IHey guys here's another update, I'm trying to keep it consistent, hope you're enjoying thebook so far happy reading ❤️
Chapter 8: Alliances
Johanna POV
I look at Finnick and see he has his eyes trained on the firecracker from 12. His eyes hold something I haven't seen in years. Life. I decide to go and see what's going on with him.
"Hey Fishbrains" I say
"Hey Jo" he says but I can't tell he's not all there, he's lost in thought.
"Stop drooling over firecracker over there and talk to me" It's then he turns to me and I gasp because there in his eyes lay something I thought was long dead in his twisted life. Love. My eyes widen in realisation.
"You love her don't you" I whisper he looks into my cold brown eyes.
"She's rekindled that fire that was long past extinguished, Jo don't you see, she's lit something in everyone, Haymitch, Beetee, Mags, you" I stand there locked in his gaze
"Haven't you noticed, all those hopeless eyes disappeared as soon as she stepped up to take her sisters place, she has given everyone hope, Jo don't you see this is it she's the one" he whispers the last part in my ear, all too aware of the cameras that
/lace every inch of the room. I look into his eyes and can see my own reflecting back, the once dim brown are now a bright hazel, they don't look dead or hollow, like the eyes I am accustomed to,they look alive.
"I do Finn I do see" is all I say, he pulls away and nods.
"But she's a tribute Finn how are we going to get her out" He looks deep into my eyes and I can see the tears shining in them.
"I don't know Jo but we have to try" he then turns and walks away.
I go up to the glass that separates us and the tributes and I see her, she's helping little Rue build a fire, her face is soft and gentle but her grey eyes are alight with a certain fury and determination. The steel grey has fire dancing in it. I understand
/what Fishbrains means now, her eyes gave hope to those who have long since given up, after the games not one of us returned to our former selves, only shells,trying so desperately to fix the cracks in our broken lives to stop ourselves fallingapart
completely. This one girl is going to fill our dead eyes with hope. This girl is going to make us whole again
Let's just pray the games don't break her.
Katniss POV
Im at the fire station with Rue, teaching her how to make a fire with flint when the boy from District 4 comes up to us.
"Um Hi im Damien, do you mind if I join you?" He asks and I can hear the nervousness in his voice.
"Yeah sure" he gives me a smile and sits down, looking at the fire we are building.
"So umm I was wondering if you maybe wanted to be in an alliance?" He asks scratching the back of his neck.
I look at him, and I see his blue eyes full of sincerity and hey one more in the alliance wouldn't hurt, it's just one more to keep Rue safe.
"Okay you're in, we have me Rue, my district partner Mason and you. What about you're partner" I ask, I can see the sadness seep in his eyes
"Maya, well she's a little unstable" is all he says, I can see the worry and sadness etched on his face.
"It's okay we'll protect her, but we should go find her first" I say, he nods and all four of us get up to look for Maya. I spot her in the corner, hands over her ears, curled up in a ball rocking back and forth mumbling.
"Damien I found her" I say before taking soft steps and crouching next to her.
"Hey Maya I'm Katniss, we're allies." She looks at me with dim chocolate eyes, I can see the hollow emptiness of them and I know she's lost hope. These eyes fall on every one of the victors, holding so many emotions,showing the cracks in their masks,their
facade, their broken selves showing through.I sigh she's one step away from crumbling. Damien comesover to calm her.
"It's alright Katniss I've got this" he says, I nod and go back to Rue.
"Why don't we go to the edible plants section huh?" I ask, her eyes brighten at my suggestion and she nods eagerly. I pull her over and we work on it, sorting out piles of edible and non edible. I only know so much about plants because when my fatherdied,
I had to hunt to keep my family and myself alive and he left an edible plant book when he stepped off this earth and became nothing but a painful memory.
Tears well up in my eyes at the thought of my father, his seam grey eyes bright with happiness as we trekked in the forest, his voice high and clear as he sang to the mockingjays. His melody filling the otherwise silent air.
I blink back the tears, I will not give them all the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I look up at little Rue, innocence radiates every inch of her soft face, her deep chocolate brown eyes are full of wonder and happiness, but fear lingers in the depths
/of those huge brown orbs. It saddens and angers me that someone so young, so innocent, fears her life. The biggest thing she should be worried about is school not wheathersheis going to live to see another day. Rage boils at the pit of my stomach how dare they do this to us, send children in the arena to die the sick bastards! How dare they tear families apart, I hate them I hate them I hate them. My
/thoughts are interrupted by little Rue.
"I'm going to go train with Thresh bye Katniss" she says
"Bye little bird" I say back and she giggles before skipping off. I sigh and move away from the station I just can't believe in a couple of days I might have to kill some of these kids, theirjust children, like me, like Rue and their lives could end in
/a few seconds, as if it was nothing. I sit there on the bench lost in thought when someone comes up to me.
"Hey Firefly" the boy from 2 says, ugh what does the arrogant bastard want now.
"Hey steroids" I reply, this only makes him mad. He grabs me and pins me against the wall, his huge body blocking me from view, so the trainers couldn't see.
"What the fuck do you want" I say seething with anger.
"I want you to join our alliance" he replies.
