Word Count: 2975
I entered a room with my stylist. It was a little different to the one in the 72nd but still had no windows, one door and a large transparent tube. We said our goodbyes and as I entered the tube. I was terrified, but I remembered what Peeta told me the night before. Avoid careers and bodies of water. I think he was joking but it might actually help. The tube started going up and so did my heartrate but I took some deep breaths and calmed myself down. My eyes took a second to adjust to the light but once I saw clearly where I was, I was anything but calm. I was on a pedestal just like in 72nd, but it was surrounded by water, and on the pedestal next to me was one of the female careers. Perfect, the two things I was avoiding. The arena was thick jungle, except for the lake, in which the cornucopia was.
"Welcome to the 75th annual Hunger Games." A voice spoke through the speaker. "And may the odds be ever in your favour." I looked around for Katniss and Peeta, though I could only see Katniss in the distance, about five pedestals down.
"10." The voice counted down.
"9." I noticed the blonde female career tribute eyeing me down.
"8." She wasn't just eyeing me down, she was getting ready to hunt me down.
"7." I can swim well, though I only swim when I'm alone.
"6." I just can't go into deep water, knowing someone else is there too.
"5." She was getting ready to jump into the water.
"4." I was not prepared to jump in at all, my current plan was to stay put and hope that no one notices that I wasn't going to move.
"3." But that career women wanted blood, my blood.
"2." She was staring at me, and I stared back at her.
"1."
She jumped in as soon as the countdown finished, not wasting a second. I was going to jump in, but I couldn't bring myself too it. She grabbed my ankle and yanked me down, pulling me into the water. I punched her in the face and pushed her away with my feet while my back was against the pedestal. She was dazed and I took that as an opportunity to swim to the stone ledge that led to the cornucopia. I climbed onto it and looked behind me to see the blonde woman climbing on as well. I began to run, I was fast, but she was faster. I was almost to the cornucopia but she yanked my hair and pulled me back. "This is going to be slow and painful." She said as she pushed my head into the water.
They were trying to do it again. They were trying to kill me the way they tried to before. I struggled and but this time it was no use. I was on the verge of inhaling until I realised I could get my foot against the wall and push myself away. So, I did exactly that. Her grip loosened and I managed to slip out. I got to the nearest pedestal and propped myself up. I began to cough aggressively holding my throat. I saw the woman come back towards me again. "No-." I said in a quiet tone, more in a way of telling myself I wasn't going to let her get to me.
With a sudden surge of adrenaline I pushed myself to stand on the pedestal and turned to the nearest stone ledge. I jumped as quickly and as hard as I could to get there. I landed on the side, my arms holding onto the other edge. I pulled myself up and bolted to the cornucopia. This time I made it, and was met with all the careers. Surely, Katniss and Peeta wouldn't have left without me. I ran off around the other side while they chased me. I saw Peeta, Katniss, Mags and Finnick on the beach. Finnick pointed me out and they shouted for me to get over there. I ran down the stone ledge and towards them.
"Duck!" Katniss yelled to me. I ducked and just dodged an arrow to the head. A couple seconds later I made it to the beach and into Peeta's arms. He held the back of my head with one hand and my lower back with the other. He pulled back to check if I had any injuries. He saw my bruised neck and rubbed it softly and quickly as we needed to back it back into the thick forest, away from the careers. We kept running until Finnick stopped us to rest.
"God, it's hot." Peeta said, sweat running down his forehead, along with everyone else's. The flies and birds were also exceptionally loud. "We gotta find fresh water." We were all crouched and just stared at each other for a moment until a couple canons went off.
"Well, I guess were not holding hands anymore." Finnick laughed. I appreciated his way of trying to make something good out of a terrible situation. But Katniss definitely didn't.
"You think that's funny?" She questioned in an annoyed tone.
"Every time that canon goes off, its music to my ears." He refuted. "I don't care about any of them."
"Good to hear." Katniss answered, pulling out a machete.
"Want to face the career pack alone?" He asked her. "What would Haymitch say?"
"Haymitch isn't here." She spat in response.
"Can we please keep going?" I pleaded. "These bugs are making enough noise as it is, I don't need arguing on top of it, please." I stood up straight, along with Peeta. We kept walking, Mags on Finnick's back, while Peeta led the way, cutting vines out of the way. I saw Katniss stop and stare to where Peeta was walking.
"What is it?" I asked her, trying to see what she was looking at.
"Shimmering." She told me as she faced me.
