Sea Salt and Roses | | Finnick Odair

Chapter 10

~Hillary~
As we sat on the beach, catching our breaths, I saw Peeta send the morphing girl onto the ocean. Finnick had a arm draped casually around my shoulders as I leant against him. Soon, I saw three figures approach us. I couldn't make it who they were because they were covered in red. I stood up and so did Finnick. I raised my bow before I recognised her. Johanna. I threw my bow down and ran towards them.
"JOHANNA!" I yelled.
She looked up and yelled back, "HILLARY! FINNICK!" I reached her with Finnick at my heels. Katniss and Peeta were following us, but hesitantly.
"I got 'em out. We were all the way deep into the jungle where I thought it was gonna be safe. That's when the rain started. I thought it was water. It turned out to be blood." Johanna started speaking.
"Tick tock."said Wiress, I think.
"Hot, thick blood. It was coming down."
"Tick took." said Wiress again.
"It was choking us. We were stumbling around, gagging on it, blind."
"Tick took."
"That's when Blight hit the force field."
"Tick took. Tick took." said Wiress more desperately.
"He wasn't much, but he was from home."
"Tick took.Tick took. Tick took."
Katniss looked at Wiress and asked, "What's wrong with her?"
Beetee then spoke, "She's in shock."
"Tick took."
"Beetee shrugged and said, "Dehydration isn't helping. Do you have fresh water?"
I then said, "We can get some."
As I turned to get water, I could hear Johanna and Katniss arguing. I sighed as I tapped the tree. I came back with a few of the grass baskets full of water. I sat on the beach as I saw Johanna, Wiress and Beetee clean up. I gave them each a water bucket and drank hungrily. Johanna walked off to sit somewhere else. I could hear Katniss talking to Wiress.
"Tick took. Tick took. It's a clock. It's a clock. My God, it's a clock!"
It dawned on me and I turned to them and said, "Wiress, you're a genius."
Katniss exclaimed, "You're a genius!"
I said, "This entire arena seems to be laid out like a clock with a new threat every hour, but they stay only within their wedge. It all starts with the lightning. Then the blood rain, fog, monkeys. That's the first four hours. At 10:00, that big wave hits from over there.
Finnick shook his head and said, "Wiress, you're a genius."
Katniss continued from my theory, "Look, the tail points to 12. That's where the lightning strikes at noon and midnight."
Peeta then asked, "Strikes where?"
I replied, "That big tree."
Wiress then resolved to singing nursery rhymes.
~Finnick~
We were sitting on the beach when Hillary said, "I'm going to get some water. I'll be back soon." I objected but Peeta said, "It's fine. We need water anyway." She took the spike and walked towards the tree. The minute she disappeared from my sight. A shrill scream pierced the air. A young girl. Katniss shot up yelling, "Prim! Prim!" I ran after her. She charged through the foliage. She turned her head around in distress. She found a bird that was making the noise and shot it down. Almost immediately, another scream came. My heart dropped into the abyss.
"Hillary! HILLARY!"
Her screams pierced my ears and I yelled alongside her. Her's in pain and mine in heartbreak.