(Age 23, The 75th Hunger Games- Quarter Quell )
I had passed out. I had let myself fall asleep like I wasn't in a deathly arena surrounded by killers who hate me. It was a mistake. A fatal mistake. A scream of pain had my body jumping up in panic. I felt a weight on my stomach and looked down in freight before I huffed in annoyance. There's an arm holding me close that's connected to a trident. Stupid Finnick is on my mat!
I sighed frustratedly and elbowed him in the gut causing him to groan and wake.
"Run, Run! the fog is poison!"
Katniss had already gotten up to run, only driving home my point that she doesn't trust anyone in this alliance whose name isn't Peeta.
Finnick quickly rolled from ontop of me and was in front of Mags in seconds. "Mags, come on, come, come on!".
I started running behind Katniss, Peeta was infront of us with Finnick carrying Mags behind me. All of us sprinting as far away from the fog as possible. That is, until Finnick started running diagonally . Peeta, Katniss and I followed wherever Finnick went without question. As the fastest runner here, he had the job of finding the best route out with Mags on his back. I guess going diagonally is our only hope. I could technically run away from them all but with the fog coming in from every corner I had no choice but to follow after them.
I kept skidding in my run, going from left to right just to avoid it touching me. It seemed to be coming in a circle, closing in on us. Not a good thing when you're at the end of the group. Still I kept up my pace, panting straight beside Katniss. I saw her fall with a grunt. I debated whether or not to help her up, like what do I care if she dies? one less tribute to worry about.
But then I saw Peeta with my machete in front of me, to get that machete I need Peeta. And theres no Peeta without..."Get Up!"
I pulled on her arm and she was able to pick herself up. Yet, becuase I was slightly behind and had hesitated I felt all the pain in the world. My leg and back instantly connected with a wall of fog. I screamed loudly and Katniss pulled me along...We'd just helped eachother.
With every painful step I could feel the movement in my legs halting and I heard Peeta scream, a scream to my right. I'd lost the ability to move and I could feel the poision spreading in my blood stream painfully causing me to fall to the ground with another scream.
Was that Finnick screaming in the distance? I couldn't tell. I could feel myself losing conciousness though, all because I'd helped Katniss. If Peeta drops my machete then all of this'll have been for nothing!
I felt a body fall down beside me and I turned my head slightly to see it was Peeta. I could feel my body convoulsing now...I'd been hit bad. Worse then Peeta who was still in the screaming phase. My shudders had worsened by the time I registered that the others were panting around us. But I could barely make anything out now. I just wanted to rest..
"I can only carry one!". Katniss. Her voice was shaky but lets be real she loves Peeta and Finnick's supposed to kill me anyways. They're gonna drop me and run, it's what I'd do and it's the hunger games.
I can still hear them all panting and with a gulp I hear. "I'm sorry Mags, I can't do it".
My breaths were slowing down now, it won't be much longer. Might even be a courtesy if he stabs me. At least then then pain would stop. "Peeta please, Please stand up".
I heard Finnick inhale and fall to a crouching position beside me. "Mags?"
"Mags?..Mags?"
"Mags!"
Yelling, is the fog here? did it catch up to us?... He sounded so pained. "Magggs!"
BOOM.
I heard Katniss sigh above me. "Finnick!"
"Finnick we have to go, we have to get out of here.". She paused her voice hoarse. "We have to go!".
"Alright. Come on, come on". And then a sudden influx of pain had me screaming. I could feel Finnick hissing and grunting. I was being carried in his arms and I could feel the handle of his trident resting against me. I didn't like it, this is the second time now he's saved me. How long was he going to draw out my kill? or a worse question. What else did he want from me?
Just as that thought hit me I felt my body roll down a hill. I was too gone to scream though. I was simply powerless, lost control of the ability to move, the ability to even think. All of us had been hit, all of us fell. I could tell from the amount of groans and grunts around me no one was getting back up this time. My body was a shuddering mess and I felt myself closing my eyes because I just couldn't take the pain any longer.
