Fluid Heart, Firey Soul (Peeta Mellark x Reader)

Chapter 46 - Jabberjays

I feel my eyes well up with tears that blur my vision as I frantically search through the vegetation. "Dad!" I call out. "Dad!" The only response is the sound of distant screams. Why did they bring him here? Why is he a part of the Games? "Dad!"

Despite vines lashing my face and roots grabbing at my feet, I push forward. My heart pounds in my chest, sweat pouring down my face, the salty liquid stinging my healing wounds. His screams are getting closer. I'm getting closer. I break through a wall of green into a small clearing, where I expect to find my father. Instead, all I hear is the repeated sound of agonized screams coming from above. Above? My head snaps up as I scan the branches of the trees. There's nothing but a few birds up on the branches.

Finnick bursts into the clearing behind me, his concerned face catching my eye. "(Y/N)?"

"It's okay. I'm okay," I say, although I feel far from okay. "I thought I heard my dad but—" Another shriek cuts me off. This time it wasn't my father, but Peeta. I immediately take off towards the sound. Was this their plan all along? To split us up? To hurt Peeta while my guard was down? I hear Finnick calling after me, urging me to stop, but I can't.

My feet pound hard against the steep rocky ground as I race to reach him. By the time I reach the top, my lungs are burning and I'm gasping for breath. I hear him scream again, my eyes landing on a massive tree, its trunk at least four feet in diameter. The limbs don't even begin until twenty feet up, but he has to be up there. That's where I heard him. "Peeta!" I scream, panicked. I don't see him. "Peeta!"

A flash of silver catches my eye and snaps me from my panic. I follow the object's trajectory and see that it's a knife that has taken out one of the birds above. The screams are silenced. I slowly pick up the lifeless creature, bringing it closer to my eyes. Was this thing responsible for those horrific noises?

"(Y/N), it's okay," Finnick says. "It's a jabberjay. They mimic sounds."

An image flashes in my mind— one of my father strapped to a table in a white room while figures elicit those same screams from him. I feel my knees turn to water and I collapse to the ground, dropping the dead bird in front of me. Finnick is trying to tell me something, but his words don't make it to my ears. What I do hear is another bird starting up somewhere off to my left. This time, it's two voices— Wren and Bea. In an instant, I am on my feet but Finnick catches my arm before I can run. "It's not them," he yells. "It's just another mutt! We need to get out of here!"

He pulls me downhill, his grip tight as he half drags, half carries me along. It takes a moment for his words to sink in. It's not actually Wren and Bea screaming, it's just another bird. Chasing it down won't help them. But that doesn't change the fact that somewhere, someone has made them sound like this. And I can't shake off this feeling of helplessness and rage as we continue to flee from these false cries.

I finally stop struggling and instead, join him in his panicked sprint away from the swarming birds. Their piercing cries strike a chord of terror, and I know this must be another weapon of the clock. Mental agony. As the clock strikes four, the monkeys retreat and the jabberjays emerge. Finnick is right— running is our only option.

Through the chaos, I catch sight of Peeta and Johanna standing near the treeline, both unharmed. I'm relieved. Peeta's safe. Alive. But I'm also confused. Why haven't they come after us? Even as we run towards them, they hang back with their hands raised and lips moving in silent words. Why won't they come closer?

And as I continue my downhill sprint towards the others, I slam into something and fall to the ground. The wall is so transparent that neither of us noticed it. That's when I understand why Peeta and Johanna didn't bother coming to our aid— the invisible barrier that surrounds us blocks any attempt to break through it. It's not like the force field that surrounds the arena, you can touch it without getting electrocuted, but no weapons can harm it. So now Finnick and I are trapped inside this wedge until the hour passes.