Spark to Flame: A Finniss Story

Pt II: Rain to Storm

In all her years spent on this earth, Katniss never imagined that she would be attacked by apes.

She knows they're nothing more than Mutts, mutations created by the Capitol to provide 'excitement' in the Games when there is none, but it doesn't quell the fear gripping her heart and lungs as she runs for her life through the jungle with Peeta and Finnick. They head for the beach, dodging and leaping over obstacles as they try their best not to get mauled, and her life is saved repeatedly by her teammates as they run toward a destination that seems to be getting farther and farther away no matter how hard they push themselves.

She shoots one of the baboons as it flies towards her, its cry cut short as the arrow embeds itself into its chest and it falls in a heap at her feet, and she looks back in the direction of the beach to try and gauge how far they have to go. 

A break in the trees gives her a clear view of the Cornucopia, and just as she exhales with relief she's knocked to the ground by a heavy, furry body. She struggles, panicking as she flails her arms and legs to try and get it off of her, but it's no use as it's too heavy to move and its fangs are too close for her to use her bow. She lets out a cry of fear, thinking that this will be the moment she dies, when the creature suddenly freezes, its stony eyes fading right before her as it goes limp.

It's pulled off her a moment later, and she's met with the sight of Finnick pulling his trident from the ape's back as he roughly pushes it away with his foot.

He extends a hand toward her, pulling her to her feet as Peeta yells from some feet away, "Come on! We gotta get to the beach!"

"Peeta wait!" She yells, but he's already running ahead of them.

Grunting in frustration, she picks up her bow and follows after him, hoping that Finnick is as close behind her as she thinks and not lying dead on the jungle floor somewhere. She shoots a couple more of the Mutts and Peeta comes back into view, but just as she moves to reload her arrow her weapon is knocked from her hands and she's on the ground again, scrambling to get back up before nine-inch fangs are sunk into the back of her neck.

She kicks at the thing, trying to keep it away from her long enough to reach her bow, when Finnick blazes past her with his trident, shoving its razor-sharp tip into the mutation's eyes. It screeches in agony, the sound so loud that the tiny hairs in her ears vibrate painfully, but she does her best to ignore it as she takes her weapon back and runs with Finnick once more.

She finally reaches Peeta, but sees that he's not alone – there's a woman with him. She's lying on the ground, gasping for breath through a gash in her throat, and Katniss looks uncertainly between her and Peeta.

"Who's this?"

"A Morphling!" Peeta answers quickly. "Come on, help me get her!"

She knows it's ultimately useless trying to save her - the gash in her throat is too deep and no amount of miracles or sponsor gifts will be enough to change that - but she's not about to leave her to the Mutts either.

Katniss hefts her bow onto her shoulder and grabs the woman's arm, and she and Peeta run as fast as they possibly can through the jungle as they drag her to the beach, Finnick following close behind.

They make it just in time, bursting through the weeds and onto the white sand as they stumble into the ocean as the baboon-like Mutts come to a skidding halt a few meters outside the tree-line.

They stand there, gentle waves pushing and pulling at their feet as the deadly animals retreat back into the jungle, having suddenly lost interest in chasing their prey through the open water. The Morphling gasps below them, drawing their attention to her fatal injury and the blood that is slowly tainting the water, and Peeta takes it upon himself to gather her into his arms and comfort her in her last moments.