my little dove | Finnick Odair

chapter eleven

"Wake up, stay with me."

Are You With Me- nilu

~~~

AS the familiar sound of a canon went off in the sky, Finnick saw his entire world shatter in front of his eyes.

The deadly wave had stolen Dove from the tributes' view. Finnick and Johanna were screaming and pounding at the wedge that separated them from Dove. They were powerless, all they could do was watch her die.

When the tributes heard the canon go off, Finnick Odair dropped to his knees, yelling out in agony. Johanna dropped her axe as she began to cry. Beetee let his head drop in defeat, saddened by the death of his fallen ally. Katniss and Peeta stared at the dissolving wave in shock, not fully convinced Dove was the one who had died.

When they saw the familiar hovercraft retrieve Dove's body in the distance, Katniss realised just how real things had gotten. It was almost like Dove's death was the most personal one yet; a wake up call. The Capitol truly did not care about mercy, they just wanted a good show.

The tributes couldn't believe Dove had died, she was the best survivalist. But Dove's promise to Plutarch did result in her sacrificing her own life for The Girl On Fire once again.

Johanna hugged Finnick tightly as they both cried into each other's shoulder. Finnick was in denial. There's no way she was actually dead. He couldn't accept that the love of his life was just an inch before him and he still couldn't save her. Finnick stood up from the sand, throwing Dove's trident into the water as he let out a heartbreaking scream.

"I'm so sorry." Katniss cried silently.

—

It had been many hours since Dove's unexpected death. Finnick was sat just before the water, staring at nothing as his eyes felt heavy from the tears that had escaped them.

"I have a plan." Beetee announced, snapping them all out of their grief-ridden trance.

Katniss and Peeta sat next to Beetee as Johanna helped Finnick up, smiling at him sadly.

"Where do the Careers feel the safest?" Beetee asked the team.

"In the jungle?" Peeta answered, uncertain of his own response.

"The jungles a nightmare." Johanna stated.

"Probably here on the beach." Katniss said.

"Then why aren't they here?" Beetee asked.

"Because we are. We claimed it." Johanna said.

"So if we would leave they would come?"

"Or stay hidden in the tree line." Finnick interrupted.

"Which in just over four hours will be soaked from the 10'clock wave." Beetee stared, without realising what he'd said. "I'm sorry." He corrected himself.

Finnick and Johanna looked at each other painfully before they gestured for Beetee to continue explaining his plan.

"What happens at midnight?" He questioned.

"Lightning strikes that big tree." Katniss said.

"Here's what I propose. We leave the beach at dusk, we head towards the lightning tree. That should draw the Careers back to the beach. We run this wire through the jungle back to the beach. Anyone in the water or in the wet sand, will be electrocuted." Beetee proposed.

"How do we know the wires not gonna burn up?" Johanna asked.

"Because I invented it. I assure you, it won't burn up."