Suzanne Collins Owns Hunger games. I am merely rewriting it for my enjoyment

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Once my eyes adjust to the brightness of the arena I glance around me. To my back is a dense forest and in front is flatland until it just... drops off. There's also a large lake and the cornucopia.

The cornucopia.

My eyes roam over it, locking instantly on my bow.

It's mine. And I want it.

But Haymitch had told me to stay away from the cornucopia. Stupid Haymitch.

I have about thirty seconds now. I glance just in front of me, there's a sheet of plastic, loaf of bread and a backpack fairly close. Perhaps I could also sqipe the coil of wire and can of tuna a few feet from it.

I decide on that and quickly check nearby tributes. Rue is not in my line of sight, but Peeta is. He seems to be exchanging glances with the career next to him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the seventy-forth hunger games begin!"

The gong sounds and I sprint, tucking the plastic, wire, can and bread in my jacket and snatching the backpack just before a fellow boy tribute could. I watch in horror as Clove fires a knife at him. "Duck!" I call to the boy before turning and running.

I don't glance back until a few minutes later when I hear a persuer. I turn to see Clove throwing a knife at me. There's no time for me to dodge it so I lift my backpack up, happy when the knife sticks in my pack. "Thanks for the knife idiot!" I call to the girl before submerging into the forest.

I don't dare stop for a few hours. Each breath is quick and I begin to sweat under the baking sun. Finally I take a break when the cannons begin sounding. Eleven kid's dead in total.

Horrified I begin sorting through my things. The knife is thin and sleek, a throwing knife. Although it's sharp enough to do well in hand-to-hand combat. The backpack is a bright orange and I groan, great. Inside the pack is an empty bottle, iodine tablets, basic medical kit, crackers, beef strips, sleeping bag, sunglasses and some silver capsule.

Weird Capitol thing, I don't know what it does.

Trying the sunglasses on was a bad idea, they do nothing to protect from the sun, instead lighting up oddly. Useless sunglasses.

I pull out the bread and tuna from under my jacket, wrapping the bread in the plastic before placing it in my bag. Anything to let the bread last longer. Finally I pack away the wire and tuna.

Hopefully I can set some snares when I find water.

I continue trekking forward, noticing a few of the plants I'd learnt about. Particularly the one that fights infection. I pluck the leaves and put them in my pocket, careful not to bruise or crush them.

When I don't find water after another few hours I begin to worry. It's going to get dark soon, is there no water other then the lake?

I brush those thoughts away when I realize the few rabbits and creatures that scurry nearby me must be getting water from somewhere. I take a dry gulp and continue on-wards.

When my head begins to get foggy I'm not sure what's going on. I've had this before, once when I was hunting with my father. Was this dehydration? I stumble and brace myself against a tree.

Ugh, I need water. I grab a branch that's on the ground to use it for support, but it seems it's not helping much because I fall over after a few minutes. What's wrong with me?

Do I need to keep going? I'm not even sure why I'm walking anymore. I'm just so thirsty...

{XFinnickX}

My tributes were all dead, died in the blood bath. Mags didn't need my help anymore. Which is why I was slamming open district twelves mentor viewing room right now. "Haymitch! Give the girl some fucking water!"

It was causing me physical pain to see how dissoriented and weak Katniss was, but Haymitch still hadn't sent her water.

"Not yet Finnick. She'll get the message soon enough," He pauses and points to the holographic map. "See how close to that pond she is? She'll make it tonight, if not, first thing in the morning."

"But she's dying! Send her just a little bit of water, please! She has the money." I glance at Katniss's sponser money, she has more than enough.

Haymitch chuckles. "She's a smart girl, she'll figure out why I'm holding water from her. Besides, she'll need that money for something else eventually."

We grow silent and I slide into the seat next to Haymitch, glancing at the screen on the right to see Katniss still stumbling. In the right direction.

I let out an annoyed sigh. I suppose he was right, but she looks so...

"Why do you care anyway Finnick?" Haymitch turns to me, his eyes widening when I don't answer straight away.

He let's out a groan. "You don't like her do you?" He peers into my eyes and I keep them locked on the screen. "Oh shit. You do like her."

Katniss's mentor runs his hands through his hair and leans back in his chair. "Wow. I meen, I can't blame you but- Finnick, you can't-"

"I know Haymitch. It's not that bad yet." I don't love her yet, do I?

First of all, falling in love with Katniss would be a bad idea, anyone could see how she distances herself. It would basically impossible to get close to her in that way. But then again, I am Finnick Odair...

Secondly, Snow would be furious if he found out. Not many Capitol people would want to date someone who was taken. I mean- We aren't going to get married or anything, right?

And how would that work? She's from district twelve! The other side of Panem! How would we see each other?

Also, she might not even survive the games.

She might not even survive the games...

