Puzzle Pieces • Finnick Odair

C H A P T E R 3 5

As the Morphlings body is picked up and the monkeys retreat back into the depths of the jungle, Katniss and Peeta stand, looking over the ocean, talking amongst themselves. Jessica walked over to Finnick, who had been watching the monkeys. He was still crouched down, trident still in hand aimed at the tree line.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch until he realised who it was, and he found himself focussing on the minor human contact like a lifeline, as if her touch was anchoring him to the very ground beneath their feet. Her gentle touch eased his mind as she spoke in an equally gentle tone, "you up for catching some lunch?"

She knew fishing would distract him, besides, they were all getting rather hungry.

They sat around, eating the fish Finnick and Jessica had caught. Peeta cracks open an oyster, handing the pearl inside to Katniss. Finnick and Jessica exchange a look as they both contain their smiles, the memory of Jess' brothers pearl in their minds.

A woman is heard screaming in the distance.

"That's new," Peeta stands, followed by the rest.

They watch a tsunami like wave wash through a section of the forest before it stops at the Cornucopia, the 'hidden wall' affect happening again. A canon fires.

They watch the shallow water reach their feet as the body across the arena is picked up and taken away.

"Someone's here," Katniss announces, loading her bow.

Jessica is stood behind Finnick, unable to see the people, her attention is caught when she hears Finnick call out, "Johanna."

Finnick and Jessica immediately set off into a run towards the girl covered in.. blood?

"Johanna!" Finnish shouts.

"Finnick?! Jessie?!" Johanna shouts back, seeing the two figures running towards her.

Johanna laughs, relieved to see her friends.

"You two okay?" Jessica asks Beetee and nods her head towards Wiress.

He nods and sends the girl a small smile as he grabs a coil.

"Well, I got 'em out. We were all the way deep into the jungle where I thought it was gonna be safe. That's when the rain started. I thought it was water. It turned out to be blood."

"Tick tock," Wiress stumbles over.

"Hot, thick blood. It was coming down. It was choking us," she scoffs, pushing off Wiress' hand who just kept repeating 'tick tock' which was clearly getting on Johanna's nerves. "We were stumbling around, gagging on it, blind. That's when Blight hit the force field. He wasn't much, but he was from home."

You could see the rage fuelling in Johanna's eyes like a burning fire. Snow. The games. The blood. Blight. Wiress repeating those same bloody words over and over again.

You could assume that, with everything going on, an easily frustrated person like Johanna would be very easily irritated at this moment in time, Jessica thought. And, soon, Jessica's point would be proven correct.

"What's wrong with her?" Katniss gestures to Wiress.

"She's in shock," Beetee replies, standing from the water he had cleaned himself in, "dehydration isn't helping. Do you have fresh water?"

"We can get some." Jessica says.

Johanna could be seen, just to the side of Beetee, trying to pry Wiress off of her, shoving her harder which caused her to fall to the ground. Katniss goes for Johanna, pushing her back, "hey! What are you doing? I got them out for you!"

Finnick stands between them, pulling Johanna away, "let me go, Finnick," Johanna says angrily. He does so once they are far enough away. He takes a few steps, letting Jessica talk to the outraged girl. When Johanna was this pissed off, Jessica was the only one who could help.

Katniss and Peeta have a short conversation before Katniss goes to clean Wiress, being the only one willing to put up with the woman's muttering.

Johanna kneels in the water, cleaning the blood off of her body and out of her dark hair. "Hey, darling," Jessica greets.

"Hey, sweetheart," Johanna smirks back, her mood immediately uplifted at the simple nickname. Jessica sat on the beech as Johanna cleaned herself off in the water, the two fell into easy conversation.

Once Johanna was clean, she went to grab her axe to clean and stood in the water by Katniss and Wiress as Jessica went to sit besides Beetee who smiled fondly at the girl, "hey Bee."

"What does Beetee have there?" Katniss asks.

"The coil? It's some kind of wire." She said vaguely and disinterested.

"Did he get it from the Cornucopia?" Katniss wonders.

"Took a knife in the back to get it." Johanna nods.

Wiress suddenly gasps, "Tick tock! Tick tock!"

"Alright. I can't. Just.. have fun with 'Nuts'," Johanna leaves before she loses her temper again.

Thunder rumbles. Lightning hits the same tree again, "tick tock."

"Tick tock," Katniss repeats, "it's a clock. It's a clock. My god, it's a clock! Wiress, your a genius. Your a genius!"

AN: Johanna, my bestie, has arrived <3