Cinna came to get me and helped me into a wetsuit. He did my hair in my signature braid and we went to the elevator. The door opens revealing the aircraft that would take us to the arena. He placed a had on my back, guiding me out of the elevator and into the aircraft. I held out my arm to the Peacekeeper when he came to put my tracker in.
"Your tracker." He said and then violently jabs the needle into my skin. I let out a gasps when he pulls it out. I grip onto the seat as the craft takes off. We get to the arena quickly and move to my station.
"This suit is light. No thermal." Cinna told me as we waited for the count down to start. "So I'd guess tropics or desert."
"Sixty seconds to launch."
"That dress was beautiful." I said a little choked up. "The best one you've ever made."
"I thought you'd like it." He said with a small smile.
"I just wanted to tell you, because I don't . . ."
"Stop." He cut in, shaking his head. "Remember, I'm still betting on you, Girl on Fire." He pins my Mockingjay pin to my sleeve and covers it. We stare at each other for a few moments lost for words before he brings me into a embrace. I let out a sigh and close my eyes.
"Ten seconds to launch." We let go and I walk over to the tube. It closes me in but it doesn't move me up after the ten seconds are up. I look at it confused then to Cinna. The door to my station opens and three Peacekeepers rush in. One hits Cinna in the face causing him grunt.
"No!" I yelled, banging on the glass. "Cinna! No!" They bash his face into the glass, he falls to the ground. They begin to whack him with batons and kicks. I continue to scream and bang on the glass. "No! Cinna!" I sobbed. My tube begins to rise as they dragged him away. "Please, Cinna!" But my voice was too muffled and everything went black. "No, no . . ." I sobbed to myself. I look up as sunlight pours over me. I look around, my breathing coming in pants. Water, water was everywhere. The Cornucopia was on an island and there was a beach that connected to a jungle. I looked for Peeta, he can't swim and especially not with his metal leg. I look at the two Careers beside me, breathing heavily.
"Let the 75th Hunger Games begin." I kept looking for Peeta. "May the odds be ever in your favor."
"Peeta?" I whispered, panting.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six," I get ready to jump into the water. "five, four, three, two, one." The cannon fires. I dive into the water and began to swim to the lines coming from the island. I climb up onto the rocks. I glance over, panting and spotted Brutus. I quickly get up onto the ledge and run to the Cornucopia. I kept looking around, watching the other Tributes and making sure I didn't slip. I glanced to my left to see a male Tribute was keeping speed with me which only caused me to go faster. I glanced over to him again and watched him trip and fall. I got onto the island and grabbed the bow and quiver of arrows. I notched an arrow and aimed it at the Tribute that was running up to the Cornucopia. I released the arrow and it hit his foot. He fell into the water. I notched another when a clattering sounded behind me. Fin raised his hand showing me Haymitch's gold bangle.
"Good thing we're allies, right?" He asked. I nodded and lower my bow slightly. "Duck." I did as he told me. He threw his trident, hitting a Tribute coming up behind me. I gasped as the cannon fires. "Don't trust One and Two." I watched him as he took his trident out of the dead male. "I'll take this side. You hold them off. I'll go find Peeta." I stood up and notched another arrow, shooting it at Enobaria. She dodges and dives into the water, the arrow missing her by inches. Fin rounds the corner. "Lils, Mags found him. He's over here." We raced back towards Mags and Peeta. As soon as Mags saw us, she begins to point towards the water. We all look out towards Peeta's pedestal to see him try to get back on it but only to be pulled into the water by another Tribute. Fin dives into the water after he gives Mags his trident and I notch an arrow but don't have a clear enough shot. I lower my bow and just watch with Mags as Peeta tries to fight off the other Tribute. Suddenly, the tribute pulls Peeta under the water.
"Peeta?" I called. Fin begins to swim faster when they don't resurface after a few minutes. A cannon fires off. "Peeta!" I screamed. A body floats to the top of the water, facing down into the water. Air bubbles began to appear next to it. Peeta jumps up in the water, gasping. I sigh in relief and look to the island. The Career pack was there making plans. Fin places Mags on his back and we begin to run into the jungle, trying to get as far away from the Cornucopia.
"Lils, Lils, go, go, go!" Fin stopped and made me run in front of him. We kept running, the cannons going off. "Okay, hold up. Hold up." Peeta and I stopped in a leafy area, "Here you go." Fin gently placed Mags back on the ground. We all sat down in a small circle. Bugs buzzing around us and birds chirping in the air.
"God, it's hot." Peeta said. "We gotta find fresh water." The cannon went off three times.
"Well, I guess we're not holding hands anymore." Fin chuckles.
"Fin, it's not funny." I scolded him in disapproval. "Those were people who probably had a life waiting for them back home." He had the grace to look a little ashamed.
"Let's keep moving." Peeta told us. I handed him a machete as Fin got Mags back onto his back. Peeta lead the way, cutting down anything blocking our patch while I was in the back as look out. I glanced around, I squinted my eyes when I saw something simmer up head near Peeta. I looked at it a little more closely. 'Forcefield!' I thought a little too late as Peeta swung his sword at it.
"Peeta, no!" I yelled. He hit the forcefield and his body shot back into us. I quickly scrambled up and over to him. "Peeta?" I asked when I saw his body wasn't moving. I turned him on his back, "Peeta?" I start to check for his pulse. He wasn't breathing. I turned to Fin, hysterical. "He's not breathing!" I cried to him, then look back at Peeta. "He's not breathing!" Fin pushed me out of the way and began to perform CPR on Peeta. I placed my hand on Peeta's head. "Peeta?"
"Come on! Come on!" Fin exclaimed.
"Please, wake up." I sob. "No." Tears running down my face, uncontrollable.
