BOMBSHELL - Finnick Odair

20

Ember

Out of pure instinct, I push Katniss behind me and release a knife into one of the mutts sliding down a curly vine mere meters from her.

It makes a crunching sound that I try not to visibility cringe at.

They begin to ascend at a much more rapid pace now. Fangs bared, claws outstretched, and ready to rip into the closest person they could find.

An arrow wizzes past the left side of my face and imbeds itself into a monkey that was mid leap at my figure.

I whip my head behind me to see Katniss already rearmed.

"Thanks," I pant out.

"Returning the favor."

The four of us fight relatively close, back to back in a diamond like formation. The stench of blood and musk from the monkeys invades my senses and causes my face to twist up in disgust.

They're appearing so quickly and seemingly out of nowhere that I'm not sure where they're even coming from. I take one down just for it to be replaced by two more.

But the number of knives in my belts are diminishing.

I don't have a weapon like the three of them to keep the mutts at a distance very long. If I keep up with this pace I'm going to be defenseless soon.

From my left, I hear a grunt from Katniss. One monkey was clawing at her leg and in the process of making its way up her back as I release a knife into its thick skull.

And for a moment I'm distracted, too busy taking notice of how few arrows she has left. But that second of hesitation is all it took for a mutt to crash into me.

I can't control my balance from the sheer force of it and I land harshly onto my back for another time. I'm not sure if the screech I let out is from the pain of my already hurt spine or the feeling of claws digging deeply into my sides.

My arms guard my face and neck as I slash  my knives around, trying to hit a deadly mark to no avail.

I can hear Katniss shout at Peeta for her other sheath of arrows in the background, pushing me to fight back harder.

The monkey suddenly goes slack, three prongs protruding out of its chest. I shove the limp body off me as Finnick pulls his trident out, making a sickening sound.

I quickly look for Katniss, but she's already running at Peeta. The boy is trying to remove the sheath, unbeknownst to the mutt aiming for his chest.

I'm too far away to make it in time. But she does.

The morphing woman from District Six. I had only seen her in passing, never once hearing her speak more than one word sentences.

But she was just like Finnick and I. Willing to die for the cause.

Peeta stabs at the monkey's back repeatedly until it's jaw unhinges around her throat.

Katniss, Finnick, and I are now at his side as the mutts begin retreating. Seemingly satisfied with the fresh blood.

"Come on, then! Come on!" Peeta shouts angrily.