. SURVIVAL GAME . .៹♡
CHAPTER EIGHT
─── THE POISON FOG
"Hang on." Katniss said in a serious tone. The group had covered a considerable distance. Katniss led the way and marked her position by throwing nuts at the force field. The goal was for all group members to know their location. Peeta seemed completely wiped out by the events, but he continued to fight. Now Katniss stopped. She deftly wrapped her bow around her body and then began to climb the nearest tree.
Velren, Celestia, Finnick, Aurora and Peeta watched her carefully until she disappeared from view. Then they just stood there and waited for her return. Katniss was gone for a while and looked for what Velren was sure was water. Soon she dropped down from the tree and walked towards them. She wiped her forehead as sighed. "The force field, it's a dome. We're at the edge of the arena. I couldn't find any signs of fresh water."
"It's getting dark soon," Finnick announced while he supported himself on one leg and leaned slightly forward. "We'll be safe with our backs protected. We should set up camp, take turns sleeping. I or Velren can take first watch."
After Finnick had made his suggestion, Katniss turned to him with an expression that made it clear that she thought he was crazy and burst out laughing sarcastically. "Not a chance." she replied firmly. Finnick looked at her in shock, while Velren even gave her a slightly offended look. It was obvious that Katniss still wasn't ready to trust him and Finnick, and her skeptical look betrayed her continued distrust.
Velren instantly stood up from his place, much to Celestia's attempt at holding him back, and dug his trident into the the ground of the jungle. "Sweetheart." he began to say in a dangerously calm voice. "That thing I did back at the Cornucopia for Peeta, and that thing Finnick did back there for him? That was called saving his life. Or rather, that was called saving the guy life who murdered my best friend last year. If we wanted to kill either one of you , we would have done it by now, believe me." He held her gaze for a few seconds before he pulled his weapon out of the dirt and took a few steps away from the group. He sat down on the ground and made the same expressionless face as when Katniss, Finnick and him had clashed.
Celestia bid Katniss, Finnick, Aurora, and Peeta goodnight and walker over to Velren to curl up next to him. She slowly fell into a surprisingly peaceful sleep, hoping that if he started to fall asleep he would wake her up in the next few hours.
"How is Peeta?" Finnick asked after an agonizingly slow hour had passed in which he, Aurora, Katniss and Velren sat awake in silence. Katniss looked over at the sleeping Peeta and frowned. "He's okay, I think . Just..." She paused and licked her chapped lips. "Dehydrated like the rest of us."
Finnick nodded in understanding just as as the sky suddenly lit up with glowing pixels, creating a mesmerizing spectacle, accompanied by the over-the-top Capitol anthem that filled the arena. Almost imperceptibly, Celestia moved gracefully and noticeably clutched her brother's hand.
The faces of the fallen tributes streaked across the night sky one by one, a poignant sight that was heightened by cannon shots echoing from various points of the arena. In that intense moment, Celestia rolled onto her back, eyes wide open, fully awake. "What did I miss?" she asked in an incredibly dry voice.
Velren gave her one of his classic worried looks while Katniss glanced over at Peeta, who was rubbing the sleep from his eyes and sitting up. "I counted eight." Aurora said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "Mm-hmm." Velren hummed in agreement.
A hushed silence enveloped them as they all fell into thoughtful silence. Celestia got into a sitting position next to Velren, who was leaning against the trunk of a slender rubber tree with Finnick.
Suddenly, an electronic chime sounded in the air. When Velren looked up, he saw a small package floating down with a parachute attached. "Hey." Katniss said, quickly getting up to get it, the others following close behind.
Katniss picked it up from the floor and opened the container with a click. Inside was a strange-looking piece of metal with a spout on one end and a sharp, protruding spike on the other end, as if it was trying to impale something or someone.
