Thank you so much for the positive feedback on this! I appreciate it. This chapter is a little bit more exciting. Thanks again!
I wake up in the morning to Haymitch shaking me again. How does he keep getting into my room? He says I need to eat and hurry down to my prep team. Today's the day. I don't really feel much like eating, so I sit at the table with Effie, Haymitch and Peeta, and play with the food with my fork. "You might want to eat that, sweetheart." Haymitch remarks. "And why is that?" I spit out. "Young lady..." Effie starts. I didn't mean to sound so rude, but even Haymitch must understand my frustration...with the Games, the President watching me, the whole propaganda love story... "Because in an hour, you'll be heading down to the arena, and you won't have food there. Nothing as good as this, anyway." He says. He's probably right. I just don't feel like eating.
"Remember what we talked about, anyway, about allies? You're going to need them." He says. "Haymitch, I don't trust any of the people here. they're insane." I say back. "Katniss, it's not about trusting them. We need them to survive." Peeta says. I guess he's right. "Fine." I say quietly. I dont want any other allies besides Peeta. Apparently, a handful of the tributes are all requesting me as an ally after seeing me shoot my bow. I'll just have to deal with it. Then again, I might change my mind. As soon as you enter the arena, your mindset completely changes. You become someone else. "You both deserved a lot better.." Sobs Effie before she hugs us both tightly and sends us on our way. She's crying. She's risking ruining her striking make up for 2 District 12 tributes. Poor Effie is all that goes through my head. Haymitch pets my hair and gives me a hug, and I notice the gold bracelet he has on. It almost looks like flames. "Any last bit of advice?" I ask. He smiles. "Stay alive." With that, the goodbye's are good and gone and I'm on my way with Peeta downstairs.
I hold Peeta's hand and walk to where our prep teams are. He kisses me on the head and walks towards his team while I turn to mine. There's something really comforting about holding his hand. It makes me feel safer. Cinna takes me to the launch pad where the hovercraft is locates after braiding my hair in the signature side braid. We board the hovercraft. The peacekeeper stands next to me with a big needle in his hand. "Your arm?", He puts out his hand, "For your tracker." He injects the tracker into my arm and I don't even flinch. There are much more things to fear than a needle or an injection.
We land under the arena, and I go with Cinna to my launch pad. He dresses me up in my outfit. It's almost like a wetsuit, or something. It's Blue, with small black three-dimensional hexagon shapes all over it, Black boots, and fingerless black gloves that go from my hand, wrap around my thumb and go up to my elbow. "I'm still betting on you, Girl on Fire." He gives me a huge hug. I lean into the embrace and hug him hard back. He puts my mockingjay pin on the arm of my suit and covers it with the glove. He shoots me a smile and the next thing I know, I'm secured in a glass tube, which will be rising up to the arena in 30 seconds. I put my hand against the glass and smile. I'm going to miss Cinna. Peacekeepers burst through the door. I'm paralyzed, Cinna turns around in shock, and the peacekeepers whip out their batons and the last image I have in my mind is me screaming and slamming on the glass, and Cinna's blood on the floor. I rise up to the arena, my heart racing. I know what I just saw was horrible but I have to switch my mindset now. I'm in a deathmatch.
I look around. Water...water...jungle... more water. A huge circle of water, with 12 rocky spokes jutting out, and leading to the middle, a small island holding the cornucopia. There is a shore...a beach, and behind that is all jungle. It almost looks like a bicycle wheel. "Let the 75th annual Hunger Games begin!", I hear the voice and the gunshot indicating that I have to kill people now. Innocent people. I dive straight into the water and glide through with ease. I pull myself up on to the rocks and race towards the cornucopia. I have to get something, a weapon. Preferably a bow. I see one straight ahead of me, and pick it up. I shot one of the other victors in the knee, I'm not quite sure who. Enobaria dodged my arrow, and I hear clanking behind me. It takes me a minute but I register what it is. Someone's behind me. I turn around and aim my bow, about to take the life of another person, when I see Finnick standing in front of me.
