Wow, it's been a long time. I apologise... I've become one of those authors I dislike that never update! In the meantime, though, I have added a bonus chapter to Annie's Story if you haven't already checked that out! And I've updated my Haymitch/Maysilee fic - still on chapter two, but we might get there!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, thank you for sticking with me despite the long wait! :)

CHAPTER ELEVEN - THE TASTE OF BLOOD

The next couple of hours pass with nothing notable happening in the arena. There's a lot of movement as most tributes shift their camps, but none of them run into each other, and there's a pretty big distance between most of them. It's odd, and I'm surprised the Gamemakers haven't sent in a mutt or something yet.

Maybe the growing tensions in the Career pack are keeping the bettors busy.

Ethan keeps Jasmine on his back as they move through the forest, keeping just a little ahead of Annie, who is bringing up the rear. Jasmine is looking brighter and a little colour has returned to her cheeks, but I know it's the anesthetising effect of the medicine Mags and I sent. I know she probably doesn't have long.

At some point, Brutus ambles over to fling himself dramatically onto our couch. He claims he's bored. I retort, rather sharply, that any moment in the arena he could describe as 'boring' is fine by me. Sometimes I wonder whether Brutus might actually have preferred being thrown back into the arena himself to being stuck in the Capitol watching the action on screens.

Brutus just laughs at my sour expression, and leans back, stretching out lazily on our sofa.

"Make yourself comfortable." I tell him sarcastically, which he promptly does, rearranging the cushions and lifting his feet up to rest on the arm of the sofa.

He and Mags chat for a little while - my irritation fades as I remember how sweet he can be when he puts his mind to it - but I don't really join in. I'm tired from the little amount of sleep I got last night, and what with the whole Ash Seela plot/acid rain thing, I'm feeling more than a little drained.

We're day two of the arena and I'm already exhausted.

Early afternoon and the Careers pick a small clearing to rest in a little way from the river. They set about different chores - Reuben and Seela collect firewood, Ethan checks on and redresses Jasmine's wounds, and Annie, Ash and Preese sort through the food they've got left.

It's not a lot.

"Where we gonna get more food from?" Ash asks, looking seriously wracked off. "We'll finish this by tomorrow night."

"Did we leave anything at the cornucopia?" Preese asks, and Ash scowls at him.

"Of course not!" He scoffs. "That would have been stupid." Preese shrinks back, his shoulders hunching a little, his chin disappearing inside his jacket collar.

"He was just asking, Ash." Annie says tiredly. "No need to snap."

Ash turns the force of his glare on Annie, but to my surprise, doesn't reply. Annie returns to counting out the supplies, distributing it all as equally and as fairly as she can.

"You're right, Ash." She says after a few minutes. "This won't last very long."

"Maybe our mentors will send something?" Ash looks to the sky hopefully. I shake my head with a chuckle. Brutus and Enobaria send something as useless as food? Not on your life.

Annie raises her eyebrows at him.

"Was that a hint, Ash?" She asks, a smidge teasingly.

Ash's eyes narrow back at her, but there's an unexpected humour there. He looks up again.

"How about it Brutus, mate?" He calls into the sky. "Send us some sandwiches?"

Brutus - now sat beside me, having usurped Mags' swivel chair a little while ago and banished her to the admittedly more comfortable sofa - shakes his head.

"Nuh uh." He says, jabbing a finger towards the screen. "Why don't you ask for something useful, eh?" He glances towards me and rolls his eyes. "Sandwiches. The little bugger asks for sandwiches."

Back in the arena, Annie has begun handing out food packets.

"I get the feeling Brutus isn't the kind of guy to send sandwiches, Ash..." She tells him, hiding a smile in her sleeve.

"She's got you pegged alright." I tell Brutus, who just nods and grins.

"So," Annie continues, looking around. "We're going to have to find something to eat."

Ash snorts.

"I'm not eating nuts and berries if that's what you're offering."

Across the clearing, Ethan looks up from where he's finishing knotting up Jasmine's bandages.

"You won't be complaining about nuts and berries when you've not eaten for three days."

