The sound of creaking and cracking of something overhead brings me out of sleep. I open my eyes in time to see a brach with a lump on the end crash to the floor. The lump rips open. Tracker jackers.
"To the lake!" I scream and flee, leaving my sleeping bag and pack with a tiny bit of food in. I sprint through the foliage, a golden swarm following me. I don't care where the others are, if they're okay. I just want to get to the lake. I scream again. "To the lake!"
I feel sharp pricks on my arms and on my face. So far I've counted five. The ground starts to spin and before long it is too difficult to run. I collapse in a heap, waiting for the tracker jackers to sting me to death.
I feel a coldness on my arm and I open my eyes. I am on the edge of the lake. It takes all my strength and a lot of effort to stand up only to collapse again into the cool water. I notice Cato is already in the pool, and Peeta is lying on his back in the shallows. Marvel bursts through the last of the trees with a frantic look on his face and launches himself into the water, a swarm of gold wasps following him, but hovering over the water.
After a few minutes the tracker jackers give up and head off elsewhere, leaving us to move around and leave the cool of the water.
I can't see straight, and the water is a bright purple. There are two suns beating down on us and Peeta has doubled. I drag myself out of the water and lie there, closing my eyes.
I seem to have got the worst of the stings, as the other three seem to be okay, even though Peeta has doubled.
My world goes black as Marvel's worried face appears over me.
* * *
I wake up back at camp. Cato is sat next to me, my hand in his. Peeta is nowhere to be seen. Marvel is sat talking to Joshua with a pyramid of supplies behind them. I feel incredibly tired, and sore all over from the stings.
"Where- Where's Lover Boy?" I say.
"Midge! Clove, you're back!" Cato exclaims, his face lighting up. He grabs my face and kisses my forehead.
Marvel and Josh appear beside me, smiles on their faces.
"How long was I out?" I ask.
"Two." Marvel says. I notice his tone has changed since the tracker jacker attack. I scan the camp for Glimmer's blonde head and Ellie's dark hair, but there are not to be seen.
"We lost Glimmer and Ellie?" I say, surprised.
"Tracker jackers got 'em." Joshua says.
"What about Peeta? He was in the lake wasn't he?"
"Yes, then after you blacked out, he ran back to Katniss. Cato went after him and cut him with the sword. He won't be going anywhere soon." Marvel says.
"You didn't kill him?" I say, looking at Cato.
"No, thought it'd be better to make him bleed to death. Slow and painful. Suitable punishment for a traitor, don't you think?" Cato says. "Forget about him though. He'll be dead in a few days."
"Yeah, I guess." I smirk. "Wish I'd seen it."
"It was pretty funny." Cato smiles.
"Where did you find Ellie and Glimmer?"
"Ellie was in the shallows of the lake, Glimmer died where the nest was dropped on us by Katniss. We will get Katniss in the end. I promise you, we will." Cato looks around at us.