I hesitate. I decide to do it. I pull my arrow back, and he lifts up his hand. "Katniss..." He starts. I notice the bangle on his hand. The same one Haymitch was wearing before he hugged me goodbye. "Where did you-" I began, "There's no time. Don't trust 1 and 2, I'll find Peeta." He finishes for me and runs off to the other side. I guess I have another ally. I shoot and kill someone coming at me from District 5, but it's all a blur. Cannons go off, weapons clang, water splashes. Finnick jumps in the water to save Peeta, who's fighting with another tribute. I hear a cannon. For an instant my heart stops. Oh my god. Did Peeta die? "Peeta?" I ask, under my breath. I see him swim up from underwater, panting. I sigh with relief.
In total, our ally group consists of four people. Peeta, Myself, Finnick, and his district partner, Mags. An older woman who volunteered for Annie Cresta, who went haywire when she got picked. I wanted Mags as an ally, if anyone along with Wiress and Beetee, the District 3 tributes who were incredibly tech-savvy and intelligent. Who knows where they are right now. Finnick wields a trident, and Peeta a machete. Mags has nothing, and she rides on Finnick's back. I have my bow and a quiver of arrows. We tread through the damp hot jungle. Learning from Wiress and Beetee, I can see where the forcefield is, as well as locate all of the cameras in the arena. A few cannons go off as we are walking. I'm guessing that there are anywhere from 10 -12 tributes left.
As Peeta's slicing his way through the jungle, I notice he is heading straight into a forcefield. "PEETA!" I scream out. Right as he's about to swing the machete down, he stops and turns around. "What's the matter?", Finnick asks urgently. "Yeah, Katniss, are you okay?" Peeta adds. I shake my head at them. "Forcefield up ahead" I say. "How do you know that?", Peeta asks with a confused look on his face. "I can hear it slightly. I'm not sure but it's better not to take the risk." Everyone gets quiet for a minute. "I don't hear anything...", says Finnick. "Well, after the last Games, the Capitol reconstructed my ear. I probably have better hearing or something." I say, trying to look convincing. "Oh, after the explosion of the mines... I remember seeing that." Finnick says. He smirks at me. I roll my eyes in disgust. "Let's just keep walking, please?" I plead. I only lied because I didn't want the Capitol thinking I was outsmarting them.
When night falls, Peeta is incredibly dehydrated. I take note of everything as I walk by, no sign of water. Mags is resting against a rock, and Peeta's a few feet away, near a big tree. "I'm way too thisty." He says, his voice raspy, basically begging for something to quench his thirst. Mags nods. "I don't feel that bad," I say, "I'll look around in search of fresh water." "I'd better come with you," says Peeta, getting up. "No. You sit down with Mag's, I'll go with her." Says Finnick. My heart kind of jumps. I don't know why. "Fine... keep her safe for me." Says Peeta.
Me and Finnick walk through the jungle, keeping note of things as we quietly walk by, so we can find our way back to where Peeta and Mags are. We don't talk much for the first 5 minutes and then he says, "What's wrong girl on fire? Am I too much for you?". I scoff, and say, "Let's just focus on getting water, Odair." He frowns. "Can't you call me anything else besides Odair?". "Okay, obnoxious." I retort. "How about Finnick?" He says. I roll my eyes. "Okay, Finnick." I say. Better to give him what he wants, I have no energy to argue. He smiles, and continues walking. We wander our way into an odd section of the arena. All of the trees are about 3x taller, and have very thick, dark leaves. I notice this part of the arena doesn't have any cameras. Another flaw in their plan. There's always a flaw in the system... Beetee's voice rings in my head. He's right. I can't expect him to be wrong, though. He's too smart.
Finnick looks around, taking in our surroundings. He scrunches his nose and frowns. "What's with these trees? They look different." He states. I shrug and sit down on a large log for a few seconds, to gain my energy back. He sits next to me. "What am I going to do?" I say, "We need water for Peeta..." I start to feel my stomach turn. I'm picturing him dying of dehydration, and it all being my fault. "What about Mags?" He groaned. I honestly forgot about Mags. All I'm thinking about is saving Peeta. My drunken promise with Haymitch to keep him alive... "Sorry." I consoled. He put his face in his hands for a moment, and ran his hands through his hair.
