Lily Juniper Abernathy: The daughter of an alcoholic victor (book 1)

No hope of rescue

I looked at Finnick and he stared at me. Rosie had been asleep way too long to be normal and we wanted to know why. We'd tried shaking her awake but she wasn't stirring at all.

"Oh God." I mumbled "What if-"

"Mommy.." she breathed

"Rosie? Are you okay?"

"Lily what- oh- I forgot I was here." She frowned and fumbled with her mom's pin as she looked up at the ceiling.

"I'm starving..." I mumbled, clutching my stomach. I turned to Finnick "Maybe the river has fish in it?"

"Yeah? could do?" He agreed

"Well?" I demanded

"Well what? Oh, right-" He chuckled "Me."

He picked up my spear and handed me his knife "Two secs."

He came back a few minutes later, my spear full to at least halfway down "It's teaming with minows-Keep us going?"

"How are we going to cook it without giving away where we are?"

He shrugged "We'll have to just gut it and eat it raw."

I screwed up my face "You can gut it."

He chuckled "What would you do without me?"

"Catch deer and forage." Rosie said simply

I smiled "Yeah Finnick: we'll do that."

He rolled his eyes and took the knife, starting to gut them.

"Wait, doesn't eating raw fish make you ill?" I said quickly

"These are minnows Lil, you can eat them raw." Finnick said in a-matter-of-fact way

"Oh..." I nodded

"How's your leg?"

I shrugged "Not great, but, I think I've just sprained it: I do it all the time."

"Good- does the dressing need changing?"

I shrugged "Let's look at the packet?"

He passed it to me.

"No, they're Spinphox bandages."

"What?" Rosie said slowly

"Sphinphox- they're a branded bandage and sling producers in capitol hospitals- my mum must've had to rob them or something?"

He laughed "Knowing your mum she probably demanded some and they just gave them to her."

I grinned and warned "She's probably watching right now you know."

He chuckled and waved to the ivy covering the cave "Hi Effie."

"You aren't funny." I giggled

He skewered each fillet onto twigs he had peeled the bark off and handed them out.

"This actually doesn't taste too bad." I murmured

Rosie's face screwed up "I don't like it: it's too slimy."

"Here." Finnick said firmly throwing her an apple from his pack.

"Thank you." Rosie mumbled.

A kingfisher bird just skimmed the water

"Here Mr.Bird." Rosie sang going outside

"Wait!" I said firmly staggering up and going with her, spear ready.

She put it on the floor as it flapped away at the sight of us "He'll probably eat it later."

Finnick was still hovering in the doorway, gutting the other fish and wrapping them in the napkins we hadn't used. He emptied his and my pack, stuffing all the food into his and everything else into mine.

A parachute floated to the ground: instead of having a pod attached to it there was a letter with officail Capitol staionery. I caught it and read it aloud.

"Hello tributes Adaam George Petra (District 3)  Finnick Odair II (District 4) Rosie Prim Everdeen (District 12) Lily-Jay Juniper Abernathy (District 12)

 I am afraid we cannot send in re-enforcements to come and rescue you. Because of the sainty of some of the others we have been witnessing it is simply too dangerous. Good luck, and may God have mercy on the four of you: President Paylor."

"Everyone else must think it's too real." Finnick mumbled

"We should find Adaam." I muttered

"So," Rosie said slowly "No one's coming to rescue us?"

I shook my head.

She jumped up and hugged me as tight as she could. I softly stroked her hair "It'll be okay Rosie: we'll get out of here I promise."

She sniffed as I wiped her tears away "Okay." she mumbled

"We'll be alright." I insisted

"But- what about Adaam?" She whimpered

"I don't know sweetheart."I said gently. I felt a lump rise in my throat as that term of endearment was strongly linked to my dad. I wanted him here so badly. I wanted to be rescued. I felt so lost, so hopeless now I knew there was actually a chance I would never return to 12 and I may never see my parents again.