Puzzle Pieces • Finnick Odair

C H A P T E R 3 4

"Run! Run! The fog is poison!" Katniss screams as a wispy, greyish fog had appeared besides her and licked at her fingertips.

The group got to their feet, quickly collecting their belongings, before running.

As they ran, cutting through the bushes in their way, the fog started to come from different directions, cutting of their paths as it filled the space around them.

The fog inches closer until it's grazing their skin causing yelps of pain to be released from their mouths.

Peeta falls to the floor.

"I can't carry him," Katniss says through tears, "Peeta, please, stand up. We have to go."

Finnick kneels down, taking one of Peeta's arms as Jessica took his other one. Katniss led the way, cutting through bushes and branches in the way.

The fog caught back up to them, tickling their limbs nastily causing noticeable white boils to appear. As fatigue started to set it, as well as the added weight of Peeta and the pain from the gas boils, they unwillingly started to slow down.

They all groaned in pain as the fog covered almost their entire bodies. The next thing they know, they are all rolling down a hill. They reached the bottom, watching the fog approach them, unable to move.

Just as they think it's their time, waiting for the pain of which a cannon would follow, the fog stopped. It looked as though it had reached an invisible wall, almost like the force field.

Sighing in both relief and confusion, they watched the fog disappear as if it hadn't almost taken their lives.

Katniss Everdeen crawled her way over to the water, releasing a scream as her hand dipped into it, the water around her hand became a misty white as the boils disappeared without a trace or mark.

"The water! The water helps," Katniss exclaims.

Peeta and Jessica, who were close behind the raven haired girl, crawled over. The three fully submerged themselves into the water, moaning and crying as the immense pain turned to relief.

Finnick was still lay on the ground in pain, unable to move as he had gotten the brunt of the fog. Peeta and Katniss dragged him into the water and left him there with Jessica.

As his body met the water, strained screams escaped from his mouth, no matter how hard he tried to contain them.

Jessica held his head against her body, doing her best to sooth the boy as she gently dunked his head in the water every now and then to make sure he was completely clean and submerged. As soft whimpers left his mouth due to pain, Jessica stroked his hair, talking to him as a distraction. Once she was certain all the boils had been removed from his body, she dragged him to the side of the water with her and Peeta helped her take him to a nearby tree and lean him against it so he was sitting upright.

Soon enough, the pain subsided and he was able to speak again, "how do I look now?"

"Pretty as always, don't worry," she joked back.

Despite what had just occurred, the two still found themselves able to relax in each other's company, joking and teasing as they would at home.

Out of nowhere, Finnick's smirk drops and his body tensed, he motions to Peeta who had been filling a cup with water. She noticed the monkeys and notified Katniss, "Katniss," she whispers. "Kitty!" She whisper yells.

The girl on fire turns, confused by the tense hostility in her tone until she sees them. Understanding, she calls out to a blissfully unaware Peeta, who replied with a nonchalant, "yeah?"

"Walk over here slowly," she warns him right before a monkey growls at him, bearing its teeth, causing the boy to jump.

As the 4 stood as a group in the water, the monkeys surrounding them growling and pacing, they each equipped themselves with weapons, preparing for a fight.

"Get to the beach," as Katniss turns, the monkeys block their path to the beach, as if they had heard and understood her.

The monkeys started to mockingly bounce on the branches, the growling intensifying.

They begin to fight them off, monkeys approaching from every direction. One pounces on Katniss, temporarily submerging her in the water. As Jessica's blade met the monkeys back, it went limp, allowing Katniss to stand.

They all ran to the beach, still fighting monkeys as they went. As one was about to get Peeta, someone jumps in the way, saving him, sacrificing themselves.

"Who is that?" Katniss wonders out loud, staring at the bleeding, gasping girl lay on the ground.

"A Morphling! Help me get her!" As Peeta and Katniss carried the girl away, Finnick and Jessica held off the monkey mutts.

When they reached the safety of the beach, the monkeys didn't follow. Jessica sat panting on the sand, twin blades still equipped and ready, Finnick had his trident aimed at the monkeys remaining in the tree line, Katniss and Peeta were in the water with the female Morphling, Peeta showed her the colourful sky, letting her die as peacefully as possible in his arms. A canon fires and her body is picked up and taken away.

The monkeys retreat into the jungle, though Finnick is still tense.

AN: dw, Mags is safe and sound back in district 4.