Finnick Odair, aged 14. The Arena
White.
That's what Finnick first sees as his eyes begin to adjust. A blinding whiteness that spreads out like an eternal blanket from his platform. It's so strange, so foreign, to Finnick who has always lived in the sun, and he can't quite believe his eyes. As he struggles in his head to find a name for this new thing, something cold touches his hand. He jerks so violently that it's a miracle he doesn't fall off of his platform. Bringing it towards his face, he scrutinises the bare skin of his palm and is surprised to discover a wet splodge has grown there. On closer inspection, he realises it's not attached to him, but rather has landed on him. That's when he looks around and discovers that more little white splodges are falling from the sky and adding to the white pile around him. Suddenly he remembers the name of the stuff. It's snow.
Unfortunately, watching the snow falling has brought his attention back to where he is. He's in the arena, and soon the single minute he has to stay on the platform will be up. He's wasted valuable time gaping at the snow. However, looking around, he's obviously not the only one who's never seen snow before. Around him, he can see a few other tributes admiring the snow. The tributes, as usual, are arranged in a ring around the Cornucopia. Finnick can't see his district partner, Blye- she must be around the other side- but a few spaces to his left he sees Sagitarria, the girl from 2. Just as he looks over at her, her eyes turn to meet his. She gives him a nod which Finnick understands to mean, I'll watch your back if you watch mine. He responds with a nod of his own, and then they both turn towards the Cornucopia.
There's fifteen seconds to go, so Finnick focuses his eyes on the piles of weapons, deciding what to go for. He's a little disappointed that there's no trident, but he always knew it wasn't very likely. Instead he fixes his eyes on a collection of hopeful looking spears lying at the heart of the supplies. Finnick knows that he's a fast runner, and that with Sagitarria looking out for him, he will be able to reach his destination, but still a little seed of doubt worms its way into his mind. No, he tells himself firmly, and determinedly begins to anxiously count down the final few seconds.
5
4
3
2
1
The sudden ringing of the gong seems unnaturally loud in the silent arena, but it jerks Finnick into action. He sprints towards the spears, focusing only on reaching them, but finds that the powdery snow slows him down. Out of the corner of his eye he sees a tribute slip over and fall down, but he can't afford to slow. After an age, it seems, he can finally stretch out his arm and pick up the weapon, and does so, feeling much more comfortable with it in his hand. Not far away he sees Sagitarria clutching a pick axe in her right palm, being from District 2- the stonework district- it seems appropriate. She turns around to see him, and smiles a cruel, cold smile.
It doesn't take long before he sees the District 6 girl picking up a pack a few metres away from him, and acting on the instinct of years of trident fishing he hurls the spear in her direction. It's only when the weapon is out of his hand that he realises what he's done, and as it arcs through the air he half begins to hope it won't hit her. However, Finnick's aim is perfect and the spear lodges itself deep in her back. He stares as she stumbles forwards and as the area around the impending spear begins to grow red.
Guilt, shame and morbid curiosity merge into one single force, holding to the area. He watches the girl transfixed as she howls in pain and struggles for life. Finnick feels disconnected from the whole event, as though he's in a dream, or watching this girl die on the television set back home. His brain can't seem to make the link between fact and fiction as he gapes with unwavering eyes at the District 6 girl. He can't remember her name- her face is too ordinary, it doesn't stand out. In fact the only reason he recognises her as being from District 6 is the thick block fringe covering her forehead and only narrowly avoiding her eyes.
He's brought out of his stupor by the sound of someone moving behind him. Whirling around, he spies a small blond boy, possibly from District 8, running towards him with a knife. That's when Finnick realises how vulnerable he is- his only weapon, the spear, is still lodged in the District 6 girl's back. He thinks how ironic the situation is- he has been training for most of his life for these games to be accidently killed by a malnourished twelve year old boy. Luckily, at that moment Sagitarria, jumping up from the dead body of a young girl, turns towards him and runs to his rescue. The poor boy doesn't even see her coming before she crashes her pickaxe over his head. The boy crumples to the floor and doesn't move again.
"Be careful, Pretty Boy. Might not be able to do that again," Sagitarria says as Finnick nods his thanks, then gestures for him to fetch his spear.
It's a rather gruesome task, dislodging the long shaft from the dead girl's back, and he can't help grimacing at the wet blood that drips from the end when it's out, staining the white snow. Finnick turns back to join the fighting.