"Come on!" I grab onto his shoulder. "Come on. Come on. Come on, Peeta!" Fin continued to perform CPR.
"Please, Peeta. Peeta." I whispered out with a hoarse voice. After one more puff of air into his mouth, Peeta gasped for air. "Peeta?" I brushed my hand through his hair. He opens his eyes and looks at me. "Oh, my God." I sobbed to him.
"Be careful. There's a force field up there." He told us. I let out a watery chuckle and kiss him. My body shaking with left over fright.
"You were dead. Your heart stopped." I went back to sobbing.
"It's okay." He whispered. "It's working now." I placed my head into his shoulder.
"Do you wanna stand up?" I asked him, not caring about my grammar at the moment.
"Yeah." He nodded. I help him slowly off the ground and wrap my arms around him, still shaking. "It's okay." He whispered into my ear. We begin to move again but this with me in the front, throwing rocks to see where the force field was.
"Hang on." I said after a moment of studying it. I walk over to a tall tree and begin to climb up it, all the way to the top. I look all around, spotting the island and beach then look up towards the sky. I notch a arrow, shooting it up at the dome. Once the arrow hit, the force field showed itself. I climbed back down the tree and went back to the others. "The force field is a dome. We're at the edge of the arena." I sat down next to Peeta. "I couldn't find any signs of fresh water." I sighed.
"It's gonna get dark soon." We look towards Fin. "We'll be safe with our backs protected. Wh should set up camp. Take turns sleeping. I can take the first watch."
"No." I shook my head. "I'll take it." He raised an eyebrow at me. "I won't be able to sleep after everything that's happen." Fin sighs and nods.
"Alright, but I'll stay up with you for a bit." I nodded, I turned to Peeta.
"Why don't you get some rest?" He looked at me then towards Fin.
"Just for a little bit." He told me and went to go sleep. I look over and watch Fin help Mags find somewhere to rest. I sit down on a rock and leaned back against the trees. Peeta found a place that was in my line of view which I was grateful for. Fin came back over to me and sat down. It began to grow dark as we sat there.
"How's Peeta?" He asked after a while.
"Fine. Dehydrated like the rest of us." I said. The anthem begins to play waking Peeta and Mags up. We watched as all of the fallen Tributes pictures showed up in the sky. "Eight." I said out loud like last time.
"Mmm-hmm." I snapped my head to Fin, startled. He raised his eyebrows.
"Sorry." was all I said to him as a electronic beep chimed. I look up and spot a parachute. "Hey." I went over to it. I open the basket and picked up the note inside.
"Drink up - H." I look at the silver piece of metal.
"Drink up?" I question as I took it out and then look to the trees.
"What is it?" Fin asked.
"I think it's a spile." I told him, going over to a tree and hit it in with a rock. I watch it, hoping I was right. Peeta came over to us as we waited. I gasp in delight when water begins to stream out.
"You're kidding me. You're kidding me." Fin said in shock as I took a drink. "Get some water." He told Peeta then took his turn after Peeta. "I'm gonna get a leaf." He ran off to get a leaf for Mags. I took another drink and splash some of it on my face. "I'll get some for Mags." Fin whispered to me and went over to her with the water. After a bit, Peeta and Mags went back to sleep leaving Fin and I to lookout. Everyone jolted up when a alarm sounded rhythmically. Then it suddenly stops.
"I counted twelve." I told Fin.
"Midnight?" He questioned.
"Or the number of District." I turned when I heard a machine powering up in the distance. Then lightening starts to hit a tree with thunder rumbling. I counted the number of times the tree was struck.
"Well." Fin sighs as I tilted my head to him but not looking away from the lightening. "If you're not gonna sleep, I will."
"Okay." I whispered, still counting the strikes. I leaned against a trunk as I kept watch, my eye lids slowly falling shut. My head rolls to the side and I jerk up with a gasp. I look over to Peeta, seeing he's still asleep. I get up and walk around to keep myself awake. I look up when everything goes silent. Turning my head to the side, I see white fog slowly creeping up on us. I stick my hand out to it, only to jerk it back with a pain filled scream. "Run! The fog is poison!" I yelled to the others. We all scrambled up, Fin rushes over to Mags.
"Come on, come on, come on." He chants to her as she gets on his back. I held my hand to my chest as we ran as fast as we could from the fog. We run through the forest, the fog close behind us. We change direction when the fog cornered us. I trip over a root or something and fall to the ground with a grunt. I glanced back at the fog. Peeta runs back to me and helps me up as the fog gets us. We both let out loud groans as the fog hits us as we try to get up. Peeta kept falling to the ground after that, I went over to him and slung his arm around my shoulder. I turned my head at the sound of Fin screaming in pain. Peeta trips again, bringing me down with him.
"Peeta." He's covered in blisters caused by the fog. I look up when Fin comes over with makes. "I can't carry him." I told him. I turn back to Peeta. "Please, stand up. We have to go." I pleaded with him, even though it was no use.
"Mags?" I turn at Fin's call. "Mags?" His voice broke, I shot over Peeta to grab hold of him. "Mags!"
"Fin." I called to him as we watch Mags walk into the fog.
"Mags!" He yelled and the cannon went off. I tugged on his arm.
"Fin." He turned to me. "We have to go. I'm sorry, but we have to get out of here." He pulls one of Peeta's arm over his shoulder while I take the other one.
"All right, come on, come on." We stand up and hobble as fast as we could. The fog vastly gaining on us. We all screamed in agony as the fog brushed our backs before we tumbled down a hill. I jerkily turned around and watched powerless as the fog closed in on us. But it went upwards then disappeared. I let out a sigh before tilting my head when I saw a monkey in the tree.