Panem High School

Forever Young

Katniss's POV
I should've known when Rue wasn't at our meeting place that something was wrong. There had been a cannon after the last landmine had exploded. I have a bad feeling that it was for Rue. I got caught up in the blast, but I wasn't as badly injured as I thought I would be. I decided to go back to the third fire. When I arrived, the Careers had just realized their supplies were demolished. I hid behind a tree and tried to hear what they were saying, which is hard considering I think my eardrum exploded in one of my ears. I haven't been able to hear out of it since. I managed though.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!?!" Cato screamed, his face turning red as he looked at the rubble. Another rage. Honestly, at this point in the games, I am just too tired to even laugh. He tore out his hair and stamped his feet and threw a major temper tantrum as Clove and Marvel searched for anything to salvage. The boy from 3 looked terrified. I can only assume it was his landmines which resulted in this. Why isn't he running? Cato turned around to where the boy from 3 is standing.
"YOU!!" He exclaimed and charged. The boy only made it a few steps before he was tackled by Cato. Clove and Marvel rushed over to Cato, but the damage was already done. I could hear the sickening crack from here as Cato broke the boy's nose. Not long after that a cannon was heard and Marvel and Clove somehow found the strength to rip Cato off of the boy. There was a moment of complete silence before Claudius Templesmith made an announcement.
"Attention all tributes, I regret to inform you that because of the explosion caused by the landmines today, there has been a fatality. Let's take a moment of silence for Rue Orchards, who has sadly passed away." Claudius announced, and even Cato stopped what he was doing and dropped his head in respect. No. Not Rue. She can't possibly be dead. For real dead?! No, that can't be. She was just here this morning. Then it hit me. Rue didn't know there were landmines surrounding the supplies pyramid. This fire, right where I'm standing, is right near a landmine. She died because of me. I set off those landmines, and as a result she was blown to pieces. She was only 14. She was too young, she had barely started living. This was her first year at a real school. Her first friend was my sister. She has younger siblings, another one on the way. How could this have happened? How can the Capitol just sit by year after year as these innocent kids die? She died. She's gone. And it's all my fault.
Marvel's POV
There's silence as the three of us set up camp by the lake. Clove is in shock over that girl, Rue, dying. I think she misses her sister. To be honest, I'm still in shock as well. Rue was so small, so innocent. She didn't deserve to die just so some other tribute could get rid of our supplies. Even if she was the person responsible, she still should have lived. None of us knew her, in fact, I remember bullying her on the first day of school. How I regret that now. Even so, the vibe is somber, and the only person who is contributing to the mood solely because of the supplies is Cato.
"She was only a couple years older than Willow." Clove whispered.
"This isn't what I signed up for. People weren't suppose to die, especially not one of the young ones." I stated. Cato didn't say a word. He just silently chewed on an apple that had been in his pack at the time of the explosions. The anthem played a couple hours later, showing Plasmic and Rue. I eventually decided to go on guard and the other two were out within minutes. The arena is silent, not much activity, but the Gamemakers wouldn't dare do anything after Rue. A few hours later, I was just about to wake Cato (the less scary of the two when it comes to waking up) so we could switch shifts, when a twig snapped. I whipped my head over to the noise. It came from across the field. I nudged Cato and Clove awake as I sprinted over towards the noise. I couldn't see anyone, it was silent. Suddenly, I heard a noise and an arrow pierced the vest protecting my stomach. Seconds later another came and I dodged it. I began to run back to where I could see Cato and Clove running towards, but not before I was hit on the neck part of the vest. Less than a minute later my cannon rang out. That's the thing about archery, Everdeen doesn't need to leave the safety of her tree to get someone out. It creates an, albeit, boring death, considering there wasn't much fighting. Cato and Clove began to investigate the area Everdeen must have been in, but as I gripped the ladder belonging to the hovercraft, I saw they had no one. The Career pack is down to two now, and it seems as though Everdeen is out to get us. I wish them all luck, even Thresh and Finch who I haven't seen since the games started. Even Lover Boy, who betrayed us, and is still somehow alive. I wish them all luck. Something is different now. My outlook has changed when I think about these games. Not for the better, if you're Snow at least.
