found, but thankfully, my whip had remained strapped to my waist. My pack had matches, water, clean bandages, my medicine tub, a packet of meat and some dried fruit. At the bottom, I also found a small knife. Good.

I kept walking.

.. .----. -- / ... --- .-. .-. -.--

I realised this was what is been tapping on my leg the past few hours, continuously.

I'm sorry.

Morse code. My dad taught it to me years ago. An easy communication, as we both knew how to speak using it. I wondered if I could use this knowledge. It would probably help in the future.

Multiple days passed. I walked. I worried. I tapped out random messages in Morse Code on my leg. Fantastic. Very helpful. Thankfully, the supplies I had kept me going, although I didn't have a sleeping bag, so the nights were cold.

My messages to tap were interesting:

.. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-

I love you.

.. / -- .. ... ... / -.-- --- ..-

I miss you.

And of course, the personal favourite:

.. .----. -- / ... --- .-. .-. -.--

I'm sorry.

These were all random, and I was sure that Jenny, who I knew was watching me non-stop, would be very confused. She didn't know Morse Code, and it was unlikely anyone else watching did. Not anyone in the arena, either. Other than my father.

It was my third day walking, when I saw the smoke. Unnatural, far too much of it. Wasn't a tribute cooking food or staying warm. Not from that much smoke. It wasn't like a forest fire or anything - the gamemakers rarely repeated their traps.

It was very close to me as well. Not good. Whatever this tribute was playing at, it was bad news. This wouldn't end well. An example of why? Cato ran into me.

I had been pausing to check my side, as I was almost out of cream and it was wearing off, when a heavy weight literally barreled into my chest. I yelped, and staggered backwards, clutching my wound as I hissed in pain. The 'weight', turned to look at me as it's companions joined it. Cato.

"Rhea?!" He asked incredulously. Clove and Marvel looked at me. The short, freckles girl took my arm,

"Where have you been?"

" We thought you deserted us! " Marvel added.

I shrugged, "When I ran, I got lost, and I couldn't get back to you guys. I've been walking around for days."

.. - / .... ..- .-. - ...

I tapped on my leg, trying not to wince. Cato battling into me had really tore my wound.

It hurts.

Cato took notice of the tapping, but evidently had no clue what it meant. He grabbed my arm, a look I couldn't quite decipher on his face, "Anyway, come on. Were following this fire!"

The others cheered, but I felt uneasy. This wasn't what they thought it was.

Of course, they didn't listen.

Tragic.