Timber

Chapter Twenty-One: Fallout

Hazel's heart palpitated as she sprinted towards Senator Snow and Festus Creed. The tree's immense size meant it wasn't the only threat to them but could trigger a deadly domino effect, toppling other trees in its path. The tree descended in slow motion. Leo's shouts rang in her ears, but her focus was singular - reach Snow and Festus. Her breath was ragged, and her muscles burned.

Senator Snow's eyes met hers, a flash of realization crossing his face. Hazel reached them just as the tree's massive branches began to shatter against the neighboring trees. With a force she didn't know she possessed, Hazel shoved them both hard.

"Go, move!" she shrieked as the two men stumbled backward. Behind her, the sound of splintering wood intensified as two more trees began to give way under the pressure of the falling giant.

Hazel exerted all her strength, pushing her arms against the weight of the two men. Silus's call was distant, almost lost amidst the deafening roar of the trees as they surrendered to gravity.

Her body pulsated with adrenaline as she managed to shove Snow and Festus out of the path of the collapsing trees. Just as they began to fall away from her, a vice-like grip encircled her arm. Senator Snow was dragging her along with them. A sharp, searing pain ripped across her left side as the branches, like cruel daggers, tore through her skin, leaving a fiery trail of agony from her neck down to her shoulder.

With one final burst of effort, she wrenched herself forward, using her right arm and the momentum of Senator Snow's grip to escape the last of the malicious branches. The three of them collapsed in a disheveled heap on the forest floor, just a breath away from the massive trees now lying defeated behind them.

The sound of the trees' impact reverberated through the arena, a resounding, resonating echo that shook the entire arena. Hazel lay motionless for a moment, panting.

The three colossal redwoods now rested against the forest floor. The massive trunks lay uprooted, exposing a network of frail, spindly roots sprawled in every direction. A cloud of dust and dirt, stirred up by the trees' descent, hung in the air like a dense fog, casting a surreal haze over the scene. Hazel's eyes narrowed as she studied the uprooted base; the roots were like twisted, mangled spider legs.

Hazel glanced back at Snow and Festus; they appeared as disoriented as she felt. The trio, united in their shared brush with death, struggled to catch their breaths. Their heavy panting filled the air, mingling with the residual echoes of the trees' fall.

Festus ran his hands through his curls. "Oh my god."

Senator Snow's eyes focused on hers; his usually pristine blonde hair was messy, and his blue eyes brimmed with surprise. The white flower that adorned his lapel was gone, lost in the chaos. He studied Hazel as if he was seeing her for the first time. He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something when Silus' voice calling her name snapped Hazel back to the present. She turned to see him and Leo picking their way through the debris of the fallen trees, avoiding the tangled mess of branches and trunks.

"Are you ok?" Silus asked, concern etched in his features.

"Yeah, I think so," Hazel responded in a hushed tone

Leo scanned Snow and Festus, reaching out to help them stand, brows furrowed, "Are you two alright?"

Festus nodded, dazed, "Insane."

A crowd of peacekeepers and other spectators, drawn by the sound of the commotion, began to converge on their location within the District Seven tract.

Silus reached down and grabbed Hazel's arm to help her up when she winced and took a deep intake of breath due to the swift pain that ignited over her skin. Silus, observant as ever, stepped closer. His hands peeled back the collar of her shirt, "You're bleeding."