Glimmer's Story

Death

I cannot help it; I am maddened with glee. Cato grips my hand, and together we run towards the Girl on Fire, who was now facing her death.

Over the rocky surface beneath our feet we leaped, whooping and shouting in joy. Our main opponent had finally met her match. Five against one was surely her defeat.

The District 12 girl hops through the trees like a well-trained animal. She has an injury on one of her legs.

That will slow her down.

The silver bow and arrows moves across my back as I run as fast as my legs can carry me. Katniss is ahead of us, but not for long.

Clove points ahead at a great, tall tree. It's leaves twinkle in the sun and rustle slightly as the hobbled girl climbs above its many branches.

"That's not going to help you there, Katniss!" I shout in a menacing voice. Cato smirks.

"Come on, Cato! Kill her, Cato!" Clove shouts. Stupid girl, I think. Why don't you do it yourself?

Cato begins to climb the tree quickly. The sword in his hand makes it look difficult, and a spark of fear surges through me as I picture him falling, the sword swinging fatally into his own body...

I shake the image from my head.

"I'm coming for you," Cato pants. The effort of climbing has stolen his breath from him. Katniss, being of a smaller build, has already climbed to one of the highest positions in the tree, but Cato is stronger, and that is what will get her killed.

I hear a cracking noise, as if the earth has split apart. The sound reverberates around the forest, and Cato, with a small yell, hits the ground, hard.

Annoyance overcomes me. How could he have fallen? He was the strongest of our group, intent on killing this girl, and still, he failed to do so.

"I'll do it myself," I spit, and load one of the arrows into the silver bow. I take a deep breath, point the weapon at Katniss, and fire.

I miss, by an inch.

She seems to be relieved. She gives a small laugh. That maddens me further.

"Come on," Cato beckons for the bow. I thrust it in his grasp.

"Come on, Cato," I say.

"Get her!" Clove shouts.

Peeta is silent.

Cato shoots, too. The arrow hits the branch meters below Katniss, and tumbles off of the other side of the tree.

"Maybe you should throw the sword," Katniss says from above. I glare at her. This girl has no right to mock us, her superiors, when she was the one stuck in the tree. As if reading my mind, Peeta begins to speak in a nervous, hushed voice.

"Let's just wait her out. She can't stay in that tree forever; she has to come down at some point."

There is momentary silence before Cato pushes the bow back into my grip. I wish he would treat me with more respect.

"Fine," he says.

"Then somebody light a fire."

                                                                                                ******

The fire crackles gently in the moonlight. As a Career, I don't feel scared about the smoke. I have Cato, and his determination to survive the Games is as great as my own.