𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘'𝐋𝐋 𝐉𝐔𝐌𝐏 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑.
What District 2 victor, Saffron Creek, and prodigy, Finnick Odair, share is the very antithesis of what has been stolen from them. They test the edges of the rules that construct t...
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the dunking . . . . .
However unlikely, Saffron feels that she is being taunted by the clock-shaped arena. It was Wiress who figured it out. Now, Katniss draws a circle split into a dozen wedges in the sand. She scratches a faint zigzag in the top wedge.
"It starts with the lightning." The tree she identifies towers over its surroundings. "Then the fog, the rain, and the monkeys. At ten the wave hits and soaks the beach."
Finnick's hand is loosely slotted on Saffron's hip bone as if he believes he will know what she's thinking through physical touch.
They are all in a circle around the drawing.
Wiress has fallen silent.
"There are also snakes. It was dark, so I couldn't see them, but they're weak to fresh water," Saffron says. "They're eleven or five. Within running distance of the rain."
Katniss nods.
"Fresh water?" Beetee asks.
"It's in the trees."
He looks briefly pensive. "Brilliant."
The beach is empty, but they tentatively scan the tree line anyway before scaling the rock spires to the Cornucopia. Beetee and Wiress are in the center of their single file line. Peeta is in the front and points at the Cornucopia with the end of his machete.
"The back points at twelve."
The group mills around the silver obelisk.
While Wiress sits and resumes her rhyme, Saffron rifles through the black containers. They produce nothing when overturned. Beetee and Peeta and Finnick discuss strategy around another hastily crafted diagram of the arena scratched into the dirt.
And then when Nuts gasps, Saffron's mind goes quiet.
Six heads turn and watch Gloss drag a knife across Wiress's neck. A moment later twelve ears hear a cannon. In another second Katniss's arrow has struck his chest with enough force that he falls into the water and is dead the next moment.
The remainder of the Careers pull themselves out of the water. Some bare their teeth in a twisted grin. Saffron cannot remember their names, but she doesn't care as she lunges forward to tear the knife out of a woman's fist before she can attack Johanna's turned back. Her chain laps at another's calves before he dives underwater. His skull cracks on impact, but she still jumps onto his back and looks at the sky when she drives her blade into his neck.
She creeps the perimeter of the Cornucopia until she stands perpendicular to Finnick. They are both tense. Muscles coiled.
"They're hunting us for fun," she hisses.
"I don't dis—" he starts.
They can't brace themselves when the ground beneath them begins to tremble, then spin, it is too sudden. Her hipbone falls into a jutting rock, bruising. Water sprays around them and salt splashes into their eyes.
Saffron screams and she can barely hear her own voice over the waves.
Finnick, beside her, stabs his trident into the rock and attempts to curl into himself to protect his face from the debris flinging out of the Cornucopia into the water. Meanwhile, Saffron's fingertips are only scraping dirt.
There is an empty crate barreling towards her. Finnick is stretching his arm towards her. She intakes a single gulp of air and lets go.
"Saff—"
Underwater, her chain is swept around her wrist and tightens until it hurts. Saltwater rushes into open wounds as the current tugs and forces her to flip over her head until she's dizzy.
