When The Canary Sings

A Feast.

First Person Point of View: Becca Blue: 

*

"A feast?" I ask Haymitch, who is sorting through paperwork. Everytime I look at him, I need to block out what Effie told me a few nights ago. "That has to be a trap."

"Could be." Haymitch huffed, taking a sip of whiskey, "but look at the boy. He needs whatever he can get."

"If we just send something–" I start to say, but he cuts me off.

"We don't have the money."

"I can get us money!" I say, talking with my hands and gesturing to myself and my guitar. "Everyone loves a song. It could be about them."

"No. No more using you for sponsor money." Haymitch says, "that's enough of that. We just need Kathiss to kill someone, or them to kiss or something!"

"Haymitch, I have songs, new ones." I pleaded, "please!" I say, but he raises a hand to shut me up. I huff and roll my eyes, looking back to the TV screen. Katniss hides in the bushes, stalking her prey, or her predators.

The redheaded tribute, a girl who eerily reminds me of myself, emerges from the cornucopia, takes her bag, and runs off. Genius! I think, because that was truly genius on her part. Although Foxface is as good as gone, Katniss waits for a moment before zooming out. I watch with snapping fingers and a bouncing leg—something I do when nervous—as she darts out.

Just as she grabs the bag, the District Two girl tackles her to the ground. Shit, Shit Shit! I lock eyes with Enobaria, just for a second, before both our eyes go back to the screen. Clove sits on her, using her full body weight. What's upsetting is that the girl doesn't look much older than me. Maybe fourteen, maybe fifteen, and she is so fully brainwashed to kill anything near her.

"Where's your boyfriend, 12? Still hanging on?" She taunts, Katniss replies with a lie, then a scream, which leaves her with a punch to the windpipe. "Liar. Cato knows where he cut him. He's nearly dead! You've probably got him strapped up in a tree somewhere, yeah?" She taunts. "What's in the bag? Medicine for lover-boy? Too bad he'll never get it."

The girl, Clove, opens her jacket to reveal an assortment of shiny knives. She pulls the prettiest one out and teasingly traces it over Katniss's mouth. She begins to talk, but the mics cut out as Caesar cuts in.

"Uh oh, folks!" He says grimly, "seems like the girl on fire is in trouble here." He says, Haymitch huffs beside me. My leg bounces faster. "But looky here." He says, and the camera zooms in on Thresh, the ox-like tribute from District 11 bolting at the speed of light towards them. Simultaneously, Cato emerges from the woods, but has to be over a mile away from the confrontation.

Suddenly, the mics cut back into Clove making a joke about Rue. A joke that sets fire in Katniss's eyes. The sadistic girl begins to outline Katniss's lips, and just as her knife makes the first cut, the girl is yanked off of Katniss by Thresh.

"Cato! Cato!" She begins to scream.

"What'd you do to that little girl?" Thresh asks, "You kill her?"

"No! No, It wasn't me!"

"You said her name. I heard you." Thresh threatened. "You cut 'er up like you were gonna cut this girl up here!"

I can only see Thresh raise the stone above Clove's head before Haymitch's hand clasps over my eyes, knowing it would be a gruesome death. A scream, a crack, a thump, and a shout from Cato. When his hand leaves my eyes, I see Clove's cloudy eyes staring back at mine.

"Damnit!" Enobaria curses.

To my surprise, Thresh lets her go. "You better run now, Fire Girl." He says before taking Cato's bag and bolting off. Katniss pulls herself up immediately and bolts back. She leaves the frame and the camera's focus in on Cato begging Clove to stay with him.