"What do you think it is?" Peeta asked her. "It's from Haymitch." she replied and turned the object in her hand to examine it. "Great, Haymitch, you have sent us a weapon." Velren grumbled with a hint of annoyance in his voice, to which Finnick let out a loud laugh. "But I'll use it to our advantage. Maybe to brutally kill someone or threaten them to give us their precious water supply. Thanks, man!"
"That's not a weapon, you idiot, that's a spile!" Katniss exclaimed. The five other tributes looked at Katniss in confusion as she suddenly stood up from her place. Finnick and Aurora exchanged a look before they turned to the girl. "A what ?" "What the hell is a spile? " they asked at the same time before they glanced at Celestia and Velren who shrugged. Neither of them had any idea of what a 'spile' was.
But Katniss paid them no attention. Instead, she crawled to a tree and hammered the spile into it with the blunt end of her machete. Then she sat tensely in front of it and waited for something to happen. Suddenly, an ever-increasing stream of warm water poured out from the lip of the spile, accompanied by a gasp from the younger girl. Katniss eagerly dove down to take a long drink of the refreshing water.
"No way." Celestia mumbled in disbelief before she took a long drink of water. "Are you kidding me? You're kidding me!" Finnick exclaimed and then he grabbed Peeta by the shoulder and pushed him toward it. After what he'd been through that first day, this was what he needed most. "Get some water."
After Peeta finished drinking, Finnick motioned for his sister to drink first. Normally she would refuse, but her thirst was too great to argue about the order of drinking. She took a refreshing sip and then stepped aside so Finnick and Velren could quench their thirst as well.
The blonde man leaned forward first, tilting his head back to drink from the spile. He quickly drank a few refreshing sips of water before he splashed some on his face to refresh himself.
"Vel, get some water." Finnick said and gently pushed him towards the spile. Velren, racked with deep thirst, couldn't hear the nickname Finnick had affectionately given him. He leaned forward and tilted his head back to do the same to drink from the spile.
Velren took a sip of the refreshing water and a smile appeared on his lips as the cool water ran down his throat. The feeling of relief was overwhelming to his parched throat. After Velren finished, he splashed some water on his face to refresh himself. "I'll get something useful for us," he explained and set off.
Finnick carefully reached out and lets cool water splash over his face again. When Velren returned, everyone gave him permission to fill one of the leaves he found with water. After the improvised vessel was full, they sat for a while and enjoyed the precious water, taking turns drinking from it.
In a silent exchange, they passed the water-filled leaf among themselves and remained in pleasant silence. The warmth of the water had a calming effect and Velren felt himself becoming more alert as he drank it.
As the water began to subside, they treated themselves to small splashes on their faces and necks, a refreshing relief from the ongoing heat of the arena. Despite the persistent warmth, they found the environment significantly more bearable after drinking water and felt strengthened.
Surprisingly, Katniss agreed when Finnick offered to take the next watch. Since Peeta, Aurora, and Celestia were sleeping like Katniss, Velren thought that the two might have some time alone. However, Katniss didn't sleep for long. About half an hour after falling asleep, she woke up. Then there was just silence. The three didn't exchange a word. Finnick and Velren hold their tridents in their hands. In sync, as they had practiced during training days, they twirled their weapons as Katniss watched Peeta sleep.
A loud bang broke the silence. As Velren looked at Katniss, he noticed that she was looking around anxiously, as if she feared that a threat might be lurking nearby. After things had quieted down again, the three tributes exchanged silent glances before Katniss said, "I counted twelve." "Midnight?" Finnick asked. "It can't be the number of districts." Velren said with a shrug
A loud rumble could be heard in the distance before lightning struck a huge tree on the other side of the arena. "Well..." Finnick began to say and sighed as he looked between Katniss and Velren. "If you two aren't going to sleep, I will." "Okay, good night." Velren said and nodded in understanding.
Finnick lay down next to Velren and tried to make himself as comfortable as possible. Velren couldn't resist and gently placed Finnick's head in his lap. The trident was still in Finnick's hand as he closed his eyes. Velren unconsciously began to run his fingers through Finnick's damp hair, hoping that this tender gesture would have a calming effect and help him fall asleep.