Clove's POV
Marvel couldn't have gotten out at a more inopportune time.
Thresh's POV
The girl is dead. I was suppose to protect her. I lost track of her when Careers came hunting. Now she is dead. How am I suppose to face her family? My family? All of the 11th area? Knowing that I did not fulfill my promise as an ally. She was young. Innocent. Kind. Not meant for these games. Now another family is broken. Another life has been lost. The Capitol probably didn't even blink. I have to win now. For the little girl. For Rue.
Finch's POV
There are 3 different types of people in The Hunger Games arena when it comes to grief over an actual death. There's the Typical Career, which I've observed Cato showing the signs of. That's when a tribute does the moment of silence and respects the fact that the person dying isn't something to joke about, but in the end just doesn't really care. They think since they never really knew the person that it doesn't matter, that it shouldn't affect them. That's also the Capitol way of thinking. Then there's the Politely Upset, which would be Clove, Peeta, and Marvel, before Marvel got out of course, I have no idea what he's thinking now. That's when you do everything a Typical Career person does, except you're actually emotionally upset. You might cry, but most of the time you just have to take a few hours to really think about what just happened. You start to get homesick and wish that none of this ever happened, but you're not so upset that you can't go on. Then there's The Mess. That category normally consists of friends, family, or allies that were in the games with the person who died. There's also some rebels who hate the games and are so angry that this happened that they can't think straight. That would be me, Thresh, and Katniss. I'm the Angry Mess, Thresh is the Blame Yourself Mess, and Katniss is the Vengeful Mess. I saw her when she got Marvel out. She looked inconsolable. Her eyes were puffy and she was sobbing. She seemed to be set on finishing off the Careers. I guess she blames them for the explosion that killed Rue, since Katniss wouldn't have had to set it off if the Careers hadn't planted landmines around their supplies. After Marvel's cannon, she pressed three fingers against her lips and held them out. For Rue. I knew that symbol. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love. I did the same in response, even if she couldn't see me. Even if no one could see me. It felt right. I could hear Thresh muttering to himself when I passed him earlier today, right after the announcement. Then there's me. I only talked to Rue that one time in training, but her death really took a toll on me. She was only 14, and I remember someone telling me she was the oldest of several siblings. The poor girl only competed so she could help provide for her family, and in return she gets killed. Her death ignited a flame inside me. Not one like Katniss, she can only do so much damage by getting the Careers out. I mean a real flame. The one that can cause some serious issues for Snow and his lackeys. My tongue and mind are both ready to take him down. All I need now is the perfect time and place. Something tells me the outskirts of the Career camp is not the place. Another day went by as I sorted through my supplies. I had refilled my flask before the supplies exploded, and I had also collected some supplies. I have some apples and crackers and a knife from the rubble. There was also a pot, but there was no room for it in my pack and I didn't want to carry it around while climbing. The anthem played and showed Marvel in the sky. Shortly afterwards trumpets began to play and Claudius Templesmith's voice boomed down on us.
"Congratulations!! You have all made it to the final 6. Now, the Gamemakers have been studying the rule book for The Hunger Games and have decided that the rule which states there can only be one winner, actually means there can be two, if they are from the same area. That means, if you and another person from your area are the last two standing, then you both win!! May the odds be ever in your favor!!" Claudius announced and in the silence I could faintly hear someone yelling Peeta. Of course, the rule change is for Peeta Mellark. Someone must have figured out that the girl he likes is Katniss Everdeen and has decided to make the Capitol go crazy with some sort of Romeo and Juliet love story. That's the hook for this year's Victors. Each year there's a hook, something that makes the Capitol favor you, resulting in you winning the games. Finnick Odair is hot and he was a freshman who made it to the top 6, resulting in the Capitol wanting him as a Victor. Enobaria Lestrange has razor sharp teeth, I think that says enough. This year, a love story. Basically it means me and Thresh are screwed, Katniss and Peeta's chance at success just doubled, and Cato and Clove are gonna be even more malicious and set on winning then they've ever been. Oh joy. I silenced my brain and focused on what was going on below me, with Cato and Clove. Awkward.
