Destruction.
Chapter 27.
Flora p.o.v
I wonder how long this peace can hold, it's been nearly a week and Maisy is fully on the mend after something her mentor sent her, but it seems there's another mentor offering, the silver capsule is marked 12,4,1 is marked.
I look at Harry and Maisie.
"Do the honours" He laughs, I open it and I pull out a pair of swimming goggles, I look at them and they look back.
"Is there a note ?" prompts Maisie.
"Oh" I fumble in the capsule and find a peice of paper.
'Run for the bridge - J & J '
"When.. where !?" I ask, they both look thoughtful.
"The bridge! the giant bridge, across from the Cornucopia! over the valley" Harry says.
"When though !?" I ask, I seem to be asking all the questions here.
Suddenly we're interuppted by a crackly booming tannoy, and then The Head Gamemakers voice, Gray Tomlinson. I can't beleive it's Harry's best friend's uncle, the only time I've ever seen Harry's best friend's is in the lake and I couldn't really concentrate as they were blocked out by hallowing images of my own friend's.
"All tributes to come and collect water in abundance from the Cornucopia, you will not find water anywhere else in this arena, 1pm sharp, other gifts are available too, thankyou tributes" And then he's gone, I suddenly recall my dry throat we didn't fill our bottles and we woke up this morning to no water.
"So we go.. ?" asks Maisie. I look to Harry.
"Well we're only going to get thirstier.. and we want to get this thing to a close ?" He says.
"We should set off soon then ? we have to get to the Cornucopia by 1" says Maisie I check the watch that we all got goven before we came in, 9 in the morning, we should make it.
It get's me thinking though, say we manage to kill Ade, then what ? Only one person can win! me and Harry are going to be playing our luck to try and get us both out people will think we're deluded, but before we can even get to that point, we will have to kill Maisie, and I can't, she's family, like our family needs more ripping apart.
I pull Harry to one side and round the corner making sure we're out of earshot, not that it will make alot of difference.
"Harry what are we going to do !?" I ask feeling desperation enter my voice.
"Well we're going to the Cornuc-" I cut him off.
"I know that!" I say.
"Well why did you drag me round here to ask ?" he questions his turquoise eyes fixed on mine, I look back at him, his tanned arm is on my shoulder.
"I mean what are we going to do about Maisie, about getting out of here, we can't kill her Harry!" I say trying to keep my voice below a wail. Harry looks at me and I see pain in his eyes like he has already considered this and it's troubling him.
"Well?" I ask feeling tears fill my eyes, I know he wants to give me an awnser but what can he say ?
"I don't know Flora... whatever happens,happens" He murmers putting his hand on my cheek over the dampness of the tears and kisses me softly I wonder if we'll ever go further than kiss, if we'll ever live long enough to do so, if we'll get that king bed and a house in the victors village.
"Hey guys, I just wanted to kn-" I hear Maisie's voice and we pull away rapidly.
"Oh sorry..." She says going back round the corner, our moments lost and Harry smiles at me.
"Come on, we've gotta get to the Cornucopia" He places another warm kiss on my forehead before going back round the corner, I sink onto the damp grass, I wish Ade would come and stab me straight through the heart right now, so Harry could win.
Ade doesn't come of course and soon Harry's packed my stuff as well as his and has come to get me because we need to be on the move.
We skirt round the woods and across more boggy moor which takes us a good hour as we follow past another valley and then the huge valley and bridge, A though springs to mind as I see it, and I know it must have with Harry and Maisie too. 'Run for the bridge' The goggle are shoved at the bottom of my pack, I'm sure they were just accompanying the main message which was in the note.
I feel nerves kick off in my stomach as we set foot on the bridge instead of going through the valley I look over and the stream Raven died next to is dry, I look at the exact spot she was killed and shiver.
"Hurry up it's nearly one" Harry murmers and pushes me forward eager to stop me dwelling on that moment, I clutch my bow to me 6 arrows left out of 12, I haven't done too badly really and we walk past the strech of forest I collapsed in exactly one month ago.
The the crest of the shining cornucopia appears and get's larger as we walk nearer in silence.
Harry p.o.v
I hold Flora's hand tightly but I'm still of guard, trident in hand and knives ready to be pulled from my pockets in every position.
