Another long one! Prepare yo'selves!
I wake around five, missing out on sleep during the night so as to wake at this exact moment. I shake Grier with only a poke and cover his mouth before he can make a sound as loud as a breath. He nods, understanding immediately.
He takes my hand and shuffles onto my shoulder and I carefully step over Ox, Hale, Opal... I slowly begin to move over Nicky when she grabs my ankle – right where a slug had got it. In it's sore and tender state I want to scream but stifle it. She looks at me with no words, we can see each other clearly now in the daybreak.
She lets go and I quickly take off from there. I hadn't even thought about taking some of their supplies, but some other genius did... the little boy on my shoulder chews away at a bag of rabbit legs and apples. I let go of one of his legs to pat him on the back, hoping he leaves some for me. The woods are even more remarkable at dawn. Air that once again makes you feel alive. I hear my lady call to me through short whispers and I know we're close to the water.
I look at Grier and he looks at me, he comes off of my shoulders and awaits my instruction.
"You know they'll be after us," I nod off into the distance where we had come... for some reason I think Nicky is going to wake up just as shocked as the rest of them. She had that look about her.
"Well, Should we cross it?" I look down at him, checking for any new signs of death, "I can fish fine from here and this way we have the trees," He looks at me in disbelief... comparing my body size with the small branches and mentally chastising me, "What?" I laugh. "You don't think I could get up in a tree?"
"It's actually smarter for us to stay near here, anyways," he looks at the water and feels a few rocks. One has a red mark I have never noticed before, "I marked it earlier when we came down from the mountain, there are signs of a waterfall nearby. If we go to the cave behind it, the water will hide any smoke from a fire... and gauging by the tributes left not many will be familiar with waterfalls."
I let him do his thing that involves stepping in mud and feeling leaves in order to figure out where this waterfall lives. I on the other hand start unintentionally knotting our rope. It's a weird habit I have when things encompass my mind.
"Finnick!" He calls over after ten minutes. I look up from the rope, ensnared with millions of complicated knots turning it into the beginnings of a net.
"What?" I look down feeling he is upset I knotted our rope, "I know how to remove them."
"No," he snickers at my confused mug, "that's fine, it's just I know which way to go," he points to the tallest mountain, about two miles to our left. A waterfall is supposedly over there. He once again berates me for suggesting I carry him and is instead determined to walk right on the bank between the slugs. I look at his face though, it's going to be impossible for him to walk two miles.
"Should I carry you?" I offer once more. He receives the offer with anger and refuses at first but as the path wears on he eventually nods. I lift him up and have him on my back keeping an eye out as I jog near the edge of the water, this way no foot prints are left... or at the very least are washed away into the mud.
"How are your feet?" He asks in a sarcastic manner, I just laugh in response. Honestly they're fine now, but I am ready to milk my never-ending strength a bit more for the camera. It takes us almost the entire day, in my conditions to reach this new camp. Darkness now threatens to encase the arena.
I look at this 'waterfall' and once again, like everything I've been exposed to in these Games so far, I've never seen anything like it before. It's insane, splashing heavy buckets of water onto the rocks, creating a thick, heavy mist. I let Grier step down and his face is beaming.
"Looks like home enough to me, right?" I smile and give him a slap on the back something we do in Four when congratulations are in order, "Good work!"
Given the opportunity I let the cold water splash down on me, I am covered in sweat and dirt from the day's journey. Grier falls into the water as well, I'm not sure if it's the safest thing due to his condition, but I don't stop it. The kid was right though, there is a small cave behind the water that hides us really well. He goes to gather some sticks as I fall to the ground and rest, from the way I've positioned myself I can watch him as he sets the wood down into a circle. Like a mother almost he lifts my head and places a bushel of leaves underneath it.
After my pause of rest I go out and to my enjoyment find the tall grass I made a basket out of earlier, I feel silly collecting it, like some of the younger girls of my school picking flowers. Several fish gather at the mouth of the water fall, "You're mine," I whisper to them as if the words I deliver are sweet nothings and I lick my lips. They open their mouths and close them making little pops with their big fish lips, begging to be fed. I come back under the water and help Grier sit down, he's out of breath after setting things up, and I have to say it does look semi-homey in the cave – the constant sound of water helps as well.
