Pearls and Perils ・❥・Finnick Odair x Reader

Chapter 17

"Jabberjays." Micah states plainly, as if that somehow sums his entire idea up. I shoot him a confused look.

"What about them?" I ask. My stomach turning, recalling my earlier interaction with them.

"There are still a few lurking around here. We could capture them with your nets. Release them on the careers to separate them, then we can strike when they're outnumbered." He explains.

Micah's a genius. I mean I already knew that but this just solidified it.

"You're brilliant." I smile.

"I know." He smiles back.

"So when do we do this? We could tomorrow morning while they're sleeping to catch them off guard. I'm sure they're still down by the coast." I suggest.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Micah replies.

"Then we better get to bed soon, we'll have to get up early for the journey." I say.

"Ok mom." Micah rolls his eyes playfully.

We settle into the night. The forest is dark and perfectly still. I think about what's to come. We're really getting down to the wire. I expect some crazy shit for the finale, it's like that every year. My creative imagination runs wild with what it could be- I think for a while about a cross mutation between a lion and a hippo. No dead today and there's 6 tributes left, usually 5 left is when shit gets real. Micah and I sleep in two hour shifts, ensuring that we will be up in time to execute the early morning attack. I let Micah sleep first because he looks exhausted. That means more time for me to whip up some horrifying ideas for the finale. Hopefully the gamemakers can't read thoughts.

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I'm reluctant to wake up Micah because he looks so peaceful, but I also know that I need sleep if we want to execute our plan. I pluck a leaf from the branch to my right and use it to tickle him awake. In his sleepy state he swats at it until his eyes flutter open.

"Good morning and goodnight!" I say as I tie myself to the tree with some rope. Micah lets out a heavy sigh and rubs his eyes.

"Sleep tight." He yawns. I wrestle around, trying to get as comfortable as you can in a tree, and drift off to sleep.

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I feel the vague sensation of something on my cheek. It becomes more and more apparent as the soft edges prickle against my skin. I open my eyes to see Micah dangling a leaf in front of my face. He grins.

"Okay haha you got me back." I mumbled.

"You ready?" He asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I sighed. We gathered our things and secured our backpacks. Climbing down the tree in complete darkness was no easy feat. Luckily, Micah happened to receive a flashlight in his backpack. Once on the ground, I started dismantling my trap in order to use the large net I had originally made. We then scoured the area for a jabberjay. After frolicking around in the darkness for a minute, we finally spot one blending in with the forest floor. I approach it slowly, only completely stopping when it's within a foot of myself. I take a deep breath. I try to reassure myself, I mean how different could a bird be from a fish? Very different. Exact opposites, some may argue. I shake the thought off. I lunge forward as fast as I can, slamming the net over the bird and into the forest ground. I did it, the bird is inside! I quickly scoop the net upward and clamp the opening shut with my hand. I smile at Micah waiting for his approval.

"District 4 kids and their nets." He shakes his head, smiling. We start our journey back to the sandy shoreline. We figure that we only need one bird to do the job.  Micah and I walk in silence for the most part. I know for a fact we're both nervous but I'm not very good with words of comfort. Also, I'm distracted by the bird that keeps flapping around every direction in the net, I keep my grip on the top so tight that my fingers start to ache.

"So," Micah breaks the silence. "I know it was my plan and all, but how exactly do you want to execute it?" I pause to think for a few moments. What's the best way to do this while ensuring Micah's safety?

"You release the bird onto the beach." I say in a hushed voice. "Maybe from a tree." I add, noting he'll be safer up there than on the ground in close proximity to the careers. "I'll watch from the forest, and then when the careers disperse, I'll go after Ronan."

"Okay." Micah whispers back.

"There's no way of knowing who the jabberjay will imitate, it could be someone Ronan cares about or it could be someone the boy or girl from district two care about. It would be ideal if it were Ronan, because he would be more distracted. But either way, the plan would proceed the same way." I added. He gives me a nod. We discuss smaller details of the plan for the rest of the long walk. The first signs of morning are showing in the dark purple sky. We hear the sounds of waves crashing and know that we're close. Tiptoeing around the edge of where the forest fades into the beach, we find the careers huddled together asleep on the sandy shores. I look into Micah's deeply brown eyes, scared of what could happen if this plan backfires.

"We're gonna be okay." I murmur. "Okay?" He breaks eye contact with me and looks over to the careers. He bites the bottom of his lip nervously.

"Okay." He mouths.

"This is where we have to split up." I try vigorously to keep my voice calm and confident, but I can tell it's breaking. "You climb this tree, wait a few minutes so I can find a spot, and then release the jabberjay." I hand him the bird entrapped within my net. He stares at me silently for a few moments, but then throws his arms around me in a hug.

"Stay safe." He whispers.

"You too." I whisper back. He pulls back from the hug and starts up the tree. Even holding a bird with one hand he climbs more gracefully than I ever could. I make my way closer to where the career pack is, still naturally concealed by the forest. I find a good spot in favorable proximity to the careers. Minutes of anxious silence pass. I can feel my hands become clammy around the grip of my trident. The sudden terrifying scream of an unknown woman scares the shit out of me. I peek through the vines and leaves to see the careers reaction.

Immediately, Ronan springs up.

AUTHORS NOTE: HUGEEEE CHAPTER COMING UP SO BRACE YOURSELVES. Anyways love you mwah.