We Remain

Chapter 11: Aren't We All

I wake myself from this horrible dream. The cold breeze in the trees is cutting my face with it's icy knife. It was all a dream. Finding Peeta. Getting stabbed. Being in his arms again. Nothing but a fake reality my mind has created. But the pain was so real. His arms around me felt like his own. My mind and body must be under hard withdraws.

It's probably around early morning. The sun hasn't risen but I know soon the sun rise will be approaching. I lay my head back. Thinking of how vivid the dream had been. How clear Peeta's voice had been the moment he said "I love you Katniss Everdeen." The fact was he doesn't love me. Well not like he used to, before the baby secret. I climb out of my sleeping bag and roll it up. I take a sip of water from my canteen and sit on the branch with my feet dangling. I needed to find this waterfall soon. Today even. I can't go another day without Peeta. Not in the arena. Also, need food. That's another necessity. Food and Peeta.

I climb down making sure I don't fall, especially on my arm. I land on the ground. I fix my clothes, dusting them off. I fix the sheath on my back. I wrap the slim sleeping bag around the sheath, keeping it in place with my belt. I load my bow. Rather be prepared than dead because of horrible reflexes. I walk up the dense mountain.

I shoot a plump groosling. A bird type thing, I remember Rue told me the name. I hang its neck around my pants loop. I will cook it later on when the morning fog has subsided. I wouldn't want to lite a fire and have the smoke break the foggy air. I keep a steady pace. Then I hear a scream.

"Katniss! Katniss!" A male voice yells out. "Katniss! Help!"

My mind first thinks Peeta. It must be. I begin to run, yelling Peeta's name as well. Screaming almost. "PEETA!"

"Katniss! Katniss!" Peeta keeps yelling in pain. I reach a field. A body lays in the middle huddled in a ball. "Katniss..." He barely says. I run over, with my arrow ready to fire. I reach him, kneeling.

"Peeta." I place my bow down next to me. I touch him with my right hand. If he's seriously injured, I wouldn't want to make it worse. His hand is almost touching mine. I look closely and don't see any burn marks. The burn marks Peeta usually has from the ovens back home. I gulp.

"Kiss me, sweet lips." The voice had changed. The hand grabs me and flips me next to him. He pins me down. Gloss. District 1. His blue eyes stare right through me. He's probably 70 pounds heavier than me, my rib cage can't take much. I try to take small slow breaths but the weight is too much.

I see the rest of the careers running in towards us. They have set me up with the one weakness they openly knew I had. Peeta. How could I have been so vulnerable? In my defense, Gloss and Peeta do have the same hair color and through the fields, it's easily mistaken....Stop making excuses Katniss!

"Now if you work with us here, this won't hurt as bad. Got it!" Brutus says smoothly. Matilda ties a cloth on my mouth. Gloss flips me over and Cashmere ties up my hands. Brutus ties my feet. Nothing goes over my eyes. They want me to see my painful death. Not just experience it but witness each cut, each slice, and they want to see my eyes begging them to stop. I won't give them at satisfaction.

Gloss carries me on his shoulder. Matilda, the thirteen-year-old girl from 2, carries my precious bow, sheath, and sleeping bag. And Cashmere unhooks my canteen and groosling. Brutus polishes his long sword and smiles.

Billions of things are racing through my mind. Prim is watching this. Probably at school watching me being taken to my death. The other kids huddled around her. Gale is not going to see this. He never watches the games. He will never see my body being ripped to shreds. Peeta must win now. I thought I could keep him alive for at least half of the time here in the arena. My mother will go through depression again. No cures for that anymore. Nothing I can do now.

They reach their campsite. Not as packed full of food from the cornucopia as I excepted. Gloss throws me on the ground. My body hits the floor like a sack of flour. My head begins to throb.

"Now let the games begin." Says Brutus. They all circle around me. Their weapons at hand. I close my eyes and take in a deep breath. Cashmere is first. She is instructed to keep her strikes casual. Casual? They want me to suffer the small cuts before the grand finale.

Cashmere kicks me over. Her foot slams my face down and her knife slowly is dragging along my back. I squeeze my eyes shut as if it held back the screams. They all laugh. Next turn. Gloss flips me back on my back. He steps on my chest making the dirt enter my wound. He gingerly drives his knife from my cheekbone to the end of my chin. Matilda plays a game with me. She grabs a spear and places the tip of it on my thigh. No pressure. Then she presses down. Since I didn't yelp, she presses hard. I stay silent wrinkling my face because of the pain. She wants me to beg. She's about to go deeper in the cut. Till I make a sound an animal does when it's in pain. She pulls out the spear and smirks. Brutus steps forward. I can't imagine what he will do. He kneels down and places the metalic sword to my neck. A good show is all the Capitol wants and a good show they have been getting.

Brutus looks up. They all move their attention from me to the burning fire nearby.

"Brutus..." says Matilda.

"I know..." Brutus answers as if he can't make up his mind.

"She'll be here when we get back. Two kills in one day." Cashmere says.

"Fine." Brutus stands up. He knows I can't get up or run away. And I will be here when they get back. I am going nowhere. They all run far to the east of their camp. I lay trying not to think of when they come back. It's only the beginning of the afternoon. Will they keep torturing me till night? I hope when they come back they will be tired and just do it quick and easy. But their careers...there's no other way but long and painful.

"Katniss?" whispers a voice. I'm taken off guard. I spin my head around looking. I start to breathe heavily. I make a groaning sound. Whom ever it is, please take me away.

Peeta runs over to me. He kneels and smiles at me. I'd smile back if the cloth wasn't between my teeth. He picks me up and place me on his shoulder. He has no time to untie me. I understand. He grabs my bow and sheath. He begins to run. Faster than I thought he would with a fake leg. He seems to cope well. I can see each drop of blood land on the back of his shirt from my cheek. How did he know?

He takes a small break. He sits me on the floor and he drinks some water. He cuts the cloth on my mouth with a small knife. Peeta makes me drink. The water feels so good down my throat. He doesn't say a word to me. He lifts me up again and starts running.

The sun is setting. Soon Peeta's run became a slow walk. I hear the sound of water rushing. Then I see the waterfall. Crisp blue waters that fall into a large pond. He walks behind the waterfall into a cave.

"Your back finally." Says Johanna. Johanna? With Peeta? Allies?

He places me down. "You two are allies?" I ask.

"Us three are allies," Peeta responds. Johanna gives me a sarcastic grin. Peeta cuts the ropes off my hands and feet. He falls down next to me. Tired. I rub my wrist over and over, rope burn.

"Come here." She orders me. I try but I can't my leg hurts to much to stand on. "Wow they really got you good didn't they." She says. She walks over and kneels in front of me. She looks through a first aid pack. She pulls out a small bottle, bandages, and cotton.

She begins cleaning my cuts at the best of her ability. My back burn more than the rest. My cheek is an easy fix. My leg is better than Peeta was last year. Peeta has fell asleep. "You know he has been dying to see you." She says. I don't respond.

"We became allies last night. This morning I was out finding some food when I heard you scream Peeta's name. I saw the career's and knew I wouldn't have been able to save you. We'd both die. I came back and devised a plan with Peeta. I'd set a fire they could see through the fog and he'd pick you up and leave. I got here before you guys did....You're welcome." She says sincerely till that ending.

"Thank you," I say. I see the seven backpacks they have in the corner of the room. Peeta was lucky not to get a rigged one.

"Loaf of bread?" She asks me.

"Please. I'm starving." I beg.

"Aren't we all," Johanna smirks.