Fluid || Finnick Odair

14

It was the fifth day when things began to change inside of the arena. There were eight of them left, and the competition was drawing to a close. Although, there were Games written to have lasted weeks from this point onwards. Rio had read about them.

Every morning he counted it up- the people who were left. He didn't know their names, not all of them, but he did his best. The boy from One, both from Two, Coda (from Three), himself, both from Five and the boy from Eight. That wasn't many, and still, another seven would have to die before it was all over.

It was early when Rio woke, earlier than normal. He knew that something was wrong. He knew that the Game Makers would want to do something to them, to torture them more than normal, but he didn't know what would happen. Not until he heard pounding footsteps, screaming and a subsequent cannon. It was first light, and someone was already dead.

"Coda!" Rio hissed, trying to keep his cool whilst waking up his red headed partner. "Coda, come on, we've got to go."

He wasn't waking up at first, which was frightening, and Rio didn't want to leave without him. Though, Finnick's written words lingered inside of his mind. He had to take care of himself first. If Coda didn't wake up now, then Rio would have to leave him and hope for the best.

Before he could hiss again, he saw it. The mutt. It was in the shape of a polar bear, running past the cave opening, luckily having no interest in them as of yet. There would be more, and staying there with a dead end would be suicide. Today of all days, Rio had no interest in dying.

He tried again. "Coda!"

Thankfully, he sat up. There was a glazed look in his eyes, something which wasn't entirely there, but that was okay. He was there enough to listen to what Rio had to say.

"We've got to go." He said, quickly, quietly. "There are mutts, and we've got to get up a height, it's the only way we'll be alright."

"Mutts?" Part of him didn't comprehend.

"Yeah, come on." Rio nodded. "Can you climb?"

Coda's injuries were healing from the medicine Finnick sent, just as Rio's were. His hand didn't ache the same way anymore. He hoped that Coda's chest was in just as good condition, because Coda couldn't carry him, not for all of the strength in the world. He wished he could do something, anything, but if Coda wasn't able to help himself then he was done for. It was down to the Game Makers, and luck.'

"I think so."

"Great." Rio replied swiftly, packing up all their things and dousing the dwindling fire in snow so that there was little trace of him. "Come on. Quickly, now."

The forest outside of their cave helped. Though, there weren't many low branches. Rio was forced to help Coda up first. It wasn't following the plan. He wasn't looking after himself first. It had to be the worst game plan of anyone trying to survive in the arena. But it wasn't in his nature to be selfish.

It was apart of him, the part of him which was a big brother, meant he couldn't just leave Coda behind. If it was his sister, he would beg someone, beg anyone to put her life in front of their own so she might have a chance.

When they reached a high enough altitude, all they had to do was wait. Polar bears couldn't climb trees. It was the safest place for them both. And, with any luck, a few tributes would die, and they would be closer to the endgame.

Rio could hear the screams, and he could Coda's shallow breaths, and he could hear the trees creaking under their added weight, and none of it was good. The entire time he was stood up there, they only saw two of the mutts. They were huge, bigger than normal, with fang-like teeth and beady eyes which helped them see through the extended darkness.

He knew he was lucky. He knew that a few moments longer on the ground, in the snow, would have left them vulnerable to attacks. Rio didn't want to die yet.

Until the canon went off, Rio and Coda stayed in the trees. They assumed they would be safe on the ground, that everything would go back to normal. The mutts should have been terminated by now.

There were only two canons. It wasn't a lot, but considering how many people were left, it was significant. The boy from District One and the boy from District Eight. Rio didn't know either of them. He couldn't feel sorry for them, he couldn't afford it, and yet, whilst helping Coda out of the trees, his chest began to tighten.

He made a new fire, and set Coda down nearby. By then, he was already asleep, exhausted from the exercise when he was so injured. Rio's hand was gladly on its way to being mended, but there wasn't much he could do to help Coda. All he wanted was to go come. But to go home, Coda would have to die. He could have left Coda in the snow, and the mutts would have eaten him. His burden would've been over.

But he didn't do that. Rio couldn't do that. Because there was someone out there waiting for Coda to come home, just as his parents were waiting for him.

He was thankful Coda was asleep, because then he didn't have to make any excuses to why he was leaving. All he needed was some time, some time to breathe, because it was coming increasingly more difficult. All he wanted was to go home, god, he wanted to go home.

What would be left, even if he did get out?

The Capitol had a habit of making things difficult for the victors, that much was true with Finnick. His body belonged to the Capitol, and anyone who had enough money to pay for it. Some people's families had died, mysteriously, homes had been destroyed before. There was no telling it wouldn't happen again.

Someone like Rio, someone who looked so striking to be born in District Four, he would be worth a lot. They would want him the way they wanted Finnick. He didn't want that. He didn't want to be a pawn in a game, a chess piece ready to be taken by the rook, or the knight, or the queen.

It became so hard to breathe, and Rio was suddenly unsure.

Was surviving worth it if he would end up just like Finnick?

✧ ★ ✧

Disclaimer!!!
I do not own the Hunger Games or any of its original characters, plot lines, arcs and ideas. The only things I own are the changes made to the plot, the relationship between my original characters, and the characters I added to the original books.
Any resemblance of real life is purely coincidental.