"We are simply ash."
•••
It had been five years since Autumn's Hunger Games. She now lived with visions and voices that haunted her every night, watching her district partner die right in front of her eyes. Only one good thing came out of the Games...
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•••
"Katniss, Peeta, c'mon, c'mon," Finnick ushered Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick through the tree line and into the jungle. "Let's go."
The four of them ran through the jungle, trying to put distance between themselves and the other other tributes.
"Okay hold up," Finnick came to a jog then stopped. "Hold up!"
The whole group stopped, happily. They crouched down on the jungle floor, taking in deep breaths as they tried to stop themselves from sweating in the tropical weather.
"God it's hot," Peeta panted. Beads of sweat were already falling down his face. "We gotta find fresh water." Autumn nodded, agreeing with Peeta.
A boom echoed through the arena, causing Autumn to go into a defensive fight stance. She relaxed, however, when the noise was followed by another. It was just the canons.
"I guess they're not holding hands anymore," Finnick smiled, mentioning the United hand holding moment at the interviews only last night.
"You think that's funny?" Katniss asked, glaring at Finnick.
"Every time that cannon goes off it's music to my ears," Finnick shrugged. "There's only one person I'm worrying about in these Games. I don't care about any of them."
Katniss scoffed as she took a machete from her archery quiver, handing it to Peeta. "Good to hear."
"Wanna face the career pack alone?" Finnick asked, raising his eyebrow. "What would Haymitch say?"
"Haymitch isn't here," Katniss spat.
Autumn looked at Peeta, annoyed. "Looks like we're the barriers, Pete," Autumn stood up. Peeta smiled.
"Let's keep moving," Finnick told the group, standing up next to Autumn and starting to walk deeper into the jungle.
The next hour or two was spent walking deeper and deeper into the jungle. Finnick and Autumn stayed at the back, talking together. Every once in a while Autumn would walk ahead and exchange a few words with Peeta or Katniss, but she would always end up back next to Finnick.
Peeta had taken the lead of the pack, swinging left and right at the plants in their way. Autumn saw Katniss tense up as she noticed something
"Peeta no!" Katniss screamed, but it was too late as Peeta hit the forcefield with his sword. A bolt of electricity hit Peeta and his body was flung backwards, hitting the ground a few feet away.
"Peeta?" Katniss panicked as she ran over to him. Smoke rose off of Peeta's chest. "He's not breathing. He's not breathing! Peeta!"
Finnick rushed over to Peeta and pushed Katniss off of him, beginning to preform CPR on him.
Katniss panicked and began to take an arrow out of her quiver, but Autumn ran over to her and stopped her.
"Come on, Peeta," Finnick mumbled as he pressed on Peeta's chest. "Come on."
"Please wake up," Katniss wept as she sat next to Peeta. "Come on Peeta. Please Peeta."
Finnick pressed on Peeta's chest one final time and backed away as Peeta took in a deep breath, his heart beginning to beat again.
"Oh my God," Katniss cried as she took Peeta in a hug. Autumn walked around Peeta and Katniss and hugged Finnick, happy that it wasn't him on the ground.
"Be careful there's a force field out there," Peeta mumbled.
"You were dead. You were dead. Your heart stopped," Katniss cried.
"It's okay," Peeta smiled. "It's working now."
"Do you wanna stand up?" Katniss asked. Peeta nodded and sat up, letting Katniss grab his hands and bring him to his feet.
The continued walking deeper into the jungle, hoping that by some miracle they'll find fresh water.
Autumn could feel her body become weaker from the lack of water and energy. Katniss, who was now at the front of the group, stopped.
"Hang on," Katniss spoke, holding up her hand. She then looked up at a large tree in front of her, putting her bow around her torso and beginning to climb up and up before she disappeared above the branches.
A few moments later, Katniss came climbing back down the tree before dropping down a few feet next to Autumn.
"A force field. It's a dome. We're at the edge of the arena," Katniss explained. "I couldn't find any signs of fresh water." The group grumbled in annoyance at the news about the water.
"It's gonna get dark soon," Finnick sighed as he looked up into the sky, looking at the position of the sun. "We'll be safe if our backs are protected. We should set up camp. Take turns sleeping. I can take first watch."
"Not a chance," Katniss glared at Finnick.
Finnick sighed in annoyance. "Honey, that thing I did back there for Peeta, that's called saving his life." Finnick nodded at Autumn. "And what do you think Autumn did back at the bloodbath? Watch Peeta drown? If we wanted to kill either of you I would've done it by now."
"Katniss, you trust me, don't you?" Autumn asked, stepping up to her.
Katniss nodded. "I trust you, but-"
Autumn shook her head, cutting Katniss off. "And I trust Finnick. It'll be fine."
Katniss turned to Peeta, who stared back at her. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll take the first watch."
"Just for a little bit," Peeta nodded, walking away and finding a place to lay down and sleep.
"You can sleep, Autumn," Finnick whispered in Autumn's ear as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "I'll take watch."
Autumn nodded, going up to the tree that Katniss had climbed and making a small bed of large leafs, a couple meters away from Peeta.
Finnick came and sat down next to Autumn, letting her snuggle up in his side for comfort. Autumn placed her hand on Finnick's cheek as she pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. She then laid her head on his shoulder and let him wrap his arms around her body.
