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THE WATER IS cold, and Thana pushes herself to swim to the surface. The adrenaline is already filling her body and she soon stops feeling the cold. She needs to reach the cornucopia; you can't hunt down the careers without weapons.
Left, right, left, breathe, right, left, breathe, and Thana reaches the small line closest to her platform. Before her she sees Olivia from district 10 running towards the cornucopia.
Smack, the woman slides away on the slippery surface. BOOM. Thana doesn't even have time to process that Olivia just died, because before her she sees that Finnick has reached to cornucopia. Which means the careers aren't too far behind.
Thana nods to Finnick as she enters the cornucopia, reaching for two sickles. Not scimitars, no complete half circles. She adjusts them to her hips as she picks up a sword for her brother. She quickly turns around; a sigh leaves her chest as she sees Woof standing there. She throws a vest with knives towards the man while she picks up a longer knife for Peter, remembering that he liked that. BOOM! BOOM! Thana turns and sees a dagger ingrained in Woofs head. She lets out a whimper as she gets ready to go out of the cornucopia.
Outside there is already quite some blood spilled, there is no sight of Johanna or Blight, but Thana sees Katniss and Mags standing by the water. The girl shares a nod with Mags before running towards the beach where she knows the other will be. BOOM!
...
As Thana reaches the beach, she notices that Latif and Peter are standing just in the tree line.
"Where's Olivia?" Peter asks immediately as Thana hands him the long knife. BOOM!
Thana's lips form a thin line, "I am sorry," Thana shakes her head, "she slipped before me and hit her head resulting in her death." She offers him a sad smile, "Woof has died as well."
Peter nods his head, "Cecelia didn't make it either," he pats Thana's back, "what's the plan?"
BOOM! Thana closes her eyes softly as she hands the sword to her brother, "we are going hunting." She looks at the two men, "on the careers."
Peter's eyes widen in shock, "let's keep an eye on them then." BOOM!
The trio hides themselves in the tree line with a view of the careers who are only now making their way away from the cornucopia.
"We got this," Thana tries to convince them, including herself.
"Four against three," Latif huffs, "we need to find a weak spot in their alliance."
"We need to survive the night first," Peter says, and he is correct, twilight is already setting in on the arena.
Thana looks at her pocket watch, "9 o'clock." She says, "I say we try to camp sort of close to the careers and call it a day."
The three victors manage to find a clear but sheltered place to camp for the night. Right on time to hear the anthem of Panem, in the air, faces of the fallen tributes are shown. Firstly, man from 5 followed by his district partner; the woman from 5. Next is the man from 6, Woof, Cecelia, Olivia and lastly Seeder. Thana sees Peter wipe away a fallen tear as Olivia's face is shown.
"We can't all survive," Peter tries to shrug as he notices the sad smiles Thana gives him. "She probably would've been gone anyway, I rather she went soon than later."
"I am truly sorry," Thana says, looking up at the cloudy sky that hides the stars.
"You couldn't have done anything," Peter says, laying down, "at least us three are still here."
...
Thana is awoken by a canon going off. She looks around and sees that Peter is also startled and awake.
"It is not close to us," Latif informs the two, "but yeah, we lost another one."
"God, I hope it isn't Johanna," Thana says shivering, "I would like to see her another time."
"We can only hope," Latif says, laying his arm around his sister, "but for now we are safe."
"I'll take watch over from you," Thana says, "I won't be able to sleep anyway."
...
BOOM! Thana gets up, seeing the others wake up. The girl couldn't remember the noise to be so loud. She sees Peter get up as well, leaning his body against a tree.
"This one was closer," Thana says, her voice cracking, "and why the fuck is there no water in this goddamn arena!"
"I don't know," Peter mutters, "but we might want to stay on higher alert."
"This is just a nightmare," Latif groans, "it can't be the careers, because we know they haven't passed this way and couldn't have reached it there so fast."
"Somebody else is on rampage?" Peter offers, not knowing what was going on either.
"I doubt that," Thana looks around them, "we know a lot have allied and those who didn't are not likely to go on a hunting trip, killing one at a time in the night."
Latif looks at his sister in confusion, "allies can do it as well, we are hunting."
"I feel like it is the arena," Thana mutters, "we should stay on high alert as Peter was saying. Higher than---" BOOM! "--- higher than before."
"Three more gone," Peter checks their surroundings for the hundredth time, "whatever is going on, is coming closer to us. I'll keep watch and wake any of you up in a few hours."
...
Peter shakes Thana as he hears a weird noise, the girl quickly wakes up. She looks around dazed, but her eyes widen as soon as she hears it.
"Wake Latif," Peter whispers, "it is some sort of animal, and I don't think it is a nice one."
"Probably not a harmless cow from 10 no," Thana gets up, one of her hands resting on one of her sickles as she uses the other to shake her brother. "Wake up Latif."
After another second the boy wakes up, getting up quietly as he sees Thana's finger before her mouth. Beckoning him to come closer to her so they can see and communicate with Peter who stands looking in the direction of the noise.
"What time is it?" Latif asks, trying to hide his yawn which earns an eye roll of Thana.
"A quarter past 6," Thana says, taking hold of Latif's arm to pull him back with her as an enormous beast appears before them.
"What the fuck is that?" Peter asks as he reaches the two, trying to stay hidden from the beast. "It is nothing like any animal we have in 10."
Without warning, the beast jumps forward with his attention on the tributes, and Thana can't help herself as she lets out a yelp. One claw reaches forwards and hits the girl as they try to run away. Latif in the lead as they try to get away from the beast.
With a swift movement the beast jumps over the three tributes, letting his claw tear the skin on Latif's left arm apart. The boy screams out as blood gushes over him.
Latif falls and Peter pulls out his long knife standing in between Latif and the Beast.
