We Stood Strong

Chapter 19: Madness

Chapter 19 [Annie's P.O.V.]

My body collapses and I immediately fall asleep. Throughout the night screams filled my ears. I later realized it was only the bloodbath. Daniel finishes the shift and turns it off to the girl from 1, Destiny. I kinda feel bad for her--only loosing her district partner--and then getting her act together in just a matter of a couple of hours.

In the morning we pack up, really only having to collect blankets and sleeping bags. My shoulder aches from where it slammed into the cornucopia. This camp is in the perfect spot. Available water, and a high elevation. We could see the whole rest of the arena, except that it was all clouded with forest.

Serge and Jezebel, the two from district 2, decide to go out and find anyone out along the side of the river with knives, swords and Jezebel with an axe.

Her axe. Last night when Daniel when to touch it a low growl came from Jezebel's throat.

Daniel, Destiny and I are left at camp. Before Serge and Jezebel left, Serge turned to us with a cocky grin and said, "Don't worry if you hears cannon it's just us whopping some ass." He winks and they run upstream.

Destiny has composed herself and doesn't act like the sobbing teen as last night. She's hardened.

Destiny sets up a tent and grabs 5 bags, and begins stuffing a sleeping bag in each. "Hey, can you help me here?"

I look up from my hands and realize she's talking to me. I scramble up and ask, "What can I do?"

"Grab some food," she points to the crate of food, "divide it into fifths and put them into these bags." I do so without another question. Daniel stands guard.

I learned never to doubt these careers. Just a few moments later a cannon fired. At first I feel worried, maybe Serge and Jezebel were caught off guard. "Do you think maybe..." I trailed off.

"Nah... They're good." Destiny doesn't put much thought into it.

I turn to Daniel, he mouths the words 'stay clam'. I lean back, maybe I was getting to keyed up. I went back to packing the bags. I slipped an extra tin can of nuts into my bag.

There was nothing much more to do but lean back and take a nap. I woke up in the afternoon by another cannon. I wondered how long it would be until Serge and Jezebel would come back. Destiny seemed disappointed that she wasn't out there being able to kill.

I became too still. I walked out of the tent and slipped my feet out of my shoes and into the water of the lake. It wasn't moving fast, it's not like it could catch me and pull me away.

I began to slide my legs further into the water. I felt lighter as the water crept up my body. I sunk my knees deeper and let my shoulder be submerged. I sighed as all the water filled around my body. It felt good to be in the water again. I closed my eyes and floated in the water, imagining my days back with Finnick at the beach.

I replayed at least 5 days in my head until water lapped over my face. I jerked up right, Daniel stood knee deep. I looked past him, Serge and Jezebel had made it back and were telling Destiny all about their experience. I turned back to Daniel and playfully splashed at him.

"What?" He laughed. I just smile back, happier to be in the water than anything else. He walks into the water, his clothes filling up with water fast. My smile mirrors back on him. We could both feel the familiarness of the water as if it was an energizer. We both face the other Careers in silence and watch.

After a moment I broke our unspoken silence, "Who did they get?" I leave it at the word 'get'. I don't like to say the work 'kill' or 'died'. I'd much rather say 'get' or is 'gone' as if it was just a game.

"They traveled down the bank and got the boy from three, he was a struggle. It apparently was a long race. They slit his throat. That was the first cannon." He pauses before talking again. "Then as they were coming back they noticed a bloody figure off into the woods, they couldn't see it from the angle they came in from. It was the boy from 9, still suffering from the bloodbath." I close my eyes and cover my ears. I don't want to hear more.

"I could have done without the details." I breath deep, trying to calm myself down. I could already picture each death in my head.

"Sorry" Daniel stays put. I am no longer peaceful in this place. I begin to walk out of the water and ring myself off. Despite what Finnick had said, the only person I trust is Daniel here.

Destiny is in mid show of the five bags we set up. The only non-portable thing now is the tent, which I don't really mind. Sure enough in the night the boys from 3 and 9 show up in the sky. "So tomorrow we go out and kill all together?" Destiny asks.

Serge shakes his head. "No. I suspect there are still some that are dying from the bloodbath. Let them die on their own. We can relax tomorrow. All catch up on sleep." And so the next day we do.

