𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 || 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐎'𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐱 𝐎𝐅𝐂

(ix). on the nights you feel outnumbered, baby i'll be out there somewhere

The absence of water intensifies the alliance's thirst. Katniss continued to keep a sharp eye as they continued to trek upward, but they still had no luck trying to find a water source. After about another mile, they can see an end to the tree line and they assume they're reaching the crest of the hill.

    "Maybe we'll have better luck on the other side," Finnick says. "Find a spring or something."

    But there is no other side.

    Katniss notices before anyone else, even though she's the furthest from the top. Her eyes catch on a funny, rippling square hanging like a warped pane of glass in the air. At first she thought it was the glare from the sun or the heat shimmering up off the ground. But it's fixed in space, not shifting when anyone moves.

    And that's when she connected the square with Wiress and Beetee in the Training Center and realized what lies before them.

    "PEETA NO!" Katniss cries out. But her warning barely left her lips when Peeta's knife swung out to slash away some vines.

    There's a sharp zapping sound and the trees are gone and an open space over a short stretch of bare earth. And then Peeta's flung backwards from the force field, bringing Finnick and Mags to the ground.

    Katniss rushes over to where Peeta lies, motionless in a web of vines.

    "Peeta?"

    There's a faint smell of singed hair.

    "Peeta?" Katniss calls his name again, giving him a little shake, but he's unresponsive. Her fingers fumble across his lips, where there's no warm breath, even though moments ago he was panting.

    Katniss presses her ear against his chest, to the spot where she always rested her head, where she knew she'd hear the strong and steady heartbeat of his heart.

    Instead, she finds silence.

    "Peeta!" Katniss screams, shaking him harder. She even resorted to slapping his face, but it's no use. His heart has failed. "Peeta!"

    "Get a cannon ready," Plutarch says, diverting his attention from the screen to the Gamemakers behind him. "On my command."

    Finnick props Mags against a tree and pushes Katniss out of the way.

    "Let me," He tells her, his fingers touching points on Peeta's neck. His fingers run over the bones in Peeta's ribs and spine before he pinches Peeta's nose shut.

    "No!" Katniss yells, hurling herself at Finnick.

    Finnick's hand comes up and hits her hard, so squarely in the chest that she is sent flying backwards into a nearby tree trunk.

    Katniss scrambles to her feet as she watches Finnick close off Peeta's nose again. She pulls out an arrow and whips the notch into place. She's about to let it fly when she sees Finnick lean down and kiss Peeta.

    Katniss is caught so off guard that she stops her hand from letting the arrow fly.

    No, he's not kissing him.

    He's got Peeta's nose blocked off but his mouth is tilted open, and he's blowing air into his lungs. Katniss can see Peeta's chest rising and falling.

    "Come on, Peeta," Finnick says, unzipping Peeta's wetsuit and begins to pump the spot over his heart with the heels of his hands.

    Katniss makes a mental note, whatever Finnick's doing, he's done it before. There's a very set rhythm and method and she finds the arrow tip sinking to the ground as she leans in to watch, desperately, for some sign of success.