Plenty of Fish in the Sea. (Hunger Games)

Chapter 14.

Our small group of four trudged through the dense vegetation, the quiet welcome after the adrenaline rush of the Cornucopia bloodbath. With each step I counted the cannon sounds that signalled the death of a tribute and with each resounding boom, my heart sank. I had known all of the victors who had come into the Arena with us and it was a harsh reality knowing that some of them were dead. I didn't even particularly like most of them, but it was disheartening to know that their lives had ended. Not to mention the man I stabbed in order to save Peeta...

I turned my head, my hair flicking in my eyes as our group suddenly stopped. My eyes moved to Finnick with a questioning glance as he grinned at Katniss.

"I guess we're not holding hands anymore." Finnick smirks, as he continues to watch Katniss' growing scowl.

"You think that's funny?" She replied, her eyes darkening.

"Every time that cannon goes off its music to my ears. I don't care about any of them." Finnick glances my way to gage my reaction.

"Good to here." Katniss said as she moved to grab a long knife from the quiver on her back.

"Wanna face the career pack alone? What would Hamitch say?" Finnick says lowly.

"God it's hot in here." Peeta interrupted before Katniss could comeback with an equally harsh comment.

"We need to find fresh water." I added, hoping to reduce the obvious tension.

"Let's get moving then." Peeta says finally, taking the knife from Katniss' hands and walking off, slashing at the plants in front of him to create a path.

Finnick looks to me with a glance that says, 'should we follow him?' I shrugged and walked after Peeta, only stopping to look back and see whether Finnick and Katniss were following us, which they were.

We continued on in awkward silence with Peeta leading our group, followed by me, then Katniss, and then Finnick.

The quiet that had fallen over the group was suddenly broken by the loud hiss of electricity and Katniss' screech of "Peeta, no!" As he was thrown backwards into the rest of the group by the shock of the force field.

"Peeta?" Katniss pants, "Peeta?" She  turned to look at me with fear in her eyes, "He's not breathing!"

I froze for only a second, barely thinking at all before moving towards Peeta and quickly pumping on his chest before placing my hand over his nose and blowing air into his mouth. As I sat up again to start pressing at Peeta's chest I realised that Finnick was at my side and was already counting through each pump. I leaned down again to breathe for Peeta, but before my mouth reached his he gasped and quickly sat up, eyes wide and brow sweating.

"Oh thank god I thought I'd have to kiss you again." I sighed and sat back, watching Finnick as he chuckled and did the same.

We watch as Katniss and Peeta whisper to each other, before Katniss kisses him and helps him up.

"We should keep moving. We need to find water." Finnick said quickly, both of us ready to move on.

"Yeah let's go. Katniss, you lead us- you seem to know where the forcefields are." Peeta said.

So the group trudged forward again, this time with Katniss in the lead, continually throwing pebbles at the forcefield as we went. After a while of awkward silence, Katniss stopped, looking slightly puzzled.

"Hang on..."

She swung her bow over her shoulder and began to climb the nearest tree, disappearing out of sight in the foliage.

I looked to Finnick, wondering what Katniss was doing. He shrugged, sweat glistening on his forehead and his chest rising and falling quickly. The effects of dehydration and exhaustion were getting to us all.

Katniss soon returned from her tree climbing and stated; "The forcefield- it's a dome. We're at the edge of the arena. I couldn't find any signs of fresh water."

"It's going to get dark soon. We'll be safe with our backs protected- we should set up camp and take turns sleeping. I can take first watch." Finnick said, looking at me with concern as I almost swayed on my feet.

"Not a chance." Replied Katniss.

Finnick stood up slowly, staring back at Katniss.

"Honey, that thing we did back there for Peeta- that's called saving his life. If I had wanted to kill either of you I would've done it by now." Finnick said before walking away to cool down.

I watched as Katniss mumbled something to Peeta before sitting down to make herself comfortable. I then walked over to Finnick and sat down beside him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Big day huh." He said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yeah. I can hardly keep my eyes open- saving Peeta's life twice has really taken a lot outta me." I replied with a sad grin.

Finnick leaned over to smooth down my hair and place a kiss on my forehead. "You did well. At least we're still alive."

"For now." I said quietly.

"For now." He echoed.

Loud music began to play as above us, pictures of fallen tributes began to fill the night sky. Everything else was silent.

Once it finished, Katniss was the first to say anything.

"Eight."

Finnick hummed in reply.

The silence stretched on until a light bell sound could be heard from above us. I looked up to see a little box with a parachute attached to it as it was falling from the sky. A gift from the sponsors.

Katniss rushed to pick it up from the ground, opening it before reading loud enough for us to hear;

"Drink up- Hamitch"

"What is it?" I asked looking at her questioningly."

"I think it's a spile." She replied, turning it over in her hands.

She got up quickly, rushing to the nearest tree and hammering the 'spile' in with a rock. We all waited curiously for seconds that felt like minutes, before water soon began to pour from the spout.

Gasps of relief soon filled the silence as we each took our turn to drink after being thirsty for so long.

After we all drank our fill we layed down to sleep, Katniss staying up as first watch. I was just beginning to drift off when suddenly, twelve loud gong sounds echoed around the arena.

"Midnight?" Questioned Finnick, looking around at the rest of us.

"Or the number of districts." Said Katniss.

Suddenly twelve loud flashes of lightning hit a tree in the distance one after the other. Silence then filled the arena.

"Well if you're not going to sleep, I will." Finnick said to Katniss, before moving over to lay down next to me.

"Night everyone." I said quietly, watching Finnick slip his fingers through mine before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep.