THIRTY SIX
A PLAN IN MOTION
Finnick Odair was kneeling in the tall grass, sharping the points of his trident with a whetstone. Beetee was wrapping coil around the lightning tree, ready for the strike that happened at 12. Gwen was up in a tree, Talia had insisted she stay safe. Peeta was standing watch, looking longingly at the gap in the trees which Katniss, Johanna and Talia had set off along, carrying the coil to the water in hopes that it would electrocute the two other remaining tributes- Brutus and Enobaria.
Finnick's mind was set on the trident, it was his distraction from the separation of him and Talia. While Peeta wore it on his face plain as day, Finnick masked it with appearing calm and collected.
"How long will it take for them to run the coil to the beach?" Peeta asks without turning.
"Not long," Beetee says before Finnick can speak, "They're all light on their feet and faster than us three, thats why I suggested them,"
"I'm fast too," Peeta mutters, looking at the machete in his hands before glancing back at the forest surrounding them, "Midnight, they'll be back before the strike,"
"They will Peeta, the best thing to do is to crouch down, take a deep breath, and keep your focus on the treeline," Finnick says, finally finished sharpening his weapon, "They'll be fine, I promise,"
Talia was guarding the rear, her trident in hand as the three women made their way down to the lake with the metal coil. Katniss was carrying it while Johanna made sure the path was clear ahead.
"Do you think it'll work?" Talia asks into the silence.
"It best," Johanna scoffs, and she jumps down off some rocks, helping Katniss with the coil. Suddenly, from behind the coil snaps and Johanna and Katniss drop down into the rocky path below.
Talia lifts her trident and scans the forest, she can't see anyone...yet. She too jumps down into the rocks below and presses her back firmly into them, watching as Johanna shoves Katniss back. Suddenly, before Talia can stop her, Johanna knocks Katniss out with the butt of her hatchet and lies the girl on the floor. She pulls a knife from her belt and digs the point deep into her arm, Katniss's eyes flicker and she goes to scream. Johanna's hand lifts and covers her mouth, smearing blood over the injured girl.
"Johanna, what the fuck?" Talia whispers, looking at the scene before her.
"Get back to Finnick, now," Johanna says, sending a warning look to Talia before cutting into Katniss's arm again.
Talia gulps back whatever her reply was and clambers up the rocks, once she's up she starts her run back to the lightning tree. Suddenly a knife wizzes past her and lands in the tree just ahead of her. She glances back and see's Enobaria catching up to her. Talia picks up the pace, but the uphill, rocky path is a struggle. She clambers forwards, but she's too slow. A knife lands in her left calf and she yelps in pain, falling to the floor, the side of her head hitting a tree root.
"I've got you now, Pearl," Enobaria says, grabbing her hair and pulling up her head. Talia yells out, both in pain and in the hopes someone might save her.
"Hush it," Enobaria hisses through her pointed teeth, holding a knife to Talia's throat. Talia sees her trident just ahead where it had landed- if only she could reach it.
Enobaria turns the girl over, so she's looking up at her and she grins wickedly, "I've been waiting for this moment,"
Talia closes her eyes as Enobaria leans down, opening her mouth, ready to rip out her throat. She places her teeth on her neck and just as she is about to clamp down hard, a whirling noise is heard and her body slumps forward, blood pouring over Talia. She had been saved.
She pushes the body off her and sees Johanna rushing her way, she had thrown her hatchet into Enobaria's back.
"Are you hurt?" Johanna asks, kneeling down.
"She got my leg," Talia says, looking at the knife that was still deep in her leg.
"No time to remove it now," Johanna says, she rips the hatchet from Enobaria's back and glances up and down the hill, "Brutus was right on my tail, I'll lead him away from here...You try and get up to the tree, if Katniss see's you, she'll kill you- stay low,"
"Why did you do that?"
Before Johanna could even think to answer, Brutus bursts into the clearing. Johanna kicks Talia's body and Talia flops, pretending to be dead.
"Its just me and you out here," Johanna calls, "So come get me!"
She takes off running, leading Brutus deeper into the forest. He easily takes the bait.
When the coast is clear, Talia sits up. The wound to her leg was burning with pain, she had no idea what to do, Johanna had said there was no time for her to remove it. Talia turns onto her knees and pushes herself up, using the tree as a support. She holds her leg as she hobbles to her trident and pulls it up into her hand. She uses it as a walking stick, hopping towards the lightning tree.
Somehow, the knife staying in the wound protects her from bleeding out, and soon, her calf goes numb, allowing her to move a little quicker. She finds the tree, but not before Katniss. She sees him, Finnick, standing there in the clearing. Katniss, holding her arrow steady, aimed at him.
"Remember who the real enemy is, Katniss," Finnick says, and Talia watches her face contort. She stands and looks at the spear Beetee had wrapped the coil around. She undoes it, wrapping it instead around an arrow. She moves, pulling back her bowstring.
"Katniss, don't!" Finnick calls.
The lightning beams down to the tree just as the arrow flies from the bow. It shoots up, hitting the forcefield and electrifying the arena. Katniss, Finnick and Talia are sent flying back from the explosion. Talia can't stop her body from rolling until she hits a tree. She lets out a rumbled breath, her lungs giving up a little, crushed against the tree trunk. She heaves another breath, the arena was on fire, the roof of it, falling in on itself, breaking down.
Talia, her eyes rolling, can only do one thing, call out, "Finnick,"
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Its been awhile, but i finally got some
inspo for this book again!!!
Thank you for reading & i hope you enjoyed!
~ Chloe ❤️