Pearls and Perils ・❥・Finnick Odair x Reader

Chapter 19

I sit alone with my thoughts- a very dangerous place to be. I see Ronan's eyes. I see Micah take his last breath. I need to numb myself, I need to focus, I need to win. I zip open my backpack and take a swig of water and eat some more of my fish. I have no idea where on earth the girl and boy from district one are. By process of elimination, I figure that the other tribute still alive is the boy from 10, the one I noticed the first day of training who could be mistaken for a career. I do not like my odds right now given what I'm up against.

"Attention tributes." A voice booms from above. I jumped at the unexpected announcement. "Tomorrow there will be a feast at the cornucopia. Food, weapons, and medicine will be there. This is the only announcement for now. May the odds be ever in your favor." A feast. Surely the kids from district 1 will be there, they need the food especially now that Ronan's gone. I'm unsure how the boy from 10 will approach this. I have my trident so I don't need more weapons, but I could use some more food, maybe even water. I weigh the risks. I decide that I'll watch the feast from a distance and react based on the other tributes.

There's nothing much to do the rest of the day. I try to distract myself by imagining I'm home. I go back to my happy place, the beach I took Cora to the night before the reaping. My mom is there, lounging on the beach. My dad is sitting next to her and smiling, something I haven't seen him do since mom died. I'm helping Cora build a sandcastle, she chases away any birds that try to come near it. We bejewel the sandcastle with seashells and small sticks that we find on the shore. There is peace, something I've never fully experienced, but constantly yearn for.

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As night falls, I know that Micah and Ronan's faces will be displayed in the sky. I wait for the dreaded moment in anticipation. Unzipping my bag, I drink more water and eat more fish. I need to be in the best possible condition for whatever tomorrow brings, and being starving or dehydrated will make me an easier opponent. I clutch to my necklace, fidgeting with the pearl perfectly positioned in the center. I wonder what Finnick's doing right now. I wonder if he's watching me at this very moment. I wonder what he thinks of me. God I miss him so much.

The capitol music starts up and the seal flashes in the sky. My throat tightens. First they show Ronan, who I can barely look at. I think about his family. They'll hate me forever. Next, of course, is Micah. My heart stings when I see his face again. It was supposed to be him going home, not me. However, I notice for the first time that all the tributes have a blank, stern expression in their photos. Not Micah though. In his photo he's smiling with teeth- and that's exactly how I remember Micah- with a joy too pure for this world.

I try to get sleep, I really do. But each time I feel myself drifting off, my brain replays the expression on Ronan's face when I killed him. It replays his words- his last words- "I knew it would be you." My body shivers. Eventually I defeat the seemingly never ending cycle and drift off to sleep.

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I wake up when the sky has just a touch of morning light. My head throbs. I take the last few sips of water from my water bottle. There are three other tributes out there and I just want these games to be over. I use some breathing techniques my mother taught me. They're meant to extend the amount of time you can hold your breath underwater, but they also help when you need to calm down. I started my descent from the tree I slept in last night, noting how weird it was to not have Micah following right behind me. I start walking in the direction of the cornucopia.

On this blight morning, the arena is more eerie than ever. The twisted branches seemed to whisper secrets, and the rustling leaves hinted at hidden dangers. Each step felt like an invitation for the unknown, and the haunting absence of wildlife amplified my sense of isolation. As I edged closer the tension in the air thickened, it was as if I could feel the other tributes around me. The ache in my stomach for food grew more prominent. I stopped just before the thick forest abruptly turned into an open field; the cornucopia placed perfectly in the center. I hadn't seen it since the first day, and that feels like it was years ago. It's fully restocked with freshly sharpened knives and other weapons. I can tell there's also food and water. I find a space behind a bush that conceals me, but also allows me to peek between the leaves to see the open field. There's nothing to do now but wait. Just sit there and wait to see who's ballsy enough to make the first move at the feast. As I wait, I try to find beauty in the scenery around me; I try to focus on something positive I suppose. The mountains contrast the forest that lives below it. The water is a beautifully deep green. The constant breeze flows at a steady state. This is a beautiful arena, despite the horrors that commence inside it.

Then I catch it out of the corner of my eye, somebody's making a run for it. A single boy darts out from the forest, coming from the direction left of me. He's moving very fast given his stocky build. Immediately I know it's the boy from district 10. As he nears the cornucopia, I notice two other figures emerge from the shadows.

The tributes from 1.

They move quickly, but very sneakily. Like cats hunting down a mouse. The boy from 10 doesn't seem to notice, the entirety of his attention is focused on reaching the cornucopia in front of him. I watch in anticipation. Look behind you! Look behind you! They're coming straight for you. Once the boy from 10 reaches the cornucopia he still doesn't rotate his head. The pair of hyenas are closing the gap between them. The boy scrambles around, grabbing an ax and some water. Once in close enough proximity, the boy from 1 draws his bow. I shakily inhale, bite down on my lip, and clench my free hand in a fit of rage. The bow and arrow. He's the one who killed Micah. The boy from 10 is just about to turn around and finally notice the pair sneaking up on him, but it's too late. The career boy had already let his arrow fly, and it is now lodged in his right side. He throws the ax as a last resort, the couple are able to dodge it for the most part; it brushes against the girl's arm, an injury but not a fatal wound. In a blink of an eye, the boy from 1 pulls out another arrow, aims, and fires. This time hitting the boy from 10 square in the heart. He collapses to his knees and pulls the arrow from his chest. His body hits the ground with a sound thud. A few seconds pass and the cannon sounds. Three tributes left. Me and two careers from the same district. I'm doomed.

The boy and girl from 1 scour the feast. Taking more weapons even though they have enough. They scarf down some of the food as they search for more, they look like raccoons in a trash can. They don't touch the water, however, which leads me to believe they have more than enough. They stuff their bags to the brim and look around, whipping their heads for any sign of danger, for any sign of me. Then they run off in the opposite direction that they came. My eyes follow them until they disappear into the forest. However, I can't be sure they're gone. Perhaps they're lurking on the edge of the forest and watching, just like I am right now.

So I sit. And wait. And try to ignore the rumbles of my stomach and dryness in my throat. I try to talk myself into doing it, that I'll stay alert and be quick. Eventually, hunger wins, as it always does. I get up from my hiding place and take my stance, ready to sprint as fast as I can.