Finnick's Games - 65th Hunger Games

14

I kick my legs at the tribute that has their grasp on me. The thunder continues to roar. The shouting escaping from my lips sounds like a yelp. Quickly I spin onto my back and throw my fist at the tribute. It's Max. He isn't responding to me, why isn't he fighting back?

The ground rumbles, darkness begins to reign over. I sprint off in the other away towards Caleb's body. Melanie is gone as well, but she won't have any chance to live out in the forest with the lightening. I lost track of how many tributes have died. Has it been long enough in the arena, will it end this soon? 

Almost shaking with rage, I charge back into the forest, not my best idea but my only idea. If it ends today, then I refuse to die. Annie is waiting, my family is waiting. I am speeding up by the minute, retracing my way back to the cave we spent the night in. 

Caleb is gone now and Melanie might try to kill me or be too weak to defend herself. 

"Finnick!" A male voice calls for me or is screaming manically at me. I don't turn back; my feet keep pounding against the dirt, kicking through the mud. 

Branches hit my arm and flick back into my face. I see a tall silhouette fall in front of my eyes, a tree. It falls to the ground as I roll underneath it. I scream in agony. It crushed my foot. But I have to carry on. I scrambled to my feet, grabbing the grass and pulling myself back up. The trident has slightly dug into my back. I take it off my back and look back at the figure running to me. 

Max is chasing me, so I have to finish it. He jumps over the fallen tree and speeds up, a savage look on his face. I grip the trident and point it at him, he comes to a halt but continues to stare, like he is staring at his prey. 

I slash my trident as he rolls on the ground to kick my feet. His fingers form around the trident, pulling it viciously out my hands and chucking it to the ground. I throw a punch at him but it feels too sluggish. My body feels sluggish. 

Max was kicking his legs at me and scratching my face. He punches the air out of my lungs, over and over until I throw his body off mine and he flies onto the ground. Ripples of pain spread to my arms and chest. I crawl to the trident and get on my hands and knees. 

In front of me Max is also crouching but he has no weapon. I could just kill him right now. 

"You're gonna die, Finnick." Max shouts. "Even if you win, you're gonna die here or later." 

"Are those your last words?" I don't let him reply. With one quick movement I toss the trident and watch it fly through the air into Max's chest. 

A cannon goes off.

There will never be a time when I will accept killing other tributes, but it has taken pressure off my shoulders. If I were home, killing fish would be the only thing necessary. Here we are killing for survival, and that is the only thing known in the arena, the only thing necessary. 

I am not the only tribute left, but there can't be many after the thunder. My plan is simple, find somewhere to sleep and stay there until the weather calms down, if the weather calms down. From there I'll find other tributes. It's a long shot, but I'm going home. 

After taking the trident back from Max's lifeless body, I sprint back to the cave. The dreams come naturally.

+++

My mother collects the fish from my father when he comes home to the hut. His visits are too short, he spends most of his time fishing and drinking with his friends. And the days when he does spend time at home he mostly avoids us. He does care, but he doesn't show it. After my mother's rant to him, I went fishing with him. 

I remember being twelve too well, two years before the games; I spent every day with him. We ignored everyone else, my father and I. In our hut one day he refused to leave, wanted to rest. So I went alone.

"Hello Finnick," It was Annie, creeping up on me again. I was sat on the beach next to all the huts and other houses on the terrain. She sat next to me, the Annie I've always knew was the first to start the conversation. "Are you scared?" 

"Scared about what?" I asked. I knew what she was talking about: my first year to be in the reaping, with my name in there once I would be lucky. 

"About the reaping... You have a weird look on your face. You're scared." 

"So? What's wrong with being scared?" I said quietly. In district 4 you don't admit to being scared. 

"It's normal to be scared. You look embarrassed about it." She laughed. 

"I'm not embarrassed... I'm... I'm- Shut up." I complained. Annie carried on laughing.

I got to my feet and started swinging the spear I had next to me whilst standing with my ankles in the water. Annie watched me catch fish and didn't complain. The more I knew the more I could open up, she would make me talk about my feelings a lot and then I'd teach her how to use a spear and net to catch food. She was my only real friend.

+++

I wake up to a loud shock. The thunder hasn't died down, or it is another cannon. There can't be any more than four of us. Or maybe there's less. I could be alone in the arena with one other person. By now they might know I'm the one to kill.

I leave the cave to be greeted by total darkness. I make my way through the trees, watching my back every five seconds. In my head I keep imagining my future, and that keeps me going. If I win the games, I'll be the youngest ever and I'll be a mentor. My future is as dangerous as now. 

A cannon takes me by surprise followed by screams. I don't doubt it; there are only two tributes left in the arena. 

A/N sorry for the very late update. The next one will be tomorrow or Monday 

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