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010. we all fall down ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
KATNISS LED THE ALLIANCE OVER TO THE CORNUCOPIA. Whilst the woman cleansed Wiress, who was still in shock, repeating the same phrase, Katniss figured out that the arena was made out to be like a clock. The chimes they heard during their first night in the games resonated as midnight, just as Finnick suggested. Esther remained in the back, sticking close to Wiress's side. The teenager knew how shock affected a person, enduring it herself after killing someone for the first time during her first games, so she felt almost obligated to help the poor woman.
Esther kept a soft hold on Wiress's forearm, guiding her through the strip of rocks the group used to get to the cornucopia's centre. In the back, Esther slightly heard Katniss speaking, not understanding what she was saying compared to the others in the front. "This entire arena seems to be laid out like a clock with a new threat every hour, but they stay only within their wedge. It all starts with the lightning. Then the blood rain, fog and monkeys—that's the first four hours. At ten, that big wave hits from over there."
Before Esther led Wiress away from the group, wanting the woman to sit without having to worry, Finnick walked past them, peering at the woman in shock. "Wiress, you're a genius." Esther saw the smile fitting onto the woman's face when being praised for her intelligence, mimicking the same expression on her face. Esther took a gentle hold of the District 3 female tribute, guiding her softly to the edge where the water splashed onto the rocks.
Esther closed her eyes at the sound, allowing the peace to swarm her being. She heard the soft nursery rhyme spilling from Wiress. Esther never heard the song before in her life. When being raised in different districts, everyone's customs and traditions were different—even songs. It gave Esther a reminder of how isolated President Snow had made everyone, segregating everyone into different things despite bleeding the same colour. Esther bent down, swaying her hand comfortingly in the water, a sincere beam lifting on her face. She took hold of Wiress's hand, causing her to slightly jump. Esther eased her grip on the woman, waiting for her to calm down before placing her hand down. "Here. It's just water."
Wiress glanced at Esther with a seemingly confused expression before registering the sensation on her hand, a giddy chuckle slipping from the woman. Esther was content in sharing parts of her District with other people, proudly presenting her home. Esther knew what others thought of her from being in District 4—that she was possibly stuck up and self-centred—but that was misleading information. Instead, Esther educated people on the peacefulness of her home, almost resonating with the water as one.
Esther examined the woman for a moment before reluctantly standing up, leaving her side and joining the others just as Katniss pinpointed the tree that would be struck with lightning every night to Beetee. Knowing how the man won his games, Esther guessed that Beetee would use it as an advantage in his hopes of winning, possibly recreating the way he won his first games: by electrocuting the remaining tributes. It slightly frightened the girl as she was one of those opposing tributes. Esther knew that the alliance they had formed couldn't last forever—especially when Districts 1 and 2 were out of the way.