Finnick's hair felt pleasantly soft, a feeling Velren noticed immediately. It seemed like Finnick was enjoying the gentle stroking of his hair, because he murmured something contentedly to himself as he slowly drifted off to sleep. A loving smile played on Velren's lips. It was rare for anyone to see Finnick in such a peaceful and vulnerable state.
"It looks like it's just you and me left, Everdeen." Velren remarked while he continued to play gently with Finnick's hair. The corners of Katniss's lips curled into a slight smile. "Yes, actually, just you and me, Black ." she answered.
After ten minutes of silence, Velren's eyes began to grow heavy. He hesitated to close his eyes, but despite his protests, sleep came over him, partly because of the heat. He hoped Katniss would stay awake to keep watch.
Hours had passed since Velren lay exhausted in his sleep. Suddenly the silence was broken by a pained scream that jolted him from his deep sleep. His eyes widened and he jumped up, fueled by an inexplicable energy. His gaze pierced the darkness as he orientated himself, searching in all directions. "Wake up! Run! Run! The fog is poison!" Katniss' panicked voice echoed through the night.
The members of the group jumped to their feet, their senses heightened by the impending danger, and they hastily descended the hill as fast as they could. They were fleeing the threatening fog that loomed behind them and seemed to be heading towards them at high speed. Velren felt some of the fot reach his back and legs and a searing pain shot through him. A guttural scream ripped from his throat as he tried to force his legs to move faster and fight the burning agony.
Aurora and Celestia were right behind him, their breathing heavy with exertion. Finnick stayed right next to Velren, a helping hand on his elbow as they all negotiated the treacherous descent. Luckily, Peeta and Katniss were already ahead of them, hoping to get to safety. Peeta seemed to stumble, but Katniss deftly wrapped her arm around him and pulled him urgently as the white storm came toward them.
Finnick let out an agonized scream, the shrill waves of which sent an icy shiver down Velren's spine, as if the blood in his veins froze. Panic coursed through him as he quickly turned around and his gaze fell on Finnick, lying motionless on the ground, surrounded by an impenetrable mist that clung to his skin.
"God! Ah, God!" Finnick screamed, his eyes closed tightly in pain, the mysterious fog enveloping his body. Velren rushed towards Finnick in determined haste while Celestia and Aurora, supporting each other, passed him like fleeting shadows.
Velren grabbed Finnick's arm tightly and pulled him upright in a desperate attempt to get him moving and escape the dangerous fog. Unfortunately, his heroic act resulted in more fog creeping over his own skin than over Finnick, a sacrifice made in an effort to keep Finnick moving.
The two ran as fast as their bodies could force them. They spotted the other four and saw Peeta lying on the floor with Katniss leaning over him. Finnick and Velren quickened their pace toward the group. It didn't take long for them to get together. Finnick and Velren separated and knelt next to them, eager to understand what was happening. "I can't carry him." Katniss cried desperately. "Peeta, please. Peeta, please get up. We have to go."
Velren surveyed the group with wild eyes. It seemed as if a thousand thoughts were running through his head and his breath was caught in his throat. However, he quickly took action, grabbing one of Peeta's arms and pulling him over his shoulder. Finnick followed suit and put his other arm around Peeta's shoulders.
The three women followed them, now moving slower than before. The group stumbled down the hill and practically crawled to a questionably safe part of the arena. When they finally reached it, Finnick and Velren felt exhaustion seep into their bones. With a sigh of relief they collapsed on the ground, but unfortunately Peeta landed directly on Finnick.
Katniss, Celestia and Aurora managed a few more steps before their tired legs gave out and they collapsed directly on the men next to Velren. Velren's eyelids fluttered slowly as he took in the scene around him. Aurora rolled off of Finnick, who groaned in pain.