The air smells slightly sweet. I can't quite place what it is. I get a little dizzy. Finnick must have gotten dizzy too, because he put his hands down next to him, stabilizing him. His eyes looked glassy. Is he going to cry? Or is it the scent that seems a little more overwhelming now then it did before? "Your eyes are glassy.." He interrupts my thoughts. I'm confused. His voice sounded a little droopy and slow. Am I alright? "Finnick?" I ask. "Yeah?" He sighed, and smiled. "I feel..." I start, "fuzzy and warm?" He says with a chuckle. I do kind of feel that way. I nod and look around. The trees, they're so tall. The leaves are gigantic and are shades of dark greens with blue and even a little bit of pink in them. The droopy, drawly feeling I had before is now replaced with unnatural energy. I still feel weird. "W-what's happening?" I stutter. I don't understand what it is. "Probably dehydration..." His voice trails.
I look at him, he has small beads of sweat on his forehead, and his messy copper hair shines in the moonlight. Of course it's not the real moon though. I put my hand on his leg, involuntarily. He looks at me, and grinds his teeth a little, then bites his lip. The charismatic, sensitive light in his sea-green eyes, are replaced with something else. It looks almost maniacal. He stands up, pulls me up with him, and pulls me close to him. I'm right up against his sturdy, hard body. It wasn't until then that I realized I craved his touch. It feels more electric then it ever has. I start putting the pieces together. The sweet smell, the unknown area of the arena... (The scent probably came from the front of the arena, given that we're in very the back of it.), the feelings, the way his touch feels...
"Finnick..." I whisper. "I think this is an effect of the Games..." "Let's be honest sweetheart, this would have happened anyway." He whispers back. He doesn't sound like himself. Before I know it, I'm up against one of the huge trees with Finnick's body against mine. I throw my legs around his body and he grinds himself on me. He grabs my hips and whispers all kinds of dirty things into my neck, in hot breaths. What would everybody think right now? This is humiliating. I can't stop. I remember something There are no cameras in the back of this section. Why? I can't keep my thoughts together. All I want is my hands on his bare muscular back, while he pushes himself inside of me, making me feel like... "I'm going to make you come so sweetly," He says with a laugh.
He gently pushes me down and lays me on the ground in front of him. I can clearly see his boner through his wetsuit. Normally I'd blush and become awkward upon seeing that, but instead, all I can picture is him inside of me. He kissed my neck, definitely a lot rougher than last time.. nipping and biting here and there. He started sucking one of the sensitive spots on my neck, and I sigh and moan quietly, my nails digging into his back. He unzipped his suit, so his bare chest was against me, before unzipping mine. He's moving way to fast. His eyes have a crazy look in them. "Take off your bra." He starts with a smile. I take my bra off, and before I even get a chance to put it down he's sucking on my breasts. "Finnick..." I groan. I can't help myself. It feels amazing. I'm not thinking of anybody else but him. He stops for a moment. "Yeah?" He says, raising his eyebrow and smirking. "Shut up." I snap and grab his hair so I can move his head back to where it was.
He unzips me more and licks down my stomach. He starts licking between my legs. I shake and shudder. I grab the ground next to me. "Oh!" I exclaim. He hit a sensitive spot that I've never felt before. I pull him up and turn the tables. He's on the floor in front of me, practically naked. I go down and bob my head on his boner, making him gasp and let out small moans. His hand finds its place on the back of my head, assisting me in speed and deepness as I take him in my mouth. He aggressively snaps up and flips me over, so that I'm on my stomach, and literally within seconds he's inside of me. "Whoa!" I exclaim. The swiftness of that was so deft, it was almost inhumane. He pulls my hips up a little. "Couldn't help myself." He quickly said through gritted teeth and a smile. He's extremely hot in this persona. It could also be the effects of this weird-for lack of a better word- drug, that's making him seem so attractive to me.
