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OCTAVIA AND FINNICK HAD BEEN HEARING WHISPERS. According to Haymitch, who told Chaff, who told Octavia: there had been an uprising in Eight. There was no news coverage on it and no information. The districts were completely in the dark as to what may be happening.
Finnick refused to let Octavia go anywhere because he didn't know what was safe or not. As much as it frustrated her, she obliged. They hadn't strayed from the Victors Village in days, going back and forth from Mags' home, to Annie's, and to their own.
Octavia sent a letter to Chaff and Seeder but hadn't heard back yet. She was worried for them. If anything, Eleven would have it worse than Four.
The hardest part was the unknown.
The sound of trucks rumbling catches the couple's attention. They peak out the window and catch at least seven militant trucks speeding past the Victors Village and into town. Octavia and Finnick look at each other with concern.
Octavia rushes to the door against Finnick's protest. He grabs her arm tightly.
"Octavia, no way. We have no idea what's going on out there," he says sternly.
"Neither do they," she breaks away from him, "you can't stop me, but you can come with me."
She opens the door and walks out with Finnick following.
The couple quickly walks toward the town square, where they can faintly hear screams and crashes. They begin to pick up their pace.
When they approach the midst of the chaos, there are at least one hundred peacekeepers stalking around aggressively. There are citizens on the ground. There are houses with the doors ripped off the hinges. The sound of children's cries and adult's screams replace the usual peaceful sound of waves crashing.
Octavia's eyes frantically dart around the scene. Her eyes settle on a young boy at the same time that Finnick's do. They rush forward to him. The boy could not have been but five or six. He wails loudly as he stands beside a peacekeeper, who stands over a woman.
Octavia scoops the boy away by a few feet while Finnick attempts to intervene.
"Hey, hey," she shushes him, "it's okay, it's okay," she tries to console him. He willingly wraps his arms around her neck and allows her to lift him off the ground. His tears wet the crook of her neck. Her hand rubs his back while the other supports his hips.
Finnick places himself between the peacekeeper and the woman. Octavia sees blood falling from the woman's face. Finnick pushes the peacekeeper away.
