Chapter 16

"Rise and shine!" Marvel shouted. "Come on, everybody up!"

I groaned and pulled the sleeping bag over my head. We couldn't have gotten more than three hours of sleep.

After killing the girl from 8, we decided our best plan was to head back to the Cornucopia. It wasn't the best idea considering that we were so close to finding Katniss. But, we all needed to refill our packs and get at least a little rest. We jogged through the woods as the sun began to rise and it surprisingly didn't take long. When we reached the Cornucopia, we rummaged through the food crates for something for everyone to eat. By the time we rolled into our sleeping bags, it was already mid morning.

"Come on! We aren't going to kill anyone by sleeping! We'll have plenty of time for that once we kill Katniss!"

Unfortunately, he was right. We needed to get moving. I glanced over my shoulder to see that Peeta was still here. He was tucked away in the corner of the Cornucopia, packing up the bag we had given him. I think we all thought he'd be gone.

I looked up at Cato was just starting to roll up his sleeping bag. I had slept right next to him, which Glimmer was not so happy about. I pulled my legs out of the bag, and started to pack up as well.

"Happy Birthday," Cato smiled, glancing over at me.

"What?"

"It's your birthday today, isn't it?"

Was it? I counted the previous days and realized that he was correct. I was sixteen today. "Yeah, I guess it is. Thanks."

"Sorry we can't celebrate or anything," he muttered. Usually, on our birthdays we would go to the market and get lunch. Then we would take it to our spot in the woods behind his house and eat. We would spend the rest of the day training. It was always nice, being away from the rest of the district. It was our own little world.

"It doesn't matter. It's not like Enobaria's going to send me a birthday party," I chuckled.

"You never know," he said with a wink.

I rolled my eyes as I finished packing up my bag.

We made sure each of us had enough supplies to last a few days so, we wouldn't have to come back here. Then, we all decided to follow the river in hopes of finding Katniss. And suddenly, It was yesterday all over again. Glimmer and Cato were whispering in the back, Marvel was practically on top of me, and Lover boy struggled to keep up.

"Hey Clove."

"What do you want Marvel," I grumbled. He was determined to talk to me.

"I heard it was your birthday?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Maybe if we come across someone, I'll let you kill them," he grinned. "Think of it as a birthday present."

"How thoughtful," I said sarcastically, picking up my pace.

"Except Katniss. I want to kill her." he continued.

"Doesn't matter, Cato already promised I could kill her," I boasted.

"I don't remember approving this," he growled, as he spun around to glance at Cato.

"I don't care if you approve or not, I'm killing her."

"We're a team. We have to agree on things." he hissed.

"No. We don't." I replied. "We're all going to end up killing each other anyways."

"Not necessarily," he muttered. "Maybe someone else will kill us."

"Glimmer will probably accidentally kill herself," I smiled, picturing her own arrow flying toward her.

"Just because Cato likes her better than you, it doesn't m-,"

"Shut up! He does not like her better. He hasn't even known her for a week!" My fists were clenched, shaking with anger.

"It's not all Glimmer's fault. If you love him, why don't you tell him. Maybe then he'd pay more attention to you,"

"I don't love anyone," I said acidly.

"Jeez, doesn't matter anyways. Like you said, only one of us comes out alive." He picked up his pace, shaking his head.

Marvel actually didn't pester me for the next few hours. However, I had to listen to Cato and Glimmer jabbering in the back instead. We stopped to rest once we realized we had traveled at least 20 miles. Marvel started a small fire, using the matches from his pack and some nearby branches. We didn't need to worry about being attacked. Our attackers wouldn't stand a chance against us.

We all decided to cook a few of the cans of soup to satisfy our hunger. We chose a corn chowder, and roasted chicken to cook over the fire. We had to decided to pack some of the dishes we got from the Bloodbath, along with a tray and pan for cooking. We divided the soups up and poured them into small Styrofoam bowls. Glimmer was appalled with the idea of eating without spoons but she managed.

Suddenly, we heard the sound of a parachute. Our sponsors had sent us something. We hadn't received anything through out the games, probably because we didn't need it. So, I wondered what we could possibly be getting. Was it Glimmer's mentor with some spoons? Most likely. Glimmer hurried over to where the parachute dropped and yanked it open, pulling out a large white box. She immediately scowled and thrust the box at my chest.

"It's for you."

I took the box and found my name scribbled across the top.

"Well? Open it," Glimmer groaned, impatiently.

I tore at the cardboard, careful not to ruin whatever was inside. "You have got to be kidding me," I guffawed. Enobaria had sent me a birthday cake.

"Clove, I am so glad it's your birthday!" Marvel exclaimed, peering over my shoulder.

"I just can't believe she actually sent something," I muttered.

"Hah! I knew she would," Cato grinned, pulling me into a quick hug. "Well I actually asked her to." I flashed him a smile, in return.

