The Sterling Nightingale ⟷ Finnick Odair/OC

In love?

Chapter Twenty Seven | In love

"The story certainly savored of the supernatural, and though the Republic had abolished God, it had not quite succeeded in killing the fear of the supernatural in the hearts of the people." Emma Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel

Katniss is the one who ends up breaking through their rut. It's her who deciphers Wiress's repeated phrase. Her endless 'tick-tock' is finally puzzled out by the most impatient one of their group. It's probably because Katniss has hardly left Wiress's side since they joined up. They're all eating an early dinner, curtsey of Finnick, when Katniss suddenly ploughs over from the water's edge, where her and Wiress had been sitting.

"The arena's a clock!" she blurts to them the moment she's within hearing range. "It's a clock – that's why the lightening on the far beach always hits at the same time every day. It's all divided into sectors."

Beetee's eyebrows immediately rise up in contemplation.

"That would explain a lot," he admits. Sil just keeps eating, as if this groundbreaking information is of little interest to her.

To be honest, Plutarch mentioned something similar during one of their hasty meetings, but unfortunately they haven't had much time to really iron everything out. She's gone into the arena nearly as blind as the others, at least concerning the layout of the place.

"After we eat, let's go to the cornucopia," Finnick suggests, glancing across the water at the gleaming structure. "We need to stock up anyway, and it'll give us an opportunity to see the whole arena from the center."

It's as good a plan as ever, so once they finish eating, they all head over to the shore. Finnick approaches Sil as the others start wading out into the water.

"You gonna be okay?" he asks, briefly touching her shoulder. His fingers flutter above it, lingering for a few seconds longer than necessary as he checks her over. She's a little worse for wear, but so is everyone else.

She huffs, "Honestly, Finnick darling. As if I'm afraid of a little water." She starts wading out into it as if to prove her words. He chuckles and watches her go, feeling oddly disconnected from her. He's not sure why, but it rather felt as if she just brushed him off.

"Don't worry, sugar, I'll save you if you start drowning," he calls before following, and she rolls her eyes.

His words actually end up being more truthful than they have any right to be, though. The trip to the cornucopia is useful, but ends in tragedy. They stock up on weapons and pick through the supplies left over from the bloodbath, but their journey doesn't go unnoticed. Peeta is in the middle of drawing up a map of the arena on a large leaf when Gloss makes his big entrance.

They don't even see him until Wiress's body is floating out to sea, and then there's a sudden scramble to avoid the sharp edges of his daggers before they find their next target. The struggle doesn't last long before Johanna hefts an ax right into his leg and he falls back, injured. From there, it only gets more confusing.

Their small island starts moving.

"Hold onto something!" Katniss yells, the voice of reason in the sudden whirlwind of motion. Sil barely manages to throw herself against the cornucopia before the spinning gets too intense, and her grip weakens with each pass. It's really no surprise when she's ripped away from it entirely.

Her fate seems better than some of the others. Beetee gets completely washed away, and Katniss is thrown into the water as well. Sil ends up landing hard on one of the stone jetties, knocking her head right into the rocks with a cry. As her world slowly starts to spin in another way, she's not sure if she'd have rather fallen head first into the water or not. She doesn't get up until she feels hands dragging her body off the ground.