Ash lets out a grunt, snatching his food parcel from Annie and shoving it into his backpack.

"I wasn't offering nuts and berries anyway." Annie says tentatively. "We're only a little way from the river. Me and Ethan could try and catch some fish."

Ash looks satisfied, but Preese wrinkles his nose.

"Ugh. Fish."

"Fish is good for you, kid." Ethan stands, picking up his harpoon and looking towards Annie. "Worth a try, isn't it?"

...

In the end, Annie and Ethan take Preese along with them. It's quite sweet actually. The younger boy obviously adores Ethan. I feel kind of sorry for him, though. He's got to know he has no chance really, not up against the likes of Ethan, Reuben, Ash…

"I've never caught a fish." Preese says eagerly as they near the river.

"Never?" Annie echoes.

"There aren't any rivers in 1. Well," He amends. "Not any with fish in."

"What is in 1?" Ethan asks, holding back a branch crossing their path and letting the other pass in front of him.

"Mines." Preese replies. "Lots of mines for gold, silver, there are even some diamond mines right up in the north, I think. And factories, and workshops. Loads and loads of workshops. My dad is a goldsmith."

I listen interestedly. I've never been to 1. Cashmere keeps nagging me to, but somehow, visiting one of the Capitol's pet districts has never been high on my agenda.

"What's it like in 4?" Preese asks.

Annie and Ethan look at each other and I can tell they're both missing it – the wide expanse of the ocean, the smell of salt in the air, the white chalky cliffs. Life in 4 may not be the easiest, but it's sure as hell better than life in the Capitol. I miss district 4 with all my heart every second I spend here.

"District 4?" Preese prompts them onscreen.

"It's cold." Ethan says with a smile. "Well, the sea is. And the wind. And sometimes it's quite stormy."

"I love the sea storms." Annie says with a grin.

Ethan chuckles.

"Yeah. Me too."

The three of them lapse into silence, and I know they're all wondering if they'll ever see their home again. I remember that sense of deep despair when I stepped onto the Capitol's train for the first time five years ago as a tribute. I was just a kid, barely older than Preese, and I thought I didn't have a chance. Another wave of pity washes over me for the young boy from district 1.

I hope, when his time comes, that it'll be quick and painless.

"No," Ethan says patiently. "You've got to hold it like that."

He's sat on a rock at the edge of the river bank, attempting to teach Preese how to gut a fish. They've been fishing for a little while now, but the catch has been rubbish. Annie had fashioned some crude fish hooks and used some jerky as bait, but the fish just weren't taking it, so now, they've adopted a more primitive method. Annie is waist deep in water, spear poised, ready to catch any passing prey.

She looks like something out of a history textbook, but she's doing pretty well. There's a small pile of fish on the rock beside Ethan and Preese.

Ethan, meanwhile, is having a little more trouble teaching the boy from 1 how to even hold a dead fish, let alone gut it. He leans over Preese, pointing out the best place to put the knife, absorbed in his teachings. The younger boy catches Annie's eye and pulls a hideous face at her. She grins back.

"Got any more fish for us?" Ethan asks, looking up and nearly catching her laughing at him. She rearranges her features hurriedly, smothering her grin.

"Hm?"

He repeats himself and she nods.

"Give me a sec."

Her eyes rove the water, her spear lifting slowly as she takes aim.

"Bet she misses." Brutus teases.

"Bet she doesn't." I retort.

And she doesn't. Her spear slices into the water, impaling a passing fish through the head.

She lifts her prize from the water, holding it above her head and grinning at Ethan.

"She's pretty good." Brutus says approvingly, relaxing back in his seat, with his ankles crossed and his hands tucked behind his head.

I shoot him a flat look.

"Well, we are from district 4..."

Brutus chuckles.

"You know what I meant, don't be a smart ass."

On screen, Ethan has relinquished the knife to Preese, and is joining Annie in the river.

"What?" She asks, as he slips smoothly into the water, barely making even the smallest splash. "Are my catches not good enough for you?"

"Well," He says with a grin. "I think you could aim bigger."