"Well, thank you Cato and Enobaria!" Marvel cried, dipping his fingers into the frosting.

"Hey! Hands off!" Glimmer gave him a little shove. "I don't want your dirty fingers all over it!"

"What kind is it?" Lover boy asked, peering into the box.

"Why do you care? It's not like your getting any," Glimmer snapped.

"I know. It's just that I frost the cakes at my family bakery," he stammered. "Well, I used to frost the cakes."

"Sounds nice," I murmured.

"Oh, not really. My mother abused me, but I guess we had it better than other families," he muttered. Images of my father beating my mother burst into my head. He glanced around at all our faces. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"Yeah w-," Glimmer began.

"It's fine," I interrupted. "I actually had the same problem, but with my father." I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I cleared my throat and glanced down at the cake. "It's chocolate. If anyone wants any, grab a plate."

"Hey, did you guys hear that?" Lover boy asked, after a long silence.

"Hear what?" Marvel replied, mouth full.

"I thought I heard someone," he explained, glancing around uneasily.

"It was probably just a rabbit," I reassured him.

He still looked anxious, but he picked up his plate and continued to eat.

A few minutes later, I heard it too. The continuous sound of twigs snapping and hushed voices. Was it possibly the boy and girl from eleven? I squinted, trying to make out a body.

"Someone is definitely there," I announced, my voice hushed. "More than one actually." I pulled two knives out of my vest and scanned the trees for movement. Cato gripped his sword and Glimmer had her bow drawn. Marvel rolled his eyes, and set down the bowl of soup. Even Peeta had his knife handy. We could easily take on two or three tributes, but anymore than that could result in at least one of us dying. Had Peeta led us to them on purpose? I glanced at his worried expression and dismissed the thought. He was terrified.

Just then, I spotted a face, the girl from 4. She was tucked away behind a tree, peering cautiously through the branches. She was already badly beaten. Her face was smashed in, and there was a deep cut above her eye. She must have barely survived the bloodbath.

I smirked and got ready to throw. I was aiming for her jacket, hoping to pin her to the tree. I had never actually done anything like it, but a day ago I had also never killed anyone. I raised my knife and let go. It spun through the air before ripping through her jacket. She let out a scream, and cried for help. I could see the other tribute now, the boy from 10. He stumbled back, and sprinted away.

"No! What are you doing help me!" She begged, tears streaming down her face.

"Nice shot," Cato grinned.

"Yeah, I know," I replied as I ran in her direction. I found my knife stuck in the hood of her jacket and she was hanging a few inches off the ground.

"Please don't kill me! I can help you! I went to an Academy too! I'm very well trained and I can hunt and-" She trembled.

"Yeah well, we don't need anymore help." I leered, as the rest of my allies joined me.

"You'd rather have him than me!?" she cried, pointing at Peeta.

"Unlike you, he's helping us," Marvel said.

Se kicked her legs desperately, as her fingers fumbled for the knife. We all circled her, as she cried out. We kept our distance, not wanting one of her boots to collide with our faces.

"What are you going to do when you free yourself." Cato smirked, running his fingers across his blade. She was already badly injured. Even though she was trained, she wouldn't last long.

"Kill you all," she spat. I noticed the fabric above her head was beginning to rip.

"Oh come on! What are we waiting for! Let's just kill her!" Glimmer whined.

"I'm going to kill her," I snapped, as I flung another knife at her.

She wailed in pain, as the knife plunged into her hand, pinning it to the tree. "Please! Please! Please! I can help!"

"Only one of us is getting out of here," I said as I threw another knife, aimed at her other hand. She screamed again, as blood rushed down the tree. "And it won't be you," I hurled the last knife into her chest. Her head rolled forward and a cannon fired in the distance.

"Wow Clove, that was impressive." Cato said, raising an eyebrow.

"I know," I replied, as I yanked my knives out of the girl. "Come on, they'll want to pick up the body." I lead our group past the girl and back to the river. I didn't want anymore distractions. I wanted the girl on fire.

A few miles later we started to notice a shift. We were all out of breath and there was a lingering odor of smoke in the air.

"Someone's fire must have done this." Cato said, as we reached a patch of ash covered trees. "It got out of control and they almost burned down the entire forest."

"Katniss?" Marvel asked. We hadn't heard any other cannons. So, who ever started the fire was still out there.

Lover boy shook his head. "She's not that dumb."

I coughed and pulled my jacket up to cover my nose and mouth. The smell of smoke hung heavily in the air. "Come on, let's head back towards the river." We trudged back, making sure we didn't trip over any of the fallen logs that littered the ground. I glanced at the sky through the treetops. The sun would be setting soon and we still hadn't found Katniss.

"Are you sure she went this way?" I asked Lover boy.

"Positive," he answered without hesitation.

I glanced at the others who were chatting excitedly. I hoped he was right.