My only reservations about this spot extinguish as I check to see whether or not the fire is visible from the other side. Nothing, not even a glow.
We're finally settled and I begin to quickly finish weaving a basket so that it can hold water, once ready I place a rock underneath the basket and begin heating the water from the fire. As we sit to share an apple we hear the anthem begin to blare and peak out from behind the water.
I'm surprised we heard it with the water so loud. I hadn't heard a cannon today, but there's one face up there. Grier's district partner – like before, they don't show how the others died or who killed them, but our kill list does matter, more people will bet on you the more kills you have. So, I add it up in my head again, four careers, us, and that leaves three others I don't know. I think about Nicky, but push her out of my thoughts, she's still alive.
I step into the water, pleased the stars are back, Grier looks at me with confused brows as I strip down to the nude.
"Are you washing?" He asks. I give him a dorky smile as I try not to laugh.
"Of course not, I'm fishing," I reach in the water wiggling my fingers so the fish come towards me where I can grab them. I make sure to throw some provocative poses in there as well, knowing the cameras are watching me with no clothes are on – I'd rather they see me in the flesh than covered with blood.
I collect three vibrantly red fish. I've never seen this type before but Grier claims they're Salmon (a fish that must be freshwater and collected in the mainland away from where I live), popular with bears in the wild. Another creature I've never heard of, he explains them to me as I remove the boiled water and clean the salmon. Apparently they're furry animals with big teeth and elongated faces. I tease him that he's making up stories but he swears it's the truth.
By the time our stories are finished the salmon is ready and even my stomach is growling.
"If only we had some bread to go with this meal!" I moan out suggestively with a knowing wink to Grier. And there it is, the clink outside, Grier brings in the bread... our system is well understood now.
The bread is green and salty – I know instantly it's from my district. Out of respect I look up to the ceiling of the cave, assuming a camera is watching, and take my right pinky finger and wiggle it as thanks to my district.
"What is that?" Grier looks at me like I have the pox as I wiggle my pinky.
"It's how we say thanks in district four. You're eating our bread you know."
Grier sticks his tongue out childishly, "I thought it tasted like fish!" We both laugh and I'm glad he has this opportunity with me. He attempts to make the gesture as well. We are lucky to have the luxury of letting the fire going, since no one can possibly know we're here. He lays on the leaves, and I watch him shivering. It's very cold and damp in the cave, even with the fire burning and sleeping bag wrapped around us.
I pull him close to my body for my warmth. It's easy for me to fall asleep because so far the Games have gone very well. I know the minute I let this thought cross my mind that I am wrong. That something else will now be thrown at me. But when I wake the next day I find everything ordinary. No intruders, no animals, our fire hasn't even burned us to death. Good night if you ask me.
The next day is uneventful. No cannons, no crazy unimaginable thing. I love it, but this is right around the time we all recognize that the Gamemakers will be trying to speed it up – something tells me they're itching to have me back in the Capitol as a victor, and it's not just the presents I'm getting. It's this arena, the way people fell at me feet when we first met. They want me. This gets me wondering how often I've been on the screen by now, I would guess a lot. I try with all I can to give them some fleshy and erotic shots of my body as the day drawls on. I've actually come to the point where I don't feel like wearing clothes anymore and hopefully it's enough footage to tide the Capitol over for at least one more day.
It's funny, even as a kid I always hated clothes... I remember the day my mother tried to catch my naked rear end as I attempted a run through the town with nothing but a kid's sized trident and my five year old eel flopping about. A smile purses my lips as I reminisce about that life, no painful memories, no worrying about what people thought of me. This is broken by Grier coughing back inside the cave, reality returns. I'm out fishing again and I keep listening for him, the cough is much hoarser and I know he's gotten worse.
