Chapter 17

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I needed to find him

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I needed to find him.

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"Attention tributes, attention!"

My eyes darted open the next day. I looked down from the tree that I was lying in and looked around me in panic mode. Was something around me? Did the capital send something out that could kill us all?

"We've decided to change the rule of pertaining to the singular victor," Claudias Templesmith's voice was the only thing heard throughout this entire arena.

Change the rule? What the hell is he talking about.

"Two victors from the same district may now have the chance to both become victors." Shut the hell up. I immediately started untying myself out of the tree I was in. "This will be the only announcement. Good luck!"

I hopped down from the tree as I got closer to the ground. I held my knife tightly in my hand as I slowly walked through the forest. I need to find Cato. Even if I get killed in the process I know I'll die trying.

Where could he be? He doesn't know this place at all. It's not like we moved around that much. I nervously sighed as I kept the knife up in case anyone jumped out at me. It was scary to be on my own. I didn't have the protection from Cato or even Marvel anymore. Or even if I wanted to keep Glimmer in mind, the four of us were way more intimidating then just me. I'm so small that anyone could kill me.

I still can't believe Katniss killed Marvel. I truly could've saved him. But it all went down so quick.

I found my way to the river that almost split the arena in half. The river where I almost died twice. Images again flashed in my head as I bent down to refill my water. I blinked a couple of times, trying to push them back. I turned around to make sure someone wouldn't come running out of the woods again. I wondered if Cato found a water bottle. Did he leave because he was angry with me? Maybe he doesn't want to be in an alliance with me anymore.

I really needed to find out the answer.

But this really is our only chance to go home together. This never happens in the games. There's always only one victor, even in the quarter quell almost twenty five years ago. This is our chance to go home, to go back to the way things used to be. Maybe even better then the way things used to be. We would live in the Victor's Village together, completely comfortable for the rest of our lives. Maybe we would even be next door to each other.

This really is our only chance.

He has to want to work with me to get home. He doesn't trust anyone else, even if that was an option. He literally doesn't have it in him to trust anyone. I could never tell if he trusted Glimmer or Marvel really. He only kept Marvel around as long as he did because Marvel protected me from the get-go. And we all know why he kept Glimmer around.

I tied the cap back on tight and threw it in my bag. I grabbed the knife from the ground and continued to walk around. I've only been on that other side only once. Katniss was hiding there when we chased her into that tree. We should've just killed her then. I should've just killed her then. I should've just sucked it up and climbed up there and killed her myself.

Maybe Cato would've treated me different.

Or better yet, maybe Cato would've been with me right now if I killed her. Maybe he wouldn't have thought twice about being with Glimmer.

I can't think like this. I always think about different situations, the 'what if's' as if they're going to somehow happen. The past stays in the past for a reason.

I kept my pace slow, but not slow enough that if someone threw a weapon at me it could hit me. I didn't know how to act, I haven't ate anything in a day. All the apples are gone, I checked before I went to sleep last night.

I bent down as I saw Katniss up ahead. I hid behind a tree that had a lot of leaves on the branches so they couldn't see me. She had her arm around someone as they walked through the water. It was someone with blonde hair.

It was Peeta.

He's still alive.

I knew it. Cato didn't kill him fully. He shouldn't have gone on his own, he shouldn't have walked away without hearing the cannon. Even though it never came. I watched as he limped along the rocks, they didn't see me. The limp must definitely be from Cato's sword. If Cato walked away thinking he'd be dead then he must've got him pretty good. But it makes me think what did they get as a gift? Medicine? He couldn't have been walking around on it already if Cato had the impression that he was almost dead.

I decided to stay hidden. If I killed Katniss I knew Peeta would come after me, or the other way around. I would die if I went after the two of them. I'm outnumbered. I need Cato. But what if he's hurt and that's why he hasn't come looking for me yet?

"We could go home, Peeta," The girl on fire said. I rolled my eyes at her optimistic tone. I couldn't tell her if love for Peeta was fake, or if she was just using him to get home. Peeta definitely loved her, especially since he went behind Cato's back to make sure she'd stay alive. Peeta looked at her as if this was the first thing she said.

"If we keep this up, and be smart about what we do, we could possibly," he said. She nodded.

"Where do you think they'll be?" she asked. I knew she meant us. She took care of that little girl, Thresh isn't a threat to them.

"Not sure, Cato wouldn't leave Kat by herself," Peeta said. Oh but he did. He left me after I went to find Marvel. "I'm assuming they're together. Ever since Glimmer died Cato has been stuck to Kat like glue." Katniss nodded. "They're definitely our biggest threat right now." Too bad we're not together. But the fact that they don't know that, needs to stay that way. And I need to find Cato.

"I agree," Katniss said. "We really have to keep our eyes out now, she could kill me from fifty meters away with those knives." Peeta nodded and they continued to talk about things as they walked away. I couldn't hear what else they were talking about. When the coast was clear, I walked the other direction from them, looking behind me to make sure no one was following me.

The sun shined off the cornucopia, making me squint a little. I wondered if Cato was still in the cornucopia. He wouldn't go anywhere he doesn't know, not alone. I slowly walked through the forest, checking behind me every once in a while. I made sure I wasn't too loud, I avoided sticks and dried up leaves. It's funny that we didn't care before all of this, we could've been as loud as we wanted. No one would've came after the four of us.

Now that I'm alone it's a totally different situation.

I started running once I got to the open field. I was vulnerable here. I quickly got to the big metal place where the bloodbath once was. I put my hand on the cornucopia, it was warm just like the air. I stopped and listened quietly. I didn't hear anything, or anyone.

"Cato?" I asked quietly. I turned around the corner to come face to face with someone.

Not Cato, but Thresh.

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