Annie Cresta- Beyond the Sea

Chapter 25

I woke up late the next morning feeling tired. Already, the day looking ahead seemed overbearing and I didn't at all feel like participating in it. Nonetheless, I sipped some soup then put everything in my backpack, deciding to move further away from the cornucopia today.
I sling my backpack around my shoulder and grip my trident tightly. To keep my sanity, I slip a few feet underwater and relax. The water is calm and still today, sort of like the ocean at home before anyone's woken up. I was somewhat hopeful, being in my element.
All of it suddenly disperses like sugar dissolving in water as a pair of hands closes around my neck.
It threw me off guard and panic forced the air out of my lungs. Realizing what was happening, I spun around and kicked at the attacker. Although I didn't have a lot of energy, my legs were still some of the strongest muscles on my body, and I used them as much as I could. But they had a death grip on my throat, and a will to hold me under.
I didn't want to kill anybody else; my mental health was on the line as it was, but it was my last resort. I quickly stuck my trident up and felt it connect with someone above me. The blue water faded into red, and I heard a canon blow as I resurfaced again and pulled some air into my lungs. I was expecting there to be more tributes waiting for me when I came up, but the area appeared mainly deserted. I turned to see who was trying to kill me, and my heart sunk when I saw the face of the district 3 boy. He's a career. And careers stick together.
I had to get out of there.
Squirming, I began to swim as fast as I could. I used all my energy to pump my legs and use my arms. I could feel my backpack weighing me down like it was a burden. I didn't get very far until I heard three large splashes about fifteen paces behind me. I swam faster than I could before, and I began to lose them, but when I came up for air, they caught up to me in a scary amount of time. Looks like I wasn't the only swimmer in the arena.
I told myself not to look back, but I decided I had the skill to and it'd be helpful to know exactly who was on my ass. When I looked, I saw it was Bello, that district 2 boy, Dart, and the district 3 girl, I remembered her name was Astrid. I had to admit, they swam pretty fast, but I was faster. Even when I came up for air.
But the careers were not stupid. They had resorted to weapons. Astrid freed one of her hands for a moment, slowing her pace, and retrieved a knife from her belt. With limited precision, she laughed it in the air. It flipped into the water. Thankfully, I dodged it, but I could tell she wasn't messing around anymore by the malevolent look on her face. The next knife barely whizzed pass my head. I was glad she was the only one who could use her weapon without loosing it, I knew the other two could only use theirs if they were close, and I couldn't handle more weapons being thrown or shot at me.
But I had to keep moving or else I'd get hit. But I still had hours until I could get tired of doing this, thank you beach back home. That's all I have to do. Just keep moving.
I came up for air, trying to think of a way to lose them. I can't let them catch up to me; even if I did have a trident, I was outnumbered. Plus, I can't fake my death, they'll clobber me anyways.
Suddenly a sharp, burning pain in my leg reminds me I've been above water too long. And I've just been hit. Again? Fantastic.
Lovely morning.
I heared the careers swimming not too far away, and I quickly took a deep breath and dove underwater. I tried to use my injured leg just a little, I needed to if I wanted to gain distance, but the flaming pain turned into a burning red inferno when I did.
Please, please, no.
If I couldn't kick, I couldn't swim fast. That means I'd get attacked by the careers. And they were catching up to me.
I delicately pulled out the knife in my leg and did the best I could to swim with just my arms, but I didn't get very far until Dart caught up to me and grabbed the collar of my jacket. The choking feeling returned yanked me up to the surface. The collar acted like a miniature noose around my neck, and I no longer cared about being free but being able to breathe.
Dart carelessly threw me into the hard floor of the cornucopia's facade. Blood slowly started soaking through and pooling around my calf. It was the only warmth I could feel. Gasping for air, the first sound that came to my ears was the careers. Laughing as they climbed in to join me.
I wanted to know what was so funny, but thanks to my jacket, I couldn't quite get the air to ask. I suddenly realized something was missing from my hand- my trident! I glanced at them and scrambled towards it, but I slipped and fell back from where I was.
Seeing what I was trying to do, Bello kicked it away from my reach. It slid across the floor with a screech and ricocheted against a wall.
"Oh, no," she mused. "You won't need this now". Fear strung me up; paralyzed me. I had heard that somewhere before: in my dream, just before they had killed Finnick.
This was my living nightmare.
Astrid and Dart grabbed my arms and legs. I struggled, kicking out, but they were just too strong. I shot a defiant stare at Bello. She returned it with a cunning smile, and lifted her axe up over my throat. I was scared to swallow, and I only prayed Finnick wasn't watching this as she murmured, "This is for what your boyfriend did five years ago."