𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐒 ❦ The Hunger Games Third Book

t w e n t y - o n e

None of them even spared the Girl on Fire a second look- the soldiers that had been fighting beside her were far too busy running towards one of their own as she gargled murky fear.

That caught Remy off guard. He peeled his eyes away from his sister's next timidly strong swing for what felt like hours just to pull Mercy up and drag her wounded leg away from the next scratch; when the two District 12 tributes collided to avoid a sudden attack they made enough noise to make the fountain of crimson seem like a paper cut.

And just like that, the smell changed again. Only this time it was despiration that clung to the scent each soldier ignored instead of something real- a despiration that settled into each Victor when they saw a battle that they knew they couldn't win. As more mutts climbed from the tunnel, it seemed to dawn on most of them just how outnumbered they were.

Katniss' scream to run was more expected than the hand that tugged apon Lorna's unshielded waist.

Still, both hit the platinum blonde as heavily as the falling debris that the mutts dropped while they tried to scale the walls around the water. The splashes only reminded Lorna how hot Finnick's arm was as it brushed against her free skin, and how deeply her delicatly rebuilt nerves felt it when Katniss screamed once more for Peeta to leave the fight.

When the raven looked towards the married pair that pulled each other towards the metal ladder they were trying to reach, no one around her smelt the unspoken realisation that made Katniss sweat a little bit heavier. Even when they were almost caught, they didn't leave each other's side to avoid a slash or bruise on their already aching backs.

When Remy glanced back to watch the pair he became hypnotised by the many more mutts that piled through the tunnel they had lost a leader in. The same tunnel he had sprinted through so quickly that he could barely remind himself how long it took to reach the opening- all he saw was the teeth that could of wripped out any of their necks.

Finnick and Lorna were the last to draw their weapons below the metal ladder that lead above the war torn battleground- as Remy carried Mercy up the metal poles that seemed like their only real escape the dread inside of Katniss grew stronger and stronger.

She could see an ending that would break them all apart. It seemed she was the only one that could think that far ahead even when it had been finnick that was so petrified by the outcome.

The Girl on Fire's sixth sense would of caught how quickly the tunnel opening became sombre as Lorna wriggled out from under Finnick's arm and squeezed the handles of her blades. It would of caught the fearful shiver that ran through the man from 4 when she did, and some part of it would be strong enough to let Katniss know exactly how many different thoughts would have made it past his lips if he hadn't screamed for his wife to stop instead. He had so many alternatives that the scene could of been done 108 times with a different outcome, but in this one, his loud cry did nothing but remind Lorna of the last time they had fought in pure darkness side by side.

She was reminded of the fire as the ceiling fell all that time ago, and it made her heart skip a beat in her chest as her hand froze colder than the water.

Peeta also screamed out from his own fight, but his bubbled from the same strange feeling that ran through his very soul each time he lost control.

He felt it again; as a mutt dragged him to his feet and away from everyone for only the shortest of breaths words bubbled up that felt like fresh vomit. His hands turned white, and his eyes filled with dread that once only grew from Katniss' worried expression as he bit down on his tongue so hard it sent warm blood down his throat. He knew what he wanted to say- it jumped at every opportunity as Katniss placed an arrow in the mutt's head- which was why he didn't speak to his former fiancé when he tried to stand.