Pain. It's the first thing I can recognise. Someone seemed to be whispering in my ear. "You're okay, you'll be okay".
Yet I don't open my eyes or have the ability to move any of my muscles. Even the ones in my face can't move to show the discomfort of my feet. They feel like they're on fire. That pain starts to rise up, until my legs only feel the fire and my feet suddenly feel nothing.
I gasp at the feeling and open my eyes to find starlted grey ones staring at me. Suddenly the fire hit's my stomach and I close my eyes with a scream. "Shh come on, Love".
I hadn't even realised I was sitting in Finnick's lap, he kept easing me very gently into the water. His arms were firmly encasing me, as if he'd been hold me down. And maybe he had been. I bit my lip to conceal my groan as he kept easing me into the water, the blisters dissolving as he did so.
I looked back up at Katniss. She now has her back to me as she watches Peeta clean himself off. I got the message loud and clear. We're not to speak of what just happened. She doesn't want to acknowledge it as much as I do. A girl from District One helped a girl from District Twelve before she helped me right back up. Un-bloody-heard-off!
I wondered if her district would hate her for helping a career?, just like mine would hate me for helping someone from Twelve. I felt Finnick let go of me and he gave me a warning look. "You're alright to wash the rest off now, yeah?"
I nodded. His look was hard and conveyed 'don't follow me'. He wanted to be alone because...Mags. I looked down at the water with a nod and started wiping my shoulder, neck and face. Finnick waded through the water before sitting a little infront of me. I knew he needed space.
A day ago I would've been delighted to torment him after watching her die. Would've seen it as a great advantage over killing him. But now it didn't feel right...
Not after she'd made me that mat to sleep on. Not when Finnick just helped carry me, saving my life a second time. I felt odd being here. Weaponless, still a prisonor but it felt like I was apart of this weird group. Would it come down to me and Finnick?...
I would've loved that a day ago. The final battle just me and him? Would've been a dream come true. But now? Now, I didn't know how I felt about Finnick Odair.
I understood why he offered me up to Snow over losing his only friend. I would've done the same thing. But I'd never seen the real Finnick until these games. I wondered what he really thinks of me. Him and and his capitol persona are two completey different people. With me its what you see is what you get. I'm a career, think like one, act like one becuase its all I know. Sure, I get the odd rebel thought in my head but I'd never act on it because of my mother. Did he think I was a shallow, ritch, arrogent, killing materialistic girl? I mean, I am but...
Screw it. It's not like its important. I don't have a weapon anyways. If the careers are somehow dead then it'll be Finnick and Katniss. The strongest fighters here with weapons.
I watched Peeta, machete between his legs while collecting water. I rolled my eyes, my signature is in the hands of seventeen year-old boy who doesn't know the first thing about weilding it.
Katniss had sat next to Finnick as he absentmindly cleaned his wounds. Both their backs were to me so I couldn't see their expresions. "I'm sorry about Mags".
I felt myself cringing. Take a hint Katniss. Finnick instantly stopped scrubbing his hand. "S-she was never going to make it. So."
Finnick's head was trained on Katniss, I gathered they had a stare down until Katniss avioded eyecontact. Finnick's broze head rose to Peeta before he froze and bumped Katniss' arm to get her attention.
I looked in that direction and found myself inhale. Monkeys. They seemed to be doubling in the shadows, that meant...Mutts.
Finnick and Katnss instantly stood making me copy their movement and slowly wade towards them. The words 'no weapons' lighting up in my brain in horror.
I heard Finnick let out a breath next to me. "Mutts".
Yeah, no shit. I could feel Finnick pull me inbetween him and Katniss before staring down a monkey and picking up his trident. My head kept looking from monkey to monkey...it was easily a hundred.
Katniss kept her eyes on the beach and Finnick and I gave eachother a look. The message was clear; we're going for the beach.
Katniss swallowed. "Peeta?"
Peeta, whipped his head to us while completely unaware. "Yeah?"
Fuck that did it. A monkey instantly screamed in his face making him trample over to us.
