Sugarcubes // Finnick Odair - Hunger Games Fanfic

XVII.

After I manage to secure the sponsor gift sent by Johanna, and wrap Beetee with the gauze given, I plop myself on the stupid sand and catch a breath. Katniss better be worth it. Staying on the beach is a terrible idea. I'm sure the careers have already started their hunt, and I can't protect anybody on the beach. I get up, brush the sand off the swimsuit they've given us, and help Blight up.

"We need to go into the forest, look for water and a place to hide out the night." I say, making sure Beetee and Wiress are back on their feet.

Then we can search for Finnick, Katniss, Peeta and Mags.

"I agree. The sand doesn't provide any cover. We're sitting ducks here."

Blight nods, looking at me wearily. I haven't given him a weapon. It would be nice to have another person who can fight, but with Blight in a shaky state of mind, I'm scared he'll kill himself if handed a weapon. So, I carry the axe I have and the belt with knives, and Blight carries the leftover gauze.

We start walking through the jungle – which is unlike anything I've ever seen. Beetee's breathing is labored and heavy, but I can't help him any more than I have. I can't carry him – and I sure as hell can't let him rest. Not yet.

I move at the front of the line, cutting through the vines hanging from the lush green trees. Trees in seven don't have hanging vines. And they're more of a forest green. This place? Not even a little bit recognizable. I can feel myself getting tired and dehydrated as we progress through the greenery, but there are still no signs of water.

We walk for what seems like hours before anything remotely interesting happens. I'm about to slash my axe down on the vines in front of me when I notice a blurred patch in the air. A force-field. There's no way we already reached the force-field is there? We've been walking in a straight line from the center of the arena – if this is the force-field, it can only mean that the arena is smaller than it ever has been.

"Kendria? What's wrong?" I hear Blight call my name from behind, pushing his way past Beetee and Wiress to join me.

"There's a force-field there" Beetee answers before I can, his voice sounding weak and fragile. The gauze I wrapped around him is red. I need to figure out this situation before I can re-wrap it.

"Don't move forward yet. Let me figure out what's going on." I tell Blight, since he's the only one that needs to be told not to do something stupid and sheath my axe on my back by tucking it into the belt of knives. I pull out a knife, and hand it to Blight warily.

"I'm going to climb this tree. This is a just in case thing, Blight. Don't use it unless somebody comes here. Don't you dare kill yourself." I tell him sternly, before turning and starting to climb. I've grown up climbing trees so it's fairly easy for me, and I'm able to get to the top with no struggle. Once I emerge above the canopy of greenery, I fasten myself securely and look around. The arena seems to be split into twelve symmetrical parts with the cornucopia, surrounded by the lake in the middle. In each piece of land there's a tree standing taller than the others. Twelve of them. Maybe to symbolize the twelve districts? Yet another lie the game-makers are feeding us.

"Fuck" I say out loud because I can't hold it in. This arena is truly meant to slaughter us. The arena is a perfect circle – the force fields radius clearly visible from my height – not very large. There's no place to hide here. To make everything worse, other than the salted pool of death in the middle of the arena – there's no signs of any water.

I close my eyes for a moment. A part of me wishes I could stay up here forever. Use this tree as my escape from the real world. A place to hide – there's nobody in this arena, except maybe Katniss that can climb this far up. I could just wait here. A cannon sounds, and I'm shaken awake. I can't hide away. I need to get to Finnick. And Katniss. The rebellion needs to happen. For Lia and Danny and Jo and Terry. So they can live in a better world even if I'm not alive to see it.

I shimmy down my tree and down to the group.

"This seems like a good enough place to set up camp. It's late anyways. With our backs to the forcefield, there's only three ways careers can come at us. The arena's a circle anyways, and there's no sign of water, so we might as well have rest."

As I tell them the plan, the sky suddenly gets darker – as if all the tributes have made the same choice – to wait out the night – so the game-makers have decided to make the night shorter.

"Kendria, could you help me re wrap this? Soggy gauze helps nobody." Beetee requests, and Blight shoots him with a look of disgust. The two couldn't be more different. I grab the knife from Blight, tuck it back into my belt, and move towards Beetee. Tomorrow's plan of action is to find Finnick. I don't like being the sole person capable of getting into a physical fight and coming out alive.

I re-wrap his gauze carefully, grateful for a repetitive task to keep my mind off things. I understand why Finnick likes his rope now. Wiress points at the rope I tied around my hand at the cornucopia – a small piece cut from a larger piece with a knife. I did it so subconsciously that I didn't even notice I had it until now. She gives me a questioning glance.

"For Finnick," I tell her, and she nods knowingly, retreating back to her tree trunk, resting her head back and closing her eyes. Beetee looks at her fondly. I really hope they both get out of here alive.

Once I finish re-wrapping, Beetee rests as well, and I give Blight a go ahead to sleep. There's no way I'll be able to sleep in this arena – might as well let the others rest. The anthem brings our attention to the sky before they can really settle into their sleep. We all turn our heads upwards, and I can feel my heart beating fast as we wait for the pictures to be displayed. Blight looks at me, and puts his arm around my shoulder, squeezing tightly. I'm thankful I have Blight at least. The first picture to be shown is a male from district 3, and then the female from district 5. I release a breath I didn't know I had been holding. It's probably not good for the rebellion that I'm not at all nervous about seeing Katniss's name up in the sky. But I suppose the fact that I'm willing to string Beetee and Wiress along to make her trust me is all they can ask for. After the anthem stops, and the arena quiets down again – filling with apprehensive silence, I sit absolutely still. Watching the forest move. Clutching my axe. The way that the breeze fills the forest is the only thing that seems natural about these games. It might even be called peaceful, if not for the apprehension in the silence. Get ready to run like your life depends on it – because it does – feeling fills the air.

And then, the rain starts.

Published: 15 March, 2024