I bring the catches in and fry them, gathering the bread I never asked for that has landed outside our cave. I sit him up and feed him, his cheeks are sunken in even though I've been feeding him, his pupils are large, his body is cold as I try to get him to continue moving, and his lips are turning a watery blue. I know death is near for him. I look up, to nothing in particular, all I want is to let this boy die peacefully in my arms. Sending a dying kid into a battle like this is despicable.
"You want to eat Grier?" I ask this as I try to sit him up. Upon my request he attempts to swallow tiny bits of fish but ultimately fails.
"Finnick, no, you should eat it. Get your strength up, please..." I look in his eyes as he begins to cry. I grab his head and hold it close to my chest, I try to get him to calm down, even while knowing this will be our last night together. Peacefully. Please, let him go peacefully.
A slosh of feet coming through the cave arouses me, I grab the knife still wet with fish guts as I await the intruder. I recognize her instantly. It's the girl from Three, the depressed one, Jen. Why she resonates with me I am unsure, but she does and I stare into the face I am about to kill.
She chokes out a scream as she sees me holding my knife, only quieting it when she sees Grier.
Her body shakes from being cold and injured as she steps closer, she wears nothing, not even a jacket... bits of fabric hang from her body where it is revealed she has cuts that bleed profusely from the abdomen.
I examine each one, how each are cuts and gashes that seem random and spastic. No one trying to take their time with her, which makes me think it wasn't a Career that got her. I look at her soaked, red body and her hysterical, wet face. It pleases me to know there must now be a trail of blood leading straight up into our cave – so much for this plan of staying here for as long as it lasts. She looks at our water with panted breaths, I am still holding my knife as I try to stand up without waking Grier. His breathing has slowed and she inches closer.
"Help me," tears fall from her eyes. She runs to me with her hands grasping for something. I could do it – stab her right now. But I can't. For some unknown reason, even to myself, I sit her down and give her a portion of the fish and a tiny gulp of our water. I look at those cuts once more. There's no point in bandaging her. She looks at me assessing her damage and I now realize I get to watch two children head into the afterlife under my care.
"I know I am a mess... I-I didn't want to die alone though. T-hank you for the f-fish... you truly are a decent human, unlike them. I hope you win for everything you've done, helping that boy... h-he doesn't have much time left either, you know. I heard what sickness he has and he'll be dead soon as well," Her voice chokes out into a large wail and I throw my hand over her mouth looking around, still nervous of whatever attacked her.
I start to get annoyed, hearing her talk about Grier like that and giving away our spot with her failure. It helps, to lie to myself that she's wrong – even though everyone in all of Panem know that Grier will be dead tonight. I don't want to fully believe it though. Not yet.
"Why are you here? If I agree to let you die in peace what can you give me?" I stare into her eyes in the flicker of the fire, she may be checked out but not me. She holds it out to me, a tiny box of matches then she begins to weep once more. This time I let her. I even ponder pulling her close to me but I don't know her, and I can't let any more emotions get involved when I'm so close to winning these Games.
"Which tribute did this to you?" I ask, she has to be able to offer me more than just matches... she must know something. I look at the spots that are cut, all pin pointed towards major organs and yet so spastic and messy, it continues to baffle me.
"Not tributes. Large furry mountain creatures, they come down and eat fish, but if they see you they'll eat you too. They're not like real animals, they're much more deadly – like an animal that's instincts are intensified," I wonder if they are like the bears that Grier has mentioned.
"How did you escape?"
"I managed to not get eaten by whatever is in that river, or get taken away by it. That's how. The creatures don't dare pass through there," I take note of this. The girl leans over and coughs blood on the floor but her voice is much calmer, "They love the blood," she coughs once more, "They want you to be in pain. But your fire and food was warm, and I have now outsmarted them. I am not very bad off thanks to you," her tears still fall but her face is calm as she lays down, "I hope you win..."
Her eyes stay glassed over and looking dead into the fire. I know she's dead when I hear the cannon. A hovercraft will come to collect the body and I'd rather savor whatever I can from the secrecy of this location. I take the matches and throw her over my shoulder when I see a torch light up, it's coming towards the waterfall. I throw the body down, they've tracked the blood... they're here for revenge.
