[010] wreath of toxin
❛ AFTERGLOW ❜
BEATRICE HAD BEEN awakened by the sound of a loud gong going off throughout the arena. She jumped to sit up, startled, and Finnick gave her a confused look. It seemed no one knew why the gong was going off.
"How many times did it go off?" Beatrice asked as she crawled towards Finnick and Katniss.
"I counted twelve," Katniss informed, still looking around suspiciously.
Finnick looked down at the girls, "Midnight?"
"Or the number of districts," Katniss theorized.
"Why would they do that?" Beatrice asked, still confused in her haze of sleep.
"I don't know, Bea," Finnick sighed. Beatrice ran a hand through her hair, trying to tame the sweat-dripped frizz. God, she hated hot weather.
Suddenly, lightening struck a tree in the distance. Beatrice jumped at the loud sound. They all gazed at it with bewilderment.
Beatrice wondered how the tree didn't collapse. Whenever lightening struck a tree in District Nine, which was quite often due to the flat terrain, it immediately tumbled over and charred. It must be made out of metal, Beatrice thought.
"Well... if you're not gonna sleep, I will," Finnick spoke as he looked down at Katniss. "You coming, Bea?"
"No, it's okay. I'll keep Katniss company," the blonde told him with a smile. He gave her a quick nod and went to lay by Mags.
The two girls sat in silence for a few minutes, still both exhausted and sweaty.
"Do you trust him?" Katniss asked in a whisper, looking down at Beatrice. The blonde was lying on the forest floor, her head on a pile of leaves.
"With my life," Beatrice said almost immediately. Katniss gave her a nod and looked off, seemingly deep in thought.
Beatrice wanted to start a conversation with Katniss, sick of the silence. Beatrice hated the quiet, and that hatred increased tenfold after her first games. It was always eerie, not knowing what was to come next.
"Do you miss Prim?" Beatrice asked the brunette.
Katniss let out a fond smile, "Of course. She's what I think about the most." Beatrice grinned, it was cute how much she loved her sister. The blonde knew exactly what that felt like.
"You have a sister too, right? Maeve?" Katniss asked and looked down at the blonde.
"Mhm. Mae practically raised me after our parents died. I miss her like hell."
"I know how that feels," Katniss agreed with the blonde, happy they could connect over something they both loved.
Beatrice had been drifting in and out of sleep for about an hour, too tired from the heat to stay awake. In the back of her head, she just hoped Katniss would stay alert.
Suddenly, Beatrice heard screaming. She jumped awake, alert, as she recognized the voice as Katniss. She had to complete the mission assigned to her; protect The Mockingjay.
As she sat up, she saw Katniss lying on the ground with white bumps all over her hand. It appeared to be burning her hand.
"Katniss!" Beatrice shouted as she rushed over to the brunette, trying to get her to stand up.
"Run! Run! The fog is poison!" Katniss screamed from the ground. The blonde went into survival mode, helping everyone get up and away from the hazardous fog.
Beatrice helped Mags get on Finnick's back before being dragged off by Katniss. They all began sprinting through the trees, almost tripping over vines and branches. It was like a maze that would never end.
Peeta headed up the front, then Katniss and Beatrice holding hands, then Mags on Finnick's back. Beatrice would have complained that she would go first, but it was no time for that. It was life or death.
The fog started to surround them, trapping them in a wreath of toxin. Peeta lead them around the fog quickly, darting every which way to escape it.
"Ah!" Katniss yelled from behind Beatrice. The blonde swiftly whipped around, helping the younger girl to her feet. The poison stung both of them, leaving venomous bumps in its wake. Peeta quickly turned around and helped the women, getting stung with poison as his penance.
Peeta seemed to get the worst of the fog, leaving him hobbling to walk and get away from the danger. Katniss and Beatrice each took one of his arms, practically dragging him through the forest. It was no use, the fog was slowly catching up to them.
Beatrice's eyes darted back and forth from Peeta and the fog, contemplating whether or not to leave on her own. She immediately decided against the idea as soon as it popped into her head. This was her job, to protect and die for them. She knew she had to make the struggle.
Finnick started screaming behind the trio. Beatrice let go of Peeta's arm and went to assist Mags back up. It was for nothing, neither of the District Four tributes could stand up. The venom was hitting the three of them harshly, not being able to get proper footing.