I turn back to the screen quickly, seeing Katniss is still stumbling towards the pond. Phew.

{XKatnissX}

My stumbling body continues onward, even though my mind is long past the point of where I am comprehending anything. It must be early into the night, but still I continue stumbling.

I wonder why I don't just stop and rest, but maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I won't get up if I stop...

With this new thought I try to focus on my surroundings better. I'm in a slightly denser part of the forest, with many green bushes and a layer of moss covers most things.

Moss... Green...

My head pounds and I fall tot he ground, grasping my head. This isn't good, I'd never been this bad.

It takes many deep breaths to get the pounding in control, perhaps I should dump some things on my pack, the weight is very noticeable at the moment.

The wire itself must have weighed at least ten pounds.

Sighing, I barely manage to get on my feet and continue walking, spurred on by pure determination to reach wherever the hell I was going.

Where was I going?

I fell two more times, stumbling over roots that seemed to appear out of nowhere, finally when my feet slipped out from under me, I was done.

My hands combed through the dirt. The slippery dirt.

A bird chirped nearby and I lazily pulled myself against a tree, my hands resting in the cool, slippery earth.

My pants began to soak from the wet ground and I groaned.

Cinna was going to kill me getting my pants soaked in water...

Water...

Water.

Water!

My eyes shot open and I dashed towards the small pond that my legs were sunk in. I could practically hear Haymitch chastising me. Stupid girl, only Katniss would be utterly oblivious tot he fact she found water.

I let out a sickening chuckle, it was so hoarse that it was more of an airy release of breath. My hands delved into my pack, subbmerging the empty bottle in the source of water.

It was utter hell to wait the amount of time necessary for the water to be clean. I probably cut it short a few minutes, but I honestly couldn't care.

Hopefully ten minutes less than the time recommended was enough.

Restraining myself, I took sips of the bottle slowly, a full half hour later I had finished the bottle.

My head was drastically clearer. As I waited for the second liter of water to purify I camouflaged my backpack with mud and washed my face and hands. I stripped my soaked pants off and hung them up on a branch, hoping the Capitol were enjoying seeing my bare legs.

Screw it, I really didn't care anymore. It was too cold to wear soaked pants.

I then grabbed my gear, hiding the pants behind some leaves, and climbed up the nearby tree.

The lower hanging fork provided enough space to lay comfortably in my sleeping pack. I tied my belt around myself and the branch, just in case I rolled over in my sleep.

When I was halfway through my bottle the Capitol anthem played and I glanced to the sky. I was suddenly reminded of Rue, I hoped she hadn't died.

Oh no... If she died...

When the recount of tribute deaths ended at the district ten girl I breathed a sigh of relief. Thresha nd Rue were still alive.

So was Peeta.

With that comforting though I took a last sip of my bottle and checked over my gear. Once everything was definitely secure I closed my eyes and went straight to sleep.

Thank gosh I didn't snore.

{XFinnickX}

When Katniss ripped off her pants I was stunned for a moment. My mouth opened as I gawked at how easily she'd just shed her clothes on camera.

It took a few seconds before I realized Haymitch speaking next to me. "Must be glad she found the pond finally, huh Finnick?"

His tone was teasing and I realized he'd seen my reaction. I wanted to scowl, but it was enough for him to know I may actually like the girl, I didn't want him to know that she wasn't one of my 'flings'. I grinned. "Extremely."

Of course when he simply chuckled I realized there wasn't much that got past Haymitch. "Don't worry Finnick. You're secret is safe with me. I know you like her."

Haymitch was a smart guy. I'd told him about the reason behind the whole 'Capitol whore thing.' I suppose he figured my persona was an act too. And now he knew I truly cared for the girl. Not simply looking to have sex with her.

And it scared me.

After Katniss finished half of her next bottle she began climbing the tree. The camera's got a great shot of her... Behind.

Haymitch was modest enough to leave at that moment. "I'm going to get some sleep seeing she is. I assume you'll be staying up, wake me if something happens."

I nodded, humbled by the fact he trusted me to take care of his tribute.

Once he was gone I turned back to the screen, the deaths were being shown now and Katniss looked calm. But behind that mask it was clear she was worried. Did she have an ally? Haymitch hadn't mentioned anything.

Promptly she shuffled about before falling asleep.

Her face was obscured mostly, the cameras barely made out the end of her sleeping bag. So I turned to the map to search for danger. The careers weren't too far away, but weren't close enough to be a danger to her. Yet.

There was a tribute rather close though. The girl from district eleven.

She didn't seem to have a weapon, but her leather pouch could be concealing a knife.

The main thing I noticed on the screen I'd focused on her, was that she was flying.

Her body glided through the air as she leaped from branch to branch, not stopping for a second. She was so silent.

I began to worry then, I doubted Katniss would notice her until she was practically on top of her.

