Dark Paradise: Lana Del Ray
He was back in the arena. I was ushered towards the mentor's center. My heart was racing as I watched and waited. It was only a matter of seconds now. Resources sat in front of me as we all gathered around twelve different screens. The center was large, with twelve spaced out stations for each mentoring team. Events moved fast. It was almost time. The countdown started. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. Go.
He dove off his pedestal and swam towards the cornucopia. The girl beat him and got the bow, but Finnick reached the trident. She turned swiftly, sensing his presence, but he was poised for her attack. "You can swim too?" He asked, "Where did you learn that in District Twelve?"
Finnick, what are you doing?
"We have a big bathtub," She answered skeptically.
"You must," He said, impressed, "You like the arena?"
"Not particularly. But you should. They must have built it especially for you," She said bitterly. Little did she know the truth of her statement. It was built for Finnick, but not to give him an advantage…to remind him they still had me. To remind him of our dark little paradise back in Four. A paradise now manipulated to bring us back to the hands of the Capitol. She watched Finnick suspiciously, looking at him from angles of how she could attack. He merely grinned, "Lucky thing we're allies. Right?" She didn't trust him.
She's going to kill you Finn.
Her fingers lithely pulled back on the bow, but he saw it. He shifted his hands showing off a solid-gold bangle along with the old, tattered, unraveling rope still tied to his wrist. The gold bangle was so clean and new…with flames. He won over the girl on fire. She stood dumbstruck at the mouth of the cornucopia, not seeing the imminent threat like Finnick. He commanded her to move in a forceful voice and struck District Five's tribute. "Don't trust One and Two," He told her. They each took one side grabbing what they thought useful from the weapons pile and fought the oncoming tributes. Hope flooded my heart as I remembered Finnick's strength and power. When Katniss suggests leaving the water surrounded Cornucopia, they both dive off from the island, and Finn reaches out to rescue both Peeta and Mags. Telling her to stay calm, for fear of hurting her unborn child…which was news to me and apparently the rest of the world last night. She was a good partner for him, covering him whenever someone was on the attack.
The four of them were safe for now, walking through the jungle. They all looked exhausted, the heat had taken a toll on them. They were all wonderful physical specimens, but Mags, who was resting over Finnick's arm. He was truly amazing though. He asked her to look at the area surrounding the Cornucopia. She climbed the tree, horrified at the bloodied mess, horrified to find Victors could turn so quickly…but we're tributes, and we all wanted to live at the end of the game. Friendships die in that. We all, at one point, experienced that.
"What's going on down there, Katniss? Have they all joined hands? Taken a vow of nonviolence? Tossed the weapons in the sea in defiance of the Capitol?" I chuckled at Finnick's cheek, but I knew he understood the sadness and terror Katniss was seeing for the first time.
"No." She said sternly.
"No," He repeated back to her, smile falling, "Because whatever happened in the past is in the past. And no one in this arena was a victor by chance." He doesn't speak for awhile and then looks to Peeta, "Except maybe Peeta." And me.
The truth of Finnick's speech washed over me. He was right, but only because both Peeta and I really were fluke wins. But in his eyes, we were better than the rest of them. In his eyes, innocence and purity won over. The same seemed to ring true for Katniss as well, but Katniss wasn't innocent. She touched the edge of her bow, ready to raise it. They're both poised for an attack, until sweet Peeta steps in. I gained respect for Peeta in that moment. They moved on, and thirst overcame them. I walked away from the screens. I had to get them fresh water somehow…I looked to Finnick's funds, and sending water would have been a Godsend, but would there have been enough to fund all four of them, and still have money for any emergency like medicine? I needed Haymitch. I found him in the outside hallway of the center.
"We need to work together," I told him sternly.
The old drunk laughed, "Annie, sweetie, you better let me handle this." He said, patting me on the head.
I pushed his hand away from me, ferociously. "No Haymitch. Our tributes are allies…we work together." I growled.
The laugh left his eyes, "No sweetheart…I have direct orders to…" He began with the same violent look I had.
I cut him off, grabbing the collar of his shirt, "Listen to me Abernathy, I'm keeping him alive…you know my motives so don't think I'm not past risking it all now. He will be safe. You will help me."
Another cold smile reached his lips as he pushed away my petite figure, "What makes you so sure I'm gonna do anything you ask me to darling?" He asked with another harsh laugh.
Anger seized me, provoking me. I watched him with a violent glare, "Because I went crazy," I told him quietly, "And I'm not above killing anymore."
Haymitch's blue stare was hard and mocking, until the seriousness of our situation changed his perspective. "Alright doll…we can arrange something."
For the rest of the afternoon we studied the arena. "We can't just keep sending them water…there has to be a better way to help them," I told him as we studied the few tips the Gamemakers gave us.
What most people never knew was that mentors were just as a part of the games as tributes. In the small booklet we found a map, there were no rivers or streams. So where was the water? "In my year the only source of water was at the cornucopia and rainwater." He said, as we thought through all the possibilities of the game.
I shook my head, "There wasn't any food at the cornucopia…so there must be another source." The Gamemakers were looking for a show after all.
Haymitch took a swig from his bottle watching our resources grimly, "Or they're all supposed to die." He chuckled.
I frowned, "Let's not be so cynical."
And that's when he grew very quiet, zoning in on one detail on the screen in front of us. "Do you see that?" He asked, now squinting at the screen.
"What?" I asked, following his line of sight.
He pointed, "That little animal Katniss is staring at." She was staring, ready to attack the tiny little tree animal.
"It's drinking," I sighed, noticing its teeth sunk into the bark and the little gulping noises it made.
Haymitch smiled, "Right…" He said, excitedly, or what I could assume was excitement from him. "From the trees. The trees…that's the water source!" He said, slamming his bottle down and flipping through our funds and books. "They need a spile."
"What's that?" I asked quietly, trying to stay out of his way.
"Something that'll save them," He said, and he was right. Katniss figured it out. Things were calming down for our four tributes. They were well fed and hydrated. They made a small makeshift shelter. Night was falling on them, and the Capitol. "Rest Finn," I breathe the command from the small couch placed in my corner of the center. I shut my eyes, but knew sleep wouldn't find me tonight. I watched Finnick, a tired body slouching in a dark jungle. A clock seems to strike and a new attentiveness washed over him. He looks to see Katniss awake. She tells him to sleep and he lies down. "Goodnight Finnick," I whispered, hoping to find some peace tonight. The perfect specimen of Finnick Odair was worn, and the night wasn't over. Minutes later, a mist is approaching them through the trees.
"Haymitch, what is that?" I asked when he passed by. He stared at the screen.
He shook his head, peering at the screen. "I don't know, but whatever it is…it can't be good." Katniss shot up screaming. "Run! Run!" She shouted. Finnick bolted up, trident in hand and ready. They all fumbled. Katniss and Finnick were the fastest to escape the fog, but Mags and Peeta were struggling against the environment. She pulls Peeta and Finnick scoops up Mags, but as seconds pass and the fog starts embracing them, their bodies stop functioning. Finnick and Katniss haul on, Finn now picking up both Peeta and Mags. He stumbled.
"Get out of there Finn…" I breathed, only inches from the screen, watching him struggle to hold on to both Mags and Peeta. He gives Mags to Katniss, who is a tiny creature. She stumbles more, unable to hold her. She cries for help but Mags shakes her head. The beautiful old woman leaps from Katniss' back and kisses Finnick. My heart aches as I see the plan working out. She walks straight into the fog and a cannon sounds.
Mags was dead.
Helplessness only thickened the net around me. I couldn't save her and I wouldn't be able to save him.