"Wait..." I thought for a moment and watched Peeta. Then I remembered noticing the force field in the training arena. "Peeta! No!" I screamed as he hit the force field with his machete. He was electrocuted and went flying back. Along with everyone else. I must've hit my head pretty hard, as I almost forgot what happened.
"Katniss, are you okay?" I asked dizzily. My gaze then moved to Peeta's seemingly dead body. In that moment everything clicked again. "Peeta?" I crawled over to him quickly. I turned him over and grabbed his face. "Peeta?" He didn't say anything. "Peeta, wake up." I told him. "Peeta, wake up!" I looked around, beginning to get teary. "He isn't breathing. He's not breathing!" Finnick came over and started to perform CPR. "Peeta..." I breathed out again as I got closer.
"Come on, come on!" Finnick said in a huff as he pushed down Peeta's chest.
"Peeta, please wake up." I pleaded in a cry. Tears were running down my face. "Peeta, please." I kept pleading and crying for another minute until Peeta gasped for air. "Peeta." I rushed closer too him as Finnick moved out of the way. "Oh god, Peeta." I put my hands on his face and smiled.
"Be careful, there's a force field up there." He said as he slowly caught his breath. I laughed and kissed him. "Oh, Peeta, you were dead." I cried, my hand in his hair. "You were dead. Your heart stopped."
"Its okay." He answered in a comforting tone. "It's working now." I hugged him once more.
"Do you wanna stand up?" I questioned, not knowing how sore he was.
"Yeah." He nodded and I helped him up. Once he caught his balance I pulled him into the biggest hug I could. My entire body was shaking in the fear that I had lost him.
"Its okay." He hugged me back just as tight as I was hugging him. My head was firmly pressed against his neck and my arms were tightly gripping his back.
We calmed down for a couple moments more then began to walk again. Katniss led in front, throwing rocks to the left as we followed the edge of the arena. She told us to wait and she began to climb a tree. "Are you okay?" Peeta asked me as we stood side by side, hand in hand. I gave him a confused look, as if too say: Why wouldn't I be? "Your neck." He pointed to my bruised neck.
"Oh, yeah I was strangled by that blonde female career..." I trailed off as I explained. "...under the water." He wasn't sure what to say, but instead pulled my forehead to his and gently held my head in both his hands. "Your alive now and we're away from the careers, that's all that matters in this moment."
Katniss came down a couple seconds later. "The force field, it's a dome." She explained to us. "We're at the edge of the arena. I couldn't find any signs of fresh water." She sighed and ran her hand over her head.
"Its gonna get dark soon." Finnick added. "We'll be safe with our backs protected. we should set up camp. Take turns sleeping. I can take first watch."
"Not a chance." Katniss shook her head and Finnick stood up.
"Honey, that thing I did back there for Peeta." He walked closer to her, trident in hand. "That was called saving his life. If I wanted to kill any of you three, I would've done it by now."
"Why don't you guys get some rest." I told Katniss and Peeta. "I'll take the first watch." Katniss nodded, but Peeta had a mild worried look in his eyes.
"Just for a little bit." He told me and walked away.
-
Later that night.
"How's Peeta?" Finnick asked me as we took the watch together.
"I know he'll be okay." I answered as I glanced over to his sleeping figure. "Just dehydrated like the rest of us." The loud music for the fallen tributes started playing. Me and Finnick both watched the sky. "Eight." Katniss said as she sat up. The music must've woken her.
Not long after, the little chime made by the gifts. It landed right next to Katniss and she opened it without hesitation. "What is it?" Finnick asked.
"It's from Haymitch." She said as she pulled out the metal object.
"Oh, it's a spile." I added as I saw it. She handed it too me and I walked over to the nearest large tree. I hammered the spile into the tree with a rock and waited for a couple moments. Water suddenly started to flow out and I began drinking immeadiely. I then gave room for everyone else to get some as well.
Once everyone had their drink, including Mags which Finnick had to bring some over to her in a leaf, everyone was heading back to sleep, expect me and Finnick. We were sitting there, we heard some sort of alarm go off. "I counted 12." I told Finnick.
"Midnight?" He suggested.
"Or the number of districts." I added. We then heard a machine powering up in the distance. Not long after, a large tree on the other side of the arena was being struck by lighting.
"Well." Finnick sighed. "If you're not going to sleep, I will." He got up from the rick he was sitting on and moved down near everyone else. I stayed up for a while, only to accidentally fall asleep. The sky was a little lighter went woke, but could still be considered dusk. I looked around and noticed everyone was still asleep, then I looked behind me and saw thick greenish blue fog rolling towards us. I reached out my hand to touch it, only for my hand to get burnt and covered in boils. I leaped back in a scream.
