T H O R N |Finnick Odair

27

Oh my god. My ears ring as I gather myself, trying to get my bearings. I look up to see Bogs lying on the ground, bleeding. Jackson and Katniss surround him as the rest of our group try to get our shit together.

Katniss talks to him, quickly running over and grabbing the holo. Bogs says something into it while Jackson ties a tourniquet on both of his legs, trying desperately to stop the flow of blood. They're soaked within seconds.

Finnick stumbles over and helps me up, making sure I'm not injured. I stand and look over to Bogs. He's not moving. He's gone.

One of the other soldiers that was closer to the blast grunts in pain, holding her leg. Who I assume to be her sister starts making her way over but stops when she steps on something. She looks down and one of the tiles slowly sinks to the ground.

The openings around the small area we are in begin to close, caging us inside.

Before we even have time to question it, some kind of black liquid- tar or oil- comes rushing out of the alleyways. We all begin running, Finnick grabbing Peeta and dragging him along.

I run beside him, everyone in the squad trying to get into one of the apartment complexes. "Get to higher ground! Let's go!" One of the soldiers says. We keep running, trying to live another day.

But I hear Katniss grunt. I turn back and see Peeta on top of her, trying to hit her with his gun. One of the soldiers, Mitchell I think, grabs the boy. Peeta is stronger though, he pushes him into the rushing liquid. Chains or barbed wire immediately kill the soldier.

Finnick being the closest grabs him, restraining Peeta so he can't hurt anyone else. "Come on! Let's go!"

We all make our way to one apartment building, choosing it as our refuge. I throw one of my knives at the door, shattering the already damaged glass. "Get inside! Move it!" Jackson commands. I head inside after Finnick and Peeta, trying to make sure we all make it in time.

The entire squad rushes up the first flight of stairs and then stops. I don't understand why until I get there, seeing that the second flight has been broken. We're sitting ducks here.

Finnick pins Peeta in the corner as he struggles. I pull out the sedation pen I was given and use it, causing Peeta to go limp.

We all watch helplessly as the liquid advances, praying some miracle will take place.

"It's slowing down." Cressida comments. I watch closely and realize she's right. The liquid makes it all the way up and spills over some, but before it gets to us it makes a sucking sound and slowly starts receding to the ground level. We'll live to fight another day

"The peacekeepers are still putting on quite a show," Cressida says again, watching as the horrific substance slowly leaks out.

"Hey, we better move. If peacekeepers didn't know where we are, they sure do now." I comment, relaying my thoughts. They'll know where to find us and in this building, we're toast.

"Those surveillance cameras caught us." One of the camera crew says while our commander, Jackson, tries to radio back into base.

"This is a bad spot. We need to move, now." Gale states, also agreeing about leaving.

Jackson finally gives up. "I can't get a signal." While putting her radio back in her pocket. "But I can get us back to base. Everdeen, give me the holo." She says. But Katniss doesn't. She stares out the window, contemplating.