Heyo! I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd make another chapter :)


Katniss leaned against the car as Gale watched over the passed out Haymitch lying in the back seat. It was already 9 in the morning so people were already busy, fishermen hauling their catch off their boats, merchants setting up their stalls and costumers haggling for a better and lower price. Katniss' gaze dropped to a huge fishing boat that just came in. It had the word 'Capitol' with its symbol painted on the side. It was like their coal train back in district 12, another reminder that they're all in a tight, unfair hands of the capitol and more reason to fight against it to gain freedom.

Finnick came back to the parking lot with a smile. "A friend of mine is allowing us to use his speed boat for the day, I'll meet you in dock 14. I'll just grab a few supplies and we'll be off!" He said as he rushed into a store. Gale helped Haymitch walk while Katniss brought the bags.

The stopped in front of an average sized boat, not the one used for heavy fishing, but it looks like the ones you rent on an island hopping trip or if you want to reel in a fish or two. A girl with long mocha colored hair and the same sea green eyes as Finnick but with long eye lashes like Annie's popped out. She could pass as their daughter but she's probably in her twenties as well. She hopped off the boat and greeted them with a peculiar accent. "Hey there mate! You must be Finnick's friends. I'm Macey Myers." She said giving out a hand.

Katniss shook it "I'm… Ashby Allerdyce" She said with a little hesitation. "Nice to meet you! And who are these two?" She asked. "This is my cousin, Brendan Collins and our uncle… Woody." Katniss introduced. Gale shot her a smile while Haymitch gave out a drunk salute and almost staggered out of Gale's support. "What happened to your uncle?" Macey asked. "Oh the usual 'my girlfriend dumped me so I will drink my ass to death and not go home for 2 days' thing…" Gale answered. Macey nodded. "Well let's get your uncle inside, there's a bed in the den he can rest on" She said.

They all helped to get Haymitch on board without falling into the water. Come to think of it they should've let him fall to waken him up a little bit… that or one of them will end up diving into the water just to save the flailing and drowning drunkard.

By the time they settled Haymitch in the quarters, Finnick had already arrived with a bag of supplies and two boxes of who knows what. Macey jumped in joy as Finnick handed her the box that full of cheese buns. Katniss mentally smacked her forehead. Why does everything reminded her of Peeta? Cheese buns? Peeta bakes those back in District 12. She remembered one time when she delivered fat squirrels to his father, he gave her cheese buns in return. The old man said that it was fresh from the oven baked by his son and when Katniss peeked in, she saw Peeta avoiding her gaze.

"So we're paid already?" Finnick asked. Macey nodded and took a bite at the bun in her hand. "Geez, you're 21 but you act like a child!" Finnick said. "Hey! I don't look 21!" she said as she started the engine. Before we knew it we were out in the ocean again. I sat there and listened to Macey talk, her accent amusing me, not realizing I was starring at her.

"You're probably wondering why I talk this way aren't you." She asked. Katniss nodded with a slight blush of embarrassment. "Well Ashby, I wasn't born in Panem. I come from a distant land across the wide ocean called Australia. My Parents migrated here when I was about 9 and I was lucky enough not to get picked in those games." She said. "Why didn't you go back?" Katniss asked. "After learning about the games, my parents wanted to but they got strict and we couldn't leave so we were forced to stay, luckily I wasn't picked." She explained.

Katniss looked straight in the water, another victim of the Capitol. Then she looked into the horizon and wondered what it's like in the distant land Macey was talking about, is it better there than in Panem? Do people have freedom there? Do they have some game that was as equally brutal as the Hunger Games?

As if reading Katniss' mind, Macey began to describe Australia the last time she saw it. It was a desolate place, full of dessert and sand. They had not much to eat and the government rations it to the citizens… or what's left of them. They didn't have the Hunger Games though. Macey said that it was somehow better in Panem, lush forests and bountiful seas but there's a fear of being put through the Hunger Games. Macey didn't have to get a tessarae though, her mother was a doctor and her father took up business and she was the only child. She had no one to look after, no one to volunteer for in the reaping, unlike Katniss who had Prim.

Katniss looked up in the sky to determine what time it is. Her father thought her that when they spent time in the woods. It's always important what time it is in the wilderness. The sun was at the middle of the sky, shining high so she suspected it was about noon already. They only have another hour before they reach the Island. Finnick handed out plastic bowls of instant noodles with crab meat for lunch and everyone ate. Finnick and Macey took turns on driving the boat while the rest enjoyed the scenery and the crystal blue waters.

No sooner she could spot an island in front of them. She grew very anxious. When they approached the shore, she would've literally dove in and run to look for this sailor. The boat stopped but they didn't reach the shore. Katniss shot Macey a confused look. "This is as far in as the boat could go, a little more and the propellers would be jammed in the sand, damaged." She said.