The girl on fire cast a worried glance back into the impenetrable fog. But Velren couldn't find the strength to move or look away. A resigned acceptance hung over him like a dark shadow - this was how they would die, and he had no choice but to resign to this inevitable fate.
Katniss's lips moved in an incoherent murmur, and Velren hesitated to inquire about what she was saying. On the second attempt, however, her murmur reached his ears loud and clear: "It's stopped." Still, Velren couldn't muster the courage to ask how that was possible.
In the stillness of the moment, the young woman managed to carefully turn around and gently place her hand in the water in front of her. A small whimper escaped Katniss as she instinctively withdrew her hand. Surprisingly, she dared to dip her hand into the cool water once again, leaving Velren in a state of both confusion and curiosity. "The water!" Katniss exclaimed. "The water helps."
If Velren could move despite the pain, he would pull himself into the water right now, like Peeta, Katniss, Aurora, Finnick, and Celesta are doing at this moment. He watched as the five dunked their twitching, blistered bodies into the water. They all took off their overalls and slowly submerged their bodies. Velren could only blink and breathe heavily, desperately hoping they would help him into the water.
Suddenly, strong hands pulled at him and Velren felt himself being dipped into water. The icy water enveloped him as the painful fog was wiped from his skin, as if the darkness itself had to give way.
The immediate touch of the water felt like he was standing in a blazing inferno, and his screams turned into unsettling underwater wails, yearning for a bloody release. In the midst of this excruciating torment, however, a gentle whisper came through the eddies of the water, like a calming breath: "Shh, it'll be over soon." Velren heard the gentle words that Finnick whispered tenderly.
Finnick continued to gently rub the blisters on Velren's skin as his screams gradually faded to a muffled whisper. The sounds lost their sharpness until only the gentle rush of the water and the gentle movements of Finnick's hands over Velren's muscles could be felt.
When it was finally done, Finnick pulled Velren out of the water and onto solid ground. Finnick couldn't help running his hands gently over Velren's face, stroking in soothing motions and drawing small circles across his cheek. These loving touches triggered a pleasant tingling sensation in Velren. "You're fine, you're fine." he repeated in a reassuring tone.
Velren looked down and his eyes met Finnick's, who was looking up at him with dripping wet hair. Finnick's gaze reflected deep concern and Velren gently placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm really fine, we're fine," he whispered quietly, a hint of relief in his voice.
Katniss, Celestia and Aurora stood nearby and watched the two men with knowing grins. An impenetrable silence hung heavy in the air, oppressive and suffocating. Velren felt his throat tighten and literally take his breath away. He rubbed his knuckles to make sure any poison was removed from his system. He never wanted to go through something like that again.
"Finn." Velren began to say and looked at him. Finnick's head turned away from his own hands and towards him, his sea-green eyes met Velren's chocolate-brown eyes. "What's your favorite color?" he asked him, visibly interested. "What?" Finnick couldn't do anything say otherwise. He couldn't believe his ears. He had to ask him. He had to be sure he had understood the question correctly.
Velren swallowed. "What is your favorite color?" he repeated his question a little more clearly. Finnick smiled slightly at the question. "Green. What's yours?" he asked back curiously, his eyes still on the black-haired young man.
Velren thought for a moment about what his favorite color could be, a glint in his eyes. "Sea-green." he finally said with a small smile. "The color of calm oceans and hidden depths." Finnick chuckled, finding the choice intriguing. "Good choice." he remarked. "It suits you, I suppose."
Velren was about to open his mouth to say something back, but Finnick's eyes moved from his to a shuffle of movement in the trees. "Velren." he whispered to him and touched his arm. "Don't move." "What?" Velren asked rather confusingly as he followed Finnick's gaze up to the trees. A menacing scene was revealed there - creatures that were more dangerous than ape-like in appearance "Are they...monkeys?" "They are mutts."
━━ AUTHORS NOTE
Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
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