peeta mellark ༄

9. i bite at the hand that feeds me

lyrics, animal cannibal by karen skladany

although you tried to leave the spot where rue was laying in her final moments, you couldn't step far without feeling panicked. your feet brought you back to that grassy area, even after her body was long gone and the only implication she was there was an imprint on the grass and her blood staining it.

you stayed in that spot the rest of the day, and through the night and morning. you didn't move or eat, and barely slept. the only time you felt you were not an empty shell is when you would start to cry when you remembered why you were so sad in the first place.

if the canon went off, you did not hear it. if anyone passed you, you did not see them. you wouldn't have cared if a whole nest of tracker jackers had dropped and eaten you up like a bowl of fruit. you missed rue. and you wouldn't stop.

although you had only known her for a short time, you were ready to give your life in exchange for hers. you would have liked to watch her from the heavens above, watch her stand on the podium she stood at the reaping, smiley and glittery as her district cheered for their victor.

but here you were, alive, while rue was gone.

you were hoping a tribute would come along and find you, show you mercy and kill you. your heart and mind was too fragile to continue to participate anymore. the only thing you felt was the intense aching in your hand, and when you looked down at it once in a while it seemed to get redder and redder, and pus leaked around the edges.

the sun hurt your eyes, and you realized sadly you hadn't moved this spot since the day before. constantly, your mind would replay the event in which you would spot rue through the trees, and then the gaping hole in her stomach.

you swallowed, but your throat was dry and tender. slowly, you took hold of the water can you had thrown to the side for easy access. unscrewing the cap, you pressed the edges to your lips and tilted it up, consuming the last few drops left. if you didn't want to die of thirst, soon, you would have to get up and move towards the river. the river, where you first heard rue's cry for help.

you twitched your leg, and it felt numb and heavy. hesitantly, you pulled your knees up, massaging your legs that were in such an uncomfortable position for so long. grabbing hold of the tree you leaned against, you pushing yourself up and stood for a few moments as you regained your balance.

good as new, picking up your water can, you began to make your way towards the river.

as you leaned down to fill your water can, the crunch of leaves was heard over the flush of the river. your head snapped around, and first you saw his body, posed with a spear in hand.

you were brought back to seeing rue through the trees. stabbed.

was this him?

your fight or flight began to kick in, adrenaline and blood pumping. you chose fight. you saw red, charging toward the other tribute and throwing yourself on top of him with a grunt. due to his surprise, you successfully pushed him over and held him down with your weight, attempting to bash his head in with the weight of your water can.

he flipped you over after struggling to avoid your hits, trying to hold your arms down. you screeched in defiance, kicking out with your legs and twisting your body to get him off of you.

the fight was over in seconds when in one swift motion, he brought his fist up and smashed it against your face, knocking you out.

you stood in the fields of district twelve, staring out into the sky where the hills were covered with trees. the only thing different, was that it was quiet. there was no wind through the trees, no crackle of leaves. all was still and all was quiet.