The Arsonist (Finnick Odair/OC)

15

(Age 24, 75th Annual Hunger Gamers -The Quarter Quell)

I put my hand up to shield me from what I can only guess is the sun. Hot. I felt the heat the second my platform had fully risen. As my eyes adjusted to the light I whipped my head around me in every direction. Tropics. We were all standing on platforms directed at the cornucopia. The cornucopia was a huge circular platform that made my wince slightly. It was big, too big. I looked behind me to find a huge jungle. I then looked down at my feet and saw only water. Well fuck. How will will any of us find each other in an arena this big?!?

I looked around me nervously and nearly jumped off my platform in delight. There directly to my right was Beetee. I smiled with relief, simple. I looked to my left to find the male tribute of District 5. He wasn't on the roof top and therefore he's a threat. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to 75th Annual Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour"

I heard a ticking and looked in front of me at the cornucopia. A holographic countdown had begun. 10, 9.... I panicked. We're supposed to have sixty seconds not ten! I quickly whipped my head back to Beetee to see him making eye contact with me. I nodded behind me to the jungle but the fucking idiot shook his head at me!. No way! No. He indicated to the weapons at the cornucopia and I shook my head in warning. Nope, not happening, that's a detour! We don't detour, we play it safe. I looked around me in panic to see if anyone from the protection group or the alliance in general was around us. I bit my lip, its District nine, five and Enobaria. If Beetee goes to the cornucopia, then it's my job to go in after him and be his guard. I stared at the sky in frustration, he's going to get us both killed. I won't win against shark teeth.

2, 1...

I hesitated on my platform, hoping that by some miracle Beetee would be as smart as he's supposed to be and dive towards the jungle. Instead he did exact opposite.

 Fuck-fucking-fuck!

I quickly dived into the water after him while swimming as quickly as I could to the cornucopia. It felt like a long ass swim and I immediately regretted my hesitation for not diving in straight away. I bet Fangs is already at the cornucopia by now. In District Ten, I had a small pond on my farm so I had the advantage of actually being able to swim.  Plus, that one day I spent in Finnick's bathroom during a games a few years back. But I wasn't athletic so I was already getting tired just from the swim alone.

When I finally hit the rocks I took a deep breath of air before pushing my way up. I stood and looked around me in a panic. I heard foots steps behind me and turned to find Enobaria hissing at me. I stood in front of all the weapons while she stood infront of me. She'd have to get through me first to grab a weapon....fuck!

I picked up the first thing I saw which was a knife. She bared her teeth at me and I knew I had a split second to throw before she tackles me and rips my throat out with her own teeth. I didn't hesitate as I threw it towards her head with all the energy I had left.  

Had I ever practiced with a knife then it would've actually hit her head. But alas it's me where talking about. My hands were shaky and I'd never had to aim at anything before except the time I threw my beaker at Duke. The knife instantly connected half a foot lower than her head and lodged in her throat. BOOM. Her body flew back from the impact, dropping into the water as if she'd never even been there with a splash.

I was left breathing raggedly on the spot trying to wrap my head around what actually just happened. In that moment of shock I registered something colliding with my shin. Instant waves of pain shot up and down my leg before I grabbed a belt of knifes and started throwing them wildly. I couldn't see who'd hit me, the sun was in my eyes. I was just aiming wildly all around me in the hopes I'd somehow be able to recreate what happened with Enobaria. But I knew killing her was just beginners luck. I heard a grunt of pain and whipped my head around to find a knife lodged into the hand of the district five male. He gave me a scared glance before he started running around to the other side of the cornucopia.