He pounds me hard and fast. I can't even think about anything else right now. I feel like pure bliss. He bites his lip and goes hard, hands grasping tight on to my hips. I moan his name and the faster he goes, the louder I moan. He reaches his arm around me and covers my mouth.. "Shhh!" He hisses. I can tell he's smiling though. Still has a maniacal look in those eyes. I feel reality hit me harder. I think I'm coming off of the drug. He still feels amazing though, and I don't want to stop. I don't want him to stop. He sighs, and keeps going. Pumping in and out. His hands grasp even harder on my hips. "I'm-I'm gonna.." He says, breathlessly, and I feel a warm surge inside me. I wonder if he's himself yet. I turn around to see him panting and smiling. "Wow, Girl on Fire. You sure know how to make a guy come." He laughs to himself, and my look made his laughing fade out. He smiled. "Up for another round?" I punch him in the arm.
"I'm sorry." He says quickly and quietly. I'm standing now, zipping myself back up, and he's sitting on the log. He doesn't know that there weren't any cameras, but doesn't seem bothered by it. I stride over to him and lean over, matching his height. I slowly kiss his neck, making him sigh and grip on to me. "It wasn't either of our faults." I said, pulling away and walking off to the side. "Were they after the humiliation factor of it, or what?" He asks. "I don't know. All I know is that it's sick either way." I said surely. I motion for him to come with me, because we need to get out of this sketchy jungle section, and back to Peeta and Mags. After all, I'm sure they're worried. I've been out under these jungle trees for about an hour, with Finnick, up against and behind me, doing you-know-what. A pang of guilt hits me when I hear his name in my head. Peeta. I betrayed him, again. I don't want to say it was worth it, but... No. I can't let myself admit that. We start back towards them, and Finnick adds, "Don't feel guilty." It's as if he can read my mind. "We were supposed to find water, to save him, and instead we..." I trail off. He winks at me. "We'll find water eventually. We have to." He says.
We don't really talk about having sex. We act like it didn't happen but the guilt burns us from the inside out. Again, catering to my own selfish needs. This time it wasn't to cope with the pain and confusion we were feeling. We did it because we were put under an influential force, and did the deed just for the nasty pleasure of it. I needed him though. Every time his body hit against mine, I felt amazing. I was on fire. I felt dangerous. Eventually, after a mostly silenced walk, we make it back to Mags and Peeta. Mags is asleep and Peeta is fumbling with something. We emerge through the bushes, and his eyes shoot up. "We couldn't find water..." I said quietly. He smiled. "It's okay, while you two were gone, Haymitch sent in a spile!" He exclaims. We sit down near him and examine the spile. I nod approvingly and hand it back to him.
"What happened to you two?" He asks, "You guys are drenched in sweat." He says. Finnick starts to talk, but I silence him by speaking over him. "Well. Uh.. we were just trudging through a humid jungle searching for water. What did you expect?" I try to say it confidently, but not too defensive. He looks a little confused. "What's that on your neck?" He asks. I realize the slight soreness, and my hand immediately touches the spot on my neck. The sensitive spot that Finnick was sucking on must've bruised. He made the mark on me. "I, uh, walked into a damned branch. I couldn't see anything in the dark! It must have bruised." I say, my cheeks getting hot.
He narrows his eyes at me, and then at Finnick. Whatever he was thinking, he must of dropped it, because he said "I missed you.",and gave me a kiss on the forehead. I feel nothing but guilt. Peeta hugs me, and over his shoulder, I see Finnick. He gives me an understanding look. He silently mouths out, "It's okay." I smile. I pull away from the hug. "I missed you too." "Show me how to use a spile?" Finnick asks. I nod and get up and take Finnick to a large tree to help him with the spile. He leans in, and whispers, "We should do that again sometime... I mean, third time's the charm isn't it?" I blush for some stupid reason and I don't know why. "Don't push it, Odair." I snap back in a whisper.