"Do you believe that? Two winners!! I don't know whether to be thrilled or pissed off." Cato stated.
"You do know it's not for us, right? It's for Everdeen and Mellark." Clove replied.
"Yeah, but out of the entire arena, you're my biggest competition, so I call this a victory. Besides, Lover Boy will be out eventually, he's weak. Then it's two against one." Cato's arrogance just seems to grow everyday. I admit, Clove is talented and terrifying and was a major competitor coming into this thing, but I think Cato should be a little more concerned about the huge guy who hates Careers, the girl who scored an 11, and the person who is sitting and watching him from a tree about 10 feet away from him right at this very moment. If I had Rue's nimbleness and Clove's ability to throw knives, they'd both be out right now.
"What's the plan for tomorrow?" Cato asked. Clove looked up from her knives and thought for a moment. I really don't see what's left for them to do besides target a tribute, get them out, and move on. It's the final 6, this is what the Capitol audience lives for. Clove apparently agrees with me.
"We should try and find Mellark and Everdeen. They'll most likely be together, and since you keep saying how Mellark is on the brink of getting out from your cut, it'll be two against one. We'll just have to catch her by surprise, since she's handy with a bow." Clove answered.
"What about 11 and 5?"
"There's only one of each. Sure, Thresh is a bigger threat than Everdeen and Mellark, but as long as those two are in the games, the sponsors will be supporting them and not us." I have to hand it to Clove, she's very good at strategy. She probably has to be. Cato, Sagara, and Marvel are more act first, think later types of people and Glimmer isn't much of a thinker period.
"When should we attack?"
"Let's start looking for her tomorrow. That way it'll give her time to find Mellark and we get to sleep."
"Okay, I'll stay on guard." With that, Clove finished inspecting her knives and went to sleep holding one in her hand, just in case. Cato positioned himself so his body was blocking Clove from any danger coming from his side. The arena was silent. Nights like these make me think about home, in area 5. I sometimes wonder if I'll ever get back to my dad and my brother. It just seems like I've been in here forever. This game just never ends.
Clove's POV
After a couple hours of sleep I relieved Cato of his duties and he went to sleep. I stared down at my knife, my favorite one at that. It's medium sized, good for throwing, but not too bulky that I can't use it in hand-to-hand combat. It reminds me of the knives I have back in the Capitol. You're not allowed to bring in any personal weapons, so even though I brought them to the Capitol, my personal set of knives are not with me. They're sitting under my bed in my room on area 2's floor of the Tribute Center. The games are almost over. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Sure, I'd like to take a proper shower and have a proper meal and see Willow again, but otherwise the thought of going home makes me feel nauseous. I can imagine my mother now. The only way you could win was by the Capitol changing the rules to two winners!! That is unacceptable!! Even though you did better than I ever did in your first games, it's still not good enough. *Proceeds to slap me in the face and continue to rant about how much of a disappointment I am*. Not to mention the nightmares I'm bound to get won't help the situation. The morning comes very slowly and I eventually wake Cato up so we can try and find a rabbit or something for breakfast. The two of us silently trek through the woods until we spot a rabbit. I kill it with one of my knives and we go back to the Cornucopia. Cato begins to get a fire going as I skin the rabbit. We work silently until all that's left to do is watch the rabbit cook.
"You know, I never meant to hurt you." Cato stated from his spot a couple feet away from me.
"Oh." I replied. There's really not much else to say.
"Oh? That's all I get?"
"What else do you want me to say?"
"How about that you forgive me?"
"I was always told not to lie, so I don't believe that's a legitimate option." I angered him with my remark. He wanted forgiveness, but I wasn't about to forgive him for something he's obviously not sorry about. Frankly, I wouldn't be shocked if he had no idea what he was apologizing for.
"This is getting a little ridiculous, don't you think, Clove?"