"Mags! Mags, please! Come on!" Finnick yelled as Beatrice finally got the strength to lift the older woman. As soon as Beatrice helped the two from Four, Peeta fell over and could not get up. Beatrice just could not catch a break.
The blonde kneeled next to Katniss as they looked at Peeta. He seemed to be almost unconscious, white bumps scattered all over his face. Beatrice gazed in horror as she put a hand over her mouth. Finnick kneeled next to the three.
"I can't carry him. Neither can Bea. Peeta, please..." Katniss begged as she shook violently. Beatrice's eyes started to water. There was nothing but despair within her. She couldn't keep a simple promise to Haymitch.
Mags slowly stood up as she placed a hand on Finnick and Beatrice's shoulders. The older woman kissed the blonde on the temple and Finnick on the cheek. Beatrice slowly realized what she was about to do. This was a goodbye.
"Mags, no..." Beatrice said as she slowly reached for Mags. Her movements were slow, brain foggy from the poison in her system. But she knew Mags was about to walk into that fog.
"Mags... Mags! Mags! MAGS!" Finnick yelled as he crawled towards the woman. Beatrice went to follow him, but was held back by Katniss's arms around her waist. The canon boomed, signaling her death.
Beatrice started to cry at the reality of the events. Mags, a sweet old woman that cared for her like Beatrice was her own, was gone. Just like that. No screaming, no pain, she was just gone. Like she was never even there to begin with.
"Finnick! Beatrice! We have to go. We have to get out of here. We have to go..." Katniss instructed them. Beatrice and Finnick both looked back at her with tears shedding. But they both knew the brunette was right. They had to get to safety.
"Right, come on," Finnick said as he lifted Peeta up into his arms. Peeta was held between Katniss and Finnick as Beatrice lead the group, finding her way to the beach. She knew the fog wouldn't be there, or she hoped.
After a few more minutes of torture, none of them could keep going anymore. The pain was quickly increasing. Beatrice couldn't take it. She started hallucinating. The trees were shaking, she could see things that weren't there, she started blabbering gibberish.
Suddenly, Beatrice's foot did not hit the ground. They all started tumbling down a steep slope, their faces hitting plants and rocks as they fell.
Beatrice landed face down on the ground, her movements violent and sporadic. She slowly turned her head to face the fog again. It was creeping towards them, menacing and slow. This was it, this was how Beatrice died. From some stupid fucking fog.
As soon as it began, the fog seemed to hit an invisible wall. It slide up the forcefield and left the arena as it came. Beatrice let out a sigh of relief and put her head back on the ground. She fell into a restless unconsciousness, not sure if she was awake or asleep.
The blonde heard someone crawling, but didn't bother to look. The exhaustion crept up on her and didn't allow her limbs to move on their own.
Katniss let out a loud scream as she put her hand in the water, but Beatrice couldn't be bothered to get up. She just laid like a helpless child.
She felt like she did when she was five years old. When she fell on a rock while trying to get to the top of a wheat hill, her sister had to come and pick her up, telling her it was going to be okay. Beatrice wished Maeve was her to do that now. But she wasn't and she probably never would again.
Beatrice felt someone dragging her arms. The blonde looked up and it was Katniss, free of bumps or signs of injury. Beatrice guessed the water worked. The older girl sobbed as she was pulled along the grass, irritating her already weak skin.
"This is going go hurt, but you'll feel better after," Katniss whispered in her ear as she sat Beatrice up. The blonde just groaned in response, her words betraying her. They were on the edge of the water, Beatrice's back to Katniss's chest. The brunette slowly put the blonde's leg in. Beatrice hissed in pain and flailed to get away, but Katniss held her in place. She was stronger than she looked.
Slowly, Katniss started to put more and more of Beatrice's limbs into the water. Each one hurt less than the last. The blonde felt immense relief.
"This is the worst part, but you can do it," Katniss murmured as she got into the water, holding her hands out for Beatrice to follow her. Beatrice climbed into Katniss's hold and the brunette dunked both of them underwater. Beatrice's face felt like it was on fire, screaming bloody murder under the water.
Finally, when it was done, Katniss pulled the blonde out of the water and onto the solid ground.
"It's okay, you can rest now," Katniss said as she stroked the blonde's face. Beatrice fell into a light sleep with the feeling of Katniss's hands running through her hair.
MIRA SPEAKS :: IM BACKKKKK
sorry it took so long i was on
vacation and then i
got covid 😭
not proof read bc im lazy
so lmk if there are
any mistakes