I run in and grab Grier shaking him awake while trying to stay as relaxed as I can. His little eyes waking up, just barely. I hear the swift vibrations of a flying arrow as it breaks through the watery wall. I grab our pack and my knife as I run out along the water. The voices are clear, and it petrifies me to the core – everything is now real – the careers are here and they want me dead.
They catch me in the light and I can here them, "We've found him!"
I see Nicky's bronze skin through the flashlight she holds to spot me. Then I hear the growling, an internal noise that can come from no human being. A creature, no man, jumps out in front of me and grazes my arm as I jump back. I let out a terrified scream, one only a young man staring in the face of death can make. It misses my throat by inches and the very life that keeps me alive is called into question.
My running continues, it is the only power I have over these beasts... more of the creatures come after me, the Careers themselves begin to retreat as the large furry creatures pursue them as well. This is a free for all, this is the calm before the finale.
The creatures dodge in from everywhere, from the ground, around corners, right where I'm about to step and outrun them they have my moves already anticipated and I can no longer act upon it. I hear a female scream from one of the careers, and then a cannon. The menacing sounds of their gnawing on flesh sounds in my ears and my arms shake causing me to slip up. I finally reach the bank of the raging river, I try to hold Grier steady as I step in. The Careers have met up at my location as well.
I feel a large string of liquid drip off of my forehead and into my eye making it burn. Did they shoot me? Was I clawed? No, this is from Grier. I pull him down and see his chest heaving with blood, but how? Then I notice the knife as if the Gamemakers demanded light from the moon in this instance to illuminate the death around us. Nicky is the only career with knives... she threw it. I pull the knife out and throw it at an oncoming fur creature, letting it screech and fall to the ground as the blade pierces it through the eye.
Grier heaves,"They're bears Finnick, but not normal, I've never seen one act like this... You can't cross the river with me," He coughs blood onto my chest and I try to ignore his next few words, "Leave me here and get to the other side. If the careers aren't at the Cornucopia right now, you can try to find the trident..."
This thought arouses me even though I know it's not here, it's gone from this game. I hold Grier close, this time between us seems like hours, when it's only seconds. I kiss his forehead before plugging his mouth and nose. The air leaves his body and this is the easiest way for him to die in this hell. The bears, as he calls them, won't get him if they know he's dead for good. The cannon sounds.
I drop him, rather unceremoniously and swim diagonally through the water, the current is stronger then ever in the frenzy that is occurring around me in this moment. I make sure my feet never touch the bottom of the pool. And yet, I feel a sharp bite on my ankle and then another on my arm. Large fish are now biting at my skin and attacking... since mutant slugs with teeth weren't enough.
Paddling faster at least gets me out of the water but as I do emerge I am taken back by a sharp knife piercing deep into my shoulder. Nicky is smiling at me with a crazy grin underneath the unnatural moonlight. The Gamemakers are fully aware all hell has just surfaced.
"Time to filet the Fish Boy!" She laughs with a crazed expression. I have no strong weapons against her. My teeth grind against one another as I grab the knife out of my shoulder. It's all I have against her now, this and my net from earlier still wrapped at my belt. There's no trident but I perch the knife as I cast the net upon her.
In her frizzed and bloodthirsty state she thrashes around on the ground, crying and laughing, having a spasm of death just like a small animal caught in a snare. My mind flashes to only a few days ago and how radiant she looked in her costumes. Her hands shake and I notice that within them must be her last knife.
I only have one shot as well.
My body arches as I breathe in for the attack. As quickly it leaves my hand it pierces her throat, not with three spokes like a trident might inflict but only one... she doubles back with blood sputtering from her lips and I scream an angry roar.
For everything. I want to blame her for all of it. For the innocent boy she just killed. For the person – murderer – I've been forced to become.
The net threatens to crumble under her rage as she tries to free herself. I pin her to the ground removing both knives from her ownership. What do I do now? She's not dead, but it looks like she's crying blood, it crusts her face and I notice that she's not just coughing but she's choking on her blood. I need to end this. Two figures pass by in the brush and I don't get a chance to note them, I figure with almost positivity that they are the remaining Careers (the real ones, unlike Nicky and I) – one must have fallen to a bear. I notice no more of the bear creatures remain, all must have retreated back to the mountain, not treading past the water as the District Three girl assumed.