Ade is there on the other side of the cornucopia as we approach he has so many weapons but he can't carry them all and they're laying at his feet, he has what looks like an arrow gun in his hand, I shouldn't think he's a good aim with it.
A bell tolls making all four of us jump, this signifys one 'o' clock, all I can hear is my breath, and Flora's little fast one's. A table appears with one large bottle of clear sparkling water, my mouths dries instantly as I watch it, you can see the condensation signifying how cold it is, is has been placed so that it is an even distance between us, and Ade.
Ade moves forward and I take a step too breaking contact with Flora, I feel her step instantly behind me backed by Maisie as Ade aims his dart gun.
He fires one badly and I dodge it easily shoving Flora out the way as I do so he fires another and I duck , I decide to run for the water It's only a few steps away, I take off and Ade does too , Flora is a step or so behind me.
As I grab it I feel a drop of cool water on my neck and stop, Ade has sent a knife my way but with no force it clips my arm as I wasn't on task and I fall back Flora shoves me out the way and Ade backs off, knowing she could shoot him down now from here.
I have the water clutched to me but my arm is throbbing, The drop has been followed by more and more, plopping down at a ridiculous pace, literally like buckets being poured from the sky, I don't even know what her aim will be like in the rain.
"Just do it!" shouts Maisie. I can't even look up without getting a mouthful of water, I do it a couple of times, swallowing not caring what this disgusting substance could contain, I watch the water drench Flora as she's poised with her bow, the water's roaring noise is pretty loud and it seems to be gathering on the floor and clearing the blood from my arm.
"Harry I'm going to miss!" She shouts, something suddenly springs to mind, I get up slowly, Ade has dropped his dart gun and I see him fumbling for his weapons, the sky is so dark things aren't even visible.
I tug at Flora's still poised arm, Ade has his gun and they're on a stand off, the wind is picking up too blowing the rain horizontal.
I spit some out, as it starts to pool in the mud, like the arena is a giant pool that needs filling, almost like the water is rising from the ground.
"RUN FOR THE BRIDGE!" I roar.
"What?" she shakes her head.
"RUN FOR THE BRIDGE!" I say again. She continues holding her bow.
"One..Two..Three" I whisper directly into her ear.
"GO!" I shout she drops her bow and runs, Maisie cottons on and I hear the splashes from her boots hit my legs as the rain increases it's like we're paddling, but the bridge is in sight. I know Ade is behind us, I'm aware of the beating rain on my arm wound though and it's pulsing with pain, I don't want to make a fuss, no-one would hear anyway, I figure the wound must be quite deep I'm aware of Flora's feet hitting the metal, the water pool eases but as I look down the valley is filling rapidly, the ground has dissapeared.
I look to Flora and she looks back horrified, Maisie is close to her and I pull her to me, atleast if this whole place floods I'm district 4 and could stay afloat hopefully keep Flora up too.
Ade has arrived on his bridge and I hear the footsteps splashing and the clank of metal.
Flora has her bow up, be he has what looks like a gun, the stand off happens again, My hands are poised at my kinfe, suddenly Flora shoots and it goes straight towards him getting his thigh as the wind carries her shot lower, he drops his gun and it spins as if in slow motion off the bridge, he's clutching his leg, I run towards him knife in hand as I get the chance.
The ice cold water is almost stinging, I grab him and lift him right up onto the edge of the bridge he struggles but is powerless his leg is pulling him down. I look at Flora and she's frozen to the spot I stab him once straight in his heart and he's instantly paralysed, I shove him over into the rising depths of the water and his cannon goes off before he hits the pool, rain is still hammering.
Flora runs to me and wraps her legs around me her soaking wet body on mine, she remembers our position and drops, we're going to drown soon, there's suddenly an electrical buzz as purple bolts like lightning flash in an arc shape, is this meant to happen ? as the lightning fades away the rain stops, and a blue sky is magically appearing, fluffly clouds, I look at Flora bedraggled and soaking maisie by her shoulder.
There's a crackle.
"THE VICTORS OF THE 76TH HUNGER GAMES, IN A SURPRISING TWIST OF FATE, FLORA,HARRY AND MAISIE" there's a zap as I'm pulled into a snowy white room disorientated and seperated from Flora but her cries are distant as a mask is attached to my face and I drift into oblivion.