9
This One Night
So that's what happened to my bracelet. The cameras had stayed away from Marina for the most part, after she was robbed by the Careers of course. I almost forgot she still existed, but clearly she did exist to Finnick. He found her and low and behold, there were my shells wrapped around her wrist.
I was surprised how much I didn't mind. If they gave her strength through the whole ordeal, than I'm glad she had them. Happy, however, I had to wonder under what context he gave her the shells. Did he love her? No, I don't think so. Finnick was smart enough to resist those feelings when he knew they were doomed to die...
Or at least I hoped he was.
More likely he was being nice and they became friends. She was three years older than him anyway...and engaged to another boy-Ammon, I think his name was-so that had to be it.
I think all the hearts in Panem broke when he held her that night he found her. I was watching the games with his mother again and we hugged each other pathetically when he tried to revive her after she died. His father was there too but kept perfectly composed; the only revealing change I noticed was the way he clenched his jaw the whole time.
After Finnick had gone to sleep, they showed us the Careers. They were standing in a circle, Celeste, Hector, Viper, and Goren. They had finally recovered from the strangling smoke and were trying to decide what to do next.
"I say we part ways," Viper's voice cracked, "That canon means there's nine people alive now. We have no idea who's dead yet, but we can't afford any chances. If Finnick is out there, there's no doubt he's getting plenty of help from the Capitol. We can't stay together in a bundle for him to take out all at once."
They all agreed, but still didn't budge from the circle. Goren-a man of few words-was looking at them suspiciously.
"How do we know that the second one of us turns around, the others won't attack?" he asked in his bass voice. Celeste pursed her lips and looked at the others.
"Goren there's a sort of code amongst the Careers. You're from district six so I wouldn't expect you to know it...but basically when a group decides to break, you give everyone one day to disperse. It keeps the games interesting, it gives everyone time to plan, and if you don't you won't have a home to go to. You break the code and you lose all your honor. Get it?"
Goren smirked, "My district wouldn't care if I killed you all right now."
"You won't, if you know what's good for you," Hector warned.
With that, they reluctantly gathered their personal items, though it seemed they lost a lot after the volcano.
"Okay, so by tomorrow's midnight, everyone's fair game," Celeste said as a farewell, "May the odds-"she gave a quick laugh, "be ever in your favor."
Then they took off in different directions, all of them reluctant to leave the woods. Except for Goren, who made a beeline for the cooled lava. It was an odd choice because none of them had any food, and certainly the flat rock wouldn't. But then again, maybe he was looking for refuge more than sustenance.
They all fell into restless sleep, coddling whatever weapons they had left. No one was safe anymore.
When it hit morning in the arena, the screens opened with Finnick. He was thrashing in his sleep and in a very dangerous location. My heart caught in my throat when suddenly he rolled right off the side of the ledge.
"No!" his mother gasped, instinctually grabbing the air with her hands as if she thought to catch him.
But it was okay...sort of. He fell about five feet and seemed to wake up during that time. Then he hit the steep slope of the mountain and rolled violently down that for a short distance, fell another four feet, and landed face down on flat ground below. Winded, swollen, and bleeding, he still pulled himself up with a certain determination. He didn't even seem aware that he was injured at all.
