ODDS

ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ

𝓘𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 been twenty minutes, which, when looking back, might not have been very long at all. But in the moment, it felt an eternity.

I gagged, nausea overtaking my senses. Maybe it was due to the boiling blood raining down over us like a thick blanket. Or maybe it was the smell of sharp iron. A combination perhaps. But it didn't change anything. I didn't remember a time where I felt so terrible.

"Alana!" I heard my name ring out, despite the loud roar of blood droplets hitting the forest floor. I tried wiping the accumulated blood from my eyes, but all I saw was red.

I'd never hated a color so much.

I took a breath, swallowing a mouthful of blood in the process. I choked again, not knowing if it was because of blood trickling down my throat or the bile rising from the depths of my stomach.

A body crashed into mine.

"Alana, come on! Come on!" Blight pulled me from my knees and dragged me to an unknown destination. I coughed as I blinked away blood from my burning eyes.

"Follow me." He yelled to the group we had returned to. "I think I know the way out."

I didn't argue. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have. I needed out of this damn jungle, out of this blood.

We sprinted as fast as we could. Though, from a different person's point of view, it probably looked like we were stumbling. I felt Johanna come up behind me.

"Come on, you're falling behind." She instantly wrapped her arms around my waist, and I held on to her shoulders. I was grateful for her help. My hip had only gotten worse.

I could vaguely make out the figures of the people in front of us. To be honest, I was at least grateful I wasn't going through this alone. I was especially glad that Finnick wasn't here, experiencing this hell that the Game Makers considered smart, that the Capitol considered entertainment. I couldn't help but growl in frustration.

Through the jungle we fled, turning left and right, choking, gagging. My hair clung to my face as I sputtered. Trees became sticky and slick, depending on where you stepped. As soon as I noticed this, Johanna and I plummeted to the ground.

I shrieked as soon as my hip touched the ground. It knocked the breath out of me, which was non-existent to begin with. I couldn't tell if tears were coming out of my eyes. I only felt blood.

"Alana, stand up. You need to stand up." Johanna rushed out, speech blurred under the fluid taking over her features. One glance and she looked like a monster.

"I can't." I sobbed. "I can't do it, Johanna. I can't."

She continued to coax me upward when we heard a sharp scream, then some odd sound, which sounded like some sort of electrical current. Johanna was knocked from my side.

Shocked, I shot up as Beetee dragged Wiress' body beside me, the rushed to help Johanna.

It was Blight.

"Blight? Wake up." Beetee demanded. A canon sounded, resonating through our bodies even amongst the chaos of burgundy.

My body stilled, eyes flicking to Johanna, who had pushed Blight's body off of her and into the ground. Her eyes were wide, as far as I could tell.

"Blight." Her voice was hollow as she shook the dead man, hoping the canon was some sort of mistake.

I looked over to Wiress, who seemed to stir from her stupor. I helped her sit up, careful to not twist too much for fear my hip would be too far gone to repair.