Born to Die || Hunger Games x Reader

The Beast

𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:
"Highest Heights — Coast Arcade"
01:48 ━━━━─●──── 03:20

ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⭑‧₊˚ ⋅ જ⁀➴๋࣭ ⭑๋࣭ ⭑

Y/N POV

A large reptilian looking beast with the head of a crocodile towers over me. It stands on two legs and stares at me with a big yellow eye. I don't dare move. But apparently, it's not stupid, and sees me. It makes a loud noise — the same one I heard yesterday — revealing it's large teeth, and I know I have to run. I'm guessing it wasn't a tiger that killed that person then.

I bolt out of the river and I hear the thing follow me. It's fast for something so large, but I manage to climb back up my tree before it can snap me up in its terrifying jaws. It draws up to its full height, like a bear standing on two legs, and snarls at me again. What kind of Capitol mutt is this?

"Maybe if I die quick enough I can still make it in the sky tonight," I think with a cynical laugh.

The beast snaps its jaw at me again and I remember how important it is for me to escape. I close my eyes and try my hardest to think of some way to get out of this situation. The spear. I made it for spearing fish, but maybe it could kill this thing too.

Gripping my spear it tightly in my hand, I aim at its open mouth. Taking a deep breath and praying that I don't lose the one thing that can kill this mutt, I let it fly. It sails through the air and I watch, silently cursing when the beast shuts its jaw and snaps its head to look at me.

But all is not lost. The spear lodges itself into the creature's eye, and while it doesn't die as I hoped it might, it wails in pain. With a silent cheer I climb a little bit further up the tree and walk along a thick branch. The forest is so dense here that just a short leap takes me to the next tree. Still, I hang onto the vines so that I don't fall, because if I fall I will certainly die.

The beast is too distracted — and now also blind — to notice my escape. When I come to the last tree before the river I quickly climb down and run to the riverside, stopping to catch my breath. But my relief dies when I hear the thundering footsteps behind me. It's back.

However, being half blind, it fails to see me as it emerges from the trees. I look for another way to escape. There's no where to hide here, just rock and water. It's too late for me to run back into the jungle now, and the beast is blocking my path anyway. I could try crossing the river, but it's too deep for me to walk, and the current is too strong. I'd be thrown over the waterfall.

The waterfall! 

Of course! I could jump off and land in the water below. But that would hurt, and I've only ever been swimming once in my life with my dad. If jump I could die, but if I stay I will die. My odds sound better if I jump. I just hope they're in my favour.

I make a break for it just as the beast sees me and launch myself off of the cliff, squeezing my eyes shut. It feels like I'm falling forever. The darkness behind my eyelids gives me no indication as to how far down I am and I have to fight the urge to open my eyes.

Then I hit the water with a loud splash. Remembering what my dad taught me, I immediately start kicking with my legs towards what I hope is the surface. My face breaks the top of the water and I gulp in the air, wiping the water from over my eyes as I flail around in the water. I'm in a small pond with water lilies and little fish. The water is cool and still, which makes it easy for me to swim the short distance to the shore.