Annie's eyes slant good naturedly.

"Bet you can't catch a fish bigger than that one."

He smirks.

"Betcha I can."

They hunt for a little longer, but it's not serious hunting. Anytime each of them takes aim, the other splashes cold water in their face. Preese tries to ignore them at first, concentrating firmly on gutting the small pile of fish beside him, but eventually, Annie's giggles become infectious and he starts watching them with a half amused, half wistful expression on his face.

"I always thought you were meant to be good at fishing." Annie mocks as Ethan misses another fish.

He points his harpoon in her direction.

"You sent a flippin' tidal wave at me." He accuses. Annie laughs.

"I didn't!"

"Finnick." Brutus is suddenly leaning forward, pointing at one of the screens. "Shit. Finnick."

"What?" I ask distractedly. I was enjoying the banter between my two tributes.

But then I see what it is Brutus has spotted and my stomach twists.

Because there's a giant crocodile swims leisurely up the river... and it's heading straight for my kids.

I knew it. I knew a mutt would turn up sooner or later.

I watch in horror as it closes in on Annie from behind, its shape dark and menacing beneath the surface of the shallow water. The pair of them are still laughing. She hasn't seen it coming yet. I swallow. She might never.

But then alarm registers on Ethan's face, and he freezes, one hand raised in warning.

"Don't move a muscle." He orders in a low voice.

Annie stills immediately. the smile slipping from her face.

"What?" She mouths, eyes wide.

He doesn't reply, his eyes trained on the creature as it begins to circle them, moving out from behind Annie and along the edge of the river. Annie spots it then and I see her throat shift as she swallows.

"Don't move." Ethan says again, his eyes shifting back to Annie's as the croc continues its lazy circuit.

Time almost slows as the creature loops around the pair - neither of my tributes move, and the forest is silent, the only sound the gentle flow of the river. On the bank, Preese is on his feet, his hands clapped across his mouth, his skin as white as paper.

Mags appears behind me, her hand moving up to rest on my shoulder. I glance at her and see the corners of her lips tug downwards into a little anxious frown.

Beside me, Brutus grimaces, his hand lifting to rub at his forehead.

"That's one big crocodile." He says quietly. I can't speak. I just nod. "Maybe," He falters. "Maybe if they keep still..."

But it's only a matter of time. Mutts aren't like regular animals. Mutts always get their kill.

The croc glides slowly through the water, its skin dark and mottled beneath the surface. The cameras make sure to get an underwater shot of the creature's large, muscled jaws, complete with jagged, razor sharp teeth, and smug crocodile smile.

As the mutt loops back around, moving towards Annie for a second time, I see its eyes, yellow and gleaming just above the surface, zero in on her. She hasn't moved, and still doesn't even as the croc tightens its circuit, drifting closer towards her. She remains rigid, the muscles in her face strained as she fights to keep completely still, but then I see her gaze flicker towards the croc, and brief terror sparks in her eyes... Shit. She looks like she might be about to make a run for it.

"Don't." I say a little desperately. "Dammit. Don't move!"

On screen, Ethan echoes my sentiments with a minute shake of his head and a barely audible don't...

The croc passes behind her, and I see it sweep its powerful tail, sending visible waves into the back of her legs. She sways a little but catches her balance, her head jerking to the right as the creature emerges at her side.

It's playing with them, I realise. The Gamemakers have programmed it to draw this out, to make it as exciting as possible.

My head drops as I imagine the crowds back in 4, watching as the mutt closes in, watching and knowing one of their tributes is going to die.

But which one?

A sudden yelp of terror and my gaze snaps back to the screen, just in time to see Preese - Preese who I thought was safe up on the bank - lose his nerve. With a cry of panic, he whirls round and races off through the undergrowth.

A beat and then the croc is after him, launching from the water like a torpedo. A wave explodes from its massive tail and Annie goes under.

But then she's back on her feet, looking slightly dazed and moving slowly towards the river bank. The wave sent Ethan flying too, but he was quicker than her and he's already at her side, grasping hold of her arm and shoving her towards the rocks.

