Blaze

Jabberjays

"Katniss!" I scream at the top of my lungs. "Katniss!" She's not replying and I'm running madly through the jungle to try to get to her. Why would they bring her here? This has to be some form of torture. To bring them in and make her scream so I could run like a maniac for other people's enjoyment. "Katniss!"

I've reached the source but Katniss continues to scream. I can't see her. I don't know where she is. I just want her to stop. I want it to go away. Another high pitched scream. This time, right above me. I look up. It's a bird. It's small and black and screaming at me in Katniss voice. A Jabberjay.

I grind my teeth and fire an arrow at it. The bird drops, ending the tortured screams. I walk towards it and pick up my arrow with the bird as Finnick comes crashing through the forest. "Catora?" He asks. I don't look at him. I feel stupid for running off after a bird but those screams they were so..

"How did they get her voice?" I demanded pulling the bird off the arrow and shaking it at him. "Why is this thing screaming like her." I shouted hurling the limp body of the bird into the forest.

"Catora.." Finnick says slowly. He doesn't want to say it so I will.

"They tortured her somewhere. She could be dead." As soon as the words leave my mouth, another high pitched scream rips through the forest.

"Annie!" Finnick shouts, alert and ready. Now I can see what I must have looked like before I ran off. There's this wild look in his eyes and he's ready to fight, kill, do anything to stop whoever is screaming. She screams again. "Annie!" He takes off and I have to run after him, like he did for me but the screams are farther away than mine were and I don't know how he can run so far and so fast because I pant and stumble in his wake.

When I finally catch up, he's spinning in circles and the screaming won't stop. He keeps repeating Annie over and over in desperation. I find the bird hanging right above his head and kill it. The screaming stops and Finnick turns to me. "We have to get out of here." And I don't argue with him. We just run.

The wretched birds follow us, screaming. There's only six of them right now but if this is the nightmare that occurs between four and five, there's going to be a lot more of them and there's nothing Haymitch could send in a parachute to help us recover from this psychological damage.

As we burst through a line of trees, I spot Johanna, Peeta and Beetee and I'm angry. Why didn't they come help us. Why didn't they come see what was wrong? Peeta has his hand raised and I can see him saying something but I don't hear him.

"Finnick!" I shout, grabbing him before he runs into it. We slide to a stop right in front of our friends. Finnick is beating his fists against the force field. It's transparent and seems unbreakable because neither Johanna's axe nor Finnick's tridents pierce it.

The birds begin to cluster and I try to ignore them but it's not just Katniss screaming at me now. It's Gale, Vick, Rory, Posey, Prim, Madge, my parents. I'm cringing and my legs feel weak. Finnick completely gives up as he curls up in on himself and covers his ears. He's rocking back and forth.

In a fury, I try taking them out but there's too many and I don't have enough arrows. I scream in frustration and turn back to look at Peeta. He looks scared and I'm crying, the tears running down my cheeks. He keeps saying something to me but I can't focus on the words. Finally, I can't take it, I slam my hands over my ears and scream, hoping my own voice drowns out those of my friends and family.

I don't notice when the hour is up or when the birds leave because I can still hear the screaming. It echoes through my mind. "Catora." Peeta says softly and I feel his hand on my back. I cringe so he pulls away. "It wasn't real." He murmurs. "You're okay. It wasn't real." He continues to repeat that as he pulls me into his lap but I refuse to look at him. My eyes remained squeezed shut, my hands still cover my ears.