❝𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒❞ | k. everdeen

chapter 8: run, boy, run.

The screams sounded much further away than expected, so Nola was surprised by the volume of the voices and by the fact that no other tribute had hunted them before her. Her body stirred with the vulnerability of the situation, bloodthirsty, her sword at her back burning for her to draw it and plunge it into the chest of some other helpless tribute. But nothing could be further from the truth, for the rushing voice turned out to be Katniss's, and her hands, not yet knowing why, resisted wielding any weapon that might hurt the girl from District 12.

She deftly brushed away the branches that prevented her from reaching the peculiar group —because she assumed that both Finnick and Mags were with them, otherwise she couldn't have explained that at least two of them were still alive— leaping the lower branches with the moonlight as her only guide, the frustrated voices closer and closer to her. She forgot her camp, that she was supposed to be standing guard, the pack she had left with the other three tributes, and that if they tried to finish her off, it would be four people against her alone.

Still, Nola liked a challenge.

To her right, a thick fog was advancing towards her. It had a thick hue, as if it had tentacles that strove to drag anyone who crossed over it into it, and a purple color that did not bode well for her. She decided to run in the opposite direction to it, following parallel to the group, while finding a way in her head to help them that would not involve her own death.

She heard something heavy hit the ground, and feared the worst: that the poison gas had already reached them. The creepy mass was close behind the five of them, so Nola mumbled under her breath and moved into the undergrowth so quickly that Katniss couldn't see who was holding Peeta's other arm as she tried to lift him up. His artificial leg was stuck in a vine, so it was a difficult —almost impossible— task for her alone to deal with the boy, who could almost double her weight, while Finnick was further ahead of Mags.

—What are you doing here? —Katniss managed to articulate, her mouth open in a mixture of shock and sheer exhaustion. Peeta was so dazed with the poison coursing through his body and clouding his senses that he failed to see that Nola was dragging him along much more easily than Katniss, though her teeth chattered every time she tried to make him walk a little faster.

—Let's get you out of here, boy on fire —Nola spoke in Peeta's ear, but Katniss heard her and clenched her jaw. She didn't understand what Nola Bernacci was doing helping them, but that couldn't mean anything good.

The chemicals in that strange mist were beginning to take their toll on everyone, even Nola, who was trying her best to keep her mouth shut, to concentrate her efforts on getting Peeta out of there, while trying to keep the poison from reaching her body. But it was an impossible mission, she knew from the moment she had decided to risk it for them: the poison had been attacking her skin for a while now, moulding her nerves to its will and reducing her strength to resist as long as possible without falling to the ground. She was not weak, she had to keep moving despite the poison seeping into her body.

Her knee gave out after a while, but the fog was still chasing them. Finnick, who had been the first to run, stopped short, hearing a third voice he didn't recognise, his eyes taking on an unfamiliar gleam as he saw Nola helping Katniss with Peeta—. It's always nice to see you again, Nola.

The girl grunted slightly—. That's not what you told me before you came in here. You think you can handle him? I'll take care of Mags.

Nola checked that the mist was far enough away to give Peeta some rest, before letting go of his arm and taking over from Finnick carrying Mags. The old woman gave her a toothless smile, as if glad to see her again, and Nola replied with a short nod, aware that there was no more time for welcomes. She felt the 12th girl's gaze intently on the back of her neck as she stepped in front of the group with Mags, being the lightest, and knew that she would probably have some explaining to do when the danger had passed.