Into The Wilderness: A Hunger Games Story

13: Hunting and Plotting

Katniss's P.O.V.

I'm in the town square watching the massive TV screen featuring my baby sister. She's in a cave trying to avoid the other tributes with her 'boyfriend.' My eyes widen momentarily at the image of them kissing in the cave. This isn't the little shy girl I raised for five years. This is a beautiful young lady she's blossomed into.

I fight the tears from my face and feel pats of comfort as I watch a lone escapee splash to the dirty ground, creating a small clump of mud.

I miss her. So, so much.

I feel Gale's arm loop around my shoulders as I turn my face into his shirt, letting a few more tears escape.

I raise my eyes momentarily to the screen and see them hugging.

It's so unfair.

I turn on my heel rapidly and bolt from the square. I hear shouts of my name, but I keep running, desperate to get away from the comfort that'll only make me feel worse.

After flying through the doorway, I collapse onto my and Prim's bed and let all my cooped up tears and emotions flow. I'm not used to crying or heightened emotions.

I hear a voice from my doorway. "Catnip?"

I raise my head a bit; my red rimmed, bloodshot eyes visible even to me. "Go away. I don't need your pity."

"Yeah, but you do need my comfort."

I turn my face back into my pillow and cry again. I feel the weight shift on the foot of my bed and a hand starts rubbing my back in soothing circles.

The hand pulls me up a sitting position and pulls me into a lap. I cry even harder into his shirt.

"Gale, I – I just mi-miss her so much," I wail uncontrollably.

I've never seen myself like this before. I've always been good at controlling my emotions. This is new even to me. I guess seeing her turn that monster into an actual human being really triggered something inside of me.

"Shh, shh, I know, I know. I miss her too. Trust me." His voice is filled with sadness.

We sit there, rocking back and forth continuously as my sobs gradually evolve into little whimpers as the last tears trickle down my face.

I miss her. But I need to get my mind off her, because this can't happen again. It won't happen again.

So I do the only thing I can - I'm going hunting.

Prim's P.O.V.

If you didn't already know, the Hunger Games suck. Like, completely suck. I hate them so much it kills me.

But there's nothing I can do about it. Yet, anyway.

I'm trying to think of the ways I can show these people they don't own me. I'm not property, yet they think I'm just something they can stick into an arena and I'll happily kill other people and then go live happily ever after at home with my family.

Not exactly. How am I supposed to go home with others' deaths on my conscience? Even if I didn't kill them, I'd still have to see their family's devastated faces when I do the Victory Tour. Especially if Cato dies, I don't even know how I'll function properly.

I sigh. God, it all sucks. My circumstance, my life, everything. It's just not fair. But what can I do?

Then I get it.

Suicide.