I felt my breathing increase and I locked my eyes with the bakers boy. I swallowed in anticipation. "If you want to make it out of here alive then give it to me. We both know you don't know to use it. I've been training with it since childhood".
He hesitated, his eyes instantly flickered to Katniss who had her bow raised at a monkey.
"Give it to her Peeta!". I looked up at Finnick who wasn't looking at me but rather a monkey, trident following its every move. He knows they need me.
Peeta gulped and pointed the handle towards me. As soon as it was in my hand I twirled it before raising it in a ready stance. We now all stood back to back with Peeta in the middle.
Katniss was beiside me and I heard her mutter "Get to the beach". I kept my eyes trained on the monkey in front of me and I noticed Katniss take a step towards the beach only to stop. I sighed, guess they're blocking the way.
My monkey was the first lanch it's self, with precision I was able to slice its neck mid air. The sound of the body splashing into the water caused them all to instantly attack.
I could hear arrows whizzing in every direction. Finnick's trident being thrown and stabbing monkeys in my rear vision. But I didn't dare to look, instead I focussed on the back left corner. Finnick had the back right and Katniss and Peeta were at the front. Mainintaing the lake. That's all that was on my mind. My body became one with my machete; slicing, hacking and carving monkey after moneky.
I heard a struggle in the water behind me causing me to turn around. A figure is being drowned by a monkey. To save or not to save? That is the question. A trident flew in the corner of my eye, a blond head had run past me. So it's Katniss, I huffed in annoyance. Finnick and I can't take them all out by ourselves. I quickly sliced the mokey's side. A fatal deep cut. With a grunt I threw the dead body off while Katniss instantly stood coughing up a lung. I growled in frustration when I noticed she'd used up all her arrows. Fuck. That was the only reason I wasted time saving her in the first place!.
I looked behind me while slicing another monkey as I did so. "Finnick, we have to go the beach now!"
I didn't wait for a response.
I pushed Katniss forwards, her and Peeta running to the beach while I killed anything that came at us.
I kept hacking away hoping Katniss and Peeta might be bit futher along then I was. It'd give the monkeys something to claw at while I can run for it. Finnick was beside me now and we worked as a team. Him stabing while I hacked, sliced and carved.
A shocked gasp had me whipping my head towards Peeta and Katniss. At first it I thought it was Peeta's body before I realised it was a morphling from District Six.
I felt a tug on my arm and my eyes met a pair of determined sea green ones. "Run".
So I did, Finnick nipping at my heels as we both out ran the rest of the Monkeys. Once we hit the water I faced them again, my eyes and machete following their every move. Yet, they stayed and observed us from the sand. Finnick was slightly in front of me, crouched down with his trident ready to throw.
Both of us panting excessively. We watched as they retreated back into the jungle, leaving just Finnick and I alone. I quickly turned my head to the right to find both Katniss and Peeta with the dying tribute from Six a bit away from us.
Releasing a shaky breath, I looked down at my machete that's dripping with blood. My only thought is well at least it's animal and not human. Shit. I only just realised I haven't killed anyone so far. Day two and a tribute from district One hasn't killed anyone. I haven't killed anyone...in the hunger games. My poor District and damn it! its probably cost me all my sponsors.
I looked up at Finnick and point my machete at him. His trident faced me in seconds, his eyes flickering all over my face to figure me out. He smirked. "I did just save your life, Love. I think that's three times now".
I rose an eyebrow while my hand griped the handle tighter. "Three times?"
He tipped his head at me. "Pike, Fog and Monkeys. Could've told Peeta to keep that machete".
I bit my lip. "But you didn't".
He looked up at me challengingly with a smirk. "But I didn't".
And now we're at a standstill. I hesitanlty looked behind me at the cornecopia before looking back towards Finnick in disapointment. The careers aren't even here and he's saved me three times now. I lowered my machete, my eyes never leaving Finnick's green ones. He chuckled to himself and let his trident rest in his arms. Fuck I have gone soft.
Finnick walked slowly into the jungle and I let him. Not bothering to follow after what just happened. Confusion forever written all over my face.
