Night was falling sooner than I thought and soon I had to find another tree for rest. All day today I've just been walking around the arena again, and to my surprise, no tributes were around to try and attack me. That was pretty weird, especially since I've been alone for pretty much the entire time so far, and I don't mind a bit of company by now. Even if it means killing them just for me to get through the Games.

Out of the corner of my eye, though, I did see another tribute leap from tree to tree, lightly landing on the branches like a bird. Her arms were slightly held out, as if she was to take flight at some point.

Rue.

I had to admit, she had her ways of getting around. How could she survive the bloodbath? What if she wasn't in it? It was possible. Looking at her now, I was reminded of a small bird in flight...

I honestly hope she wouldn't be shot down.

Soon, I found another suitable tree to rest for the night. Luckily along the way I managed to pick some safe and edible berries and leaves, and so I decided to snack on those for dinner as well as another cracker. All of the gorging and gaining I had in the Capitol pretty much disappeared, even though it was just the start of the Games, but I guess that was expected. I'm pretty sure there would tributes worse off than I.

As soon as I thought this, the boy from District 3 holding the stone in his hand flashed through my mind, and I shivered.

Suddenly, the anthem began to play, and they showed the girl from District 8 that I saw Glimmer kill. Then the seal showed, and then the presentation was over.

One more tribute down. 12 more to play for the final win. I bit my lip, trying not to cry. What if (Y/N) does die during the Games? No, I refuse to think that. She's somehow got on Cato's good side. She's somehow got on the Careers' good side.

How was Haymitch going to react to this?

Slowly, I eased myself into a tree for the night, securing myself in the sleeping bag, but this time using a piece of strong vine I found in the middle of the forest to wrap myself around the branch. I haven't seen anyone all day today. I'm only hoping that I could stay lucky and just lie low for the rest of the Games, hoping that everyone would just kill themselves over several battles and brawls. But even so, I'd be far from (Y/N). Damn, she wouldn't get out of my mind all day. I wonder how she's doing otherwise?

It only felt like hours since I closed my eyes before I started to get a whiff of smoke. Is someone's campfire going haywire? No. It can't be. Not unless the tree is going on fire. I looked down, but there was no fire there. I looked to my left, and animals were fleeing. I looked to my right...

One word formed in my head. Run.

Without a second's hesitation, I cut the vine around my waist, stuffed my sleeping bag in the backpack, and jumped from the tree. A sudden sharp cry came from my lips as I felt my right ankle crush under the weight of my body, but somehow I just picked myself up and kept going, away from the wall of flames that soon caught on in the entire forest. The animals were my only way of getting out of there alive. I pulled my shirt over my nose, grateful that the shirt was a bit wet with my sweat, and even pulled my hood over my head. Who knows if the heat would ever get to my head?

Soon, the smoke started to hang over my head. The shirt did little to stop the fumes from going into my nostrils, and I eventually ended up blocking my nose with my sleeve, leaving just enough room for me to breathe through my mouth, trying not to think of defeat. No. That's not possible. I can't lose. Not when Panem is rooting for me going home to my "girlfriend".

As soon as I thought that, a hissing sound registers, and I soon rolled away from the noise, surprised at how quickly a fireball would be shot through the woods, through the trees, straight at me. I heard an explosion behind me now as I picked myself up again and ran, knowing that it was probably the Gamemakers' way of making sure I don't wander too far from the rest of the tributes. They want entertainment. They want to see people die. Sometimes they will also kill a tribute for fun, but most of the work HAS to be left to us.

Fireball after fireball was launched at me, and I kept having to duck and avoid all the infernos. Just as I reached a clearing, where the fire just started to evaporate and die out, I thought I was lucky. I only just stopped to rest, breathing heavily, when a final fireball came in my direction. This time, I was only just a second too slow. The fireball now grazed over my left calf as I ducked to the right, and I screamed again in pain, black dots flying in front of my eyes. First my right ankle, now my left calf? Am I ever going to be in better shape to walk?

Luckily for me, though, that was the final fireball that was ever launched at me. After that explosion behind me, I turned back to see the flames completely evaporate and disappear into the sky. Thank goodness. If the Gamemakers stopped this kind of torture, they would expect a tribute is just close by.

I only grit my teeth at the thought. Sure, if another tribute is close by, then let them finish me off! Anyone can take me down now! I'm pretty much rendered unable to walk. My ankle screams in pain the more I think about it, and my calf is also protesting for immediate treatment. I hobble over on my two feet, but soon the pain is unbearable and i resort to crawling. Anyone, even little Rue in the trees, can take me down now. End my life with a simple slit of the throat. I pictured my dad, my two older brothers, my mom, Delly...even (Y/N) showed up briefly in my mind. All of them, mourning for me.

No. I have to keep going.

In front of me, a small pond lay ahead. I soon eased myself into the river, sighing at the relief it offered my calf, though it did little to my ankle. Honestly, that was all I needed to hang on to life. Thank goodness it was there. But even that relief was short-lived as I heard voices coming my way, footsteps soon growing louder and louder in noise.

