Eternal Winter // finnick odair

8- the arena

•••Finnicks POV•••

I rise out of the tube and in to the arena. The sun is bright and blinding but after a few blinks my sight adjusts to the brightness. I am surrounded by water on a small pedestal. There are two pedestals in every wedge, next to the pedestals about 10 metres away was a slim, rocky edge that separated the wedges. A large countdown was above the cornucopia which was on an island in the middle of the water. There was beach behind me and a large, dense jungle.

I starting franticly turning around looking for Adriana. I finally found her on the other side of the island, just with in my view. The countdown starts making noises and I realise there are 10 seconds. Glancing at Ria one last time I prepare to dive. I hear the gong and dive in the water reaching the edge and climbing out. I'm the first to the cornucopia on this side closely followed by Katniss.

She takes the opportunity to try and shoot me when I flash her Haymitch's gold bangle, they all have one to show that they are a team.

" Duck "

She complies and I spear the district 5 victor with the trident that I had picked up. We split up, her to defend the cornucopia for a short time while I find Peeta. I'm actually looking for Adriana but then I see Peeta in the water trying to fight off a tribute. I get Katniss quickly and we run over. I quickly dive in but the canon goes off before I can reach them. A body floats up and I swim faster.

Peeta burst out of the water right in front of me. I help him up the wedge and glance around for Ria. I see her standing on the beach at the end in the other side of the island looking at me. I want to call out to her but I know the careers are there. I can't leave her. I have to protect her, she can't die, I love her. She turns and disappears in to the foliage, swallowed by the thick jungle. We all run in to the jungle in the opposite direction to Ria.

While we run I think about her. Everything about her, her face, her smile, her eyes, everything. I love her so much I have no idea what I would do if she died. It won't happen.

•••Adriana's POV•••

I run through the jungle desperately trying not to panic. I have no idea where Finnick is. I couldn't run to him because of the cornucopia in the middle where the careers were. While I was running I wasn't paying attention and almost ran in to someone. On instinct I let a knife fly and heard the thud of it impaling my victim. I see the Morphling guy from 6 on the ground, the knife in his chest. It's buried hilt deep and I forget the strength that I have. I couldn't find a trident on my side and I wasn't going to waste time looking for one.

I searched for water until it was dark. Finnick consumed all my thoughts and I know I should be focused but I can't. I'm so worried about him, I love him so much and I'm not ready to lose him. Not with out him knowing that I love him. If I find him while I'm in here I will tell him, I promise myself that.

Night fell and I climbed a tree to stay in. The anthem played and no one I knew was up there except for 6. I smiled in relief knowing that for now Finnick was safe and so was Katniss, which meant so was the rebellion. I drifted off to sleep only to be woken by a clicking noise. A few trees to my right it was being covered by something, something that clicks and I didn't want to find out. I saw a squirrel in the tree and I leaned over to see what happened to it.

The black object started to shred it up, the pieces of meat being torn off and leaving a pile of mince at the bottom of the tree. There was no way I was sticking around. I jumped out of the tree to see the insects at my feet. They started to bite at my legs, little pieces of skin being torn off. I start running but the insects move faster. After running for a while I seem to pass through something I don't know what it was but it stopped the insect. I pause to sit and look down at my legs. My ankles were a bloody mess, most of the skin was torn of in areas, blood pouring everywhere.

A parachute slowly floats down and lands next to me. There were a few rolls of bandages and a bread roll. My thirst has become clear after the running and I pant for a while. My tongue was dry and the air was humid, I could feel the moisture on my skin. I would sweat out any liquid in my body by morning. I settle in a different tree, not sleeping this time. My adrenaline was pumping and I was still out of breath. As fit as I am I can't handle not drinking water for so long.

As the first few rays of morning sun peek through the foliage I started walking. I heard a lot of screaming and something that sounded like water rushing. Lots and lots of water, like a tsunami. We learnt about them when we were small in district 4, they are giant waves of water and cause destruction. Soon the screaming stopped and the canon went off so I could continue walking in peace. Deciding to head towards the beach area I start my long walk downhill.

A/N

Hi guys! So Adriana found the insect wedge on the clock! Finnick and Ria got separated :( . I love both of them so much but unfortunately I only own one. Finnick belongs to the amazing Suzanne Collins. So does the arena and the hunger and catching fire.

- Anna
xxx