I take a night shift, staying up way longer than normal because I'll practically will be sleeping during the middle of the day. When I start to notice the pitch black turn to a grey haze I wake Daniel and he takes over. I sleep the rest if the day. In and out of a daze. Finally when I feel I can't sleep no more, a cannon fires. Serge snaps and smirks "Told ya guys."

In the night we realize that was the girl from 11. She was the only one that left that day. If I'm not mistaken, 16 are gone, 8 of us left. Night fell and I somehow fell asleep again.

In the morning we all grabbed a bag, leaving the tent at the camp, unguarded. We decided that we should go together as a team, no one really wants to be left alone at camp. If other tributes tear the tent down it will only help us find them easier.

We walk in a line, Serge, our muscle, in the front, then Jezebel, who never leaves his side, then Destiny me and Daniel. We walk around the woods for awhile. My bag feels heavier every moment.

Serge breaks out into a sprint. Jezebel and Destiny follow, close behind. I start running and my legs ache, the last time I ran was the blood bath. I catch up, I could hear Daniel's breaths behind my ears. Serge took at sharp turn. I heard panicked running from up ahead and a loud thud followed by the sound of someone rolling. I could tell Serge leaped up ahead. Jezebel was close behind, she would be the one who was doing the stabbing, well with her special axe. Serge would be holding him or her down.

As soon as I saw Jezebel's arm raise to strike I shut my eyes and covered my ears. At least I won't have to see them being tortured, but I couldn't block out his screams.

It went on for a while. I was relieved it was over when the cannon went off. I slid my hands from my ears.

Daniel was the first to speak, "Who was that?"

Jezebel, looking at the dead boy's body says, "The boy from 8." My body shakes. I couldn't imagine the panic he must have been in. I turn around to try to get away from it all.

"Annie, are you okay?" Daniel asks only so I can hear.

I shook my head, "No, I'll be fine"

I wanted to see Finnick again. Talk to him. See him. I miss his words. Tears fly out of my eyes. "I'm sorry I just miss home"

Daniel doesn't reply quick on this one. "It... It'll be over soon..." I know he wants to live too. He doesn't want to throw his life out for no reason. There are 7 of us left. 5 of which are standing in this pack right now. I was scared of when these careers would change their mind and turn on Daniel or I.

We leave the boy's body and go back to our tent, which is surprisingly still there. His faces is shone up in the sky at night.

The next day, as soon as we start to leave Ceaser's voice announces, "Attention tributes!" That's weird. I could already predict this was the feast. But they usually do it when it's the final 6. Did they realize everyone left was in an alliance? Us and the two from 7? They must be anticipating this will all go down soon. "There will be a feast at the cornucopia. Food from the Capitol will be waiting just for you!" I get it. They want us to come for important foods. The other careers couldn't possibly give that up, they're being deprived of food right now!

"The feast will be at noon today! Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor" and with that it was over. We would be going.

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[Finnick's P.O.V.]

I bit my thumb nail as Annie and the rest of the careers waited at the edge of the woods, the opposite side facing the dam. If they had only knew that the two tributes from 7 were waiting at the cornucopia. "Daniel, you go" Jezebel whispered. When I had made the decision to contact the mentors from 1 and 2 I was a little bit iffy on it. I felt I could trust the tributes from 1, which one is already dead, but I was forced to trust the tributes from 2 with Annie's life because they were already an alliance.

Daniel shook his head. "Serge should" Jezebel shifts her axe to the other hand.

"Well?" She says impatiently.

"No really, he should go. He'll be faster."

Serge looks back at the cornucopia which contains platters of food, he licks his lips and whispers to Daniel, "Come with me, cover me."

Together they go out to the cornucopia. I miss Annie. I hope she'a thinking right in there. When I was in the arena I was delusional. Serge runs all out. The camera flashes to the couple from 7 in the cornucopia. Johanna Mason was so proud that both of her tributes had made it this far.

A slight twitch of the girl's shoe peaked out of the cornucopia. Daniel saw it and stopped in his tracks. Too close to get away the tributes jumped out at the perfect time and attacked Serge. He was caught off guard and fell to the floor, dead by that time. A cannon fired.

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