14. The Ice is Getting Thinner

Grimm, Luna, Thorne and Annie sat quietly by a warm fire, eating and organizing their things. They were preparing to go hunt the others again tonight, now that they know who died. Annie armed herself with her knives and a canister of water.

Finnick sat in his chair while Mags slept in hers. He leaned forward towards his screen, hands locked together tight. The boy from District Eleven, Clash, was less than half of a mile from her. He took a deep breath, if they all stuck together, no one but Clash would get hurt. So why did he have a sinking feeling in his stomach?

Clash was close enough to be watching them, and he probably was. Finnick swore under his breath, wishing that he could see the kid instead of a little blue dot. Finnick seriously considered walking by Eleven's station, but that was against the rules and he'd probably be banished from the room. And that would leave Phoenix and Annie basically mentor-less. He gave Mags a quick glance. She was out cold; her head resting on the desk, mouth opened.

"I wonder what's taking Luna and Phoenix so long." Egypt wondered. Grimm shrugged, "Maybe they're getting some oysters." Egypt nodded, and the four of them stood silently and waited.

Finnick noticed the blue dot moving out of the corner of his eye, and saw that it was Clash. He was heading towards the water…where Phoenix and Luna were. Even though that fight would be two against one, Clash would have a surprise advantage…and he was probably stronger than both of them combined.

He needed a way to tell Annie, warn them. But how? The dot was getting closer to his tribute. He nudged Mags, who woke up instantly. "Clash is heading for Phoenix and Luna; they're by the water and he'll sneak up on them. We need a way to tell Annie."

"Send Annie water." Finnick knew it was the only way, even though it didn't make sense. If he sent her water, she would think it strange since Phoenix was getting it. It was a pretty abstract way of thinking, but it was his only hope. Clash was almost there. Finnick punched in the numbers and a small can of water fell to the arena moments later.

Finnick watched as Grimm pointed it out, and Annie frowned at the sky. It fell in front of her, and she looked at it for a moment. It had a number four on it, so she picked it up. Annie showed the others. "Why would he send me water?"

"Doesn't he know that Luna and Phoenix are out there now?" Thorne replied. Annie's brows pushed together, "I don't understand, Finnick," she muttered, staring at the tin. Finnick ran his fingers through his hair.

The others didn't look concerned, "maybe your mentors just think you look too thirsty to wait." Egypt offered. Annie shook her head; she wasn't even thirsty at all.

Annie dropped the container and ran. The others followed, but yelled for her to stop. "What is wrong with you!" "Are you crazy!"

"Something's wrong!" She shouted back. Annie's feet didn't stop. She could hear the others falling behind, thinking she'd gone crazy. "Come on, we have to help them!" She encouraged over her shoulder. The others gave each other wary looks, but continued on.

They were only a few minutes away when they heard the scream. "Luna!" Thorne bellowed, picking up his pace. Grimm and Egypt sped up too, realizing that maybe Annie wasn't going insane. The cannon made Annie stop dead in her tracks. And Thorne nearly took them both to the ground. "Don't stop, keep running!" He hollered at her and Annie obeyed.

Annie broke through the trees first, not being cautious. She plowed towards Phoenix's figure, on his knees by the water. When she reached him, he was covered in blood. Luna's body lay on the ground in front of him, and a cleaver was etched into her chest. Annie shook Phoenix's shoulder, "what happened!"

He looked up at her, and his blood spattered face was empty. The others reached them and Annie heard their gasps. "It was Clash. He came out of nowhere! One second, we were searching for oysters and the next thing I know she's screaming, and he's….killing her with that," he motions to the cleaver.

"Why didn't he kill you?" Egypt asks. Phoenix shakes his head, "I had my pick ax out, and we could hear you guys coming."

"Why didn't you chase him?" Egypt asks. Annie glanced at her; she seemed suspicious of his story. As Annie looked at Grimm and Thorne, they had the same expression on their faces. "Alone? You wouldn't have known where we were, and he would have killed me if I'd chased him!" Phoenix was frustrated. Annie ran a calming hand through his hair that the others glared at.

Something isn't right, Annie thought. "Look, let's just go back to camp so the hovercraft can get her, we'll talk about it there." Phoenix gestured towards his clothes, "I want to clean up first." Egypt's eyes narrowed again, "You said you were digging up oysters…why are you all bloody?"

"She didn't die right away…I…I stayed with her." This only made his story seem more like a lie to the Careers.

"Come on," Annie said, pulling Phoenix to the water, "I'll help you clean up." As Phoenix and Annie scrubbed at the blood staining his skin, Annie mumbled under her breath, "We need to go. They don't trust us."

"I agree, let's take off tonight while they sleep." Annie nodded, and the two continued their work on cleaning him. When he was better, Annie took his hand and led him out of the water. He bent down to pick up his clothes, and Annie stepped back so she could wring out her hair without getting him all wet again.

He smiled at her when she met his eyes again. She smiled back. If she couldn't win these Games, she hoped that he did. She hoped that he could go home and live out his life in the Victor's Village. Maybe he could think of her once in a while, but never in a nightmare.

She glanced over his shoulder, noticing that Grimm was behind him. She gave him an odd look.

And then the sword he held caught the light of the sun. "Phoenix, no!" She shouted, louder than anyone should yell in the arena. He spun around quickly, but he only had enough time to look at Grimm in horror.

And that expression was still on his face as his head rolled to Annie's feet. Hadn't he just been smiling a moment ago? She couldn't feel anything as she stared down at him. She couldn't bring herself to look away or run or scream or cry.

Grimm's laugh brought her back, and she stared at him. He wiped his sword in the grass, while Thorne and Egypt stood uncomfortably behind him. Annie's feet reacted before her head did. She ran for the forest, more afraid of Grimm in that moment than anyone who could be lurking in the woods.

She didn't stop until she reached a small cave, and once there she threw herself to the ground and let out silent sobs. It was all happening too fast. She was not a Career. Phoenix was dead. His head was cut off by Grimm. But wait, he couldn't be dead, there wasn't a cannon!

Or was there? Had she missed it? She wanted to scream. But now she had to be quiet, she had predators out there that could kill her easily. Clash was still out there, and wasn't he the one who caused all of this?