Let The Flames Begin

Chapter 9

At the Cornucopia, we cautiously assess the weapons that nobody took, watching out for any sign of the Careers. I switch my club for a spear, and I pocket a few knives. Now I feel much more useful. 

Wiress makes herself at home on the shore. I look in my pocket and discover that somewhere along the line, I was handed a coil of wire. Beetee’s. He’s been too weak to carry it.

I hold it out to her. “Hey, can you clean this, Wiress?” 

She nods and gets straight to washing it. To my amusement, she starts singing. I think I’ve heard it before, so I start humming along.

“Psst. Haymitch.” Katniss startles me from behind. “We should put together a map of what we know about the arena.”

I nod, coming back to my senses. “Right.” I find a random twig and start drawing in the sand. I make a circle and divide it twelve times, like the spokes of a clock.

“Well, you’re not much of an artist, are you?” Johanna sneers at me.

“I am when this can keep us alive longer,” I snap back. She’s no match for me, really.

I mark in the parts of the circle that we know: the lightning, the fog, the monkeys, the wave, and the blood rain, and Katniss reminds me of what time each obstacle occurs. Finnick, Beetee and Johanna look over our shoulders to see my handiwork.

“It’s not the whole thing,” I say, “but it’s a good start. Now we know when to avoid which places.”

It’s only then that we realize: it’s become deathly silent.

I turn around to find Wiress with her throat slit, Gloss standing over her. And he’s not alone. He doesn’t even get a chance to escape. Katniss fires a fatal arrow at him. Johanna thrusts an axe at Cashmere, who keels over, dead.

Just goes to show, never mess with two angry girls.

Three cannons go off.  I stand up, shaking. Enobaria and Brutus are still left, glaring at us menacingly. Game time.

This will be just like old times, killing off some Careers, I think to myself.

Brutus throws a spear at me. I deflect it with my own spear, and the impact makes my muscles ache.

Finnick jumps in front of me just as Enobaria lets loose a knife. It sinks into his leg. Better there than in his chest. 

To our surprise, the District 2 tributes run away without more of a fight.

“Oh no, you don’t,” I mutter.

I fling a knife at Enobaria’s heels, but she’s too quick for me. I begin sprinting towards her.

The next sensation is like a gigantic hand is pulling me downwards. I sink to the ground, along with my allies. The Cornucopia is spinning us like a merry-go-round. I hang on with every ounce of strength, hoping I don’t get sick. After about a minute, we stop moving.  

I put a hand to my forehead, trying to stop the migraine that’s begun to hit me hard. It hurts so badly that I can only see by squinting. “Kill me, Katniss. Just kill me.”

“Gladly,” Johanna replies, taking hold of her axe.

“No.” Katniss glares at Johanna; then she focuses on me. “We still need you, okay?”

I slowly open up my eyes. “Just let me stay here and die if you won’t do it.”

Johanna waves indignantly. “Hello. My offer’s still up in the air.”