Catoniss (#wattys2016)

Chapter 14

I run from the Career pack and try to find Rue. I whistle, which the mockingjays carry but I don't get any response. I whistle again, the birds repeat it but I don't get any response. I run to the third fire but see that it hasn't been lit.

"Katniss!" Rue screams.

"Rue!" I scream. I run to where I heard her voice and quickly see her pinned to the ground by a net.

"Help me, Katniss." I take the net off of her and hug her, trying to comfort her. But when we pull away, her eyes catch something behind me. I turn around and see the Career from District 1 --- Marvel. He throws a spear at me, I dodge it, aim an arrow at him and release. It hits his chest and he falls to the ground dead.

I look back at Rue and see that Marvel's spear hit her stomach. She pulls it out, falls but I catch her. "You're okay, you're going to be okay."

"Did you blow up the food?" she asks.

"Every last bit of it."

"Good. Can you sing?"

I nod. " Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your eyes
And when they open, the sun will rise.

Here it's safe and here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
When again it's morning, they'll wash away.

Here it's safe and here it's warm
And here the daisies guard you from every harm
And here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
Here is the place where I love you."

Her eyes then stay open and I close them and lay her on the grass. I begin to cry because Rue was my friend and I loved her. I want to show Panem how much I love Rue and show what the Games do --- they tear people apart. I get up, collect a few different flowers and lay them around Rue and put a bouquet of flowers in her hands.

I see a camera in a tree that's pointed toward me and I look at it with tears still running down my cheeks. I press three fingers to my lips and raise them. For Rue's death.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"Attention Tributes," Cladius Templesmith's voice echos throughout the arena. "There has been a rule change. Instead of one Victor, two are permitted. They can be of any District and any gender. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour."

Who could be my allie? The one who walks out of this arena with me? I can't go back to the Careers because I know that Clove will kill me once she sees me. Peeta. Would he still want to be allies? We could go home together, make District 12 proud and thrilled. I hear a branch snap behind me, I turn around quickly and aim an arrow at the Tribute. Cato. But he's alone, at least I think so. This could all just be a trap and he could kill me for blowing up their stuff... But I could kill him now.

"It's just me, Katniss. Relax," Cato says, calmly. I don't put down the arrow or release, I keep it aimed at his head. "Trust me, I'm with you."

Why should I trust him? Why should I trust someone who could kill me in less than a second? Why should I trust someone who left me for the Careers? Why should I trust a Career? Why should I trust anyone? All of the questions fly into my head as soon as he tells me to trust him.

"Don't you want to go home? To see your sister again? I thought you wanted to win for her. I could help you with that, you just have to trust me, Katniss," he says.

"And you trust me?" I ask.

"Yes. I know that you can't and won't release that arrow. I trust you. Why don't you trust me?"

"Because you're a Career. I don't even want to know how many children you killed in the last few days."

"Katniss, give me a chance and I --- "

"I did. And look what happened."

"It was the only way to keep you alive. They wanted to go after you, they wanted to kill you. But I stopped them."

I don't believe him for a second. "Why?"

"Because I care about you. I started to like you the minute you volunteered, even though it was for your sister. Selflessness was never my thing. But... I'm willing to change. For you."

I believe him. I didn't want to, but now I truly do. I don't see Cato as a Career anymore. I now see him as a Tribute who wanted to bring pride to his District. But now both of our Districts will hate us for choosing each other. They'll hate us and think we're stupid for falling for each other. I don't care what they think, I just want to get out of here alive. And if it means with Cato, so be it.

I love Cato. No one or nothing can change that. Not even Peeta or Prim.

I see a Tribute sneaking up behind Cato with an axe in his hand. I'm not going to let anyone kill Cato now because he's my allie and I love him. I aim it at the boy who's right behind Cato.

"I love you, Katniss," he says. He thinks that I'm going to kill him and that's good for my plan. I know that he'll be glad when I kill the boy instead of him.

I release, the arrow zooms past Cato's head and lands in the boy's head. He falls to the ground and I hear a cannon. "I do trust you, Cato. And I love you."

Author's Note:

I'm back! We have a lot to talk about and it's IMPORTANT so keep reading this Author's Note. Here are the things I want to tell you:

1. Why I haven't updated in a while:
I injured my knee about a few weeks ago and it hurt so much to walk. We went to the doctor and said that she couldn't see anything wrong but she sent me to an opthomologist. They toke an x ray and saw that my bone wasn't damaged, which is good. But they knew that that meant either a muscle or tenden in my knee was damaged. It was a tenden and a muscle (I tore a muscle and tenden). But I'm much better, but I was very busy and was in so much pain.

2. I deleted The Revolution and The Change because I didn't like the way it turned out and where it was going. I'm going to rewrite The Revolution and publish it in less than a week.

3. "No Escape" by catoniss1213
And
"Soldier's Daughter" by Catoniss_123
Those books are really good! You should go read them.

How was chapter 14? Please comment your opinions and suggestions on what should happen next.

Please keep reading, vote and comment.

- Emi ☺