Not good.

As she neared Katniss I wondered what I should do. It looked like the little girl was heading straight for her.

This I didn't understand. The pond was close to Katniss, but still to the right of where Rue was heading. It was as if she knew Katniss was there.

I suppose she could know Katniss's location, I doubted Katniss would have noticed the little girl following her. If she did follow her. I cursed aloud at myself, I should have been watching for other tributes better rather than bickering with Haymitch. I vowed not to make the mistake again.

But then again, what did it matter if I knew tributes were nearby Katniss? I couldn't help her from here.

Annoyance coursed through me as Rue stopped at the tree next to Katniss's. I couldn't do anything as she looked directly at Katniss's sleeping bag.

A smile spread across the small girl's face.

She did the opposite that I expected. She hopped onto the branch just above Katniss and pulled out two socks in her pack. She then wrapped her hands in the socks and curled in on herself, falling asleep.

What the hell?

{XKatnissX}

The sound of splashing woke me the next morning and instantly I was alert. I carefully undid my belt and grabbed my knife from my pack. But it seems it wasn't necessary as the voice of a little girl called out. "Morning Katniss. I was just washing dirt of these roots."

Rue appeared, barely visible behind the leaves that obscured the tree. "Rue!" I called fairly quitely, remembering where I was. Yelling certainly would not be a good idea.

"You were out of it so I went to grab some breakfast. I tried to shoot a bird but-" She held up a slingshot and a handful of what I recognized as some kind of edible plant root.

As she had said.

I rubbed my neck and began climbing out of the sleeping bag. I rolled it up and put it in my pack before landing lightly on the floor.

Rue was sitting down on a rock now, chewing on a root. She held out my pants for me. "They're dry, I moved them into the sun when I woke. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh," I took the pants from her hands. "Thanks so much." I pulled them on over my boots. The boots were caked in mud but I wasn't planning on taking them off anytime soon.

Rue grinned before handing over some roots for me to eat. "I'll set some snares today so we can get some meat. You seen anyone or anything usefull?"

"I looked for you as soon as I made it to the forest, I passed a stream and filled my water pouch. When I found you stumbling I kept close until you stopped at this pond. Then I slept in the tree next to yours. The only people I saw were the careers but they were heading in the opposite direction."

Biting into the root I glanced at the sun, it was high in the sky. I'd slept that long? "Peeta was with them. Seemed to be getting along with the boy from two well."

"Yeah. I'm not surprised." I told her truthfully. We sat in silence as we ate and as soon as I was done I finsihed off the last of my water and refilled it.

Rue was working on finding rocks for her slingshot. "I'm gonna go set up those snares now."

She nodded. "If you get anything we'll need to cook it somehow. I can work on that if you'd like?"

I knew Rue wasn't an idiot, so she'd be smart enough not to alert attention from other tributes. "Okay. Be careful with the fire though."

"Will do." She went back to her rock collecting.

Satisfied, I trekked out. It was so much nicer to know that I had access to water. The sun wasn't nearly as threatening. I managed to set up three snares to catch game and two for tributes. They weren't anything amazing, but hopefully a tribute may fall for them.

Slowly, I headed back to lunch, vowing to set more snares after it.

Rue was standing over a stone circle filled with hot coals. "Should be easy to keep it warm. Hopefully we can have meat for dinner." She stood up and dusted her hands.

"Awesome, I have some food for lunch if you want." I began to dig into my pack.

Rue clicked her tounge. "I still have enough berries left for a meal for two, most as well save your cornucopia food."

By then I had pulled out the bread. "Bread won't last much longer. How about a bit of both?"

My little companion nodded, smiling at the sound of a decent meal. I cut up half of the loaf and smeared the berries over the slices before handing half to Rue.

She chewed on it for a while before smiling brightly, reminding me of Prim whenever I'd bring home game. "It's even better than things I'd had back in eleven."

Something unsettled me about what she said. "Aren't you from the agriculture district though?"

"Yes, but we don't get to keep the food we harvest." She giggled as though it was the silliest thing she'd ever heard.

Huh.

I didn't want to ask anything else as I greedily devoured my small meal. But when I heard a twig snap followed by thumps on the floor I turned to Rue. "What was that?"

But she was staring at something behind me, a horrified look on her face. So slowly, I turned around as well.

And promptly screamed.

Thanks for all the reviews! Keep it up :) P.S this chapter is 3.2k :D Yay! Chapters r slowly getting longer!

I've been having difficulty getting motivation to write. Which is troubling because writing is one of the few things I enjoy in my life. So... I apologize for the late upload.

I can't promise how constant my updates will be, or how consistent they will be. I'm sorry if this isn't up to the standard mine normally are.

Thank you for the reviews though, they truly inspire my work, so I never have trouble writing this story.