Finnick was the first one down; the water was just waist high. Gale handed him some things and went down himself, both men helped Haymitch trudge through the water. Katniss took off her boots and secured in the bag she was tasked to bring. She hopped off and savored the feeling of the soft white sand between her toes, the warm sea water splashing against her bag. She began to walk, though had a hard time because the sand was too soft and she had to pull her feet up, good thing she thought of removing her boots or she would have and extra hard time.

They settled in a cottage upon reaching the shore, Haymitch beginning to get sober. There were a few fishermen there so Finnick stopped and asked. The men pointed him uphill, about 15 minutes hike and they will see a shack where Escabar lived. They were hiking in no time, Katniss was restless with anticipation. She practically ran when she saw the shack up ahead.

Macey knocked at the bamboo door with Katniss behind her while the others rested under the shade of the tree. An old man opened the door. He was bald but with a white beard. The man was skinny and was the same height as Katniss; he had striking cerulean blue eyes. His arm looked like a lightning had strike him. "How can I help you?" he said with a strangely strong voice. "Are you Escobar?" Macey asked and the man nodded. "We need your help sir; we need to know how you survived the venom of the sting gazer." Katniss said.

The old man walked out and sat on a bench made from bamboo. Katniss felt this weird connection to this man, even though they had met a minute ago, she felt like this person is the one person who could be trusted.

The sailor began to speak. He was about 23 that time and he and his friends went spear fishing in an unexplored reef. He was foolish at that time and peer pressure got him. His friends coaxed him that if he caught a sting gazer they would pay him triple his catch for the day. Being an arrogant young man that he was, he agreed and with no second thoughts, he dove right in with a spear in hand. 2 friends went after him, making sure nothing happened to him. Escabar maneuvered through the reef searching for the deadly fish when he saw it a few meters away, hidden on the sea bed beside the coral reef. Escabar looked behind him and his friend gave him a nod. He threw his spear, landing only inches away from his target. That move startled the fish and lunged forward at him. The tail of the fish pierced his arm as he released a scream under the water. He took all his remaining strength to whack the fish dead against the hard corals. As his friends swim him up, he didn't let go of the fish.

His friends took him to the surface and that's the last thing he remembered. They took him to this island that was just minutes away from were they were fishing. An old woman who used to live in this shack had healed him using some herbal plant that only grew on the island. He showed his arm where the fish struck, the lightning marks were caused by the electrifying venom. "Can you tell us where to get that plant?" Katniss asked. "I have to warn you, it is dangerous. It only grows on the side of the waterfall. Here's the catch though… the rocks on the side of the waterfall are extremely sharp and if it cuts your line then you'll be plummeting 80 ft down to a pool of water with more sharp rocks. That's not the only thing you'd be worrying about. The waterfall has a huge cave underneath it were venom bats reside, disturb them with any sound and they'll come after you even in the daylight" Escabar said.

Great! Venom bats, another mutation made by the Capitol. During the rebellion, most rebels used caves as a hideout and so the Capitol sent the bats in there to kill them, one bite could stop your heart in 1 minute. "But in order to make the anti venom, we need the venom from the sting gazer as well." The old man added. They needed to split the task.

The sailor offered his help saying that he would catch the fish again while the others get the herb. Macey volunteered to accompany Escabar and Finnick instructed Haymitch to go with them while Katniss and Gale join him up the mountain. While the others get prepared, Katniss sat down and looked at the view of the ocean from up there. Escabar sat down beside her.

"Now I know, Ashby isn't your real name…" He said. Was she too obvious? How did he know? "Come on, you can trust me…" He said. Maybe her hunch was right, that this man could truly be trusted. "It's Katniss Everdeen." She whispered. "I've heard a great deal about you Ms. Everdeen. Had some guts to attempt to kill the president, you remind me of my grand daughter" He said.

And then as if she couldn't resist it, she began to tell Escabar everything. About the uprisings, Peeta being resurrected and hijacked, how the Capitol just needs to be brought down. Escabar thinks so too. He stands up and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you go save that boyfriend of yours and bring this harsh government down." He said with a smile as he, Macey and Haymitch made their way down hill.

She stood up and smiled, Katniss felt lighter. Maybe that's what she needs, someone to listen to her. She energetically joins her group as they started to hike up. It was nice that the old man agreed to her about the rebellion. She looked up and saw a familiar sight fling though the canopy.

Mockingjays.

Rue.

Katniss whistled the four-note tune and the birds sang back.


Tadah! A double chapter update for you guys :)

Thanks guys :)

revieeww~~