"No. I think we've been avoiding some things for a long time and they're just now coming to light. Would I prefer it if we were discussing those issues somewhere that the whole nation couldn't hear us? Yes, but life doesn't run on preferences."
"What exactly is there to talk about?" I then realized that if Cato doesn't even know what the issues between us are, than now is definitely not the time to explain after all.
"The rabbit is done." Cato looked at me weirdly, but then turned his attention to the rabbit. As we ate the rabbit, smoke began to rise from another fire in the woods.
"Should we go?"
"No, it has to be a ruse. Everdeen probably wants us to go there so she can shoot us with her arrows before we even realize what's happening." Cato seemed a little disheartened at the thought of letting Everdeen or another tribute possibly get away with being stupid, but didn't say anything else. We decided to pack up camp and start investigating the woods for any tributes. The real hunting starts at night though. By the time midday arrived, we had settled down in a clearing a decent enough distance away from the Cornucopia. I was about to say something when a flash of red caught my eye. I sprinted off in the direction it came from and Cato ran after me, after a few moments of confusion. I ran straight and thought I had lost her when I saw the flash of hair again going right. I raced after her, throwing a knife at anything that looked red, but I saw her turn right again. I chased after her some more, but she kept zigzagging and eventually I lost track of her. I slowed down and stopped right back where I had started, in the clearing. I began to pant as I realized Cato was nowhere to be found. I looked around and didn't see him anywhere. No cannon went off, so he's not out. Just missing. Or maybe he took the distraction to desert me. No, even Cato isn't so ignorant that he would think he needed to win by himself even if he didn't have to. Then where is he? I heard a twig snap and whipped my head over to the noise. I withdrew a knife from inside my jacket and held it in front of myself. I darted my eyes around, trying to detect any sudden movements. Suddenly, my mouth was covered by a hand with a very strong grip. I attempted to wriggle out of their grasp, but the person held onto me tightly. I was about to scream when the person spoke.
"Relax Clover, it's me, Cato." He whispered in my ear. I stopped fighting him at once and he let me go. I whirled my body around to face him and slapped him.
"OW!! What was that for?" He asked.
"For scaring the living crap out of me!!" I exclaimed and hit him again.
"Sheesh, I only did that so you wouldn't scream and alert the other 4 tributes of our location."
"You wouldn't have had to worry about me screaming if you hadn't sneaked up on me like that."
"Sorry." So for that he apologizes.
"Where were you anyway?"
"I was getting your knives back. I figured you'd need them back, so since it was clear to me that you had already lost track of 5, I went back and retrieved them." He revealed the 6 knives I had thrown and I took them back, placing them in their correct slots in the vest I had found next to the rack of them in the Cornucopia at the beginning of the games.
"I don't know whether to be grateful or pissed off right now." I mumbled and Cato chuckled.
"You could just settle on a thank you."
"Thanks, I guess." We fell silent. The silence was comfortable, yet uncomfortable at the same time. I quickly cleared my throat and began to set up camp as Cato stood there, seemingly trapped in whatever moment that was.
Finnick's POV
During the games, the Capitol has the mentors watch from either the viewing room on their area's level in the Training Center or, which Snow prefers, at Headmaster Snow's mansion with his wall sized TV. I'd rather watch it from my house on the outskirts of the Capitol with Annie, but it could be worse. I could be forced to watch it at some Capitol citizen's house after they've had their way with me. The top 24 tributes stay in the Capitol until at least the end of the games, but the other kids all get to go home. The cameras were on the little girl from 11, Rue, when the landmines exploded. Almost as if Snow knew what was going to happen. Like it was a warning, a reminder of what the Capitol can and does do. That doesn't make sense though, why would Snow want everyone to see a 14 year old girl die from a Capitol-made explosive? Anyway, the only 4s here are me, Mags, Sagara Garner, Adrianna Hennessy, and Marlin Gatina. Then there's Cashmere and Gloss with their two tributes, Glimmer Cantrell and Marvel James. Enobaria and Brutus have by far the most, like usual, with Clove Sevina and Cato Hadley still in the arena, and Valda Gomez, Artemis Alessi, Hero Hunter, and Victor Rodriguez. 3 has Pexey Lingham and Plasmic Omega. 5 has Finch Howard still in and has Zippina Pierce in the top 24. 6 has Remus Flanagan and 7 has no one, which pisses off Johanna. 8 has Burton Tumbler and 9 has Mazie Potter. 12 has, shockingly, 2 still in and 2 others who made the top 24, Madge Undersee and Gale Hawthorne. Then there's the one empty spot for Rue. Just the thought of how her family must feel right now angers me enough to want to rebel this instant. The thought of losing a child, and at such a young age too.
