Confined

16

The heated sun was out as the group shared a fish Finnick had caught. For they didn't want to start a fire and be found by the Career Pack, the tributes ate the fish raw. Dakota had shared the top half with Peeta and was currently saving every piece. She had to keep stopping though because of the horrible smell she dreaded so much. As the group ate, Peeta pulled out some oysters Dakota had collected as Finnick fished. Dakota watched as he opened it with his machete, carking it open. As he pulls it open, Dakota caught a shimmer of a reflection, she narrowed her eyes. 

"A pearl..." Dakota looked to Peeta and the two shared a look. The pearl was a black like colour and had a blue like reflection. Dakota watched as Peeta picked the pearl out of the oyster and gave it to Katniss. She seemed to have been taken back by Peeta's gesture of love. Dakota had to look away. A sudden scream erupted from the other side of the arena and everyone's head turned. 

"That's new." Peeta said as everyone stood. It was true, Dakota and the others had never seen a massive wave hit a part of the arena before. A cannon fired as the monstrous wave whiplashed the trees, crashing down on the water underneath it. Dakota noticed though, as it came down it didn't pass the bridge like dividers on its sides, even when it came up to the Cornucopia, it rose up on its side and then fell past it. As it fell, at caused waves to crash down around the other areas too. Dakota was knocked out of her outer body experience when cold water made its was onto her legs as she was still sitting in the sand. She gasped, causing the water to crash all over her and splash into her mouth. Once the water retreated back to its normal state Finnick came over to Dakota laughing. Dakota could feel her cheeks turn slightly pink and her ears start to burn. For she didn't want Finnick to see and she was starting to get mad at him laughing at her, she pushed him into the water. Everyone joined in the laughter as Finnick splashed water on Dakota. 

"Someone's here." Katniss suddenly said. Dakota shot her head to see, Finnick pulled up his spear in front of Dakota and Katniss pulled out an arrow. In the distance, no more than 10 metres back, two brown-red figures stood. One was shouting at the forest and the second was carrying something. The second figure then walked over and pulled out a third figure from the trees. As Dakota looked closer she thought she recognised the first figure. Finnick must have thought the same. 

"Johanna?" he whispered. Dakota pushed past Finnick's trident and started to run. 

"Johanna!" She screamed, still soaked from the water fight she had with Finnick. 

"Dakota!" She called back. Johanna started to run to and Dakota picked up her pace. The two collided with a tight hug, heavy breathing escaping them both. "Finnick!" She cried as the girls broke. She pulled Finnick into a quick hug and pat on the back. 

"What have you been doing?" Dakota asked a little confused as to who she had with her. Johanna seemed to have ignored Dakota because she looked to Finnick and explained what she had done. 

"Well... I got 'em out. We were all the way deep into the jungle where I thought it was gonna be safe. That's when the rain started. I thought it was water. It turned out to be blood." Johanna explained. That seemed to have explained why her and the other two tributes seemed to be a deep red, almost brown. "Hot, thick blood. It was coming down." She went on. The third figure that had come from the forest had come up to Johanna's side. Dakota recognised the tribute to be Wiress from District 3. 

"Tick tock." She unexpectedly cried. 

"It was choking us." Johanna scoffed, "We were stumbling around, gagging on it, blind." 

"Tick tock." Wiress cried again. 

"That's when Blight hit the force field." 

"Tick tock. Tick tock." 

"What's going on with Wiress?" Dakota asked walking over to her. She seemed to be in a state of shock, but Dakota felt as if there was more to it. 

"Don't know, don't care." Johanna pushed off. Dakota looked to her and she rolled her eyes in return. Dakota's eyes drifted to the water, the second figure form before came up to reveal Beetee from District 3, nearly clean. 

"She's in shock." He explained wiping his face. Dakota sighed, she needed more information then that. Wiress still continued to repeat her words. "Dehydration isn't helping. Do you have fresh water?" 

"Yes, but that still doesn't explain why she's like this." Dakota replied as she looked to Katniss. Katniss left to go get water with Peeta as Johanna came to Wiress and Dakota. However they didn't get far for Johanna's yells caught Katniss' attention.

"Listen, stop it!" Johanna yelled. She started to spin with Wiress in her grip. 

"Hey! Lay off her!" Katniss yelled, running to Johanna. 

"Sit down!" She yelled again, pushing Wiress to the ground. 

"Hey! That's enough, Johanna!" Dakota yelled, calmly. Katniss started to push Johanna so she wouldn't hurt Wiress anymore. 

"Hey! What are you doing?" Johanna questioned. Finnick quickly ran up to her, pulling Johanna away so that Katniss didn't kill her. "I got them out for you!" Johanna continued to scream and Finnick tried to calm her. Dakota made sure Wiress was ok, but still questioned Johanna's last words and wondered if they had anything to do with the plan Finnick had arranged with Haymitch. Dakota tried blocking out Johanna's fits as she pulled Wiress up. 

"You okay?" Dakota asked, a little concerned for the older woman. 

"Tick tock." She nodded in replied. 

"Hey, lets get you cleaned up." Dakota said, slowly dragging Wiress to the water. She started to wash Wiress hair, scrubbing the dried blood out as she continued to bicker. Dakota could only listen and look out as the Cornucopia as she washed Wiress, but she then noticed something. As Dakota looked around and listen to Wiress she realised something. 

"Hickory dickery dock, the mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck three and ran to flee-" 

"Hickory dickery dock. It's a clock. The arena is a clock. Wiress you're a genius, the arena's a clock!"