"Come on!"

"Preese." She cries, but they've reached the edge of the river and Ethan grabs hold of her, throwing her roughly up onto the rocks.

"Move, now." He commands, and she obeys, scrambling up the embankment and stumbling to her feet. She turns towards the crashing of bushes, the terrified cries as Preese flees, but Ethan snatches up their rucksacks and then catches her hand, yanking her off in the opposite direction. "Come on!"

She resists him, shaking her head.

"But Preese..."

"It's too late!" He snaps angrily, jerking her along with him. "We can't outrun that thing."

"We can't leave him!"

Blood curdling screams echo through my headset and it takes me a second to process it's Preese and the croc has got hold of him. It tears him limb from limb, shredding him as if he's made of nothing more than paper.

Oh god. Poor Preese.

Back by the river, Ethan is practically dragging Annie along.

"It's too late!" He bellows as she resists him. "Come on!"

And then they're running, dashing through the bushes back towards the Career camp.

Preese's cannon fires and I see Annie's face crumple, even as she's pelting it through the forest.

A little way away, the croc stops thrashing around what's left of Preese's body, and turns, a low growl ripping through its teeth, blood dripping down its snout.

It might be my imagination, but its eyes narrow almost frustratedly, almost as if Preese was a mere distraction and it's lost its true prey... And then it's off, crashing through the forest after my pair of tributes.

Annie hears it first, her head whipping back, panic flooding her features.

"Ethan!" She cries. "It's coming!"

His jaw clenches in determination and he accelerates, pulling Annie along with him. They're nearing the camp now, just seconds away...

"Reuben!" Annie yells as she catches sight of him. "Get up the trees!"

They explode into the clearing, but everyone just stares at them in alarm and no one's moving.

"Get up the bloody trees!" Ethan bellows, seizing hold of Annie again and flinging her up the nearest tree. "Climb!" He orders, pushing her upwards.

She obeys, as do the others. Ash and Seela scramble up a tree on the opposite side of the clearing - Ash has to haul a hapless Seela up after him - and Reuben slings Jasmine over his shoulder, swarming a nearby oak with ease only gained from life in the forests of district 7.

Ethan follows Annie, swinging himself up the branches after her. She drags herself onto a flat broad branch, and he is quick to join her, pushing her roughly up against the trunk as he crams himself beside her.

I heave a little sigh of relief. They're safe. The croc can't reach them. It's over...

The mutt bursts into the clearing, its horrible yellow eyes finding the Careers in the trees almost immediately.

"What the hell is that?" Ash peers down at it anxiously.

"Mutt." Ethan answers shortly. Annie leans over the edge of the branch, and almost immediately jerks backwards, turning her head away. I expect it has something to do with the blood smeared across the croc's jaw...

The mutt snarls up at them as it paces below, trampling across the rucksacks and the pile of firewood the Careers had collected.

"They're not high enough." Brutus says suddenly. I look at him.

"What?"

"They're not high enough." He repeats, pointing towards the croc. "Crocodiles can rear up on two legs."

"They can?" I ask incredulously.

"Yes." He says grimly. "And I'll bet the Gamemakers have made that one a jumper too."

On screen, Jasmine tugs at Reuben's sleeve.

"Where's Preese?" She asks, her voice only just audible on the microphones. I grimace - the blood on the crocodile's teeth pretty much answers that.

Reuben calls her question across to Annie and Ethan, who just look at each other. I get the feeling they're unsure how to tell her, but the answer is plain in their expressions.

"No!" Jasmine's pained cry carries this time, and Annie drops her head. I wonder if she feels guilty - guilty that the croc went for Preese and not her, guilty that she ran in the opposite direction and didn't go after him - and I curse her for it.

Across the clearing, Reuben wraps his arm around Jasmine's shoulder, comforting her quietly for the death of her district partner. The Careers are silent at their first loss, perched up in the trees, looking down on the croc still pacing the forest floor below. It glares up at them with frustrated eyes and I begin to think Brutus may be wrong.

