The Spark ● Finnick Odair

12| you know why

I FORCED myself to eat some rabbit, but I still felt sick knowing that I basically stole from a dead person- that I killed. Afterwards we continued to track across the jungle and after a few kilometers we rest under some trees, the day seems to uneventful and for that I am thankful.

"What are you thinking?" I ask Evan who's staring off into the distance, his eyebrows are furrowed and his deep brown eyes are filled with concern. He snaps out of it turning to me and suddenly I see vulnerability surround him.

"My mom, I left her with my friend, but she's not used to other people. I'm really the only person she has left." The feeling of dread wraps around me, why did I have to ask?

"What about any other family?" I ask and I can't help the sympathy in my tone.

"I don't really have any, well not good ones anyway. They rather not care for the village;s crazy lady," I want to say I would, but I stop myself. Why am I becoming invested in his life? DON'T DO IT ELEKTRA I tell myself.

"You're lucky, you're family is so close and stable."

"I guess I am. I'm sorry." I say sincerely god damn it and he looks at me confused, "Sorry? For what?"

"I don't- I just..." I sigh trying to form clear sentences "... you don't deserve any of this, you shouldn't have had to give up so much and you definitely should not be here, no one here should. I'm sorry, life seriously fucked you over." He suddenly smiled at me shaking his head and looking down, not as if what I had said was amusing to him.

"Elektra Cadence, I wish I had met you sooner." His words leave a period of silence between us but he quickly starts another conversation. More than an hour passes and we talk of our lives back in District 5. I find myself become even more invested in Evan, he's charismatic personality and kind heart as well as all his sacrifice for his family. 

"Do you hear that?" I ask suddenly, it's the sound of monstrous thumping in the distance, but not just one set but many. Screams and shouts follow afterwards and we catch sight of three tributes running towards us.

"Run!" the boy from 7 yells and although he is swinging his axe dangerously as he runs it is clear it is not in attempt to harm us. Evan and I glance at each other alarmed, "Careers?" he asks as I see Sapphire and district 1 dude running behind him, but neither of them seem to have any intent on killing him- in fact they look like they're fleeing.

"What are you doing?! Run!" Sapphire yells at me and that's when I see them. A herd of tall mammals, they look like a cross between a zebra and a deer, elongated faces and tall bodies up to 5', long blunt antlers and strips running along their legs only. Evan and I immediately take off too the rabbits long forgotten, but at least we were smart enough to hold on to our weapons.

None of us are tried to kill another, we all just wanted to escape the stampede. I slashed the thick foliage running through any cracks that I could see. Evan stumbles and rolls to a stop against a tree, I helped him up as quickly as I could and while I'm pulling him up one of the mutts ram into us and I brace myself for the impact but it never comes. My hand slips from my head which was being held protectively, through my unruly hair I see that an invisible force separates the mutts from us.  They continue to try attacking up but only continue to hit the force field. I press my hand against it as it glints slightly, luckily the game makers decided to activate it, I guess.

"That was close." He sighed in relief and I take my hand away, "We have to go, the careers aren't probably too far." I said worriedly. 

"We can't go through here, so left or right?" He asks, "Right." I decided and we continued our path turning around to see that the mutts had disappeared. 

"Thank god." I muttered, "Imagine being a gamemaker, spending your entire career coming up with creative ways to kill someone." I said bitterly. 

"Careful what you say, you don't want them to send fire at you out of spite." He said although his tone resembled more of mockery instead of actual warning. 

"Well they're going to have to send a lot more than that at me if they want me dead." I replied, I wasn't going to die without a fight. 

"They'll have to kill me first." This time he was serious and I stopped grabbing a hold of his hand "Evan, don't say that..." 

"I mean it," I didn't know how long we had been standing just staring at each other. Many questions swirled my mind, what did he mean? Why would he protect me even if it ended in his death. 

"Why?" I finally ask, he purses his lips and moved forward placing a hand on my cheek. 

"You know why," I knew what he was about to do and I would've let him but the sound of footsteps in the distance prompts me to stop him. I put a hand on his chest blocking him and he seems surprised, my stomach twists nervously. 

An arrow whizzes past us burying itself into the trunk behind us. There's only one person in the arena who can use an arrow. Sapphire Evan and I run for shelter, we're behind seperate trees but still next to each other. "Come out, fives!" The boy from 1 yells, I think his name is Luster. His voice is still distant and I estimate at least 20- 30 meters away. I take a peak and instantly turn away another arrow barely missing my face. 

My heart is pounding painfully and I glance at Evan frightened for our lives. Sapphire can shoot more arrows then I could throw my knives and Luster had much more strength and experience than Evan. 

"What do we do?"

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I'm sorry for the late update, but I am back TaAaDaA!