Even if sleep was never fully obtained, Katniss would be rested enough by just closing her eyes and laying still, letting her body rest as well as her mind. If she did dream, she didn't think it would be peaceful or inviting. A big part of her actually hoped that she didn't fall into a deep rest and fall into another awful nightmare thanks to the ones watching her without remorse. It was a great comfort to have Haymitch beside her, holding onto her. He was proof that you could come back and survive, even with the odds stacked in everyone else's favor. The first time he won was mostly due to luck and quick thinking but now he was proviving that his victory over the others, and those he cared for, had been worth the blood and well earned.
At Prim's notion of them getting candles, Gale's lips crinkled in another small smile. It was possible but the more he thought about it, the more useful candles would actually be, if the baker actually took the joke seriously. "Nothing wrong with setting the mood." He joked a little and used his free hand to rub his eye, feeling the strain of the events from the last few hours. And though time had clearly been warped for the Gamemaker's advantage, Gale still felt as though he had been running for ten hours, as opposed to the more likely number of five or six. The day-and-night cycle would be another thing to keep in mind. Gale was certain that as the week continued, days would become much shorter and traps even more tricky.
After the food had been fully eaten, they had a bit of water but Gale would rather conserve it as much as possible. He was sure there would be water for them somewhere in the massive arena but he knew it wouldn't be easy to find. Prim soon suggested one of them look out and he knew that was their best bet. He knew groups of people, even as small as just two like him and Prim, had to take turns guarding and make sure nothing happened when one of them had their guard down. "I'll go and keep watch, you can rest up and I'll wake you when it's time to switch." He assured her before getting to his feet and heading over to the opening.
He stuck his head out and looked around but saw nothing of interest. It was just dark and unwelcoming. Gale looked back over to Prim and wished a fire was an option but right now, it just wasn't. He leaned against the stone door frame and folded his arms, trying not to think how Katniss and those back home were handling things. Gale was sure if he hadn't run into Prim when he did, his first night would be a very lonely and difficult one to overcome. As the hour wore on, Gale took time to pace and do light exerciser to keep his blood flowing and his body limber and ready. As he was about to wake up Prim, he heard something move along the ground. It wasn't a person's footsteps. He backed away from the door quickly and moved to where Prim was, his heart quickening.
Before Katniss knew it, she found herself wrapped up tightly in a dreamless slumber. It was nice to be away from the issues in reality but it wasn't soothing or relaxing by any means. It was just nothing. When she felt herself being shaken, she thought she was back home in her bed. Not the bed given to her by the Capitol as part of her new home for winning, but the bed she had with Prim and her mother in the small hut of a house. It took her several long seconds to remember where she was and what was going on. Panic filled her as she realized the horror, she was in the Hunger Games, it was happening all over again and the fear kept her frozen as Haymitch started to fight against someone. Getting to her feet, Katniss grabbed her weapon and set up her bow.
She fired at the girl wielding the hatchet but it missed. Katniss was still shaken from being jolted awake. She had to accept all over again that she wasn't safe and this was where she had to be. She didn't have a choice. Hastily reaching for another arrow, she set it up and backed up as the girl ran at her. The next shot, Katniss didn't even need to even blink, got her in the chest right when the other boy advanced on her. A canon could be heard as the boy held up two small daggers, too big to throw but too small for powerful attacks. Still, the kid tried to throw one which landed at Katniss's feet. She dove forward, grabbed the arrow that had killed the girl and jumped up and stuck it in the boy's throat and then continued with her motion and jammed the arrow in the guy's back who then crumpled to the ground, giving Haymitch a break.
Katniss then reloaded her bow with the same bloody arrow she had been using and took aim at the boy's head. Two more canons were sounded and Katniss finally appeared to have snapped out of her panic and rage. She looked at her red hands and quickly put the single arrow away, almost feeling ashamed. While she had dreamed of nothing, she had woken up and thought the world wasn't as bad as it truly was in this moment. She wiped her hands on her pants and finally looked to Haymitch. "I think I've got the next two hours...you try to get some rest." She said and began to check the three bodies for any supplies they had on them. She found a pack of matches but nothing else, it was still the best find all day. She made her way back to the fire and rubbed Haymitch's back. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"Prim..." Gale whispered and leaned down. "Prim, there's something outside." He nudged her quickly. It wasn't a someone, as it was more of a thing, a thing Gale didn't want to cross paths with. "We gotta get moving and go." He ran back to the door and caught a glimpse of it. It was a purple large centipede and behind it, it left a trail of sludge. It smelled awful and Gale was willing to bet it was poisonous like the mist. It was quick too. Getting back to Prim, they got their things and he led them outside and around the building, careful not to go where it had been. Suddenly there was a scream and Gale looked over his shoulder and saw three people running while a fourth had been caught and was now being eaten alive by the beast, the sound of bones breaking and intestines popping was sickening. Thankfully the three careers didn't see them so Gale grabbed Prim's hand and continued to run them out of the ruins, not wanting to double back and risk being caught by either danger.
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