But the mutt has tasted blood, and it's not going to give up that easily. It fixes its gaze on Annie and Ethan up in their tree, and something in its eyes becomes speculative... Annie suddenly shifts to her knees.

"Higher." She says. "We need to get higher."

"What?" Ethan asks, peering down at the croc, which is still eyeing their tree thoughtfully. Annie grabs the back of his jacket and tries to shove him upwards.

"Higher!" She yells, both to him and to the others. "Get higher up!"

Ethan leaps to his feet and swings up the trunk, pulling himself up onto the next broad branch. Annie stands too, just as the croc begins to saunter slowly towards them. She braces her foot on the trunk and pushes upwards, but the next branch is a good foot or two above her head and I don't think she's strong enough to make it...

Her foot slips.

No!

Ethan catches her wrist as she falls, and she cries out in alarm as the weight of her body drags them both down. Gritting his teeth, Ethan steels himself, grabbing hold of the branch he's knelt on, his fingers practically embedding themselves in the wood.

Annie sways as she fights for footing on the trunk, but she's not falling anymore. Not yet anyhow.

The croc is now directly beneath her, eyeing her triumphantly. She's bait on a hook, that's what she is... just dangling there.

"Annie." Ethan grunts, letting go of the branch to grab her hand in both of his. "Don't let go of my hand."

She shakes her head breathlessly.

"I wasn't planning on." He shoots her a half grimace, half grin, and then wedging his foot between his branch and another, he starts heaving her upwards. She struggles to help him, but her boots skitter uselessly against the bark.

"Come on come on come on." I mutter under my breath. That damn croc is practically laughing down on the forest floor.

Ethan hauls her upwards and she scrabbles for a hold on the branch.

"Nearly there." His breath rushes through his teeth as he struggles to keep his balance and take her full weight.

Next to me, Brutus covers his eyes.

"The croc's gonna jump, man, the croc's gonna jump!"

And jump it does.

Ethan drags Annie up onto the branch a fraction of a second before it takes a snap at her.

As the croc drops back down to the ground with a furious growl, Ethan pulls her further onto the branch, tugging her so far she's practically in his lap. They're both a little breathless.

"You scared me." Ethan says quietly.

Annie gives him a half smile, sliding off his lap and squeezing herself alongside him.

"I scared me too."

He wraps an arm around her waist – ostensibly to keep her on the branch. I frown a little. I'm not entirely convinced.

"You alright?" Reuben calls from across the clearing.

"Yeah, thanks." Annie smiles at him, but I can tell she's shaken. "I'm fine."

The croc rears up again and on finding my tributes are well out of reach, lets out a frustrated roar. Annie shudders, and Ethan glances at her worriedly.

"You sure you're okay?" He asks.

"Yeah, I think so." She says hesitantly. I notice smears of blood on her hands, and lean forward a little, squinting at the screen.

"I think she scraped them on the trunk." Mags says from behind me. When I turn towards her, she smiles knowingly. "Nothing serious, sweetie."

Back in the arena, the mutt is now pacing around the clearing, fury in its horrible yellow eyes. Annie eyes it nervously.

"How long do you think we'll be stuck up here?"

Ethan's lips purse.

"Not long I'd guess, now there's no chance the croc can reach us. The audience will get bored."

Annie looks satisfied and rests her head on his shoulder. He takes her hand, squeezing it gently, and the gesture jars.

My eyes narrow.

"Besides," Ethan adds softly. "The croc's already killed one of us."

Annie nods sadly.

"Poor Preese." She says. "I hope it was quick."

There is a silence, and in that silence, I think of Cashmere and Gloss, the utter numbness of losing a tribute, the feeling of working so hard – hoping so hard – all for nothing. I think of Preese, his parents, his friends, the life he'll never have.

And I think of Annie. Ethan. Her grandmother. His family.

On screen, Ethan lets out a sigh.

"He wasn't a bad kid," He says roughly. "Not a bad kid at all."

...

Hope you enjoyed that.. as much as you can enjoy the first Career death anyhow :(

Thanks for reading, and please remember to review x