Is this kid for real, he would stab me in the back first chance he got.
"Fuck no, I am not joining your little posse of phycopaths" I spit
"You've made a mistake fire girl, your first"
"In your dreams" I say, he lets go of me.
"Oh and steroids" he turns around and I pin him to the wall with a knife.
"Don't you EVER touch me again you bastard"
I then walk away leaving him helplessly pinned to the wall by his shirt. I just smirk. That's when I realise every single person in training centre is looking at me,their mouths open in shock and admiration fills the sea of scared eyes. I look towards
/the glass to were the mentors lounge is and I see every victor staring at me, there eyes filled from admiration to anger to fear, but they don't fear for themselves, they fear for me. I shrug, it's because no one has ever knocked those arrogant assholes down a peg or two I
/smirk at the thought, I'm not just going to be a pushover I promised Prim I would try everything I could to win, teaming up with the careers would be like me walking straight into a lava filled volcano.
The trainer calls us for dinner and I see steroids still stuck to the wall and trying to get himself unstuck, along with about 5 other people, I just laugh and walk over. He glares at me, I just smirk and pull the knife out in one swift movement, he looks
/like he wants to throttle me I just walk away but I can't help but push his buttons.
"Next time, keep your hands to yourself"
I say smugly. I hear him growl behind me, I just chuckle and go to the dining hall. I grab some food and spot Rue, I go over and sit with her. Mason joins us and Damien walks over with a shaking Maya, I just smile sympathetically as he sits down. I feelsorry
for the girl, she's so fragile and in the arena she'll die for sure. But I will do my best to protect her and Rue because if I die I want Rue to win, so she can go back to her family. I'm not going to go down without a fight but if I go down
I'll go down protecting her
Haymitch POV
"Wow kitty's got some claws" Johanna says, smirking.
"Yeah she does she also had a fucking death wish" the smirk comes right off of Jo's face.
"I mean what the fuck does she think she was doing, she pissed off a career, she's going to be first on her kill list" I yell, I look at Fishboy and I see his whole face etched with worry, his eyes are filled with fear, he's pacing the room. I look at
/him and realisation drops on me like a tonne of coal.
"You love her don't you" I say, he just looks at me, tears in his eyes. I know if she doesn't come out of that arena that boy will be broken beyond repair.
"I'm not drunk enough for this shit" I mutter, because a heavier weight lays on my shoulders, not only do I have to keep Sweetheart alive, but I have to stop Fishboy from completely falling apart. I sigh and lose myself in the liquor. oh Sweetheart look what you've done to us all. Isthe
last thought that crosses my mind as black takes over.
Finnick POV
What has she done what has she done what has she done. It's the only thought my mind can come up with I'm pacing the room as Haymitch is passed out in the chair and Johanna is just looking at me, eyes filled with worry.
"Finn its going to be okay" she says voice laced with concern. I turn to face her.
"No Jo it's not going to be okay that kid has her on his kill list and he's a career no less" I start getting angry.
"Jo I don't know how I'm going to cope if I lose her"
my voice breaks and she does something I never expected. She wraps her arms round me and gives me a hug. I'm shocked Johanna isn't one to show emotion, and if there is one thing she hates its physical contact. She built her walls up after her family was
/killed, she shut everyone out.
" we'll bring her home, we have to" she says, I can see all the unshed tears and sadness in her eyes. And I know we are going to do all we can to bring her home, we have to I love her, I need her.
I can't live without her.
Jo pulls away and clears her throat.
"Tell anyone I did that and I'll cut you" she says menacingly. I just smile, there's the Johanna I know. I wiggle mybrows
"I don't know Jo you don't want people to know about your sweet and caring nature" I say, smirking, this earns me a death glare.
"I'm kidding please don't hurt me" I say she just smirks. I chuckle, we have a fucked up relationship, all us victors but it's just the way it is.
Just the way it's always been. Jo walks away. Leaving me and my haunted thoughts.
Johanna POV
Jeez that girl really has changed us all of us, I mean when was the lasted time I hugged someone. I sigh she's turned our lives upside down with her fiery eyes and selflessness. And Fishbrains he's so different around her, he actually looks like
/he's living,the spark has returned in his once hollow eyes and Ive never seen him smile so much he's so different from the hollow zombie I've come to know. Hanging on the cliff ofsanity by his fingertips.
And Haymitch, I've never seen him so sober,he still drinks, of course, but he's conscious most of the time, which is a miracle in itself. And his eyes, they shine, the once dim are now dancing with something I've never seen. Life.
And me, I don't think I've ever had so much hope, I use my anger to put a wall up from others, to protect myself. But with one fiery gaze, they crumbled and I don't know how.
All the years these Victors have been putting up walls, building masks to hide their broken selves. But with once glance, she can see us for who we really are. Broken, weak, hopeless.
It makes me wonder how a single girl could have so much effect on the people who threw hope out the window a very long time ago. She truly is a wonder. I do something I've never done in a long time. I smile.
Because we have hope to finally live again.
Another chapter. I hope you all enjoyed please share your thoughts and ideas, thanks for your continued support and until next time ❤️ ~ Jazzy