But, You're Dead? [Clovniss]

The Fourth Time, Three Months After The War

The fourth time it happens, it is three months after the war ended.

Katniss barely leaves the house anymore, unless it is absolutely necessary. Instead she chooses to remain in the safe isolation of her room, ears trained for the sound of minor traps being triggered.

She spends her hours drawing, doing sketches of her fellow tributes. The sketches are frankly terrible, but Katniss takes great care with every movement of her pencil. Drawings of Rue peering out at her from the tree, drawings of the Careers asleep beneath her feet, drawings of a startled Fox staring at her and even drawings of Peeta decorating cakes or his arm.

The letter from Plutarch had informed her that Peeta was dead. He had swallowed one of the few remaining Nightlock pills, died a quick and painless death. On her bad days, Katniss wonders if he deserved such a painless death.

Plutarch had also told her of rumours circulating the Leeg twins. Rumours that they'd been pulled, alive, from the rubble by Peacekeepers so that they could be experimented on. Katniss thinks about them on her sleepless nights.

Just as she's adding the finishing touches to a rough sketch of Clove mid-knife throw, a note had appeared on the cutting board in the kitchen. It's not from her, but from Hunter. The letters are messy, half formed, with random dots of blood smudging them even further. Tiny sketches of blood dripping off blades litter the page,

'Everdeen, stalker ain't sending you another weird lil' note of hers, 'cause she's in hospital. Her head was givin her problem an she collapsed. She'll be alright though, no worries about that. I heard about your Bread Boy, sorry for your loss. He was a good guy, just... too soft. He also tried to kill you, but then again, so did stalker, y'know. Ah well, see ya around, Everdeen – Hunter.'

Katniss sees the two ghosts a short while later, while she wanders around the new Hob in search of that blasted cat. The duo are hanging around a stand that sells pieces of elegantly twisted metal, their backs to her.

She wears a pair of navy combats and a dark leather jacket with it, the bottom of a white t-shirt peeking out. She has a large knife strapped to her thigh, the sheath of a second one on her belt at the small of her back. She's slipping a howling metal wolf into her jacket pocket and is closely inspecting a second one.

Hunter is dressed in black camo combats and a navy bomber jacket, with a dark red t-shirt underneath the jacket. A pistol is tucked in her belt, and she holds a folding knife in her right hand, a piece of wood in the process of being carved on in her left hand.

Katniss watches apprehensively as Hunter elbows her in the side, drawing her attention to the carving she is proudly showing off. Hunter pockets her knife just before her companion turns slowly to pin Katniss with a deep stare, murderous eyes looking into her soul.

Katniss turns on her heel and flees the market, unable to bare the dark green eyes and greyish blue eyes watching her.

'That blasted cat will be fine.' Katniss chants, mentally, for her entire run back home. 'He found his way home from Thirteen, he will damn well find his way home here.' It keeps the guilt from soaring through her body like fire on a piece of bone dry timber.

The next morning, Buttercup is perched on the kitchen table, battered head tucked between his paws as he dozes in the morning sun. Beside him lies a small howling wolf, an incredibly detailed and morbid sketch and a note.

'Sorry about Hunter, she's as crazy as her brother. The window over the sink is unlocked and opens silently, gives an intruder the perfect opportunity to sneak into your house undetected. Like us. You should fix that window before it is too late.'

Hunter's sketch shows Titus Fenton sitting cross legged on the ground, surrounded by half eaten bodies. Blood is smeared across his face and neck, chunks of flesh caught in his bloodstained teeth. A crushed heart with a large chunk torn out sits in his left palm, blood dripping from his hand. His teeth are bared in a cruel smirk.

The fifth time it happens, it is five months after the war ended.