WATCHING THE CLOCK

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

"Turn that thing off," growled Haymitch from the corner as he nursed a bottle of alcohol, his bloodshot eyes shot their glare to one of Effie's many bustling helpers. A sheepish man with bright peacock feathers sticking out of his glam hat at many odd angles quickly jumped to turn the ticking off--but couldn't dismantle the clock itself.

Katniss, seated in a chair on the train as it rumbled along the tracks--bound to the schedule the Capitol expected them to keep--was staring at the little hands as they moved slowly around, picking off time as if it were nothing. To District 12, the time was racing by. To the Capitol, the clock had dug its feet into the ground, holding back their entertainment if only to unjustly ruin all of their fun.

"I don't think I could eat another thing," a boy said as he dropped into the seat next to Katniss, his arms open as she curled into them, her head on his shoulder, though her eyes remained on the round disc on the wall.

"Did you have the stew?" she asked quietly.

"No, but the food was just as good. We may be playing to the death, but at least we're all well fed." And if Katniss ate enough over the next few weeks, it was possible she'd gain enough weight to pull off his plan.

Haymitch grunted from the corner, swearing profusely at one of Cinna's colorful team. Moments later, a loud crash sounded throughout the compartment, but neither Katniss or Peeta really minded much. If it wasn't drunken unhappiness, it was sober disgruntlement. Haymitch Abernathy was inconsolable.

- - -

Hours later, Effie wandered into their compartment only to find them as she'd left them, curled together, both watching the tiny hands as they shifted around and around. "What are you doing?!" she screeched, throwing her hands up in the air.

They blinked away from the clock, their sleepy gaze resting firmly on her face. "Hmm?" Katniss asked distractedly, her fingers threaded with Peeta's.

"You have a full schedule to get through and instead you're sitting here doing WHAT exactly?"

Peeta smiled a little. "Watching the clock."

"Counting the minutes until Snow has us killed."