"Hey! There she is! There she is!" Marvel called pointing to a girl soaking in the river. We had found her. We all broke into a run, whooping with laughter and excitement. This was my moment. I was going to kill her. Maybe this would be a good birthday after all.

"She's mine!" Glimmer yelled, picking up her pace. Katniss scrambled for shore, pulling her body out of the water. Thankfully, she was fully clothed.

"No! She's mine!"

"Mine! Mine! Mine!"

"I saw her first!"

"She's mine!"

"Come on! She's getting away!" Katniss was now out of the stream and headed toward the trees. Her clothes were tattered and burnt. She must have been the one who started the fire. She must have loved it. After all, she was the girl on fire.

We followed her through the woods, cheering loudly. We were slower than we were before the fire, but I knew we wouldn't loose her. By the time we reached her, she was already at least 20 feet up a tree.

She smiled down at us. "How's everything with you?"

We all glared at her, taking out our weapons.

"Pretty good," Cato called. "Yourself?"

"It's been a bit warm for my taste," she replied. "The air's better up here. Why don't you come on up?"

"I think I will," Cato said.

"Here, take this, Cato," Glimmer said, offering him her bow and arrows.

"No," he scowled. "I'll do better with my sword." He pulled himself into the tree as Katniss climbed higher.

"Kill her Cato!" I shouted. Cato promised I could kill Katniss, but I really just wanted her dead.

"Come on Cato!"

"Kill her!"

"He's gonna get you Katniss!"

"You got this!"

"Keep going! Keep going Cato!"

"Just get her Cato!"

I heard a snap and Cato came tumbling towards the ground. He was too heavy for the branches. I ran over to him, helping him get up onto his feet. He was swearing madly, shaking with anger.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Fine."

"I'll do it myself!" Glimmer grunted, grabbing her bow. Her arrow lodged itself into the nearby tree. Katniss yanked it out and waved it above her head, teasing us. I was hating her more and more every minute.

"Maybe you should throw the sword!" Katniss shouted from above us. We ignored her and formed a small huddle.

"Come on guys!" Cato yelled. "Let's think of something, a plan!"

"I thought Clove was amazing with her knives," Glimmer growled. "Why doesn't she throw one."

"I don't have a clear shot from down here." I snapped. "Besides, it's hard to throw at that angle." She rolled her eyes.

"Well why don't you climb the tree? You're the lightest of us all," Glimmer suggested.

I sighed. "I've never climbed a tree in my life."

"Well what the hell are we going to do!?" Marvel asked, pointing at her.

"Oh, let her stay up there. It's not like she's going anywhere. She's gotta come down at some point." Peeta said suddenly. We all turned to look at him. "We'll just kill her then."

Cato glowered at him before finally speaking. "Okay. Someone go make a fire."

Twenty minutes later, camp was set up. We had our sleeping bags out, and were munching on trail mix and leftover cake around the fire. I sat next to Peeta, who was already huddled inside his bed. Glimmer sat between Marvel and Cato, who were dipping their swords in the fire and spitting on them. Glimmer and I were exchanging eye rolls and mouthing, "Boys."

Eventually, we put out the fire and called it a night. I slipped into my sleeping bag and bundled up my jacket, using it as a pillow. I grabbed three knives from my vest and cradled them in my hand, just in case. I rolled over and almost puked. Glimmer was snuggled up against Cato, her head resting on his arm. My eyes closed and I turned around, fingers trembling. I hated her. I hated her so much and at the moment I wanted to kill her. She knew I liked Cato. In fact, she knew that I loved him. But, she was cuddled up against him. I didn't realize how tightly I was gripping my knives. I wiped my eyes, grateful that everyone was asleep, and flung my knives into a nearby lizard, pretending it was her body.

I had not expected to be woken up by screaming. My eyes snapped open and I couldn't believe what I saw. A bee nest was cracked open and the bugs were swarming. I screamed and bolted to my feet, dropping everything and running. I tried to swat at the bees that surrounded me, each sting making me weaker. My vision was blurring, a clear sign that the venom was from tracker jackers. I had no idea how many had stung me, but each step was agonizing.

"To the lake!" Cato cried, through the buzzing.

I stumbled after him, the entire world spinning. I could see the lake up ahead, but my legs weren't moving. Cato was in the lake, except it was no longer water. The lake was on fire. I called out to him, telling him to get out. He needed to save himself. He was burning! My legs gave out and I slumped forward, my body slamming into the ground. There was so much pain. Bees began to burrow into my skin, crawling inside of me. I covered my ears to block out the screaming. The screams were following me everywhere. I was on my back, watching the clouds drip onto my face. Each droplet stung, burning my flesh. My mother was there too. She was sitting beside me, rubbing my back, and whispering in my ear.

"Clove, let go. Just let go and it will be over soon. Trust me," she said.

I wanted to listen to her. I glanced at my smiling mother's face that was telling me everything was going to be alright. I was dying. It was time to let go.