Nicky mumbles words to me and these words are fully incomprehensible at this point with blood overflowing from her mouth. I need to put her out of her misery. Quickly and with mercy I stab where I think her heart lays. The cannon fires. I know I don't have long... but nonetheless I take her to the water and mark her forehead in an up and down motion with the water – like a wave. It's what we do to the dead back home. And she's a part of my home, regardless of her attacks and actions against me.
I remove her from the net and walk away. Limping. My leg has been bitten badly and my shoulder is bleeding through the rags I place on it. I lean my back on a tree, looking to the spot where the little boy laid moments ago, what must his family be thinking right now? I pretend to see his life flash before my eyes, as if I am him. This puts me at ease in some situations.
I see myself, no, I see Grier. Running through woods just like these, laughing with friends, all of that ceasing as a doctor tells him his time is short on this Earth, the struggle he exerted as he made his way to the stage after his name was called. And then it's over. Gone. An entire life wasted.
"Goodbye Grier." I whisper. I hear the wind make a tune in my head. And then I see it. A parachute with a large box attached. Something that big... how much would that cost?
I open it the metal lid shinning with temptation. What I find inside must be a trick. But my fingers brush the fine artistry, the curve, the radiant gold color. It is real.
This is my trident.
It is unheard of that tributes are sent weapons like these. With how quickly the other tributes have dropped it must have added up to be the largest sum of money these games have seen! I quickly clean my body and take the bandages off my feet, they were hardly soaked to begin with. I only have a few seconds to apply the medicine sent to me earlier and re-wrap the old bandages on these new wounds.
I rip off the remains of my clothing, as thanks to my sponsors and give them a wink.
These games end today. I almost smile at the thought of killing the remaining tributes. But fatigue comes over me. I sink down in the dirt, letting air slowly calm my body, too many calories were burned in that last stretch.
With my new weapon fit for a god I take it out to the river and hit one of the mutant fish swimming about. It's larger then my arm, with teeth bigger than my middle finger. Now with a weapon and no fear I decide to fry it on a quickly made fire. The fish is utter manure, but I don't die, so at least it's not poisonous I pick myself up, but not before another cannon sounds.
I try to add it up, I try to figure out the people I will have to kill. I start wandering through the forest in my thoughts, my trident poised in kill position. Only two careers - Nicky and one of the others are now dead, Grier is gone, there's that girl from the cave, and the random shot from earlier, I guess someone that was killed by the coming careers. Five dead. Four left. Two careers, two others, and me.
A cannon blows. Make that three left to kill. It sounded like it was behind me, but that shouldn't matter, I decide to head for the Cornucopia, nearly positive the remaining tributes will all gather there.
Something seems wrong, though. There aren't any forest creatures in this area at the moment... and then I feel the ground begin to shake, I watch in horror as I am engulfed in a blackness behind me.
Instinct kicks in and I run. The ground is falling, taking down the mountains, the river, only leaving a black pit in its wake. I can't stop running, every now and again dodging the random cracks that ultimately connect to the large pit getting closer and closer to the backs of my feet. I keep running. Fear overcomes me, this is how one tribute already died. I will not die here, I will not die here, I repeat it to myself. Run, Finnick, run.
Fatigue overcomes me, I am tired, and all of a sudden parched – I think of the water I had in the cave, I really should have drank more. A hinge of golden tail appears in my vision but I am stopped by a large rock that comes out from a tree branch. I fall on my back, hoping the world will not collapse beneath me but I notice the crumbling has already stopped. When did that happen? I look around, confused. The small arena now sits at the size of my town square back home.
Blood drips off my forehead and I smear it when I bring my hand up to rub it. I can feel a large gash and a sweltering bump forming. There she is, Opal, she's cowering in fear in the tree above me. She screams, "Ox! Come back! Save me!" No one comes, and I don't hesitate. I throw the net tangling her as she screams in pain, but not for long. As I pull the net back towards me I look down at my feet and throw the trident down, piercing her skull and leaving blank eyes that look back at me with nothing to say.
