When We Burn~Finnick Odair {Book 2}

Chapter Seventeen

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The arena was a clock. That's what wiress has told Katniss and that's what Katniss had told the rest of the group.

They were all excited to finally understand how the different sections and different threats of the arena worked. It seemed that the Game Makers and President Snow didn't just want the third quarter quell to have victors, but also to have a unpredictable threat every hour.

"This entire arena seems to be laid out like a clock," Katniss spoke as the group walked along one of the rock bridges to the cornucopia. "With a new threat every hour. But they stay only within their wedge."

Peeta took his machete and drew a circle in the sand on the cornucopia island. He divided it into twelve sectors.

"It all starts with the lightning. Then blood rain, fog, and monkeys. That's the first four hours," Autumn spoke, making markings in each sector to represent what threat came with that hour. "At ten that big wave heads from over there."

"Well the tail points at twelve," Peet explained as to pointed to the sharp waste on the top of the cornucopia.

"That's where the lightning strikes at noon and midnight," Katniss explained.

"Where?" Beetee asked, eyeing his coil.

"That big tree," Katniss pointed at a tree in the distance that was, surprisingly, not burned from all of the lightning.

Beetee smirked before saying, "Good."

"Hickory Dickory dock. The mouse run up the clock," Wiress began to sing as she sat on the edge of the island. "The clock stroke one. The mouse run done. Hickory Dickory dock."

Autumn smiled at Wiress from where she sang.  Wiress truly was a good person. She was smart and kind. Autumn had never really gotten to know her, but she wished they could've been friends in any other situation.

"So twelve and one is lightning," Peeta began. Then one to two is blood. Then fog. Then monkeys."

"Right," Autumn nodded her head.

"Hickory Dickory dock. The dog barked at the clock," Wiress continued to sing.

"What about everything else?" Katniss asked. "Did you guys see anything?"

Johanna shook her head. "Nothing but blood." Autumn grimaced as she let her mind wonder where the Game Makers got all of that blood.

"It doesn't matter if we know which sector is acting," Peeta shrugged. "We'll be safe."

"Yeah," Finnick scoffed. "Relatively speaking."

Autumn looked up, noticing that the background singing of Wiress had ended. Autumn heard a gasp. Autumn snapped her head over to wiress to see Gloss standing behind her with a knife in her back.

"Wiress!" Autumn screamed, getting a knife out. Katniss beat Autumn to it, shooting an arrow right into Gloss's chest.

Cashmere ran up behind Katniss, screaming. Johanna pushed Katniss out of the way, throwing her ax at Cashmere and killing her instantly.

Autumn felt the ground rumble beneath her feet as the island began to spin in circles. Autumn dropped her knife and fell to the ground, rolling down the side of the island.

"Autumn!" Finnick screamed when he saw her fall.

"Finnick!" Autumn yelled back, maybe to show him she was still alive for the time being. Or as a goodbye incase she would die in this moment.

Autumn tumbled down next to Katniss and Johanna, grabbing hold of the rocks. She had a good grip on them, but the water splashing up against her hand didn't help.

"Johanna!" Katniss screamed as she slid further down, next to Autumn, Autumn grabbed onto Katniss's right high while Johanna held onto her left, both of them trying desperately to hold onto Katniss.

Katniss screamed as water hit her, causing her grip to loosen. She fell out of the holds of both Johanna and Autumn, falling into the water below.

"Katniss!" Autumn screamed as she watched her fall into the water below. Autumn looked up at Johanna and just by the look in her eyes, Johanna knew what Autumn's as about to do.

"Autumn, no!" Johanna screamed, but it was too late. Autumn let go of the rocks and fell into the water below, trying to find Katniss.

Autumn kicked against the strong waves that thrashed her body around. Autumn opened her eyes because and pushed herself to swim and find Katniss.

Autumn's muscled ached But she continued to kick, even though she was going nowhere. Autumn was whipped around once again before the island stopped spinning and the water calmed.

Autumn saw Katniss in the water near the bottom where she was struggling to swim to the surface. Autumn dove down, deeper into the water, and grabbed Katniss's arm. What was it with her saving the couple on fire from water?

Autumn and Katniss broke the surface of the water, climbing up onto the rock bridge and laying on their stomachs. Autumn and Katniss both coughed up water as the rest of the group ran up to the two of them.

Peeta rushed over to Katniss and Finnick to Autumn. Finnick helped Autumn stand, wrapping an arm around her to help her keep her balance.

"You okay?" Peeta asked Katniss. All she did was give a thumbs up.