Soon night fell, and the anthem played as we set up camp near the base of the forest. Cato was leaning against a tree, and I sat down next to him, my head on his shoulder as we watched the Capitol symbol flash in the sky.
Time to see who was killed today.
The first was the girl from 3. I looked over and saw that Ian had averted his eyes. So, he'd at least gotten to know her. I felt a wave of pity role over me. I don't know what I would have done if Cato had died today.
Then the boy from 4. The girl, who I learned from Marvel that her name is Lysin, didn't look too upset at all. They must have been trained seperatly.
The boy from 5, both from 6, and both from 7, the boy from 8, the girl from nine, and her partner. The boy whose life I ended myself. I felt the knot in my throat again, and I swallowed, trying to get rid of it, but it wouldn't go away. Then the girl from District 10.
The symbol flashes across the sky again, and then dissapeared, and the sounds of the night continued.
I was surprised that that little girl from 11 made it through. I just hoped that we didn't have to be the ones that killed her.
"I'll gaurd," Says Marvel, and I happily accept, leaning back a bit farther, still resting against Cato, who had his arm wrapped protectively around me. I drifted to sleep much more easily than I expected to.
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It was still dark when Cato shook me lightly to wake me up, and I saw a flame not to far away from us.
Great! Another stupid tribute leading us right to them. I wanted so badly to ignore it, but we couldn't spare anyone, I wanted to get out of these games, as soon as I could.
"Come on then guys!" Says Cato, with a spear in hand, rising and running towards the small patch of light. The others and I followed.
She didn't seem to notice as we appeared behind her. She was a young girl. 14 years old, maybe younger. I didn't want to kill her, or see her get killed, so I turned my head, looking into the forest.
My heart broke when I heard her pleas for her life to be spared, and the terrible scream that followed. Then silence. I turned back around to see that Marvel had been the one to strike her, as he pulled the shaft of the spear out of her torso. I felt sick when I saw all the dark blood that coated the shiny metal.
Cato put his arm around me, and I shook my head slowly. I really hated this.
Glimmer laughs. "Twelve down, eleven to go!" Marvel lets out a loud whoop! And so does the girl from District 4. Even Ian gives a little shout of pride. But Cato and I are silent.
"Come on, let's check her stuff, and see if there's anything worth taking." I murmur quietly, and then head over to her pack.
Cato follows behind me, then Marvel, then Glimmer, Ian, and District 4.
We find nothing worth salvaging. GREAT...
"Better clear out so they can get the body before it starts stinking." Says Cato. I nod my head, and the others murmur in assent.
We move off, deeper into the woods, then we stop.
"Shouldn't we have heard a cannon by now?" I ask, turning to Cato for an answer.
"I'd say yes. Nothing to prevent them from going in immediately." He replies, only really speaking to me, but District 4 replied:
"Unless she isn't dead."
"She's dead. I stuck her myself." Protests Marvel, as if he's guarding his pride.
"Then where's the cannon?" Asked Ian, truly sounding curious.
"Someone should go back. Make sure the job's done." I say, not wanting to go myself.
"Yeah, we don't want to track her down twice." Pipes in Glimmer.
God, her voice hurt my head. Did any of you think her voice was annoying? Or was it just me?
"I said she's dead!" shouts Marvel.
"We're wasting time!" I'm surprised to hear Peeta's voice, even more so when I heared what he said next. "I'll go finish her and let's move on!" He was ready to kill someone?! Wasn't he like a baker or something? I had been TRAINED to kill, and it was still easier for a boy who makes cookies to do so than for me. What is wrong with me?!
"Go on Lover Boy. See for yourself." Says Cato, sweeping his arm in the direction of the fallen girl.
Peeta walked back into the treeline and away from us, the light from his torch dimming every second as he moved closer to the dying girl.
"Why don't we just kill him and get it over with?" asks Glimmer.
I shake my head.
"Let him tag along. What's the harm? And he's handy with that knife." Says Cato.
"Besides, he's our best chance of finding her." I murmur, picking my eyes off of the piece of wood I had been carving with one of my new slender, silver knives.
"Why? Do you think she bought into that sappy romance stuff?" Asks Glimmer, and I catch her glimpse as she flashes a glare between Cato and I.
"She might have. Seemed pretty simple minded to me. Every time I think about her spinning around in that dress, I want to puke." Laughs Marvel, making a gagging sound to emphasize his point.
"Wish we knew how she got that eleven." I say, if she did that well, it only means that she did something that was worth me worrying about.
"Bet you Lover Boy knows." Says Cato to me, and I lean against him, still tense, but feeling calmer having him beside me.
I hear The rustling of Peeta's return, and we all go silent.
"Was she dead?" Cato asks, and I look up at Peeta to hear the answer. A small part of me hoped that she wasn't that she had gotten away, but I knew that it only made it harder on Cato and I.
"No. But she is now." Peeta says quietly, and just as he finished his sentence, the girls cannon fires.
My heart sinks. 12 tributes gone, in one day.
"Ready to move on?" He continued. I'll have to ask him how he puts up with all this death and murder. I don 't want to be getting sick every time I see someone die or get wounded. A career doesn't feel, a career is built to kill, but I can't it isn't who I am. I only wish that I had discovered that before I had come into the games.
