Although they'd be tackling the darkness in shifts, Katniss was still apprehensive about looking into the endless void again. For the past two weeks, she had been able to avoid thinking about the nights in the arena and how difficult it would be to wait for daylight, wait for canons to stop sounding and the anthem to begin and show those who died for nothing. Katniss was sure the others dreaded the cycle of things and how days could blur together, glued by the darkness that fleeted so quickly between their bloody fingertips. But instead of spending many of her nights afraid and alone like last year, she had someone beside her from the start. Yes, she had Rue and eventually Peeta but Katniss couldn't shake those first few nights where she barely slept and felt as though she was going in circles.
But now, the daunting darkness didn't seem to suffocate her so easily, not with Haymitch by her side. Her sister and best friend were out in the darkness and what gave her comfort, was knowing they were together at least, that they weren't alone. Haymitch's arm was around her and it was enough to ward off the nerves that fighting conjured up. He asked why she sometimes felt nervous but she couldn't exactly explain it. "It's hard to..." She inhaled softly. Sleep, even brief would be difficult to obtain, even with him taking the first shift. The hunger inside her was stirring and she hated how spoiled she had become when in the clutches of the Capitol. Being fed rich food so often had made all of them weaker when they entered the arena. Katniss couldn't ignore it the way she had back home before she became some hero of District 12.
She couldn't deny that with Haymitch, she did feel most like herself, not needing to hide or make excuses or try to make unnecessary small talk. Still, there were times when he did make her nervous. She wasn't sure how to act, on occasion, and that threw her off. She liked being with him and wouldn't have done anything different in the past, expect maybe try to be a little less stubborn. "I love you and don't want to do or say anything stupid to ruin things the way I typically do." She sighed again and looked at the fire, trying not to think about Peeta and Cinna and her mother and everyone else who could be watching her, or in trouble already. Katniss knew she wasn't ready to give up on the things set out in front of her
Above them, the anthem had begun and she looked up and counted those who had left. She was beyond relieved to see her sister and Gale were okay but she was still puzzled by the low body count. She was sure the Game Masters would fix that very soon, which would only mean more complex traps and things designed to not only kill, but do it in the most entertaining way possible. "I bet tomorrow is going to be eventful." She muttered, hoping they caught something tonight so they'd be able to get through the next day without having to worry about so much. Katniss knew they still needed to find Finnick and the others, if they were truly to form an alliance of sorts. "We need to be extra careful tomorrow. I'd rather be cautious than worry about covering ground." She said quietly. "They'll be pulling out bigger guns and we need to be on guard."
Being back in the secluded area, made Gale feel somewhat at home but the feeling wasn't long lasting and instead made him miss his family even more. He knew he could go back to them, when everything was all over. He wasn't sure if that would really happen though. He was in their world, even though it looked harmless and felt so real, it was fake. Gale chewed on his lower lip as he began to kick the fire out, making sure once again, that there would be as little trace as possible. Some tributes would still tell he had been there, but if he was lucky, he'd be able to fool some of the new ones and that would buy them time the following day. He got ready to head back toward the ruined city when he heard footsteps coming closer.
Whoever was attempting to sneak up on him, was failing miserably. Gale made sure his grip on his sword was firm but flexible. He then began to walk once more, trying to show his predator, or predators, that he was still acting normal. He wasn't sure who was behind him but it didn't matter. He hummed the song softly but found those watching him to not be Katniss, nor Haymitch. He knew the other four were out there too but he didn't see them betraying the trust they had struggled to hard to build during their training together. Gale was sure this person was going to be killed and he had to do it soon before he got too close to Prim and tipped them off to where they were hiding for the night. Gale dropped his pack, hoping it looked like an accident.
Just then, the anthem began to play and Gale crouched down to pick it up. When he rose, he spun around and pointed his sword at who had come running at him. Gale saw the young boy and girl from District 11, the fresh faced Tributes. He couldn't hesitate but he did. They held swords but looked so frightened. The boy lunged at him first and Gale easily countered it, almost wishing he hadn't. He saw his siblings in them but he knew they weren't really them. He told himself to do it quickly and as painlessly as possible. He moved to the left as the girl joined the sword fight. "You two picked the wrong weapons. I'm sorry." Gale could only offer them that before he swung his sword and sliced the girl's throat.
Then the man from the 12'th District ducked as the boy charged, yelling at him. That couldn't happen. The anthem was now over and Gale was quick to shut the boy up. He landed his sword in the shorter's torso. Then Gale pulled it out and attacked again, needing to be sure he didn't suffer and bleed to death. He yanked his sword back, grabbed his backpack and ran back towards the buildings. His heart was racing and he told himself it had to be done, that the Capitol would soon pay for each life they played with. When he got back, he saw Prim already there. "Sorry I'm late." Th boy set his bloody sword down and took out their meal. "Did you find anything?" He asked her, not wanting to talk about what he had just done. It's not like he'd forget it, or any of those who had died. "Or...anyone?" Gale sat down and tore off some meat and ate it, before passing the squirrel to Prim.
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