“No!” I scream. It’s not rain. It’s not rain! “Blight!”
I see Beetee and Wiress trying to cover their faces. I do the same. But the blood pours on Blight’s face and he screams, “I can’t see! I can’t see!”
“Blight!” I scream. Wiress is shock.
“Tick-tock! Tick-tock!”
“Nuts! Ugh! Stop!” I shout, irritated.
We run. Trying to cover our face. It’s non-stop! And it’s blood! Acidic blood! We run and run then suddenly Blight runs head first into the force field along the edge of the arena. Zap! I know that sounds. Then I scream, “Blight!” I run. He’s barely breathing. I remember Ryan, hitting the force field. “Oh god, Blight!”
“Tick-tock! Tick-tock!” exclaims Wiress.
“Oh god! Fucking stop it!” I shout at her, but she keeps saying it. Beetee can’t say anything. He tried to open his mouth but no sounds. I put my head on his chest, but there is no sound. “Blight!” then the cannon sounds. Boom! “Blight,” I say, flatly. Together with Nuts and Volts, we run. Then the blood rain stops. “Tick-tock! Tick-tock! Tick-tock!” Wiress says, nervously. I rub my hand on my face, frustrated. Then Beetee falls, his unconscious! I drag him. I’m getting really frustrated here. “Beetee! Stand up! Wake up!” I shout at him, but he’s not responding but he’s alive. While dragging the unconscious Beetee, I keep looking at the unstable Nuts. I’m really frustrated now. Oh, God. Why Blight? Why did we agree to this? Woah! Volts is so heavy! Wiress keeps tick-tocking, “Tick-tock! Tick-tock!” I roll my eyes at her.
God, where are they? Where the hell are they? Still dragging Volts, while watching Nuts.
After about 2 hours – I guess – of wandering around the jungle. We see the beach. Beetee is awake but still unconscious. Wiress – still unstable – keeps tick-tocking, “Tick-tock. Tick-tock.” But in a calm voice.
We are at the beach now. And I heard someone, calling my name. “Johanna!” It’s Finnick Odair!
“Finnick!” I shout back, still dragging the unconscious Beetee. But I eventually let go. Nuts falls down and regains her feet, making loops. I see Katniss and Peeta, running towards us.
I keep gesturing at the jungle, explaining to Finnick what happened to us. “We thought it was rain, you know, because of the lightning, and we were all so thirsty. But when it started coming down, it turned out to be blood. Thick, hot-blood. You couldn’t see, you couldn’t speak without getting a mouthful. We just staggered around, trying to get out of it. That’s when Blight hit the force field.” I say, annoyed.
“I’m sorry, Johann,” says Finnick. Mourning.
“Yeah, well, he wasn’t much but he was from home, and he left me these two.” I nudge the barely conscious Volts with my shoe, “He got a knife in the back. And her – “ I trail off,
“Tick-tock, tick-tock,” says Wiress.
“Yeah, we know. Tick, tock, Nuts is in shock.” I say, Wiress walks towards me careens into me. I shove her away,
“Just stay down, will you?”
“Lay off her,” Katniss snaps. I narrow my eyes at her,
“Lay off her?” I hiss, then step forward and slap her so hard, “Who do you think got them out of that bleeding jungle for you? You – “ I trail off, someone carries me. Finnick, “Hey, put me down!” Somehow annoyed at Finnick, too. I’m on his shoulder. “Put me down!” I shout. He puts me down into the water and I keep saying things at Katniss, “I got them for you, you scumbag! You idiot!” Finnick keeps dunking me into the water. And I see her, talking to Peeta.
Peeta lifts Beetee’s up and Katniss takes Wiress hand. And they go back to their, what? Beach camp? She lets Wiress sit in the shallows, then Wiress clutches her hand. She smiles at Wiress and unhook Beetee’s belt. She tosses the wire on the sand. Peeta holds him in the water while Katniss loosens Beetee’s clothes.
They put down the mat and lay Beetee on his stomach. I think to examine the wound.
“Your face,” I say to Finnick,
“Yeah, yeah,” he says,
“What happened?”
“There’s this fog. It’s poisonous. When it touches your skin, it’s getting, I don’t know, decomposed” he gestures to his face.
We join Katniss and Peeta. I see they have water and some shellfish. I take gulp and eat some shellfish. Finnick tells me about the fog and the monkeys. Everybody offers to guard while the others rest. It’s dark now. It’s Katniss and I who stay up. I volunteered to stay guard because I don’t want to sleep. We sit in silence, then I glance over Finnick, and ask Katniss,
“How’d you lose Mags?”
“In the fog. Finnick had Peeta. I had Mags for a while. Then I couldn’t lift her. Finnick said he couldn’t take them both. She kissed him and walked right into the poison.”
“She was Finnick’s mentor, you know,” I say, trying to make her feel guilty.
“No, I didn’t,” she says. There’s a short silence, then I say,
“She was half his family,”
Katniss and I watch the water lap up over our undergarments. Katniss asks me something,
“So what were you doing with Nuts and Volts?”
“I told you – I got them for you. Haymitch said if we were to be allies I had to bring them for you, that’s what you told him, right?” she nods,
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“I hope so.” I give her a look, as if she’s the biggest idiot in town.
Someone murmurs behind us, “Tick-tock,” Katniss turns her back and we both see Wiress has crawled over. Her eyes are focused on the, what? Jungle? Then I say,
“Oh, goody, she’s back. Okay. I’m going to sleep. You and Nuts can guard together,”
“Tick-tock,” whispers Nuts.
I lie my back and shut my eyes. And I’m resting.
YOU ARE READING
Catching Fire: Burning '7'
FanfictionThis year is the 75th Hunger Games, also known as 3rd Quarter Quell. And this year's twist is that the victors will be back in the arena and fight for their lives. The Capitol wants a revenge, and they have a gold. To kill the Mockingjay, Katniss Ev...
