The Great War.

XII

"Wild Threats."

I have no idea how many hours have passed since I fell asleep, but the voice of the boy from District 12 wakes me up, and it takes me a moment to react. I'm a heavy sleeper, so I usually wake up disoriented, and today is no exception. It takes me a few seconds to understand that I'm inside the tent I'd set up this morning, and the boy from District 12 is only a dark shadow at its entrance.

"Time for your shift," he announces. "Nightfall is almost here."

"What are you doing?" I ask, still confused and slightly annoyed. I was sleeping so comfortably. "I'm not on guard duty today."

"I wasn't talking to you," the boy from District 12 replies. "He's supposed to take care of the last shift."

I turn around to see Cato sleeping peacefully next to me. I freeze for a few seconds, realizing that if he had wanted to kill me, he could have done it easily. I hadn't even noticed that he had entered the tent.

"What do you think you're doing?" I ask angrily, and he wakes up startled. He grips a medium-sized sword lying by his side but releases it when he realizes it's me who's yelling at him. "When did you come in? You nearly scared me to death!"

"Damn it, Clove, calm down," he mumbles, rubbing his eyes lazily. "I haven't done anything to you."

"Not yet," I say to myself.

"I'm leaving; one of you has to take the shift," the boy from District 12 says as he closes the tent again and quickly walks away.

"You just can't resist sneaking into wherever I'm sleeping, can you?" I admonish him. "At least let me know if you're going to do it; you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Fine, I'm letting you know that from now on, we'll be sleeping together in this tent," he replies.

"Has it crossed your mind that I probably don't want to do that?" I retort, "Do you even know what a boundary is?"

He sighs and observes me for a few seconds before answering. "We're from the same district, and I think we should help each other out. But if you want to form an alliance with someone else, that's your problem. It won't last, but sure, give it a try."

"What do you mean?" I ask, but he leaves the tent, not bothering to take his sleeping bag or jacket with him. This man infuriates me.

I put on my jacket and follow him outside. I trail behind him until we reach the entrance of the cornucopia. I glance sideways and wonder if Marvel is sharing the third tent with the boy from District 12. Glimmer and Tara's tent remains still, so I assume both of them are still asleep.

"Hey, don't leave me hanging," I yell, trying to sound threatening, even if it's just for the cameras that are undoubtedly focusing on us right now. "Enough with the secrecy."

"Clove, stop pretending that you don't understand what I'm talking about," Cato says as he enters the cornucopia. He gazes at the swords for a moment and takes a few from the display panel. "I won't bring it up again. Just think about what I've offered you, and give me an answer when we return in the morning."

Is he offering me an alliance to eliminate our allies?

The idea sounds both tempting and dangerous because I know that when it comes down to just the two of us, he won't hesitate to pierce my chest with a sword, just like he did with the girl at the bonfire. On the other hand, it's my best chance to get rid of the competition without exerting too much effort. My head spins, and I feel an urge to run far away from everything right now.

I'm sure that I must look like a complete idiot, and the cameras inside the cornucopia are broadcasting my face on every television in the country. I lean against the metal wall and cup my face in my hands. I don't know what I should do since all my options are risky. My heart pounds heavy on my chest, and I feel like I could throw up at any given moment, but I pretend to be composed and open a bag of dehydrated fruit to settle my stomach. I remember that I saw nutrition bars somewhere inside the cornucopia, so I leave, heading towards the tent to find my backpack.