(Age 23, The 75th Hunger Games- Quarter Quell )
It took him a long time to calm me down. Finnick had instantly told Peeta and Katniss to go in the water for a bit. Allot of resting his forehead on mine, breathing exercises and kissing my forehead like Gloss did the night before the games. He did all that until I was composed.
He hadn't really said anything but it was the way he sat and endured the pain with me. Shared the burden of seeing something so horrible at age eighteen. I was the first to break the silence. "It's just in that water...all I could think about was where did it go. Did it sink, float or swim about with us? And S-Sparks let go". I don't think he'd know who that is or if he understood everything a hundred percent. But it showed I, like all the other victors was forever haunted by my games. And that wave was literally washing up old memories. "Sometimes if I close my eyes real tight, I think I can feel his fingers brush mine. But when I reach out for him he's not there. I'm not in that water beacuse I'm waking up in my room screaming".
Another kiss to my temple. This one lingered but I let it. I don't know why I was letting him be so touchy feely. Maybe because I'd never had someone just hold me and it felt good being in Finnick's arms. I felt his head rest on mine. "He was kind. I know he killed in the games. But I think if people got to know him they'd like him. We didn't know any better it's just what we're taught".
Finnick's head rose from mine and he looked at me encouragingly. Suddenly allot more intrested in listening to my words over being pyhsical. "What'd you mean?"
I sighed while staring out at the water. "In my district like all districts we're Isolated from everyone else. But they don't..." I felt like I should stop. That my District and Snow wouldn't appreaciate it. Words like this could cause uprisings in District One...maybe even Two. I suddenly scoffed. "Forget it, it doesn't matter anyway".
Finnick's eyes never left my face. "It matters to me."
I shook my head and looked up at the sky. "I t-think I'm going to go get some water".
I stood up, out of his embrace but he was beside me instantly. His face was conerned and troubled. "I'll come with you then".
I found my my eyes trailing down to our joint hands. Would he eventually be ripped away from me like Sparks was? I shouldn't get too attached to Finnick...not in a deathly arena. I dropped his hand. "It's fine".
We stayed mostly on the beach just figuring out the best ways to get food and what not. Taking turns of watching eachother sleep. I still hadn't been a guard yet which highlighted that everyone except Finnick doesn't trust me.
Suddenly Katniss loaded an arrow making my grip on my machete intensify. She inhaled beside me. "Someones here".
We all hid more so in the tree line ready for anything. I could tell the intruders wern't the careers so even I wasn't safe. I heard Finnick mutter "...Johanna?"
Instantly Finnick was running over to them, trident raised "Johanna!"
I closed my eyes and sighed in frustration. So I was right. He is allies with Johanna Mason. Johanna who hates me. Fan-fucking-tastic.
...but where did that leave me? Would she kill me? Would he let her?...
Haymitch watnted me. And Finnick wanted Katniss and to keep Katniss he'd need me because of Haymicth?
Yeah, even in my head that didn't add up.
Katniss and Peeta, like me hadn't moved an inch. We stayed hidden and stared at Johanna Mason embracing Finnick happily. Both Katniss and I watched with matching weary faces while Peeta shrugged. "Guess we have more allies".
I huffed. "You'd be an idiot to trust her."
Katniss looked down at me before a wave of understanding crossed her face. She nodded at me in thanks before we started making our way over to them. Let's not forget how Johanna won her games.
I trailed beside Katniss who'd sadly lowered her arrow. "...Well I got 'em out. We were all the way deep into the jungle."
I felt myself freeze when I saw them. My eyes grew about ten sizes in their sockets. Blood, they were covered in it like... the girl, Annie. I could feel myself shaking now, not at all taking in a word Johanna said. They have heads don't they? I took a shaky breath before I dropped to the ground and closed my eyes.
"...turned out to be blood. Hot, think blood. It was coming down it was choking us. We were stumbling around gagging on it, blind."
"Tik Tok"
Get me out, I want out!
"That's when Blight hit the force field. He wasn't much but he was from ho-". She paused and I knew it was either because of me or Katniss. "She's actually here!".