"Run! The fog burns!" I yelled as I got up behind everyone else. Finnick had Mags on his back as we all ran on the opposite direction of the fog yet soon it began to corner us. Katniss had fallen, and Peeta being the closest, helped her up. Only to get boils and burns down his face and neck. I saw this from a distance as I was running with Mags and Finnick, but Finnick couldn't run fast enough. He began screaming and fell to the ground.
"Finnick!" I yelled as I tried to help him up. I got him up, along with Mags on his back and we kept going and ran over to Peeta and Katniss. Peeta was on the ground shaking in pain.
"I can't carry him." Katniss said in a shaky voice. Katniss continued to plead with Peeta, but I watched as Mags kissed Finnick goodbye.
"Mags..." I said as she walked off into the fog. Finnick began to scream. "Finnick, just look away, don't watch." I turned his head away and back towards Peeta and Katniss.
"Finnick, we have to go." Katniss pleaded with him. I kneeled down and put a hand on Peeta's forehead, so despite through the pain, he knew I was there with him. "We have to get outta here." Katniss pleaded once more to Finnick, who was in a very dissociative state. Katniss and Finnick were holding Peeta up as I led the way to guide them to safety. I was looking back frequently to check to make sure they were keeping up. At once point I saw their backs were up against the fog and they were groaning in pain.
"Guys, hold on-." I was about to go back over to help them along, but I had fallen down a steep hill-side. "Be careful of the drop!" I yelled to them, though they were too weak to care and fell down anyway, which was probably for the best. Being the only one not terribly effected, I stood up and tried to get them up as well, though they were far too weak. I saw the fog rolling in and I was about to start dragging them away to get them out, until I noticed the fog ran into a barrier and rolled up the wall of it. It looked amazing, but of course I had bigger concerns than watching acid fog roll up against a barrier. It soon disappeared and everyone sighed in relief. I walked over to the water to check it out, I put my hand in and groaned in pain and pulled it out. Only to realise, the burn was gone.
"Guys, the water helps!" I yelled to them. "Maybe I should get you all over here." I said to myself as I helped Katniss over, by grabbing under her arms and pulling her in. She screamed in pain but it soon ceased once the boils were gone. "Thank you." She uttered to me and I nodded.
I walked over to Peeta, who pointed to Finnick, wanting me to get him in first. I nodded and began to pull Finnick into the water. He screamed in pain also but stopped when the boils were gone. Finally, I got to Peeta, I helped him into the water and he had the same reaction to everyone else. We all settled down not long after. I went with Peeta to get water. "Thank you." He said to me with a small smile.
"You couldn't exactly get in the water yourself." I chuckled until I heard Katniss's voice.
"Guys, walk over here slowly." She told us in a steady yet alarming tone. I looked around and saw monkeys all around us. Very angry looking monkeys. We backed towards Katniss and Finnick as we stood in the small pool of water we were in before. "Get to the beach." She told us, which was barely audible over the monkeys roars.
One of them lunged to Katniss and Peeta killed it with the machete before it got to her. Unfortunately, I was the only one without a weapon, since I was too busy getting drowned to grab one earlier. I was in the middle of the pool, dodging or pushing away the ones I could, but one of them pushed me down into the water. I was holding its neck with both my hands, in an attempt to keep it off of me. I was under for at least 20 seconds before anyone could help me. Peeta stabbed it in the middle and told me to get to the beach. I was running along side Katniss while Peeta was in front and Finnick behind us. Peeta was about to get attacked though I morphling jumped in front and sacrificed herself to save him. We got Peeta up and made it too the beach, Finnick just behind us. The monkeys stopped at the sand, not coming any further. Peeta had the morphling in his arms, she had severe neck wounds and couldn't breath without wheezing.
"You wanna see something, look up." Peeta told her as he looked up at the sky, she did also. We knew we couldn't do anything to save her, but giving her the best death we could was something we could do. I looked up too, and there it was. Sunset orange, among other colours as well, but that one really stuck out. He calmed the morphling down as her wheezing slowed and soon ceased. A canon was heard as he laid her into the water.
"She sacrificed herself for me and I don't even know her name." Peeta said as we watched her body being taken away.
"You think she sacrificed herself?" Katniss asked and turned to him.
"Looked like it." He answered and looked down slightly.
"That doesn't make any sense." I added as I stood next to Katniss.