Chapter 66

Katniss

I leave my tracker in a random room. Hopefully no one will bother me now. I exit the building the back way, which took me a significant amount of time to find. The Capitol is surrounded by trees. I leave a careful trail behind me, so I won't get lost here. I plan on going back. I just need time for myself now.

I hoist myself up onto a fork in a big tree that had long, sturdy looking branches. I lean against the trunk and sighed. I wasn't cold but I shiver anyway. I know I shouldn't shut Peeta out. He's the only one I care about anymore, but I can't help it. It's how I am and he knows that. Without warning, tears began to come to my eyes again. I hate this. I hate being weak and crying all of the time. But I have every reason to. Everyone I love, besides Peeta, is dead. I can't help but think it's all my fault. I press my jacket sleeve to my mouth to try and muffle the sobs.

I pull my knees up to my chest. After a while the tears stop. I concentrate on my soft breathing and the refreshing scent of the woods.

I don't know how long I'd been out. I decide I'm calm enough to go back. I climb down to the next branch but slip and hang by one arm. Panic courses through me. It was a huge drop. I could break my neck and die. Of course last time, in 12 when the fence turned back on I was lucky and just injured minor bones. Would I be so lucky again? I decide to take the chance. I take a deep breath and let go of the branch. I fall quickly, a feeling of excitement in my veins for just a split second. And then I hit the ground. I can't breath for a little while. I cough but I can't seem to sit, let alone stand. I know I broke something, I'm just too afraid to find out what. I shift slightly and feel a horrible pain in my torso. I figure I bruised a few ribs or something because this pain was familiar almost and I had bruised ribs before. It might also explain the shortness of breath.

But how am I supposed to go back now? I would have to wait for someone to find me and who knows how long that would take. I don't have food or water. "Help!" I whimper, as if it would make a difference. I clench the dirt beneath me, trying to calm the pain. "Peeta!" I call, a little louder. I wince and shut my eyes tight.

For a long time I sit there on the forest floor, wondering if I would end up dying here. I wonder if they'd even realized I'd left yet. What if they don't send people until tomorrow? I can't last long without water and the ground is dry, so there most likely isn't water near here, if anywhere in these woods. I shift and turn my head to the side, beginning to see black around the edges of my vision. I can almost hear faint footsteps. I don't know if it was just the wind or my imagination because I black out before I see anyone or anything.

I'm pinned beneath a mutt, it's hot, reeking breath on my face. "Help!" I screech, trying the push it off. More start approaching from the treeline. "Help me!"

I look at the mutt again. It has big blue eyes that I recognize immediately. Prim's eyes are staring down at me. Her- the mutt's teeth start getting closer to my neck, about to rip out my throat. I struggle and push and scream to attempt to escape from the mutt. I notice it's golden blonde fur shining under the hot sun. Another mutt jumped on me too. I wince and scream. This mutt had black fur and bright eyes. Ruth's mutt.

"No!" I yelp. The black furred mutt sinks its teeth into my leg. I scream in agony, still trying to shove the muttations away. "Help me!"

"Katniss!" I hear a voice. The mutt is getting closer to my face. Another bites it's teeth into my arm. "Katniss! You're okay. Wake up, Katniss."

I open my eyes and attempt to sit up but cried out, forgetting about my injury. Peeta is sitting beside me, my hand in his. I take in my surroundings. I'm in a hospital, I think. I try to calm my breathing again, but fail. I start hyperventilating. I can barely breath anyway. "Shhh. Katniss, you're here, with me. You're okay. It was just a dream," Peeta says. I nod and close my eyes. It seems to relax me a little more.

"Why did you leave?" Peeta asks, suddenly serious.

"I don't need a lecture, Peeta," I spit.

"Are you mad at me? What did I do wrong?" he asks. I take deep breaths, making sure I won't cry again.

"Nothing. You didn't do anything. I just don't need to be treated like I'm a baby. I don't need everything done for me!" I say. "I've gotten hurt before on my own. I've done a lot on my own. Now after the Games, I can't do anything for myself!"  I'm already out of breath.

"I'm not trying to baby you. But I have to worry about you. It's not an option for me," he says.

"Peeta. . ." I trail off.

"I love you more than anything. I would die without you. If something happened-"

"You wouldn't die without me."

"I'm serious. There's no one left in this world that I care about at all. You have Gale and your mom."

It feel like we were back in the Quarter Quell, on the beach. Peeta was trying to convince me to let him die. To make sure I would live. I almost shudder at the thought of those Games. It was when they took Peeta away from me. We sit in silence for a long time. "They found Annie." I look at Peeta. Relief washes over me. Not that Annie is alive. Not entirely anyway. But I know Ruth would have been happy that Annie is back.

"She's alive?" I ask.

"Yes. You're lucky Gale told me. I went to tell you. If I hadn't, you'd still be lying in the woods," he says. I nod and stare ahead, hoping that he won't bring up the fact that I could have died today. Again, I just barely got lucky. And someday my luck could so easily run out.