Whose here? I heard Katniss sigh. "She's his condition".
Me, so its me. I heard Johanna scoff in Finnick's direction.
"Tik Tok".
"What's wrong with her?". Katniss again. I felt like it held too much concern to be aimed at me. It was also weird nobody asked why I was on the ground, head in my hands. They all saw, yet no one, not even Finnick helped me. It was like they all knew what my reaction would be yet they're not doing anything.
Infact, they're forcing me to endure all the pain of it. I could tell they wanted me to suffer through this. Katniss cause she hates me. But Finnick, Johanna, Blight and maybe even Wirless all had an ulterior motive. One that required me nearly going to breaking point. The only question is why?
What possible movitve is there?, They can all kill me now. Why make me breakdown infront of the whole country? What's to gain here?
I heard Beetee grunt. "She's in shock. Dehydration isn't helping. Do you have fresh water?"
"We can get some"
"Tik Tok".
I heard a stuggle between Katniss and Johanna. I heard Finnick and Peeta get involved but I did nothing, not a thing. I just had my eyes closed, head in my hands trying to block them out. The screams were in my head again. Her screams, my screams...our screams.
"...I got them out for you!". What?
I slowly opened my eyes and looked at Katniss' confused face. She turned to Peeta with a raised eyebrow. "Got them out for me, what does that mean?".
He shrugged. "You did say you wanted them as allies".
"Tik Tok". As soon as my eyes landed on Wireless I closed them in fear.
Katnss sighed above me in Wiress' direction. "Come on, you. Let's get you cleaned up".
I felt a hand on my back making me jump. I looked up at Peeta's kind smile and I breathed out a sigh before I finally felt myself relax. He chuckled lightly. "Not a fan of blood I take it".
I snorted. "You have no idea".
I have decided from this point on I'm only trusting Peeta. And even then, trust is such a strong word. I'd say more so I believe he has better intensions then the others. The others who besides Katniss, I know have ulterior motives. So everyone else isn't to be trusted under any circumstances, at least that's what my training tells me.
They'd all cleaned themselves off by now. Johanna sat on the other side of circle gulping down as much water as she possibly could. I found it almost fascinating to watch. She didn't seem to swallow, the water just poured down her throat which doesn't seem normal or healthy.
Finnick told everyone what we'd been through, skipping out Mags entirely. It was decided then that Katniss and Johanna would take watch.
Yeah, you can bet 100% I'm just 'resting my eyes' with only those two watching me sleep. Theres no way I'd make it out alive now! Not with all these newbies around me. Double the tributes in the alliance meant double the amount of people to run from.
"How'd you lose Mags?"
Katniss didn't reply straight away. "In the fog. Finnick had Mags. I fell, Velvet helped me up but she got hit bad by it . Then Peeta got hit so I carried him for a while. She was on the ground by that stage and I couldn't lift her...not both of them anyhow. Finnick said we couldn't take all three. Mags kissed him and walked right into the poison,"
"She was Finnick's mentor, you know," Johanna sounded down right hostile.
"No, I didn't,".
"She was half his family,". This times she's calmer and I could feel her eyes watching me. "She really helped you?"
Katniss paused again. "yes, but she's attempted to kill me more times than I count. Nearly managed it today before Finnick stepped in."
Johanna scoffed.
Katniss then asked her another question. "So, what were you doing with Nuts and Volts?"
"I told you — I got them for you. Haymitch said if we were to be allies I had to bring them to you, That's what you told him, right?".
Well now that's interesting. Why is Haymitch, whose not even here, organising an alliance with all these killers? Surely, it puts his little Mockingjay at a higher risk when we eventually split off.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
"I hope so."
"Tick, tock," Guess crazy just woke up.
"Oh, goody, she's back. Okay, I'm going to sleep. You and Nuts can guard together," .
I can hear Johanna walking amoungst all off us before she flings herself beside me. God, I'm trying my hardest not to cringe. Finnick Odair on my right and Johanna Mason on my left. Yeah, definitely won't be able to escape now. Not unless I want to die from either axe or trident.