I take my net and trident and keep running leaving the decapitated body behind me. Not even looting it. A day ago the picture of this girl's disfigured body would destroy me. But not now. Now it is all I hunger for the cannon sounding off behind me fuels this.
"These games end today!" I yell at the top of my lungs. My breathing is heavy and I watch my blood flow out of my open wounds steadily. I can only hope they end it all soon so I can be taken care of. I see a small movement in the bushes and throw my net without hesitation, a scream calls out and then is silenced by the stabs of my weapon.
A boy my age lies tangled in my net as his body twitches. My accuracy was off and I unfortunately only damaged his central nerves. I let him twitch as I retrieve my net, kissing my trident along the way and holding it above my head as I stab the boy a final time. He was a nobody. Most likely hiding in those bushes for the whole games.
It's at this moment I begin to realize what a catalyst Grier was for me. The cannon sounds off and all thought escapes me. I run to the Cornucopia, knowing this is where the Capitol likes to end the games. I know only one enemy remains. Cockily, I begin whipping my beautiful weapon, knowing it's all preparation for his skull.
"Come out Ox! Let's finish this!" I yell, heaving like an animal. And then I see him. Charging at me with a long blue sword dripped in the same blood that stains mine. I position my trident, but the sight of his mutilated arm snaps my thoughts. My mind goes blank. Or is it the head wound and obvious concussion I am suffering from?
A part of my mind lets the sword pierce my arm. His accuracy is off, but I can't stop looking at the spot where his arm should be and mentally freezing my response to it. Blood drips from both of us. What a pitiful fight we both are. I stagger backwards, it's then I realize I have neared the edge of the arena, the rest of what once was has collapsed into the pit below. Only the cornucopia remains.
"No water for you to hop in now." Ox laughs. His laugh is insane, like mine from earlier, like Nicky's. I know the people watching are glued to their seats, this is what they've paid for. It would be an upset to lose now. Ox stumbles a moment and I take this second of weakness to remove the net from my weapon heaving as I go about the simple action. If it doesn't end now, I am in bad danger of dying. I hold the trident in my hand like a spear. It moves above my head and I run, at full charge, yelling.
I yell something even I can't comprehend as I bring down the killing blow. It pierces his abdomen and heart, the spokes poke out from his back, bits of flesh dangle on the ends like a fish. I continue to run. I run right into the golden Cornucopia. Sticking my trident into the shimmery material. The carcass of meat and flesh still hang onto the spokes, but are now lifeless. The cannon sounds and I lay back onto the grass. I just lay until I see the hovercraft come and scoop me up my entire body now unstable.
I am thrown onto a bed and my breathing steadies, tubes get shoved into me, pills forced into my mouth. My eyes open and close again and again and none of it registers. How many days are passing? I feel liquids pump into me, connected to my leg and arm. My feet feel wrapped in some odd shoe and eventually I have enough strength to pull my hand up to my pounding head and feel the soggy gauze covering it. A beep sounds consistently that beats in tune to my heart. My head continues to spin getting me ready to throw up. The taste in my mouth is sour and yet intoxicating and I stay still as it makes my eyes forcibly close against their will.
I am left in my thoughts for now, until they need me. I assume I've won, that this isn't what death is like. Only questions are what fill my mind, asking what is real and what is fake. I have no answers for myself and my mind heaves in distress, hardly even owning a recollection of the games I just fought in.
Who, even, am I?
A/N Hello! I would like to explain some decisions I've made in the story so far. I usually pride myself on sticking to the canon and try as much as I can to follow Panem's methods and Katniss' descriptions of others. This being said when I wrote the story three years ago I wrote Finnick as a non-Career even though it is stated on the Hunger Games fanpage that he is in fact a Career... At this point it would weaken the integrity of the story to change this so I have left it. I hope my excuses and explanations of the title "Career" from Finnick's perspective suffice in suggesting Finnick could have been one without having been trained... instead just simply being in District Four gives him this advantage. Thanks!
