Catching Fire: Burning '7'

Chapter 10

I heard a blast. Boom! I quickly stand up and head to where Katniss and the other rest. But no luck. They’re not here. Someone calls my name, “Johanna.” The man whispers. And I know that voice.

Finnick Odair.

I turn around and see him, gesturing at the beach. I run towards him and we both head to the beach. A hovercraft appears out of nowhere and its claw dips to retrieve the dead body.

Peeta draws a new map and add a JJ on the four-to-five o’clock section and writes beast in six-to-seven o’clock section. Finnick weaves another water basket and a fishing net. Katniss takes a swim and puts more ointment on her skin and she sits at the edge of the water. The moon is rising. I watch Finnick, he’s getting us food. Of course, it’s a fish.

I was about to eat the raw fish when the anthem plays and flashes the faces of the fallen tributes. The first to appear is Cashmere, then Gloss. The brother and sister from District 1. Then, Wiress. The next face to appear is… Mags. I feel my legs trembling inside. I look at Finnick, and he looks sad.

Of course. He’s sad. Mag’s dead.

She’s dead.

The female tribute from District 5, then the female morphling from District 6. Then the next face to appear is… Blight. I shift uncomfortably to take a better look and stiffen. But from the inside. I need to be strong.

To protect the Mockingjay.

Then the man from 10.

“They’re really burning through us.” I say, still looking at the sky.

“Who’s left? Besides us five and District Two?” Finnick asks us.

“Chaff.” Peeta says suddenly. A parachute comes down with a pile of bite-sized square shaped rolls. “These are from your district, right, Beetee?”

“Yes, from District Three. How many are there?” Beetee asks Finnick then Finnick counts it.

“Twenty-four,” replies Finnick.

“An even two dozen, then?” says Beetee.

“Twenty-four on the nose. How should we divide them?” Finnick asks us. Finally, my inner self can take the outer silence of me.

“Let’s have each three, and whoever is still alive at breakfast can take a vote on the rest.” I say. Katniss laughs a little, and I don’t know why. What is she thinking? I give her a look.

The giant wave has flooded the ten-to-eleven o’clock section of the arena and we wait for the water to recede, and then go back to the beach. After the wave, there’s a noisy bugs in the eleven-to-twelve o’clock section. I was guarding the group when Katniss and Peeta approach me and say they’ll guard us. Finnick’s murmuring Annie’s name and I put myself on his side. I shut my eyes.

The lightning startles me and I feel Finnick quickly stands up and says, “I can’t sleep anymore. One of you should rest.” Then he looks at Peeta and Katniss, whose legs and arms are wrapped to each other. “Or both of you. I can watch alone.” Peeta objects and puts the gold necklace around her neck and Katniss goes by my side and stretches.

There’s another parachute coming down. It’s like, from District Three. Katniss walks towards us and we take five rolls. Leaving eight rolls in reserve. Katniss sits next to Peeta and eats her rolls. Then Katniss tugs Peeta and says, “Come on. I’ll teach you how to swim.” And then go away, towards the sea. Katniss calls Finnick and they all scrub each other’s back.

Beetee calls us. Probably, we need a new plan. We all gather up, and Beetee says, “I think we’ll all agree our next job is to kill Brutus and Enobaria. I doubt they’ll attack us openly again, now that they’re so outnumbered. We could track them down, I suppose, but it’s dangerous, exhausting work.”