Flooding Panem: The Hunger Games

Chapter Thirteen: Wandering

The whole day passes in a blur. A huge, watery, terrifying blur.

Somehow, somehow, we manage to shove everything into our packs and start running downhill and to the right, around the base of mountain. If the wave hits us, never mind drowning, we'll be flung right up against a tree or rock so hard that our spines will have a hard time staying in one piece. 

The ground beneath our feet is slippery, mostly rock with patches of grass. In brief glances, I can see that the lower parts of the Arena beyond the foothills are already flooded. Cannons could be firing continuously as we're running and I wouldn't be able to hear it over the roaring water above us. Boulders are bashing into the ground among the tossing water, sending vibrations out under our feet and making it near impossible for us to stay on our feet

One thing is clear- outrunning this thing is not an option. It's gaining on us sickeningly fast. We're running for the foothills, but suddenly Parox grabs my shoulder and pulls me hard to the right. In front of us, I see a sheer drop in the rock, about twenty feet straight down. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" I scream, stopping suddenly. Parox slams into me from the abruptness of it, and I wind up sprawling on the ground. I can feel the skin on my palms burning, and the leg of my trousers has torn.

"Trust me!" he yells, and he helps me up and- to my complete shock- picks me up. I'm in a state of utter panic and disbelief as he sprints for the precipice and jumps off it. 

We hit the ground and my head smashes into the mossy earth. Behind me I can hear Parox shouting in agony as my body follows my head. I feel myself begin to roll across the ground. My arms, legs, chest are all battered to pieces by the solid rocks under me, my eardrums throbbing from the roars of the water and the clattering of rocks and the battering of the branches of the trees being uprooted. My back is protected by my pack, even though I don't understand how it stayed on my back at all. But the movement and pain only makes me feel lazy. I feel myself being dragged along the ground and my forehead opens. 

The red, warm, thick liquid in my eyes brings me back to reality. Parox is hauling me back up against the cliff towering above us, and I back up, finally realising what he's done. I stand up, my back flat against the rock, and try to help Parox to his feet, but he winces whenever he puts weigh on one of his legs- I can't tell which. All I can do is pull him against the stone.

This all takes time to explain, but it can't take longer than thirty seconds, if that. But when the water comes, neither of us is completely ready. Thousands of tons of water soar over us, distorting the sun and casting odd shadows on me and Parox. For a moment, everything is peaceful. It's almost like I'm under the waves back home again, watching the world change into something fascinating, something wonderfully new. 

But then the water hits the ground.

The vibrations it sends out are huge. I fall to the ground with a thud, and would be swept away if Parox doesn't grab me and hold onto me as if his life depends on it. We cling to each other as the water drops down before us, deafening us, trying to drag us into it and drown us. I've swum in storms before, but nothing as wild as this. Some water drops straight onto us, soaking me to the skin and making the ground even harder to cling on to. As quickly as the water rushes away, more comes down. Boulders crash over the edge, shrubs, trees, enough to fill even a Capitol garden. Small bits of rock break off the edge of the cliff, raining down on me. There's nothing to cling to except the tribute next to me, and I hold onto him a hard as I can. Birds screech above us, and after- how much time? minutes? hours?- have passed, I hear what I think is a cannon.

I have never felt smaller than I do right now. So delicate and breakable, and so dependent on this boy that will have to die if I'm to live. I try to stand up, using Parox as leverage, when the cannon comes again. And again. And again. Each time it's accompanied by a small seismic wave.