"Haha! There's Lover Boy!" I heard a girl shout--probably the girl from District 4. And then the entire Career band was after me, and I was out of there, stumbling through the forest until I reached another tree and began to scramble up, trying not to let my ankle get in the way.

"Haha! There's Lover Boy!"

Pearl's cry soon evoked some kind of excitement among your band as you all started to chase after Peeta. You and Cato, at the rear, hung back, while the rest of the group surged forward after Peeta, who was limping and stumbling so badly he could fall over if he took one wrong step.

"Cato," you murmured, your hands by your mouth.

Cato only shook his head, however. "I have no idea."

"Should we follow them?" you asked him, turning to Cato, your eyes now wide in fear and terror. "Who would do that to Peeta?"

Cato shrugged again, but you saw in his eyes that he was determined to get back at the person who rendered Peeta injured. "I'd bet it's the Gamemakers. But first things first--you and Peeta. Together."

"Let's go then," you eventually decided, tearing through the pond and in the general direction of the rest of the Careers, Cato at your heels.

"Where do you think you're going?" you heard Glimmer yell up the tree.

"We're just going to shoot you down!" Clove further taunted.

The Careers were still yelling and shouting and teasing by the time you and Cato finally make it to the base of the tree where Peeta was in. For a moment, your eyes locked with Peeta's, his once bright blue eyes now staring at you with a dull sheen, and he was grimacing on a branch in pain, trying his best not to cry. Time seemed to stop when you saw Peeta in this state, but then you felt Cato's eyes staring between you and Peeta, flitting between the both of you as if trying to see how to get the both of you together again, though to Peeta it seemed like he was trying to find a way to make you kill him.

"Just kill him already!" Marvel was prodding Glimmer and Clove, poking them with the butt of his spear.

Glimmer shook his head and rolled her eyes at Marvel. "You want him dead? Fine. I'll do it." She strung an arrow to her bow and shot it up to Peeta, but she missed.

"You idiot," Marvel snarled, grabbing a knife from his belt and trying to climb the tree, but then halfway up he stepped on a loose branch and then he fell.

It didn't take them very long to find out that you and Cato weren't engaged in the fight. "Why aren't you guys doing anything?" Pearl suddenly asked you. "He broke your heart!"

You shrugged. "You guys are already doing your best effort. I just want to see you keep trying."

"Oh. You guys are hopeless," Pearl said eventually, shaking her head.

Eventually, you spoke up. "Guys, just let him stay up there."

Everyone suddenly turned to you--even Peeta, who was now paralyzed up in the tree.

"He's not going to be coming down any time soon, anyway. It's almost dark," you said, shrugging. "Let him stay up there. We'll deal with him in the morning."

The weight of your words soon carried through the entire Career band, and for a moment they thought you were joking. But soon, they realized you were right. The sky was definitely getting dark.

"(Y/N)'s right," Cato added. "Just finish him off in the morning. That'll just be one more death."

Marvel was the first one to break the tense silence. "Fine. Someone light a fire," he growled, and the four of them walked away...except for you and Cato, who were staring up at Peeta.

"I can't believe it," you finally whispered, burying your face in Cato's chest. "I honestly don't believe it...how could they just do this to him?"

Cato said nothing as he just wrapped his arms around you protectively, hugging you close to him. "Trust me. I'm angry at the Capitol too. I just can't show it," he whispered softly in your ear, so softly you hoped the cameras wouldn't catch his words. In the case it didn't, however, he swiftly kissed you on the cheek to make up for it.

"How could they just do this to him?" you asked quietly. "And I thought we made the promise not to hurt him..."

"To get you both back together," Cato whispered heavily, feeling his heart break as he said those words. Wait, why was he feeling heartbreak? He should have been a strong fierce fighter who was ready for any challenge. But instead, he felt himself breaking, even as you were held so close to him.

That was when he realized. He loved you. And he was scared of the prospect of letting you go.

"We'll get you back together," he promised. "I don't know how yet. But it will happen."

You nodded as he let go of the embrace. "Thanks, Cato." You reached up and kissed him on the cheek in return, just as the rest of the group was coming back with firewood.

"Seriously, you two? You gotta stop it with the romance," Clove finally sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes.

"Nah. It's nothing," you said, managing a laugh. Cato laughed as well, but that just made his heart even heavier. Hearing you say those words made his heart twist painfully, and he clenched his fist--hard.

"Cato? You okay?" you asked him, holding out your hand and grasping it in his, just to show that you cared for him and how he felt.

Cato shook his head. "No. I'm not. But I can't talk about it now."

This made you raise an eyebrow. "When?"

Cato looked at you fiercely with his intense grey eyes. "Tonight. Away from the group. Just you and me."

His eyes were bearing into you with so much intensity and pleading that you eventually nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

"Good." Cato then released your handhold, and then you all went over to tend to the fire.