there's one thing about games,
once you're a player, there's no
way out. you're trapped.
-
in which the youngest victor in history comes back to compete in the quarter quell, coming out of a decades worth of hiding.
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A LOUD THUD ECHOED IN THE ARENA, and then another. And then one more directly afterwards. Each loud canon sound signified one dead tribute. For every thud, one tribute was dead... And it may sound sick, but those bombs were a relief. It was just a reminder that we were one dead tribute closer to finishing the stupid game... But it was also guilt tripping.
How was it fair that I wanted to die so badly, yet got to live, but tributes who truly enjoyed life got to die? I felt selfish... Everytime I fought back at Gloss when he tried killing me, I thought... Why? But then I remembered Riffian, and although leaving Panem, or this Earth at all, sounding amazing... It wasn't worth leaving Riffian behind. He'd done so much for me... I owed it to him to stay.
Finnick chuckled through the awkward silence the loud death bombs caused, "Well, I guess we're not holding hands anymore."
"You think that's funny?" Katniss sassily responded, her eyebrows furrowed in disgust at Finnick. I was kneeling between her and Finnick as I looked at her. Her angered expression said enough.
"Everytime that canon goes off, it's music to my ears," Finnick leaned towards Katniss, quitting his joking tone. He was serious, "I don't care about any of them."
"Good to hear," Katniss threateningly responded, as she pulled a machete from out of her pack of arrows.
"Save me from your aggressive banter and stab me with that machete," I rolled my eyes at Katniss, but then diverted my stare to Riff. The only reason I was even with these people was because Riffian was with them, and I was gonna watch over him the entire games and make sure he wins.
Katniss ignored me and continued holding her machete and staring at Finnick, but the only thing he did was scoff, "Wanna face the career pack alone? What would Haymitch say?"
Katniss gulped, "Haymitch isn't here."
"Do you not understand what they can do? They nearly killed Ameria before she even made it to the cornucopia... If they can almost kill Ameria, trust me, they can kill you and Peeta quicker than you could even take out one of your fancy arrows," Finnick scoffed at his last sentence, which Katniss clearly took to offense as she tightened her jaw.
"Let's keep moving," Peeta shut them up, and I for once was actually grateful for something he'd done. We all started standing, but getting up from my criss cross sitting position was hard compared to how they were all on their knees, plus, after the choking and drowning I just experienced, my head was still dizzy. I stayed sitting for a second, taking a slow deep breath to avoid any nausea.
Finnick turned around so Mags could get on his back, but she softly turned him back around and shook her head. She pointed to me with her long, wrinkled, pale finger. Riffian shook his head at Finnick, "I've got her, you get Mags."
Mags continued to climb onto Finnick's back as Riffian approached me. With no warning, he wrapped his arm around my torso and lifted me up and tossed me over his shoulder. I was on his shoulder like a purse, and my face right on the sweaty spot of his back made me gag, "Put me down, Riff, I can walk!"