"Hey Odair, try not to work yourself too hard." Johanna stated as she sat beside me on the couch in Snow's mansion, the TV is zoomed in on Katniss Everdeen feeding Peeta Mellark soup. I honestly can't believe people are falling for this. I mean, she didn't even seek him out until he was an advantage for her. That's not love, that's survival, that's an angle.
"Just thinking about Annie. I can't wait for this to be over so I can go see her." I replied.
"You mean you don't enjoy living in this lush mansion for a month while we watch innocent 14 year old girls die?" I darted my eyes around for any Peacekeepers, Snow's guards, who could have possible overheard Johanna.
"Keep your voice down, Johanna."
"I'm good, thank you very much. Unlike you, I don't have anything Snow can wave over my head."
"Well, this is a nice break from random plastic women, that's for sure."
"There's the fire I was looking for. Listen, since 7 has been a major bust this year and I don't have any annoying tributes to look after, Snow let me roam the Capitol this afternoon. I told him I was going shopping for a new winter coat or something."
"This affects me how?"
"Well obviously that was a lie. I went to go visit Annie." That caught my attention. Annie and I share a house and she normally doesn't let anyone in when I'm not home. Only Mags, Monique Garner, or, believe it or not, Johanna.
"You did? How is she? Did she let you in?"
"Yes, she let me in and even made me tea. It was a little gritty, but no one's perfect. She's on the better side. The lights were on which means she probably wasn't hiding. She held up a decent conversation with me about what she's been doing these last couple of weeks. She misses you though."
"I shouldn't have to leave her."
"I never understood why she isn't a mentor."
"Snow thinks she's too unstable for public appearances, plus the Capitol finds Mags, and I quote, adorable."
"Well, on the bright side, we're down to the final 6. Peeta Mellark is only getting worse and the guy from 11, Thresh, is getting really dehydrated. You know what that means."
"Feast. Of course. That's why they're showing all of this lovey dovey stuff between Katniss and Peeta. They're preparing a feast."
"Who do you think goes down first? I bet the girl from 2, she's the weakest out of all of them."
"Clove Sevina? No way!! How is she weak?"
"Peeta is obviously not in any condition to run, so he won't be going to the feast. Finch from 5 reminds me of myself, she's too smart to get caught at a feast. Cato from 2 and Thresh from 11 are both huge, so unless Cato and Clove are planning a two person attack, there is no way they'll be able to get him unless it's by surprise. Then there's Katniss Everdeen who got an 11 in training, so I'm praying she isn't stupid and uses her archery skills to get out any competition before getting hit herself. That leaves Clove Sevina. She's arrogant and annoying and there's no way she's making it out of there. She has too many enemies."
"So basically she's you."
"Watch it Odair, I just did something nice for you today. Don't make me regret it."
"Relax. My money is on the girl from 5 getting out."
"How?"
"She's starving. This whole game she's been relying on what people have given her. Now that the Careers have no food and supplies are scarce, she's going to run out of food and in order to survive, she needs food. Since her strategy has been to evade this whole time, she won't know how to fight, so she'll get caught by a knife or an arrow and be out."
"You wanna put money on that, Fish Boy?"
"Sure. 50 bucks says Finch gets out, if Clove gets out you win, if Finch gets out I win."
"What if neither or both get out?"
"We keep our money and bet on something else."
"Deal." We shook on it and turned our attention towards the screen, waiting anxiously for Claudius Templesmith's inevitable announcement about the upcoming feast.