~Hunger Games~

Chapter 18

Katniss Pov

I'm laying there silently. The only one awake.

Cato, Gale and Rue are all asleep.

I begin to slowly drift off into a light sleep. I dream about my future with Cato.

**********************************

I'm laying in a soft bed with the blankets pulled up around my neck. I'm alone. Until a little boy and girl come running into the room screaming and jump onto the bed.

"Good Morning Mama! Good morning Mama!" They scream.

I lean up looking at them.

"Good morning Peeta. Good morning Lucy" I say "what's for breakfast?"

"Daddy is making oatmeal with brown sugar!" Yells Lucy as she falls backwards into the bed so she's laying right next to me.

"Well what a nice treat!" I say

"Daddy says he wants you to get up right away." Says Peeta

"Tell him I'll be up in a couple of minutes." I reply.

They both run out of the room screaming but this time in a low terrified scream.

And that's when the dream ends.

*************************************

I wake up to the sounds of a boy screaming for his life.

I get up without a thought in my mind. Not even to wake up Cato.

I look over the edge of our camp in the tree and see a figure running for his life towards the camp. While being chased by a large animal. The same one as the one that attacked Rue.

"UP HERE!" I scream

Although it looked like this was where he was headed anyway.

He begins to climb up. He was half way up the tree when the animal reached him. Although the animal never stopped running. He kept running at full speed and leaped up the tree to where the boy was almost up to the top.

The animal just missed the boy by a little bit. Although it looks like he got a cut on his leg from a claw.

The animal falls to the ground whimpering and runs off into the darkness of the night.

The boy makes it up to the top but not before throwing his spear and bags up.

I help him up.

I lean him up against a tree branch and begin nursing him. Without a thought.

Finally I look up into his eyes.

Marvel.

"Oh my god. Marvel."

He looks up.

"Katniss?" He says with doubt.

"Yes! Yes it's me! You're gonna be okay!" I say to him.

He sighs in relief.

"It's like it was a sign from the gods to come here. I've been worried about you." He says.

"You shouldn't have worried. I'm with ca-" I feel someone pull me away from Marvel and shoved to the ground.

Gale.

"Gale what are you doing?" I ask urgently before he takes marvels life.

He turns and looks at me.

"Who's this?" He asks.

"That is Marvel." I say getting up and lowering Gales sword with my finger tips.

I hear Cato get up and notice the commotion.

Great. It's Mr. Protector right on cue.

"What's going on here?" He asks.

I roll my eyes.

Gale blocks Marvel from Cato's view.

"Move out of my way Gale." He says pushing Gale on the shoulder.

"Please don't do this guys." Clearly they ignore me.

"Make me." Gale says

"Wrong answer." Marvel says behind him.

"Marvel?" Cato asks.

Gale moves as if given an order.

Cato looks down at the scratched up marvel and sighs with relief.

"Where have you been? You were supposed to meet up with me at the cornucopia the first day of the games." Cato says.

"I got caught up with a few things. First Glimmer, then the boy from 11, and then I saw clove tonight and also had a nice encounter with a giant mutant Pig." Marvel Explains.

Cato squats to Marvels level and examines his leg. He seems to notice something.

"Katniss. Grab marvels hand for a second." I do as I'm told.

I grab his hand and look at him in his dark golden eyes.

"Why am I holding Katniss' hand?"

At that moment Cato rips out a sharps claw from Marvels leg.

Marvel scream in agony.

Cato stands up and pulls me aside.

He shows me the claw that came from the animal that chased marvel.

It had a mocking jay symbol on the top.

This could only mean one thing.

Peeta is the animal.