What if Peeta Died?

1

I've made it back to the cave with the medicine. I go to Peeta, who is still asleep and begin to apply the stuff. I keep going for a while and then stop. I lay by Peeta and wait for him to wake up. Suddenly, I hear a cannon shot. I turn and shake Peeta. "Peeta! Peeta!" There is no movement. I fall on the dead tribute and start to cry. Tears trickle onto his body. It's then when I begin to question if I love him or not. I never thought I actually did. I felt like it was an act, but right now I realize that I loved him. And he is dead. I look at the medicine and come to the conclusion that maybe it wasn't medicine at all. I grab it and throw it out of the cave. I fall back on Peeta and lay there, never wanting to get back up.

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At some point, I fall asleep and then wake up, salty tears still leaking from my eyes. I sit up, lean over, and kiss the dead boy, Peeta. That's when I decide that this has to stop. The Hunger Games will never happen again, I'll make sure of it. First, I have to win the games. I can't stop them if I'm dead. I climb out of the cave and hear another cannon shot. I look back at Peeta once more and then run off. I run through some bushes and discover Foxface, dead on the ground with some deadly nightlock in her hand. I grab it and consider eating it. What would happen if I killed myself? Cato or Thresh would win. I'd hope for Thresh. Maybe somebody good can make it out of this arena. I decide I need to stay alive. It's the best way to get revenge on Snow. If I can get out, I'll find a way to make him regret this. I drop the nightlock and keep walking. Suddenly, I hear and feel a disturbance. The sound of a scream and a cannon shot ring out. I can already tell: it's the finale. I bolt through the trees. Suddenly, a big, wolf-like creature jumps at me and knocks me over. I kick it off and stumble to my feet. I keep running. I get out of the trees and spot the cornucopia and run to it. A head peeks over the edge and then hides again. Assuming it's Cato, I stop and turn around. I see a pack of mutts coming at me. Then I realize something I wish I never had. The wolf mutts have the faces of the fallen tributes. I see Clove, Thresh, Glimmer, and Rue charging straight for me, followed by all the others. I reach for some arrows and notice that I have none. The mutt must have knocked them off when it jumped on me. I spin and climb the cornucopia. I'm grabbing the top when Cato stands and steps on one of my hands. It slips and I'm dangling by my right arm. I feel the mutts jumping for my ankles. I kick at them to no avail. Cato smiles at me from above.

"I thought you would be hard to kill. Looks like I was wrong. The gamemakers did me a favor. This was too easy. Goodbye, little girl." He goes to stomp on my other hand. Right before he does, I pull myself up and grab his ankle. Then I yank him off the cornucopia with me. I guess I don't have to live. Peeta didn't. Why should I? He should've lived. Not me. I can't live. I guess it doesn't matter. I've fallen into the horde of mutts. My life is surely over. I land on my back and Cato lands on top of me. The mutts are tearing away at whatever they can bite. Cato is screaming and I realize none of the creatures are attacking me. Suddenly, I feel my left wrist get bit. Pain goes searing through my arm as sharp teeth grind into me. I scream and look over to see Peeta. It's the most awful sight I've ever seen. He's so terrifyingly similar to when he was a human. I forget about the pain and stare at him, shocked. I can't do this anymore. I feel myself start to lose touch with reality when suddenly a cannon shot goes off. The mutts immediately evaporate. I just lay on the ground, breathing. Tears of fear, anger, sorrow, and shock just begin flowing out and I sit up. Pieces of Cato fall everywhere and I start puking all over. Then I hear a voice.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. The winner of the 74th annual Hunger Games. From District 12: Katniss Everdeen!" I hear Seneca Crane's voice say. I almost don't comprehend what he's saying because I'm still in shock. I'm like this when I'm taken out of the arena and even that whole night. Haymitch came to see me but it was pointless. I couldn't even talk to him. I lay in the bed I've been given and stare at the ceiling. I don't think I'll ever get to sleep. Eventually I do. I have a dream. It's not a pleasant dream. I wake up screaming and look around. There's nothing. I'm fine. I don't feel fine. The picture of the Peeta mutt is engraved in my mind and I can't get it out. I've puked at least six times. The Capitol doctors gave me tons of drugs to heal my arm and keep me from puking, but my arm still hurts and I'm still puking. I wish Prim and Mom were here. And Gale. I miss them. I also wish Peeta were here. But he'll never be here. He's gone forever. I wasn't able to save him. The Capitol will pay. Seneca Crane will pay. Snow will pay. I begin to build a hit-list in my head. I think of everyone in order. I consider putting myself last on the list but I don't. Prim needs me. I have to live for her. I try to go to sleep again as images of Peeta flash through my head.