Nightlock Berries
There is insanity in hunger. There is a loss that is felt, even by others. It wasn't the momentary sort of hunger. It was the sort that left one feeling so empty it hurt. Empty enough that the body consumed itself. Finch wondered if her family could see her. She remembered when she had been a viewer, watching the tributes die while she cooked for her siblings and tended her plants. She loved cooking pumpkin soup with big fulfilling pieces of bacon. She had eaten comfortably while watching several die of hunger or thirst, taking her time to savor each bite and each sip. She had seen them while she took a bite of freshly picked apples and a sip of raspberry water. She wondered, now that she was tribute, what the viewers ate. The thought awoke a fury within her stomach almost as painful as its emptiness. This was torture. It was inhumane and insane and she could do nothing to stop it. Finch was sure that she now looked more like a lost little fox than ever before. Hunger had a way of shaping your features sharp.
Finch knew she needed rest; she could not spend energy unnecessarily. She barely had any left. She took a sip of her depleting supply of water and quickly found shelter. As she sat down, she felt something squirm underneath her hand. Her whole body shook and she almost felt like crying. Crockerworms were always a pest to her precious plants back in District 5. Crockerworms were vicious and gluttonous. They were very big and very fat and could eat a whole tomato if left alone. Finch knew that the poorer districts consumed them, but Finch hated worms. Crockerworms, with their abnormally large bodies, were particularly terrifying to her. She had never eaten one before. Holding back her tears, she grabbed a handful and took a bite. Then she took another and another. She dug the earth for more, digging her broken nails desperately into the damp earth but found none. Her stomach still felt terribly empty and wondered if she hadn't just hallucinated the worms. Finch cried. She wanted to leave. She wanted the nightmare to end. She needed it to end.
The loud noise of another cannon going off roused her. One more tribute had died. Her partner had suffered a particularly bloody but quick dead at the hands of Glimmer. At moments, she envied him for that. She had seen his body, and several other corpses, being lifted off. She wondered if at one point, one of those bodies would be hers. At this stage, she knew her chances were slim. She had always been smart. She was the smartest of all tributes. Her body was emaciated and her mind was slowly succumbing too. She wouldn't last any longer unless some miracle happened. Even if she somehow regained some energy, Cato was still alive. She had seen what he could do and he was terrifying. A noise on her right side startled her from her grim thoughts. Her heart leapt to her throat. From her hiding place, Finch saw Peeta Mellark picking out berries from a small bush. She genuinely doubted the idiot boy had any idea of how poisonous Nightlock berries were. Death was almost instantaneous.
In that moment, Finch quickly closed her eyes, calmed her accelerated heartbeat, and made a decision. She had considered her limited choices; she chose the less painful one. Finch thought she might as well help the idiot boy too. She opened her eyes, glossy with tears, and smiled. She stole his berries and crawled towards the berry bush and carefully picked another handful of berries. She picked only the juiciest ones. She placed the berries upon her dirty hand and caressed almost delicately. Finch hoped her father would understand. He had taught her all about plants and had warned her long ago to be always careful and informed about them. She thought of him as she stuffed the berries in her mouth and chewed. They were incredibly delicious for something so deathly.