Against All Odds

Bloody Handcuffs

A/N: I'm currently traveling in Japan right now so this chapter is really really short, sorry! Also I'm on mobile so please ignore any minor spelling mistakes if there are any.

Previously, on Against All Odds:

"That would involve putting my face close to the potential trap. And I don't know about you, but I would rather lose a hand than a head."

"Well, still-"

Before she could finish, I lost my patience and reached for the box. I closed my fingers around it.

Ha, victory. All that "trap" bullshit was just a waste of time-

"ARGHHHH!" I yell and scream as I hear an odd click and metal digs into my skin.

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"Oi keep it away from me!" Katniss yells, jumping backwards reflexively.

"GET IT OFF OF ME OW GET IT OFF!" I yell, waving my hand around frantically.

"Well ok calm down calm down, don't shake your hands, you'll increase blood flow!" She exclaims.

"Well who the hell told you that?" I call, still shaking. I mean for all I know, she's just trying to kill me off before I even enter the arena.

"My mom's a healer. Just sit down so I can get it off of you," she tries.

I stop shaking my hand and sit down, trying not to panic. It doesn't look too bad, and it's not my main sword hand anyways; not that anyone knows I'm left handed, of course. Well, I mean, it looks pretty bad, but in the academy, I've definitely had and seen people have worse.

(If you are sensitive to descriptive/slightly bloody scenes skip a few lines here, but it's not that detailed in my opinion)

The box seems to have developed 2 rows of metal teeth. The first row is sunken into the flesh of my wrist, while the second is buried pretty deep in the back of my palm. The skin is ripped and blood is tricking out at a steady but concerning pace. I'm pretty sure none of the teeth have hit any bone, but judging from the amount of pain I'm in, that assumption might not be correct. Everdeen, stay back, I got this." Reaching over with my other hand, I attempt to pry the contraption off of my hand, but the moment my fingers grasp the dull back edge of the first row, a beeping sound emits and I find myself hands strung together- a piece of rope with two loops, one on each end, is connecting my hands. I blink, and then look up. "Hey seam rat. Some help here?"

"Everdeen, stay back, I got this," she mocks.

I glare.

She smirks some more before coming over and grabbing the rope, reaching for the knot tied to make the first loop. But the moment she touches the rope, it splits and seconds later she's in the same predicament as I am, except we're also connected to each other because her rope interlocks with mine.

"Well shit. Now what?" I demand. "I bet I could just break this if I-"

"Please just don't even try. You'll just get us into more trouble."

"Wait, so this is my fault now?"

"Something like that. Told you to breath on it. What should we do? It's probably some weird riddle thought up by a person who enjoys watching mentally challenged tributes like you struggle."